Anker Soundcore Q30

A good entry level ANC headphone can be made better with measurements​

This was my initial Soundcore headphone, it was (and still is) a very cheap fully featured ANC bluetooth headphone (currently around $60 probably and often even cheaper when on sale). Though by the latest standards it is a bit outdated and missing some features and codecs that have become standard even at this low price point.

Having used the Q30 as my travel ANC headphone for a few years now. I recently bought a 711 clone coupler and a KB501X soft pinna, so I decided to systematically measure the headphone at all possible EQ levels then tune the headphone close to the harman target for a bit of nerdy audiophile fun and end up with surprisely good results.

Note: This review does not cover all the features of the Q30 as in this specific review I am focusing on the EQ feature

Introduction​

For those who seek the sweet spot between price and performance in their audio gear, the Soundcore Q30 headphones present a compelling case if you can spend a few minutes setting the EQ to the right values. Let me guide you through the process in this short review.

Build Quality and Unboxing​

The Soundcore Q30 headphones greet users with an unboxing experience that belies their budget-friendly price tag.


Encased in a neatly designed package, the headphones come with a thoughtful assortment of accessories, including a carrying case, USB-C charging cable, and a 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening.



The build quality of the Q30 is commendable; with plush ear cups and a sturdy headband that promises comfort over long listening sessions. The materials, while not premium in the sense of high-end audiophile headphones, strike a balance between durability and lightweight comfort. The intuitive control layout and the tactile feel of the buttons further enhance the user experience, making it clear that Soundcore has not cut corners in designing a product that feels robust and reliable.

The Q30 does look a little date and shows its age a little compared to the newest Soundcore headphone the Space one:

Sound Quality​

The default sound profile of the Soundcore Q30 is far too bass heavy for my liking but with the EQ settings that I will recommend in the measurement section below it becomes a joy to listen especally with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) enabled (when travelling on a business trip or even working in a noisy environment).

In my opinion, the excelent ANC technology for the price further enhances the listening experience beyond a closed back headphone or even a IEM, effectively reducing ambient noise and allowing the finer details of the music to shine through, when combined with a reasonable well tuned headphone this gives an excellent audio experience in noisy environments.

Measurements​

I used the AAC codec for these measurements (with a Macbook Pro running REW).

As I mentioned for me the key feature, beyond the Active Noice Cancellation, is the EQ built into the ‘companion’ Soundcore Application. There are lots of the usual ‘preset’ categories within the EQ feature of the App but crucially there is a ‘custom’ section. This is the custom section I will be mainly measuring with all 3 headphones presented in this post as once you have tweaked your EQ in that section it is saved into the headphone no matter how many future devices you use with the headphone, as someone who often has to swap between IOS and Android and between a Macbook and a PC laptop for work, having headphone with ANC in a noisy office environment with ‘good’ tonality is ideal.

Frequency Response​

*Note: The Q30 was pretty difficult to get a consistent seating, it took a few attempts to get it “correct” otherwise I was getting a screwed measurement of too much or too little sub-bass or exaggerate treble, but once I got a good seating I tried to replicate across all measurements.

Note: All measurements were also taken with the ANC enabled. I did notice that Transparency has a huge discrepancy on the Frequency Response, but I don’t anyone would care about the Frequency response with Transparency enabled *

Firstly, just to show how boosted the bass is with the ‘default’ soundcore profile and even their ‘flat’ sound profile is way too bass heavy. Here for the Q30 compared to what I ended up with after playing around with the EQ to get closer to the Harman OE target, though the sub-bass cannot be tweaked so the sub 100hz was always higher than I would have liked:



I did measure the various presets - the ‘podcast’ preset was the nearest to my eventual EQ. Might be a quick option especially if you are going to use ’external’ EQ to further ‘fix’ the Q30 sound profile, i.e. just select ‘podcast’ then EQ within your own App:



The left and right channels show lots of channel in-balance especially in the treble - this was with my EQ applied:



I also measured a second Q30 (as my wife wanted one) for comparison and channels were somewhat consistent (this was with the ‘flat’ soundcore profile - which is the same as their default as my wife’s Q30 was just using the defaults):



Now, to determine was possible with EQ, I measured all the extremes of all the EQ filters so here are the various measurements the min and max levels ( +/- 6 db according their app) on all 10 bands, the sub-bass does not change with the 100hz filter so ’taming’ the bass is difficult:



Here is the normalised view of range of dB possible with each of the max and min levels for the Q30. This is shows that you do get about the +/- 6dB range promised within the App, though a few places it is only about +/- 4dB. You can also see the Harman target in the background and why the lower bass is always a problem:



Overall this is, as you will see later in this post, far better for tweaking the sound than newer Soundcore ‘Space One’:

Note: As well as attaching the REW measurements, I have uploaded all measurements to my (headphone database)[www. pragmaticaudio.com/headphones] for anyone to look at and generate their own EQ.

Here is what my recommended ‘custom’ harman EQ profile looks like within the Soundcore App, though as I said early the ‘podcast’ preset would make a good quick EQ to then use as a basis for further EQ:



This ends up with this reasonable Frequency Response:

And finally here is the distortion:

My Ratings​

Overall I gave the Q30 a rating of 4 stars, the price is good, and while the default sound profile is a typical bass heavy consumer friendly profile some simple EQ within the Soundcore Application can transform this headphone is a very pragmatic audiophile bargain.

It is showing its age now compared to the latest soundcore headphones, like the Space One. Lacking in some of the features that the Space One offers like LDAC and HearID customisations, but it’s still a compelling bargain ANC headphone.

Conclusions​

In conclusion, the Soundcore Q30 headphones represent an exceptional value proposition for the budget-conscious audiophile. The combination of solid build quality, customizable sound profile through EQ adjustments, and commendable audio performance measured against objective criteria, positions the Q30 still even though it has been out for a few years as a standout choice for those seeking high-quality audio experiences without the high-end price tag.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Anker Soundcore Life Q30
Price: MSRP £89.99
Vendor Website: Here
Review Reference: RC026

Manufacturer Blurb:

• Brand Name: Anker
• Model: Life Q30
• With Microphone: Yes
• Chipset: BES2300
• Driver: 40mm
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• ANC: 35db, 3 modes (Transport, Indoor, Outdoor)
• Sensitivity: 95dB
• Impedence: 16 ohms
• Frequency Response Range: 16-40000Hz
• Bluetooth Chipset: Not known
• Maximum Working Range: 10-15m(no obstacle)
• Headphone Weight: 263g
• Playtime: 40 hours
• Connectors: Type C
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth Profile: AVRCP 1.5/HFP 1.6/HSP 1.2/A2DP1.2

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x Carry Case
1 x Type-C USB charging cables
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card

Real Life Experience

This is the first review of an Anker product I have published, despite owning several models prior. In my experience I have found them to be a shade overpriced and usually lacking some features that are important to me, and in the case of the Q20, to which this is the predecessor, I simply couldn't get them to fit me well.

The Q30 was launched in October 2020 and I refrained initially from buying them after seeing a lot of negative reviews regarding the ANC and mic quality. It is not unusual for Anker to release half-ready products - and this isn't too much of a problem because their support thereafter is excellent, with frequent firmware updates and ongoing dialogue.

Sadly Anker do not provide me with any samples, so this has been procured out of my own pocket, but as always I will offer a frank and honest assessment based on benchmarks of over 100 reviews of earbuds and headphones, and a long (former) career in the music industry, using objective and subjective methodologies.

The Unboxing - 7/10



For a premium product, the box seemed a shade underwhelming. We are used to the likes of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold and Whizzer E3 in the earbud world carrying the presentation of a reasonably luxurious timepiece, but this was more a thin cardboard affair, albeit with clear identification of the key areas - namely the headline, the ANC.



The back elaborates further, indicating the multiple modes of ANC - hint - you don't just get on, off and ambient.

Once inside, you are simply presented with the carry case.

The Case - 8/10



At 220 x 180 x 58 this is one of the larger carry cases I've sampled, and noticeably larger than the Avantree Aria Pro, especially in depth. Inside the case are the headphones, a manual, feedback form and some cables - a USB Type-C charge cable and a jack for the aux.

Getting the headphones back in the case isn't always easy but they remain extremely secure once inside. Ancillary items can be stored in the convenient pocket, and it has the usual strap at the top and the Soundcore logo in the middle.

With many vendors cutting the case out, it was a welcome addition.

The Ergonomics - 7/10

Usually I bundle ergonomics and build quality into one, but with over-ears I think it's important to differentiate them. With earbuds there is generally little difference in the build, but with headphones it can vary wildly. With the Q30 it is a real mixed bag. Available in Black, Blue and Pink, I chose the reduced-price black version.



Firstly, they do not track with your head, unless you're ET. At 200 x 180 x 80 they are amongst the biggest headphones I've ever tested.

Whilst this does give some added flexibility in movement of the cups, meaning you can lighten the clamp quite nicely, it doesn't really give the user any great benefit other than looking a bit silly in all honesty. I have a pretty fat head and yet they still protrude even further. When we are back to some kind of normality, you won't have charity direct-debit pushers approaching you - they will see you coming a mile away!

The hinges are decent quality but only allow limited movement of just over 90 degrees in and out, and this can add to the sound leakage. This can be annoying in a shared home office environment.



The button array is not overly intuitive - I prefer a minimal button scheme, but for others who like controls, they are there, and the button presses are firm. Track controls on the right cup, ANC and power on the left. I found at times play and pause wouldn't work when paired with windows.




The cups are matte, and this can get a bit grubby, more so than the Q20's, with finger marks quickly manifesting. The outer cups are quite large with the vertical diameter at 95mm, and the horizontal at 83mm.

NFC works fine (tested with Android) and putting your hand over the right cup initiates transparency mode (ambient to the rest of us).

The headband is clearly well padded, although this does soften out quite easily, but is fine for those with receding hairlines, although if you wear them too tight then the padding does thin out, exposing you to the solid band if you like practising headstands, or lying up in bed.



This cups reduce on the inside to 68x53mm, making them one of the largest cups around. Unfortunately this can feel a bit spacious at times, and the soft memory foam padding spreads rather easily. On the flip side it does reduce your ears getting sweaty and never feels too tight.

The build quality, which is excellent, means they can feel a bit uncomfortable if lying on your side due to the robust outer materials. It also results in substantial sound leakage, as alluded to prior.

At around 265g, they are rather heavy, albeit due to sturdy materials. Anker have put some thought into the weight displacement, but they are noticeably heavy for prolonged use if you're used to lighter cans.

Build Quality - 8.5/10

As strange as the ergonomics are, it is unquestionable that Anker have not cut too many corners with the build.



The band in particular is robust, with the plastic base reinforced with a metallic insert throughout, although if on tight, this can at times be felt through the padding at the top, hence why you see me wearing them loose.



There are supportive screws almost everywhere and whilst this does bode well for longevity, it adds weight as a result.

Unfortunately, I could not find any IP rating for the headphones, likely down to the jack and charge ports being open to the elements.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

Like with most budget headphones, there is an over-emphasis on the lows and mid-lows, and this can sound muddy on complex tracks. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears sounded a bit disappointing as a first reference track. Less complex tracks like Calvin Harris' Summer were far better presented, and vocals in general are reasonably well proportioned.

Note - I noticed a discernible improvement when balanced through Wavelet.

Like with most closed-back headphones, the struggle for soundstage is real. They've opened the cups up to try and give the impression of the sound bouncing around a little but in reality it is pretty narrow. These will not replace your wired Sennies put it that way.

Still, at the price it is hard to grumble. With a bit of EQ'ing they can sound acceptable, and the app gives loads of options to do just that even on IOS.

Call Quality - 7.5/10 indoors, 7/10 outdoors

I understand there were major issues on release, but Anker seem to have resolved these on FW 1.90. Your voice can sound a little hollow at times, and it varies dependent on how you wear them.

The mics are on the outer and inner, and the swivel design encourages the inner mics to be more open to the elements than most. This would no doubt have implications on the IP rating. They do a reasonable job of compressing sounds, but your voice also sounds compressed outside, which can make it difficult to differentiate you from other low frequency sounds.

ANC - 7.5/10

The headline feature - the ANC - is OK. There are the usual three modes - ANC off, on and transparent, but also a transport, indoor and outdoor mode.

Anker claim that each environment is specifically tailored, but I noticed little difference - transport seems to be strongest, but more annoying was the loud glitch when changing mode.

I tested against the Q20, Apollo Q10 from Tronsmart and TT-BH060 from Taotronics, and the Q30 are marginally stronger than the others, but not by much.

Battery Life - 8.5/10

The headline 40 hours was fairly accurate. Even with ANC on I'm getting almost 40 hours. This eclipses my Avantree Aria Pro, although it falls a little short of the Tronsmart Q10. This reduces when you're making a lot of phone calls.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

No connectivity issues at all, and like with most headphones the range seems stronger than earbuds.

Button controls can at times be a little frustrating. Having just tested the Apollo Q10, where everything was gesture-based, this felt like a step backwards. Voice assistant seemed to work fine, by holding down play, and the buttons are arranged reasonably well for such an array.

Anker's app is first class, with lots of customization, including EQ, ANC and even white noise to help you fall asleep, although they aren't the comfiest for side sleepers.

Another excellent and very welcome feature is the addition of multipoint connectivity, although it seemed a little hit and miss when used with PC. Nevertheless it is a feature often overlooked and one that didn't work too well on the Q20, but no issues here.

The lack of AptX is always a bit annoying, and it resulted in higher than usual latency, with 225Ms on Windows 10 with an AX200 receiver.

The addition of a headphone jack, NFC and fast charge - giving 4 hours from 5 minutes charging - are also very welcome features that enhance the value of the cans.

Summary

It is always a challenge reviewing over-ears for me - the bar is high as I've always owned Sennheisers. Thus, when I'm reviewing low-cost products I have to try to remember that they are just that - low cost.

The Anker Soundcore Q30 are robust and at times awkward headphones that compromise portability for build quality, and the abundance of screws and reinforced areas demonstrate a maturity in product development from an engineering perspective, if not quite so much in the tuning.

Sound is not going to blow your mind, but for the reduced price (which seems to be becoming the normal price) of around £63.99, it is adequate. Bass performance is a little bloated, and the low mids in particular are troublesome for the Q30. Again, I think there is a compromise here - audiophile quality sound is rarely witnessed in all-rounders that do lots of things 'rather well'.

The app is great and gives lots of additional features, and for multipoint connectivity, NFC and the fast charge feature alone,

So a real mixed bag as expected with plenty to work on for the Q40, but Anker deserve credit for a decent release and certainly an upgrade on the Q20.

Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 81%