Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own..
The Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Earbuds are lightweight earbuds that are designed for you take everywhere and not get in your way or sacrifice sound quality and battery life. Even with this lightweight design you still get premium sound quality and up to seven hours of playback with only the need of one and half hours to charge your earbuds.
When it comes to playback, your music and podcasts will come in loud and clear using aptX high resolution HD technology. That means you can listen to your music on your daily commute or at the gym and not worry about being able to hear your music if you are in a loud environment.
To help keep your earbuds in your ears and keep it comfortable, Anker has a large collection of earbud tips of different shapes and sizes to fit almost any size and shape of ears. These are the perfect earbuds for the gym if you do not like the the over-ear-rubber hooks or just have a standard set of earbuds. Included in the ear pad collection are pads that have a small hook that hooks the earbud to the ear. These hooked earbud tips give the perfect hold for those that need a secure fit.
Don’t be concerned about sweat or rain. The Anker SoundBud Slim+ Wireless Earbuds have the upgraded IPX-5 water resistant interior nano-coating that protects your earphones as you run in the rain or sweat it out during a workout.
In addition to these great features, the earbuds come with a semi-hard case, extra ear tips, cord management clip, cord shirt clip, USB 2.0 charging cable, metal carabineer, 18-month warranty and friendly customer service.
What’s the Difference Between the Anker SoundBud Slim Wireless Earbuds and The Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Earbuds?
If you are familiar with Anker’s earbud lineup you know that the Anker SoundBud Slims+ is a newer model than the Anker SoundBuds Slims. Because of that, you want to know the differences. In the near future I will do an article that lays it all out for us. But for now, here are the specs of the older model. This information was copied directly from Amazon’s sales page.
- The Lightweight Earbuds that Defy Sweat and Rain
- 6mm drivers deliver crisp, clear music to your ears via a smooth, skip-free connection.
- SoundBuds Slim are designed to be slim line and light (15g), while offering serious performance. Magnetically attach together when not in use, or tuck away into the travel pouch. (Fabric Bag)
- 3-size EarTips and InEar-Hooks provide a sturdy, comfortable hold. Cable measures 55cm for universal fit and no annoying tangles. Adjust your cable length with the FitClip, or affix to your clothing for extra security via the Shirt Clip
- IPX4 nano coating ensures complete defense against sweat, or rain. Push yourself to your limit during workouts and SoundBuds Slim will handle your audio effortlessly.
- In-built microphone (with CVC Noise Suppression) and 3-button remote enable you to manage more conveniently – from skipping a song, to answering a call without touching your phone.
Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Earbuds – The review
Just over a week ago Anker sent me the Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Earbuds for being part of contest to test the earbuds at a discounted rate (I won). Today I wanted to share with you my experiences and thoughts on the new earbuds.
The package arrived in the standard easy to open white box with blue accents Anker box. It comes nicely packaged and everything is protected from scratching and other damages.
After pulling everything out the box I inspected everything and removed the static plastic the covers the magnetic end of the earbuds. I then did a test fit. To my surprise, the installed earbud tips with hooks fit my ears perfectly.
First thing I noticed is the cable is a lot longer than the previous version but feels about the same weight. Next I noticed, That the clips and pouch were made well. They should last a while.
The new pouch is a semi-rigid case with a zipper. Its has a little pouch for the USB cable and a larger space for the earbuds. Unfortunately the pouch doesn’t hold the cable. I lost the cable somewhere in my car or at the gym. Someone just got themselves a nice shorty cable.
As with any new battery powered device, I charged it up first. Since it was more than halfway charged it took about twenty minutes to charge using a standard premium charging cable on my Anker USB charging hub.
Once it was charged I paired it to my LG G4 cell phone. It paired on the second try. I think it would have paired on the first try, but I didn’t have the handset ready to pair. So the earbuds went back into standby mode.
Listening to music and audiobooks in a quiet environment with the new Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Earbuds sounded great. The highs and lows sounded good. Wasn’t much base but I noticed it was slightly better than the previous model.
Next I tried using the earbuds while working on the property. I needed to spend about an hour or so on the tractor. While operating it, the earbuds drowned out most of the noises the tractor makes but not much of the loudness from the engine. With the volume all the way up I can hear the music better (Listening to music at full volume is bad on your ears. So don’t do it. Try and keep it around 80%. It sounds better.) But audio books or other talking audio not so much. Trying to paying attention to an audio book in a loud environment is to hard with these earbuds. I could barely hear the audio and I kept having to scan back to repeat what they were saying. If you have an issue with background noise it would be better to have an over-the-ear noise cancelling headset on and that’s what I mostly use when operating loud machinery.
While at the gym, I noticed that I could hear my music and pod casts better. It drowned out a lot of the noise and crappy music my gym plays. I didn’t even have to turn it up all the way.
I haven’t really been able to test the rain resistance claims but its still going strong after multiple sessions at the gym and sweat doesn’t seem to be a big deal.
The Fitting – Does it Stay in Your Ear While Being Active?
One of the big issues with wireless earbuds is manufacturers tend to make the ear-to-ear cable to short. They are so short that sometimes, you can’t put it behind your neck and you have to wear it so the cable is under your chin. In my opinion this is annoying and gets in the way. It can get tangled up and gets pulled out of your ears.
The old Anker SoundBud Slims Wireless Earbuds’ ear-to-ear wire is just long enough that in most occasions it not a bother. But once you get sweating and you stretch your neck in one direction or the other the wire gets stuck to your skin and causes the earbud to pull out.
With the new Anker SoundBuds Slim + Wireless Earbuds the cables are slightly longer. Because of this, the earbuds stay in. So far they haven’t fallen out.
How Well Does the Magnets Work and What are They For?
The other day, someone asked my why my Anker Soundbud Slims+ Earbuds and the older Slims came with magnets at the ends. I answered, the magnets are there as a way to lock your earbuds together when they are hanging from your neck or when you are trying to store them. They then asked do they work? The simple answer is yes they do.
The more in depth answer is the older earbud magnets would not always hold throughout the day. Sometimes the wire around my neck would get snagged on my shirt color or I would bump the earbuds with my hands and they would just hang there like regular earbuds would.
With the newer model I feel the magnets are a little stronger and they haven’t separated yet. It could be the magnets or it could be that the Slims+ have a longer cable so the earbuds sit lower. With them sitting lower they aren’t as tight around my neck and less likely to separate if the wire snags the shirt color.
Final Thoughts
After testing the Anker SoundBud Slims+ Earbuds through out my daily activities I am have to say I’m happy with the new earbuds. If you already have the older version then I wouldn’t upgrade to the newer ones unless its time for a replacement or you want a second pair. They are very similar and not to different to make it worth to upgrade.
If you are are deciding between the two, I would pay the extra few dollars and get the new version. For the extra money you are getting better water resistance and slightly better sound quality. Plus you get a nice case to store your earbuds in. If you decided to purchase the Soudbud Slims and get an Anker case or an off brand case to store your earbuds in then you will end up paying a lot more than purchasing the SoundBud Slims+.
I highly recommend these earbuds and will recommend these to my friends and family. If the sound bud slims aren’t for you, you might try another style from Anker. All of their earbuds are highly rated on Amazon.
Pick up your set of the Anker Soundbud Slims+ Wireless Earbuds today! Check the link for the current Amazon Price.
Want to try out another Anker Wireless Earbud set? Here are a few other sets to look at. I haven’t tried these out yet (hope to get the chance to review them soon) but they are highly rated and other reviewers have recommended them.
About James
Leave a Reply