Anker Soundcore Space One Review

Design and Comfort

The Space One is built from plastic with a metallic-looking finish. SoundGuys says it doesn't look cheap, though it rates build quality a modest 6.5/10 and design 7.5/10. At 265 g by Soundcore's figure (independent listings put it at 259 to 260 g) it is not a featherweight, but the soft silicone-type headband and pads earn it a comfort score of 8/10 from SoundGuys. The cups rotate 8° and fold, and the headband clicks to adjust.

Controls are physical buttons only, with no touch surface. That is easy to use with gloves on but feels a little dated next to pricier models. Wear detection pauses playback when you take the headphones off, and covering the left cup triggers transparency mode. The included travel pouch is soft rather than hard-shell, so it protects less than the cases bundled with more expensive headphones. There is also no IP rating, and Soundcore says the headphones are not sweatproof, so they are a poor choice for the gym.

Sound Quality

Independent measurements show a U-shaped response: boosted bass and treble with the mids pulled back. SoundGuys lists the over-emphasized bass and treble among its dislikes, and notes that the pulled-back mids cost some detail in vocals, piano and guitar. Its MDAQS audio-quality scores were 4.5 for timbre, 2.3 for distortion and 3.9 for immersiveness, for an overall 3.8 out of 5, which it describes as below average for over-ears.

The tuning is fixable. The Soundcore app has an 8-band EQ with presets and HearID, and SoundGuys found that the Bass Reducer preset brings the response closest to its preferred curve. Android users can enable LDAC for more detail, while iPhone users get AAC. One quirk worth knowing: used wired and unpowered, the headphones add a lot of low-mid emphasis, so SoundGuys advises keeping them switched on. Turning ANC off barely changes the sound apart from deep sub-bass.

Noise Cancellation

Soundcore claims up to 98% noise reduction, a figure from its own lab that should be read as marketing. The more useful data point is from SoundGuys, which found that at maximum ANC most noise sounds about one-quarter as loud. It scores the ANC 8.0/10 and isolation 7.1/10, placing it below average among all over-ears but impressive at this price.

The foam pads handle mids and highs passively, while the active system targets low-frequency noise such as engine rumble. ANC strength is adjustable, there is an adaptive mode, and a wind-noise reduction feature is included. SoundGuys calls the transparency mode one of the better ones it has heard, with five adjustable levels.

Call quality looks decent but not exceptional. Three microphones with AI noise reduction handle voices clearly and cope very well with street and wind noise, according to SoundGuys, though some background noise remained in other tests. In its reader poll of 3,919 votes, 56% rated the mic Good or Perfect, 36% Okay and 8% Bad or Awful.

Battery and Connectivity

Battery life is a headline strength. Soundcore rates it at 40 hours with ANC on and 55 hours with it off, and SoundGuys measured just under 43 hours with ANC on. A 5-minute fast charge is said to give 4 hours of playback.

Connectivity is modern for the price: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC and LDAC, plus connection to two devices at once. The catch is that multipoint cannot be used while LDAC is active, so you have to choose between high-resolution streaming and juggling a phone and a laptop. A 3.5 mm cable is included for wired listening, but it has no mic and there is no audio over USB.

Gamers should look elsewhere. A 40 ms latency figure appears on spec sites, but it is unclear that it was measured, and there is no low-latency mode. SoundGuys recommends a Bluetooth adapter for consoles or using the wired cable.

Who Should Buy the Space One

• Commuters and students who want solid noise cancelling and multi-day battery for around $70 to $100.
• Android users who want LDAC without paying flagship prices.
• Tweakers who don't mind spending a few minutes in the EQ to tame the bass and treble.

If sound quality matters most at this price, the 1More SonoFlow is the stronger all-round choice. If you can stretch to $150 for a hard case and stronger ANC, consider the Anker Soundcore Space Q45, though SoundGuys argues most people should save money and take the Space One. For comfort on a budget, the Sony WH-CH720N is another option.

Final Verdict

The Anker Soundcore Space One does the important things well for very little money. Its noise cancelling is better than the price suggests, the battery lasts for days, and the app and LDAC support add flexibility usually reserved for pricier models. The tuning needs EQ, the build and pouch feel budget, and the multipoint-versus-LDAC limitation is a real annoyance. At its frequent sale price near $70, it is one of the better-value noise-cancelling headphones around, even if it is not the best-sounding one.