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I listen to a lot of music, audiobooks, and podcasts. I prefer speakers and over-over-the-ear options, but earbuds are most useful for my needs. I also get tired of them quickly and want to upgrade them or just try and another style/brand. So, whenever I get the chance to try out a new pair of earbuds, I like to share my real-life experiences with everyone. About 2 weeks ago Soundcore (I won a community contest) sent me the new Soundcore Life A2 NC+ for free in exchange for a review. Today I have that review for you. I even added features to the previous version the Soundcore Life A2 NC and Soundcore Life P2 Mini, both I own and will compare to the new ones.
Soundcore Life A2 NC+ – Features
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The all new Soundcore Life A2 NC+ features 11 hours of playtime from a single and total of 55 hours with the charging case! You also get noise cancelling tools, customized sound equalizers, and enhanced phone call services.
- Incredible Sound Loved By 20 Million+ People
- Industry-Leading Playtime: Get up to 11 hours of playtime from a single charge and a total of 55 hours with the charging case. When the noise cancelling wireless earbuds are out of battery, charge for 10 minutes to get 4 hours of playtime.
- Multi-Mode Active Noise Cancelling: Life A2 NC+ noise cancelling wireless earbuds can reduce ambient sounds by up to 90%. Toggle between Indoor, Outdoor, and Transport modes to tailor the noise cancelling to your surroundings.
- Bold Beats, Big Bass: Life A2 NC+ noise cancelling wireless earbuds have 11mm bio-cellulose drivers which fuel sound with 50% more bass, accurate treble, and pure clarity.
- AI-Enhanced Calls: Your voice is picked up and background noises are filtered out by 6 beamforming microphones and an AI algorithm to ensure you’ll be heard in superior clarity.
As A comparison Soundcore A2 NC – Features
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The Soundcore A2 NC was released about a year ago and features a 7 hour play and 28 hours of charge to keep you going for 35 hours. You also get noise cancellation, and get customizable app options.
- Incredible Sound Loved by 20 Million+ People
- Hear Nothing But Everything: Get optimized noise cancelling in any scenario thanks to Multimode hybrid active noise cancelling. With 90% less noise on the go, on your commute, or indoors, the only thing you’ll hear is music.
- Thumping Sound: An oversized 11mm bio-composite driver generates 50% more bass. Get ear bouncing beats without sacrificing clarity and treble.
- Super-Clear Calls: 6 microphones and a noise-cancelling algorithm isolate vocals from background noise and wind. Your voice is delivered via wireless earbuds with superior clarity and volume.
- 35-Hour Playtime: Get 7 hours’ listening on a single charge of the wireless earbuds, then use the compact charging case to recharge them another 4 times. That’s at least 2-weeks of commuting on one charge.
As A Comparison Soundcore Life P2 Mini
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The Soundcore Life P2 Mini was released back in September 2021 (Amazon shows first available July 2021) and I have them since September and love them. These little guys were my go to daily carry earbuds. The sound is impressive and the small case size makes a great pocket carry.
- Incredible Sound Loved By 20 Million+ People
- Stunning Sound: Life P2 Mini true wireless earbuds have oversized triple-layer 10mm drivers that deliver sound with boosted bass.
- 3 EQ Modes: Soundcore Signature, the default EQ, delivers well-balanced sound, while Bass Booster enhances bass-heavy music, and Podcast makes voices stand out clearly. To switch to a different mode, quickly press the right earbud 3 times. You will hear a tone for each successful switch.
- Featherweight Fit: The tiny true wireless earbuds weigh just 0.16oz (4.4g), which is 10% lighter than standard earbuds. They’re so small and light that they feel practically weightless in your ears.
- AI-Enhanced Calls: Built-in microphones on Life P2 Mini true wireless earbuds are equipped with an AI algorithm to enhance voice pick up and ensure you’re heard clearly by the other end.
The Review
I haven’t had much time with the Soundcore Life AC NC+. I’d prefer 2 or 3 months. But the requirements for this review is about a week of testing then a week to create and post the review. But so far I like them. I’m not totally in love with them. I think these might become my everyday carry headphones because of the extended playback features and set aside my Soundcore Life P2 Mini as my home office headset and phone meetings.
First impressions
As always, Soundcore did it right when it comes to packaging. It’s got enough information about the product and it’s easy to open the package up and get to the contents out.
On first impressions the earbud case looks nice and feel good in my hands. Because of power storage needs the case is a little on the larger size but it’s not all that thick and fits easily in my jean pockets. On the bottom you will find the reset button and the back bottom edge is the USB-C port with rubber cover to keep moisture out.
The lid flips up and activates the status lights. The 3 lights slowly disappear as the power is drained. They also blink when charging.
Sitting nicely in the case are the earbuds. The earbuds lay flat and if not properly placed they won’t charge, and the lid won’t close.
The earbuds are tiny. The outer part is about as large as my first knuckle on my pinky finger. Each earbud has 3 microphones. The first one is near the Soundcore logo, the next is at the tip, and the 3rd one up near the top of the earpad. On one side you will find status lights and on the other side the magnetic points.
The controls are touch sensitive. All you need to do is press the logo. Tap the logo to play/pause the music. Do the same thing to Answer/Hang up calls. Please refer to the above image to learn more. They are difficult to do and limited with you can do with them. I do not like the controls. I still prefer to use my phone for most controls. I mostly use the buttons to pause and play.
Comfort and Fit
The earpads have a variety of sizes and hooks to choose from. You can mix and match for the right fit. If you do not have the right fit the sound quality isn’t good and they will fall out. I figured that out early on I had the wrong size earpads when the earbuds started slipping out as I leaned over my computer.
I’ve worn these for about 2 hours at a time. Sometimes just at my desk at home doing work, while walking around the store, doing some yard work, or at the gym. They are comfortable. I do find that they slip just enough to lose the air tight seal needed to increase sound quality. I then have to adjust the earbuds. But I was able to fix (for the most part, it slips a lot less now) that with using the proper sized earpads.
Charge Time and Play Back
Charging is fast via the USB-C port. It only takes a couple of hours for a complete charge. If you need your earbuds in a hurry, you can get 4 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charge. I haven’t been able to fully test feature, but I have been able to charge it for 10 minutes and get several hours of playback. What I will do is put the case on the charger while I’m driving, and it should give enough charge to last me for hours.
The Earbuds came fully charge and the case had some charge on it. I ran the earbuds over the next few days and when the earbuds ran out of charge, I put them in the case to charge and about 10 minutes later I was good to go. When I got home that night put them on the charger and the next morning I had them fully charged. Running them for an hour to two for a week and I still didn’t need a charge. I’m on day eight now and the case says its I will need to charge up soon, but I still have more several hours of use left.
Sound Quality
As with most speakers, these have a burn in period. Mine didn’t start sounding good for about 8 hours, but to be honest it maybe took more like 24 hours before I really felt like the burn in period was complete. After that, they started sounding good. In addition to the burn in period, you need to have the earbuds installed in your ears properly. If the earpads aren’t sealed, then sound bad. I as I mentioned before I figured this out. That’s how I figured out the sound quality is good for this price point. Maybe even better than some slightly better earbuds at a higher price.
Noise Cancellation
The Soundcore Life A2 NC+ uses active noise cancellation to block out outside noise. But keep in mind that when you use this feature, it drains your battery faster and the sound quality is lessoned. You have the option to choose from indoor, outdoor, and transparent options. All controls are controlled via the app.
The noise cancellation works as other noise cancellation products by Soundcore. However, if the earbuds aren’t seated properly in my ears, I found they let a lot of outside noise in.
Soundcore Life A2 NC vs Soundcore Life A2 NC+
I grabbed my wife’s A2 NC and compared them to the new A2 NC+. Physically they are the same or at to the eye they seem that way. Without pulling out my measuring tools and they feel the same. The only difference is they might be slightly heavier. My ears aren’t the best, but they sound same. The only differences I can tell is the microphones on the on the A2 NC work better for me and the distance I can walk away from my phone while connected is about 10 further. Neither one of these have very distance in my opinion.
One of the issues I had with the AC NC was a design flaw that I wrote about in that review. When you have the larger earpads and hooks installed the case doesn’t not shut properly. I found that on the A2 NC Plus this isn’t an issue. On closure inspection it looks like the designer widened the holes for the earpads to sit in.
Soundcore Life A2 NC+ vs Soundcore Life P2 Mini
I decided to throw the Soundcore Life P2 Mini into the mix. I have been using these as my daily earbuds since they came out. I use them for everything from working out to long phone calls that put me on the phone for hours. Overall, these low budge cheap earbuds are my favorites compared to the Soundcore higher end products and that’s mainly because of the price. I won’t mind that much if lost or if I destroyed them.
As you can tell, the Mini has a smaller case and because that it doesn’t have a long playback compared to the Life A2 NC+. But what it lacks in battery life it excels in sound quality. At its low price point it sounds like it should be priced higher. You get several sound equalizer options and small lite weight size that some may want over the larger A2 NC+.
Is the Soundcore Life P2 Mini better than the Soundcore Life A2 NC+? If you compare the specs and features, they do not. It’s all about preference here. For me, I like the Mini better for some things and the A2 NC+ better for other things.
Review for the p2 mini coming soon.
Final Thoughts
I have mixed feelings about the Life A2 NC+. There are a things I like about them and a few things I do not. In my opinion they are way to similar in sound and quality to the Life A2 NC. What I love is how long the battery life. What I don’t like is that even with a good fit, they still slip out a little. There isn’t a good solution, short of scavenging earpads from another pair of earbuds that fit better. My advice is this, if you already have the Soundcore Life A2 NC and do not have any issues with it and the battery life works well for you, then there is no need to upgrade. If you are in the market for a new pair of TWS earbuds in the sub $100 category with a ton of playback capability, app controlled, and has killer sound, then these will be a good fit for you.
About James
These disappeared almost as soon as they became available. With the exception of going through a hugely marketed-up reseller on amazon (twice he original price), it’s almost as if the Anker Life A2 NC+ don’t exist. Do you have any information about this? Also, can you recommend any other sellers? Thanks!
I’ve seen that. I wouldn’t buy them from anyone but an authorized reseller or directly from Soundcore. You might want to reach out to sound course customer service and support and see if they have what you need.