Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones, 40H Playtime, Hi-Res Audio, Deep Bass, Memory Foam Ear Cups, for Travel, Home Office

Compared with Life 2, the Life Q20 better/greatly reduces ambient noises by adopting Hybrid Active Noise Canceling technology and adding 2 more (4 in total) built-in ANC microphones. Also, our engineers fine-tuned the sound and speaker to bring our customers a more enjoyable listening experience.

They’ve changed how this product works between 2019 and now, clearly. The newer editions of this model do NOT have ANC while in AUX mode, which is absolutely ridiculous. Current user manual for this edition states: "Plugging in an audio cable will automatically switch to AUX mode, and Bluetooth mode and ANC will turn o… They’ve changed how this product works between 2019 and now, clearly. The newer editions of this model do NOT have ANC while in AUX mode, which is absolutely ridiculous. Current user manual for this edition states: "Plugging in an audio cable will automatically switch to AUX mode, and Bluetooth mode and ANC will turn off". While old one posted in another answer states ANC will operate while in AUX mode. Definitely returning these now.

They use internal and external microphones to cancel out the ambient sound.

it relies on microphones to seek out ambient noises and then cancel them out. But where it’s common for most active noise-canceling headphone designs opt to place microphones solely on the outside or solely on the inside of the earcups, hyb… They use internal and external microphones to cancel out the ambient sound.

it relies on microphones to seek out ambient noises and then cancel them out. But where it’s common for most active noise-canceling headphone designs opt to place microphones solely on the outside or solely on the inside of the earcups, hybrid noise-canceling headphones have both.

Generally, active noise-canceling headphones with internal microphones tend to sound great, but have less-than-optimal noise-cancellation powers. This is because the microphones hear when the listener hears (since the mics are on the inside), and they know exactly what sounds to block out without polluting the actual music that is attempting to reach your ears. Unfortunately, this approach typically can’t handle louder noises and higher frequencies, however, so the noise-cancellation isn’t as good.

With active noise-canceling headphones that have external microphones, the opposite is true. Since the mics are on the outside, they tend to block out a wider range of frequencies and can do better with generally louder sounds. The downside is that they typically create more “anti-noise” and this can negatively impact sound quality.

Yes, you can use it in wired mode since the headphones come with an AUX cable. We can use the headphones in two ways— in bluetooth mode or in wired mode(with an AUX cable).

No, it becomes disconnected from Bluetooth as soon as it starts charging. Which is one reason I gave these headphones one star rating.

I bought these to be able to watch movies on a bunch of flights from Seattle to Europe. By the time I found out ANC turns off when the AUX cable is plugged into the plane my return window was closed. I ended up putting in earplugs and turning up the wired volume. Not very comfortable.

I see to be having the same issue with these when trying to connect to my MacBook Air. It worked at first, but now it won’t auto-reconnect when I power cycle no matter have many times I reset them or reset the bluetooth setup on my Mac. Kind of an annoying disappointment :/

The ear holes are oval shaped. Mine are 1 3/8"w X 2 1/4"h.

I used the headphones with zoom and they heard me perfectly. I used them on my phone and they told me my voice was low

I have had mixed reviews on call quality. Some people say I sounded muffled some say they could hear me clearly.

I haven’t had that problem with Soundcore headphones, but I did with another pair. Be sure to press down completely and hold until the green light goes out. Sometimes I didn’t press down enough to turn off my previous headphones.

Yes, two buttons, volume up and down. I like it much better than the weird “drag a finger along the ear cup” system used in my previous (more expensive) Sony headphones.

We can operate the headphones in a wired mode(with the AUX cable) or in bluetooth mode.

Yes, the built in microphones work for calls no matter in bluetooth mode or in wired mode. In bluetooth mode, simply press the MFB(button between both volumes)to pick up or end a call.

I am very happy with the head phones. Incredible base. Also, really good noise cancellation. Very comfortable too.

The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 bluetooth headphones are not what I had expected from a $60 pair of headphones. The sound, the weight, the build quality, and the style are all something to appreciate from this pair of headphones. If you are looking for an expensive sounding pair of headphones for a small price look no further. I will go over all of the specs of the headphones in detail below.

General Specs
Lets start with what these headphones have to offer. The first item to note about these headphones is that they have bluetooth 5.0. This means their range is ridiculously far and they are low energy data transfer headphones. This is how this pair of headphones packs a 30 hour battery life with all the extras turned on. You can get up to 60
hours if you have a couple features turned off and don’t need the volume very loud. They offer noise cancelation and a bass boost function. The padding around your ear is memory foam and my favorite part is that it actually goes around your ear and does not sit on it. They are light and have great sound. The bass is the most impressive part of these headphones. People that do not want bass may want to stay clear of these, but from my testing I really enjoyed the sound. They came with an auxilary cable, charging cable, and a carry pouch.

Sound
Lets talk about the sound features. The normal sound out of the box is great. if you are bass heavy and want more, they have a bass up feature that really hits. They offer noise canceling to drown out background noises. With bass up and noise canceling on, this is where you get up to 30 hours of battery life. If you don’t use these features you can get yourself up to 60 hours of battery. I personally have not needed the noise canceling feature yet and I feel like the sound in normal mode is great. I have easily gotten 40 hours out of these headphones. Louder volumes will affect the battery life as well. If you are an audiofile you may have different opinions than me, but I think these sound as good as Beats or other $100 plus headphones.

Build Quality
These headphones are light and of course they adjust for different head sizes. They don’t feel cheap, which I like. The memory foam cushion around the ears is comfortable. The thing I like the most is the fact that they are big enough to
go around my ears instead of sitting on my ears like other headphones do. These are very comfortable well built headphones.

Conclusion
The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 are a great pair of headphones. In my personal opinion they provide the sound a more expensive option would provide. They are comfortable and have great battery life. I would suggest this pair of headphones to anyone looking for an affordable but expensive sounding pair of headphones.

Much as I like and use a lot of Anker products, these don’t make the cut, and sadly for a lot of aesthetic and clunky design reasons that don’t have much to do with their intended functionality. At their core, they provide good ANC, and pleasant – if a tad bassy – sound quality. That said, I’ll outline the pros and cons I’ve observed in using them on the first day:

pros:
– as noted, nice sound quality, with some reinforcement in the mid-bass frequencies, but the bass is tight, and the mids and highs are mellow
– almost inaudible difference to sound quality with noise cancellation enabled, and no notable hiss with ANC on
– ANC is not ‘make the world go away’ levels, and lets some higher frequency sound through; this is great, as I am looking to cancel out midrange and bass sounds like an air conditioner, nearby dogs, and the wearing rumble of airplane engines during long flights
– aside from the slightly too small earcups (for my tastes), they are comfortable to wear – neither too loose nor too tight
– the various audible and voice prompts are pleasant and at a reasonable volume

cons:
– big problem: can’t charge and listen at the same time
– big problem: no ability to use as a phone headset in wired mode (these are headphones only when used with the cable, with no mic available)
– the earcup material is too insulative, resulting in unpleasant warmth and sweating under fairly normal circumstances (74F / 45% RH, just sitting at computer doing work, so these would suck for truly warm, humid, and and/or strenuous activity)
– when switching ANC on and off, the enhanced bass enables momentarily, which is just sloppy design, and rather jarring
– they have stiff creaky hinges and pivots, which is emblematic of inexpensive plastic-on-plastic construction
– they have a light but unpleasant chemical smell, which I suspect is from the earcup material, and it’s not dissipating any too quickly
– a general lack of build refinement – they’re nice enough, but the point where the earcup cushions meet the body was wrinkled and unevenly finished

All this said, I can’t really recommend these, since I think refinement and solid build quality should be reasonable expectations at a $70 price point. If I could give them 3.5 stars, I would, but since their core functionality is great, I’ll go with 4 stars instead of 3.

I own a pair of Bose QC 25 headphones which I enjoy thoroughly. They are my go to headphones in almost every situation whether studying at home or on a plane. This noise cancellation with the Bose QC 25 is good, but not as good as the QC 35. However, the sound quality of Bose is fantastic in my opinion and I have several additional pair of Bose headphones that I use at the gym and as a back up pair. I’ve even converted my wife to Bose quality. That being said, i needed a pair of headphones to use at work to drown out the noise while working at the computer and I didn’t want to take the risk of my Bose being damaged or growing legs and walking away. Unfortunately I have very high quality standards but a limited budget, so I tried to find something that would meet my needs while not breaking the bank. Enter the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. Bought from Amazon at around the $50 mark, I figured that the Anker quality would make them durable, but I wasn’t convinced that the sound quality and noise cancellation would even compare to my Bose. I can wholeheartedly say that I was wrong. The build is actually better than my Bose. Very solid and yet modernly styled and not bulky. While the sound is not Bose by any means, it is exceptional for this price point. Not a big fan of the bass boost as it makes the totality of the music more subdued and somewhat detracts from the overall quality. Without the bass boost, I found that the sound quality is well rounded and has enough punch so that it doesn’t feel lacking at any range. The noise cancellation is quite good, but doesn’t rival the QC 35, which to me is the standard for higher end headphones. With just the noise cancellation on it does make a noticeable difference in quieting conversations in the office around me, but still allows overly loud conversations to seep through. With noise cancellation and music together, the noises fade away and are almost undetectable. The included carry bag is decent quality, but seems a little small for the headphones and cords as the headphones seem to slightly stick out of the top of the bag. With the draw string pulled together, it tucks the headphones away in the bag but has a tendency to compress the ear cups, which I believe over time may limit their life span, resulting in a need for replacement. Overall, while not $300 headphones, they are surprisingly robust in almost every facet and make a great choice for those on a budget who wish to enjoy some of the benefits of the higher priced headphones while not breaking the bank.

You can not beat these for the price. I compared these to my friends Bose QC 35 noise cancelling headphones and these work better! The sounds quality at high volumes could be a little cleaner, but it works great for what I need. These are great for mowing the lawn and blocking the lawnmower noise from my zero turn. My other set of over the ear Anker headphones (Soundcore Vortex) need to be at basically full volume to hear the music while mowing. These do not need to be thanks to the hybrid active noise cancellation. I also really like the folding design of these. I wish they came with a better case though as I plan on taking them to Europe. A hard case would be better for a carry on plane ride to protect them. That is really my only big complaint. The bass up feature is neat and works pretty well if you are into that. The battery life is amazing on these as well. I have had them for a week with daily usage and no charges yet! Overall I am very satisfied with the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. If you are in the market for a good quality set of noise cancelling headphones you will not be disappointed with these.

Pros: great battery life, low price
Cons: noise cancellation is decent but not great, ear cups trap heat

I fly a few times a year and commute ok public transit most days. I have a nice pair of IEMs that I use for long haul flights but prefer wireless headphones for my regular commute. These headphones do a decent job reducing train & ambient noise but you can still hear the outside world (it’s a good amount quieter, but definitely still there). Another minor issue with these – when I wear these headphones for more than 2 hours at a time, my ears get a little sweaty. This isn’t a problem on airplanes (because it tends to be so cold) but out and about I did notice it.

On flights my in ear monitors do a better job blocking out the engine noise and are much better at blocking out voices (especially crying infants, which the soundcore Q20 isn’t great at blocking). Still, the Q20 is good enough that it’s going to replace my expensive IEMs on shorter flights.

Battery life is probably the strongest argument in favor of the Q20 – I’ve been using them for my daily commute + a roundtrip flight over the last 2 weeks and still am going off the initial charge. I’ve never owned wireless headphones with such good battery life.

Overall given the $50-60 price point, sound quality is slightly better than I expected, noise cancelling is decent but not great, and battery life has really impressed me. If you’re looking for quiet on long flights this probably isn’t your best bet, but for daily use and the occasional <4 hour flight, these are great.

Full disclosure, I’m not exactly a full-blown audiophile. However, I couldn’t seem to find anything resembling a more audio-quality focused review for these on head-fi and other sites, so I figured I’d do a brief(ish) sound overview.
Going into this I wasn’t expecting much, and to be honest, I didn’t get much. But I’ll try to convince you why that’s okay, and these are still a pretty good buy, imo.
The following is for the “normal” EQ mode, which in reality isn’t all that normal whatsoever. Tests were done using lossless FLAC files through a mid-range DAC. Whether or not you believe in burn-in, I did let them play for a little while before doing any testing.
Starting at the low end, it’s a bassy mess. Sub-bass is actually alright, maybe slightly overtuned. Mid-bass becomes a terribly bloated, muddy monstrosity and to add insult to injury, it’s boosted to appalling amounts. Very unpleasant.
Lower mid to midrange follows similarly and sounds slightly closed. Moderate to severe congestion issues with bass, and it even bleeds a bit into higher mids and presence range as well. As a result, vocals are less than desirable. Everything sounds relatively laid-back even at high volume.
Also, there’s an AWFUL sibilance somewhere around 2k-3kHz, leading some hi-hats to sound almost like white noise.
The highs beyond that are just decent. They can get a little glassy and bright but they hold up nicely otherwise.
Overall, these headphones have a complete disregard for balance (which I expected) and hold a very typical V shaped signature. Clarity is barely passable, and soundstage is unimpressive. After a bit of EQ, they do sound better, but of course, that is up to the user.
No type of aptX seems to be supported. Audio performance is slightly (yet noticeably) better wired, but Bluetooth connectivity is great and hissing is kept to an impressive minimum. The bass boost function is there, but why anyone would choose to use it is beyond me. The ANC is alright; it doesn’t do the sound quality any favors.
So far the review been pretty negative, but keep in mind the price and intended purpose. For a pair of $60 Bluetooth cans from a company that’s basically still a baby in the audio industry, these are honestly not bad. What they lack in sound they make up for in build quality, comfort, and ease of use. I bought these to use on the subway, walking down the street, etc. and they perform very well in those environments. They were never meant to be studio monitors. The ear cushions are very soft and offer many hours of listening before getting uncomfortable/hot. Media and volume controls are tactile and easy to use. Construction is solid – creaking/microphonics at the hinges are not present when moving around. If you’re using these outside or near other people, chances are that the surrounding environmental noise will cover up the sub-stellar audio quality anyways, even with the ANC on. At the end of the day, I’d still recommend these for anyone who wants a comfortable and convenient pair of wireless headphones. They feel very nice, and even smell kind of nice right out of the box.

I buy a lot of headphones. Bose noise cancelling, AmazonBasics over the ear, Apple AirPods, Beats…

PROS: These Anker noise cancelling perform just as well as the Bose QuietComfort models at a fraction of the price. I’ve used them in an airplane on a recent flight and all the people noise around me just fell away. Very comfortable for hours at a time. Battery life is great. Comes with a plastic pouch and wires for audio and micro USB charging.

CONS: While the power and noise cancelling buttons are separate and easy to use, the volume up/down and pause are in a rocker which is hard to distinguish each function by touch alone. I would deduct 1/2 star of usability for this.

Would I buy these again? Unquestionably.

The media could not be loaded.  These head phones are great. They are well made, noise canceling feature is amazing. They are super comfortable too. I’ve worn head phones before were the left and right side push on each other to much and it hurts my ears after like 20 minutes. Not these.
Super comfortable. 40 hour battery life. If I were to guess these are higher quality then some of those multi hundred dollar name brands ones you see. Highly highly highly recommended

OK, I buy a lot of headphones. I use a lot of headphones. I’m an IT guy, and I work in an office that can be noisy, also due to our friend COVID, I am on a TON of conference calls, all the time. I thought I’d rate all of the headphones that I’ve purchased recently, and post this review into each of the products so that folks can learn from my experience.

In the last year or so, I’ve purchased and regularly use these 4 sets of over the ear headphones:

– Bose QC 35 II
– Anker Soundcore Q20
– MPOW H12
– TaoTronics Sound Surge 60

Yes, all but the Bose are budget headphones. So how do they compare? I will rate each on according to what is important to me (these 5 things):

1. Comfort
2. Music fidelity (sound quality)
3. Audio call performance (specifically in a noisy environment)
4. Noise cancelling performance
5. Bang for the buck

=== BOSE QC 35 ===
1. Comfort
The Bose are the most comfortable. I can literally wear them as long as I want. (Note: I wear glasses 100% of the time)

2. Music fidelity
The Bose sound the best.

3. Audio calls
This is where the Bose take a giant, steaming, smelly dump. Using the Bose for calls in a noisy environment is horrible. The ANC actually reverts to a noise pick up, so you, and everyone on the call can hear EVERYTHING around you. I cannot use these for calls in anything but the most serene environment, and even when I do, I hate the way the ANC turns off. There is a lot on the internet about this, and I would guess that Bose could fix it with a firmware update, but I am afraid they’ve moved on to the 700 and their future models. I am thoroughly perturbed by how crappy this is.

4. NC performance
The Bose excel here, and are the best of the bunch.

5. Bang for the buck
POOR. BY FAR the most expensive set here, and everything is worth it, but the mic/call performance totally kill it for me. Over the last year I’ve become more and more disappointed in the value of these headphones.

=== Anker Soundcore Q20 ===
1. Comfort
The Anker’s are very comfortable, not quite as good as the Bose, but a tie for a close second with the TaoTronics Sound Surge 60

2. Music fidelity
The worst of the bunch. They sound decent, but DEFINITELY not audiophile stuff…

3. Audio calls
The best of the bunch. Folks can hear me well, I can hear them, and they handle a noisy environment VERY well.

4. NC performance
Again, the worst. NC works decent, but there is an audible hiss. A plus tho, NC works on calls seamlessly.

5. Bang for the buck
Good. A decent budget headphone, ESPECIALLY if you make a lot of calls. These are my goto for phone calls in the office. Not as good if you are just listening to music.

=== MPOW H12 ===
1. Comfort
Decent, but are the last of the bunch. They were pinching my glasses arms after a couple of hours, although I’ve put them on a stand to widen the band and this has gotten much better. Also heavier than the others.

2. Music fidelity
Very Good. Second to the Bose.

3. Audio calls
Decent, but the mic picks up more noise than the Ankers, not NEARLY like the Bose though.

4. NC performance
Great. A close second to the Bose, and at a FRACTION of the cost.

5. Bang for the buck
AWESOME, due to the great sound/ANC and decent phone call capability.

=== Tao Tronics Sound Surge 60 ===
1. Comfort
Great. Tied with the Ankers as a close second to Bose.

2. Music fidelity
Good. Very close to the MPOWs

3. Audio calls
Unknown. I’ve been on a lot of calls, but at home where it’s quiet. This pair has not been in noisy environments. Mic performance has been good in the quiet.

4. NC performance
Good, but a slight audible hiss. NC works great on calls.

5. Bang for the buck
Very good. A good sounding headphone with decent call performance and ANC for a budget. Unfortunately, I think they are discontinued.

First off, this is not a comparison between the Anker Soundcore Q20s and any product from Bose or Sony.. That is an unfair comparison as they are not even in the same ball park.. I know that most people want to get an understanding of how comparable they are to those but if you aren’t willing to spend the money on those, you aren’t going to get near what they offer..

That being said, for this price range these are the best hands down.. One hit KO.. I’ll list all the features separately so they are easy to find and read about.

Active Noise Cancellation:
Let me get some things out of the way, I work at a gas plant in a landfill as IT and Data Reporting.. My job is noisy sometimes.. I hear a constant hum from the motors in the plant right outside my door all day long.. I also travel a lot from the various plants we run.. While ANC is on these headphones won’t block out immediate talking next to me or sudden loud noises, but they do block out the noise from the plant.. That is without the music.. I do need to point out that the talking is trying to talk over motors so it’s louder than your average office space. When the music is on and running, it adds a whole separate layer to the cancellation as I can no longer hear anything else..

Sound:
I don’t typically have music up loud, most I’ve turned them up to is 50% because I’ve been rough on my ear drums since I was a kid playing drums at a young age.. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been more prone to try and protect my ears.. That being said, the sound quality is very nice with or without ANC engaged.. I find it’s way more enjoyable with ANC on due to everything else being tuned out.. Some headphones will warp the sound when ANC is turned on, these do not.. The sound is as impressive with the feature on as it is off.. This is incredible.. I listen to a range of music from Rap and Hip-Hop to Metal and Hard Rock and they all sound clear and precise in these headphones..

They do have a bass-up feature that increases the bass a little more.. This works well without muddying the sound quality too much.. I imagine if you increase the volume too much it might diminish but from my listening around the 50% max it’s been outstanding.. Bass gains can be a real hit and miss for me as some lose sound quality.. With these that’s not the case..

Quality:
The headphones feel amazing.. They have a nice weight to them (which is not for everyone). I personally like a little weight to my equipment.. It is sturdy and feels solid.. I was afraid of it feeling a little too plastic like but they really don’t.. Now they aren’t as nice as your $200-$300 headphone, but again, their price range they are amazing quality.. The ear cups are very comfortable and soft memory foam.. I was actually surprised that my ears don’t get as hot as normal.. They will overtime due to the design.. It’s impossible to get around since it traps heat, but these seem like they don’t get as warm as fast.. Also the ear cups feel amazing.. I’ve literally worn them all day yesterday and felt no ear fatigue or strain.. This is a solid!

Functionality:
A feature that isn’t talked about a lot with these is the awesome ability to connect to not just one but two devices simultaneously.. Now a note on that: You cannot listen to two devices at the same time.. What is going on is I’m able to connect to my computer and listen to music on it while being connect to my phone at the same time.. When someone calls me and I answer, it swaps input to my iPhone and stops playing the music in my ears.. Once the call is finished, it swaps back to my computer and I resume listening.. This is an amazing feature that I use daily!

Battery:
The battery is very nice.. When I received my unit the first thing I did was pair it to my devices (of course) and started checking it out.. I received them with 60% battery.. I used them the rest of that day at work for a couple of hours.. then when I left, used them a little more at the house and watched half of a movie on them before going to bed.. They were still at 60%.. The box says that they last 40 hours and that is accurate.. If you don’t use the Bass-Up technology you can squeeze even more.. and to not use the ANC it goes up higher.. 40 hours for battery life though is incredible for this price range.. I cannot complain!

Packaging:
The packaging was very nice and well put together.. It came with a charge cable and 3.5mm aux cable (which is great for my Nintendo Switch when I fly).. While I would have loved to seen a USB-C type adapter (as would many others) that is still an expensive change to make and would probably bump the price up out of the $60 range.. I understand from a manufacturing point the reasoning to possibly go with a micro-USB.. It would be nice for C, but it is what it is.. That doesn’t change how well this thing is made and works.. The only gripe I have and it’s a minor thing is the case they come with.. Well, you can’t call it a case cause it’s just a bag.. Now, it’s a very nice bag, but I throws these buys in a backpack with a laptop and iPad and Switch (in a hardcase) and so a bag doesn’t really protect your headphones.. Luckily I had a nice hard case from a cheap pair of headphone I received a few years ago (the case was the nicest part) and they fit perfectly.. So if you don’t have one buy a hard case for them..

Overall:
Overall, for the price these are the best hands down.. You really cannot beat their ANC and sound quality for this price.. I will definitely buy these again and probably buy my wife some so she’ll stop stealing mine.. If it was out of 10, I’d give this product a 9/10 simply due to no hard shell case..