The left ear cup has a button for toggling between noise-cancelling and transparency modes, a power button and a USB-C charging port. BassUp is only available when using the Signature profile, which you may not find yourself using given there are 20 other EQ presets to choose from in the Soundcore app. There’s something for just about every genre, including Latin, Jazz, Pop and Piano. We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless in Noise Isolation. For budget headphones, the performance of the Life Q20 is impressive. Featuring Bluetooth 5.0, they have an excellent wireless range and an easy pairing setup. Their sound quality is decent, but their very bass-heavy sound even without the bass boost mode can be unpleasant for some people. Their built-in mic is also decent, but it’s not recommended for phone calls in particularly loud places.

Pros: good value, good sound, good noise-cancelling, very long battery life, Bluetooth 5 with SBC, AAC and LDAC support, good app, full EQ and lots of presets, comfortable.For controls, the Life Q30 primarily rely on physical buttons located on the outer sections of both earcups. On the left cup you’ll find the power button along with the “NC” button, which cycles through the three sound modes on offer: normal, transparency and noise-cancelling.

There is a noticeable difference in sound profile when using the ANC on and off. Although we tested these headphones with their ANC on, the audio sounds hollow and thin if you turn the ANC off. We ran a few frequency response passes with the ANC on and off to confirm this using a wired connection and Bluetooth. You can see our graph here, which shows a drop in bass with the ANC on regardless of whether you're using a wired or Bluetooth connection. Hour Playtime: Life Q30 active noise cancelling headphones play up to 40 hours of music in noise cancelling mode. Standard mode extends the playtime to 60 hours, while a short 5-minute charge gives you 4 hours of listening. The app offers a couple of other neat features, too. You can discover new music and stream it in the app via Soundcore’s streaming partner LÜM. This is a platform developed for independent artists and is well worth exploring if you fancy broadening your musical horizons. There’s also a Sleep Mode option, which provides you with a selection of ambient sounds that can be blended together to create a soundscape to drift off to. The tech is fun to play around with but the Life Q30 aren’t headphones you’re going to want to fall asleep wearing so it’s unlikely to see much use. Anker Soundcore Life Q30 review: What could be improved? The headphones ship with a good hard travel case, plus a small bag containing a USB charging cable, 3.5mm headphones cable with an in-line mic and an aeroplane audio adapter. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian PriceTheir appearance isn’t helped by the fact that the words “active noise cancelling” are emblazoned onto both sides of the headband. It’s a bizarre design decision that frankly makes them look a bit silly. With their well-padded ear cups and lightweight frame, the Life Q20 are comfortable to wear for long hours, which is especially beneficial when using them while traveling. Their large ear cups can comfortably accommodate most ear sizes while their headband has good flexibility. Their headband clamp is also tight enough to ensure a secure and stable fit without sacrificing comfort.

We've replaced the Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless with the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. We've also replaced the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless with the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless. We've added brand comparisons as well, in addition to expanding the lineup information. The Life Q30 are charged via USB-C and have a stated battery life of up to 60 hours when ANC is turned off and 40 hours when it’s on. That 60-hour figure puts the Life Q30 top of the pile of any over-ear ANC headphones I’ve tested, while the 40 hours when ANC is active is only matched by the Urbanista Miami. I spent a fortnight using the Life Q30 as my primary headphones and impressively, they still had some juice left in them by the end of testing. The Indoors and Outdoors modes both work well, too. Indoors mode seeks to dampen voices and mid-range frequencies, while Outdoors mode decreases ambient sounds and proved particularly effective at reducing wind noise. Decent ANC on budget headphones is a rarity, so having three modes tailored for different situations that all successfully put a dent in external noise is highly impressive. With their solid 20-hour battery life per charge, the Space NC are suitable for all-day use in the office and particularly long flights and commutes. If they are low on power, you can temporarily switch to a wired connection using the included audio cable to conserve power. Alternatively, if you don’t mind using them with an audio cable attached, you can use them primarily in wired mode if you want a longer battery life per charge – the headphones can last up to an incredible 50 hours in wired mode with ANC. Wrap-upOverall, the Liberty Air 2 are the best Anker headphones currently out. They are well-designed truly wireless earphones that are good for commuting, traveling, office use, and sports, with their extremely compact form factor making them easy to carry for everyday use. Their build quality, charging case design, sound isolation, and total battery life are good. Moreover, they support wireless charging and have touch controls and an app for customization – features usually found in pricier products. Most Anker headphones have an integrated mic, which sits far away from your mouth. As a result, their mics tend to have poor recording quality and mediocre noise-handling performance.

The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 have a bass-heavy sound profile. They deliver extra thump, rumble, and boom, which is well-suited for genres like EDM and hip-hop. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to customize their sound.

I was also impressed by the Life P3’s audio quality. Like the over-ear Life Q30, boosted bass is the focus of the “Soundcore Signature” audio profile. However, it’s not nearly as overwhelming here, with the P3 striking a solid balance between robust low-end reproduction and clarity in the mid and upper registers.