Anker – Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones – Black
$99.99
Soundcore Life Tune XR are active noise cancelling headphones with Hi-Res Certified sound. The Multi-Mode noise cancellation technology detects and cancels out exterior noise. Use for calls with the dual microphones and have long, 60 hour listening sessions due to the long battery life and comfortable earcups.
Specification: Anker – Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones – Black
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Photos: Anker – Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones – Black
8 reviews for Anker – Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones – Black
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$99.99
ferrari –
I can’t say how pleased I am with these headphones. Especially since my expectations were minimal given you’re talking about the sub $100 price range.
The experience was pleasant right out of the box. Nice storage case, drawstring purse for storing the charging & auxiliary input cords, and easy on the brain instructions to get you up & going. Prior to receiving these, I had researched the Soundcore app, and downloaded it, recognizing the additional enhancements it adds to operation.
There were no issues at all connecting to my phone (Samsung S20), TV (Samsung series 8), or to a bluetooth transmitter attached to my high end audio system (pictured below.)
The Soundcore app works very well to fine tune your music preferences. The noise cancellation has multiple settings. There is a transparency mode that allows you to “stay aware of your surroundings by allowing ambient sounds in”, i.e. human speech, or full cancellation which has 3 submodes – transport – for engine & road noise, indoor – for spaces such as a coffee shop, or outdoor which reduces ambient city type sounds.
There are also customizable equalizer settings, or 8 different presets such as bass booster, reducer, podcast, etc. I personally found the acoustic setting to be the best compromise for most types of music.
There is also “Superior Sleep” function which you can mix a variety of white noise sounds, or combine them. I had birds chirping during a rainstorm with a freight train going by! Nice added feature.
As far as the sound quality, I included a photo of my vinyl system just to show I’m serious about my music. I have a set of bluetooth headphones that cost 5X the price of these. And yes, maybe it’s real instead of faux leather, and the use of high quality metal is a little more liberal, but truth be told, I’d be very hard pressed to tell which set I was listening to. The bonus is I can take these anywhere without the worry that I’d be losing half a weeks salary if I misplaced them.
I’ve had very good experiences with this company. I first bought an Anker charging stand for my phone at less than half the price of an OEM unit. They also have a corporate offshoot, Eufy, that deals in surveillance cams and other devices, I have these on my home’s exterior, and like these headphones, they outperform competitors far above their price range.
If you’re in the market for a set of bluetooth headphones, these are hard to pass by.
dstracker –
The SoundCore Life Tune XR Headphones, by Anker, are perfect for listening to podcasts, music, etc. The sound quality is excellent, clear, no dropouts or static interference. My music is sharp and pleasurable.
What’s in the box – The SoundCore Headphones come with a hard travel case (the headphones can be “folded” to fit in the case perfectly), USB-C cable for charging, 3.5mm AUX cable, drawstring pouch for cables and a user manual/Quick Start Guide.
FEATURES:
– High resolution “Life Tune” sound-no dropouts or static
– Multi-mode noise cancelling that can cancel approximately 95% of engine noise.
o 3 modes – Transport, Indoor and Outdoor for specific nose cancellation.
– Light weight – The SoundCore Life Tune XR Headphones only weigh about 9 ounces, making it amazingly comfortable for long stretches.
– Long Life battery – According to the manufacturer, the battery stays charged for about 60 hours between charges. I had mine for over a week between charges. I only used it for about 4-5 hours a day. It stays nice and clear even when the battery is low.
– Connectable streaming services-Apple Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, YouTube and more. I have mine connected to Amazon Prime Music and Pandora as well.
– The SoundCore XR Headphones can connect either by Bluetooth or the 3.5mm AUX cable. I have mine paired with Laptops, Smartphone, Tablets and Stereo. All using Bluetooth. I can even pair it to my car’s Infotainment System through the Bluetooth if I so desire.
– Left Earpiece contains – the charge port, Battery indicator (LED) and NC (Noise Cancelling) button. The NC button allows you to change modes from Active Noise Cancelling, Normal and Transparency (allows background noise to be heard).
– Right Earpiece contains – AUX jack (3.5mm) Volume Control Buttons and Music Control Button (selections).
– The SoundCore XR Headphone earpieces have a soft molded cushion which makes them extremely comfortable even while wearing glasses.
– Pairing was quick and easy. I was able to pair each of my Bluetooth devices quickly and without any problems.
– Pairing with a Smartphone can be as easy as using the NFC (Near Field Communication) panel on the Right Earpiece. The NFC, unfortunately, can’t be use with iOS devices. The NFC panel can also be used to answer calls on your Smartphone without taking off the headphones by just pressing the NFC panel. This puts them in Transparency mode.
– The QUICK START GUIDE is easy to follow with excellent diagrams on how to set up each function.
SOUNDCORE APP:
– To operate the SoundCore Life Tune XR Headphones to their full potential, it is recommended that you download the SoundCore App. This can be found in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
– The SoundCore App, unfortunately, is only for Mobile devices and is not available for PC at this time.
APP FEATURES:
– HOMEPAGE: Has a picture of the Headphones with battery charge indicator, Noise Cancellation selection button, Equalizer and Sleep mode selections. As soon as you turn on the Headphones, they are automatically paired with the app.
– Clicking on the Ambient Sound-Noise Cancellation button you can choose between Active Noise Cancelling, Normal and Transparency. Use this button in conjunction with the modes:
o Transport – Low-end frequencies like engine and road noise quieter commutes
o Indoor – Eliminates voices and mid-frequency noise from inside spaces.
o Outdoor – Reduces outside (ambient) sound for quieter city spaces.
– SLEEP MODE – This mode offers you a choice of sounds to help you sleep as in White Noise. These are Soft Rain, Birds, Wind, Wind Chimes, Camping (crackling fire), Waves on a Beach, Dripping Water, Train running on tracks, Ticking Clock, Farm animals (ducks, chickens, roosters, pigs, etc.) or Blade type fan (IE: floor fan). Each sleep mode has its own individual volume control.
– EQUALIZER –
o Default – SoundCore Signature. Other choices are Acoustic, Bass Booster, Base Reducer, Classical, Podcast, Dance and Deep. The default SoundCore Signature is recommended but not required.
o CUSTOM – This allows you to create your own Equalizer (in dB and kHz). Using a graph that contains dB (+6 to -6) for the vertical and Hz (100 – 12.8kHz) for the horizontal. Then by selecting the “settings” option, you can give your equalizer a specific name to save it.
– AMBIENT SOUND SCREEN: Click on the “i” next to Ambient Sound and you can create a widget on your phone’s home screen. The widget allows you to access the Ambient Sound settings directly without having to open the App.
CONS: –
– The Headband, though comfortable, could be a little shorter for smaller heads. It is adjustable. But only to make it larger.
– There is no MicroSD card slot if you want to listen to your own recorded music, books, etc. You have to connect it to a device in order to listen to anything.
– There is no Shortcut to connecting an iOS mobile phone. It only can use the Shortcut panel with a smartphone’s NFC connection.
Even with the few “cons” the SoundCore Life Tune XR Headphones give other “High End” headphones a real run for the money. If you want high end, excellent sound without paying a high-end price, then the SoundCore Life Tune XR Headphones are for you. I highly recommend them for your listening pleasure.
IAMM –
I’ve tried Sonys, Beats, Skullcandy, etc.. been through my fair share of headphones and for the PRICE, these really deliver. Powerful sound, VERY comfortable, tons of functionality. Anker is becoming a favorite brand of mine. Honestly this is the best bang for your buck.
DaveW –
The Anker Soundcore Life Tune XR are Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones made for the office or on the go listening. These headphones are not rated for any moisture so using them for the gym should probably be avoided. The XR’s have a huge battery life of 60 hrs (40 hrs with noise cancelling on) and come with a pretty nice round carrying case. The XR’s can be connected via Bluetooth (v5.0) or through a standard 3.5mm connection with the included auxiliary cord. Charging for the headset is done through its USB-C port – a cable is included but you have to supply the charger brick. Last thing included is the quick user guide which is useful in getting familiar with the functions. There is a companion app which lets you fine tune the equalizer as well as setup the type of noise cancelling you need.
For my uses I spent my time wearing the XR’s while working, cleaning the house, walking my dog, and making calls. Throughout my uses I toggled between the different noise cancelling modes of which there are 3. You have noise cancelling, transparent, and normal. Normal doesn’t apply any cancelling or boosting of outside noise. Transparent uses the microphones to listen to your surroundings and then act as a passthrough to boost the surrounding sounds and play them over the headset speakers. Noise cancelling does just that – it cancels or deadens surrounding sounds. If you download the Soundcore app you can toggle the sound cancelling between transport, indoor, and outdoor. These act like equalizers for the noise environment you might be in. Transport targets low end noises like engine/road noise. Indoor targets the mid-range that normal encompasses conversations and other indoor distractions. Outdoor is for all around that aims to suppress a broad range of ambient noise. In practice there is a noticeable change when toggling between the three. Just sitting here at my desk it affects the sound coming from my computer fans and my TV – indoor blocks the most of this sound, while outdoor seems to let in the most.
As far as using the various modes it all depended on what I was doing. If I was on a call or actively listening to music then I would put on noise cancelling. I felt this improved the call quality and the clarity, as well as making my music sound fuller. If I am just sitting here at my desk I like to have a little noise come through so I toggle it to Normal. I have tinnitus in one ear so I need some white noise to help drown out the ringing so I can focus. With noise cancelling and nothing actively playing on the headphones the ringing is not drowned out – which just means that the noise cancelling is working well. When I take my dog for a walk I put it in transparent so I can hear any cars and be aware of my surroundings. I also use this setting if I am doing housework, so I can still hear my kids when they need something. The only thing to look out for when using transparent is loud noises that are close by or especially sharp. For example, I shut my microwave door like I always do and the piped in ‘bang’ of the door closing was pretty excessive to the point that it startled me. I started closing the microwave door softer when I had the headphones in that mode.
Sound quality was pretty good out of the headphones. If you get the app you can adjust the equalizer via 22 different presets or make your own custom EQ curve. I started with the bass boost mode and then adjusted some of the ranges to make my own custom EQ. With the sound on and in NC mode the music really sounds great. Better than most headphones when it comes to clarity. I wish the bass was a little more punchy, but overall the sound is clean and powerful enough. Things muddy a bit when you switch to normal mode, and even more so when you go to transparent. The NC really does wonders for making the music sound better – background noise really has an impact on the way I perceive the music I guess.
Using the headphones to make calls is pretty easy as well. The play/pause button lets you accept the call without pulling out your phone. The onboard mics work well – no complaints from the people I would talk to. The only thing that can get you is if you are on NC. There is no mic feedback/sidetone/mic monitoring (whatever you want to call it) when you have NC on. So you can find yourself talking a bit too loud if you aren’t used to wearing headphones that seal out the world.
Comfort of the headset is better than I expected. I thought the headband was a little too thin, and that it would create a pressure band a little too quickly. Fortunately, the band is padded enough, and the headphones are light enough that its not an issue I actually came across. The ear cups are circumaural and made of a leatherette material. This combination often leads to ears feeling hot/sweaty unless the earcups are open backed. I can certainly feel my ears get a little warmer with these on, but not as bad as my HyperX Alpha’s. Overall, it’s pretty easy to wear these for extended periods of time without feeling headphone fatigue, and the need to give your ears a break.
There’s one novel feature on the headset that I thought was kind of cool. If you tap the outside of the right earcup you can toggle the sound mode to transparent. Would be great in an office environment when on NC. A quick tap sends you to transparent, and then another tap brings it back to NC. This is faster than cycling through the modes with the regular button.
Another feature that I really like and use constantly is the dual device pairing. I love it. I have these connected to my PC and phone at the same time. I can be listening to music through my phone and then have a call come through my Teams client. Without that dual pairing I wouldn’t hear it which is an issue with my setup – notifications pop up on a monitor I don’t regularly have to look at. I have a wired Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 headset that lets me do this as well, and I have been using it for work for almost 2 years. I don’t think I can go back to not having a dual connection after using it for so long. The Soundcore’s give me the flexibility to be fully wireless and connect to 2 devices, which is a leg up over the TB’s.
Overall, the Soundcore Life Tune XR’s are a nicely made pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. They come with a nice hardshell carry case that protects them in transport. The companion app gives you greater control over the functionality of the headphones, and it works quite well. The different modes work as described, and do a nice job providing a solid listening experience. The headphones come with a decent range of features – Bluetooth or 3.5mm connection (cable included), dual device connectivity, fold up design, 60 hr battery, USB C charging (cable included). I am very pleased with the quality and performance of these headphones.
insomniak1 –
Right out of the box, I was immediately impressed with the Life Tune XR headset. They come neatly packed inside a high-quality hard storage case. Also included were a USB-C cable, a 3.5mm cable, and a silk pouch to put the cords in. The headphones are made of matte black plastic that feels premium and does not attract fingerprints. There’s a silver logo on every cup and a subtle “ANC” writing on the sides which does not stand out. The headband is made of a brushed black aluminum alloy that is quite flexible. I find the design playful, yet professional enough for business conferencing.
Now, there are exceptionally comfortable. The earpads are made of this faux leather that is incredibly soft and the headband provides enough padding, which allows extended use. The earcups have good swivel and the clamping force is enough to keep them in place. They were great while walking but I would not use them for running or more vigorous exercise. Also, as with any leatherette headset, they are prone to get sweaty, which is something to keep in mind. Although they are not the lightest, I did not experience fatigue at all -even after 4 hours straight.
The XRs feature a combination of buttons and touch controls. On the left side, you have play/pause, volume, and the 3.5mm jack. On the right side, you have the power, ANC, and USB-C input. Also, on the left side, there is a touch feature that activates ambient noise, which is very handy when you need to quickly see what’s going on around you. You can tell Soundcore put a lot of thought into this design.
Since these are Bluetooth 5.0, pairing is easy. In fact, they are NFC compatible and paired easily with my phone. I maintained a good connection at a decent distance and noticed little lag when playing video games and none during video playback. It is also worth mentioning that these can be paired to 2 devices at the same time. I easily switched between my laptop and my phone, which is nice.
The call quality was better than expected. Although people still recognized that it was on BT, I came in clear, even in loud environments. However, I will say that they did pick up a bit of wind noise.
Battery life is impressive. After using them for 3 days, I still had 50% left. Soundcore claims a total of 60 hours or 40 hours with ANC, and I am inclined to believe that. They have a quick charge feature, which means 5 minutes of charging adds 4 hours of playtime. And just in case you run out of battery for some reason, you can always switch to 3.5mm aux audio.
While not the best I’ve ever experienced, noise-canceling is effective overall. You can still hear some rumbling and traffic, and of course high-pitched sounds. Having said this, these are not to be compared to ANC headphones that are 4 times more expensive. The ANC simply allows for experiencing more fully whatever you may be listening to.
Speaking of sound, the Life Tune XRs are Hi-Res Audio certified, which means that they cover up to 40hz. Most headphones, especially ANC that are more expensive, do not even come close. Since I listen to lossless music most of the time, this was a welcomed feature. Strangely, I could not confirm if these were aptX-HD, AAC, or LDAC. Nevertheless, I found the sound signature out of the box quite enjoyable. The sound is obviously on the warm side. The bass is strong and punchy, and has sub-bass that lingers, without spilling all over. The midrange is not as recessed and is quite present -not muddy at all, making vocals and rhythm instruments come forward a bit. The treble is extended without causing sibilance or fatigue. Because of the frequency range these have, I thought the clarity and details to be above average for a headphone at this price range. Channel separation is distinctive, and the soundstage is reasonable, adding to the overall experience.
Just in case the sound is not up to your standard, you can always download the handy Soundcore App, which I strongly recommend you do. There, you can pick from a large selection of EQ settings as well as getting firmware updates and other features.
As you can tell, I am overly impressed by the Life Tune XRs. The design, build quality, functionality, abundant features, which are mostly reserved for “premium” headphones (and some don’t even have) -all at an incredible value, make these cans a difficult deal to pass. Definitely recommended.
elzeus –
Anker’s Soundcore Life Tune XR headphones are a joy to listen to. The packaging includes a carrying case which other brands at this price point and above it seem to not include any more so it’s a welcome addition. These headphones paired up just fine with my 2 devices (phone & tablet) and using the mobile app I was able to pick the sound preset of my choice. Overall I felt that the sound was a bit base heavy for my liking so I toned it down with the piano preset and it sounded great to me. The included noise canceling is great and easily gets rid of most distracting sounds and you can listen through the microphone to the sounds around you conveniently by just holding the right ear cup for a second or switching it on with a widget or phone app. The ear cups are comfortable faux leather and the top band is not tight at all on the top of my head. I have a wide head and didn’t feel uncomfortable at all after several hours of use. The battery life is phenomenal and the included USB-C charging cable as well as the 3.5mm cord makes things very simple. I’m really floored by all of the features and quality for the price and have no qualms about recommending these headphones.
teasten –
TLDR. Buy them. Amazing quality and value. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I would not buy any other Noise Canceling headphones. The quality, noise-canceling, even the app are incredible.
Long Version
To help give perspective for this review. I own Bose QCs, Apple AirPod Pros, and Sennheiser ANCs. I also own a budget Insignia ANC headset for late-night TV not to disturb my partner. So I have a lot of experience with active noise canceling headsets.
The Soundcore Life Tune XR by Anker, to be honest, I had low expectations. Yet everything about them has impressed me and I cannot imagine buying any other noise-canceling headset.
Opening the box I was wowed because these come with a hard carry case. I own music studio headphones that are 8x the price that doesn’t even come with a case. The case is super quality.
In the case. I was wowed again. There’s a little bag for the audio and USB C charger. Nice. USB C charging too! Brilliant!
Taking the Soundcare XRs headphones out, they look and feel premium. They have a nice weight. The metal finish and satisfying click as you unfold the headphones into position don’t make them feel cheap.
Comfort. Again. Wow. The noise isolation alone is well done. There’s a little tone as they power on and pairing on my iPhone was fast – like AirPod Pro pairing fast.
Audio Quality. OMG. I can’t get over good it is. Turn on noise-canceling and I was blown away. Seriously have not been this impressed with a headset in a long time. With ANC on I couldn’t even hear the alarm going on my other phone that was right next to me. Listening to Spotify, there were songs I felt like I was hearing them for the first time all over again.
Soundcore also makes a free Soundcore app so you can tune the equalizer but also tune the noise-canceling the for the environment as well as firmware updates. The app is elegant, simple, no signup or registration required and makes apps from other headphone makers look bad. Soundcore have really knocked it out of the park with the quality of the app. Soundcore doesn’t even aggressively push the app at you, unlike some other manufacturers where as soon as you pair it try to force the app on you.
The Soundcore XRs have a built-in microphone. When I tested it for calls, there were no complaints from the other side. The XRs can also pair to two devices, so I have them paired to my PC (Windows) and iPhone. The call quality on both was great.
It’s easy to switch between ANC and transparency. Just place a finger on the outer right headphone cup and you are in transparency mode. Worth noting you can be in noise-canceling without audio playing, so you can use them at home or in an office for peace and quiet while you work.
Battery Life – in the few days of testing I haven’t yet run them down during the day (charged overnight) with moderate to heavy use. Soundcore claims 60 hours of playtime, 40 with ANC on. They also claim 4 hours of playtime on a 5-minute charge – which makes them perfect for travel when you get on a plane and realize your headphones are almost flat.
If I was looking for negatives. And if Anker Soundcore read this. I love the case but would prefer if on the opening side there was a little pouch for the USB C and audio cable. Just so it’s more secure. I would also prefer the buttons to be a little wider. But that’s a personal preference.
Seriously. BUY THEM. You will not be disappointed. You may want to parade around in more expensive headphones but price, quality, performance, sound quality, value, etc. you cannot do better than this and you can look smugly at everyone else knowing you got a better deal.
Hmirza –
Life Tune XR Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are amazing headphone made for everyday and all-day use. These headphones are actually very comfortable to wear, fit great and most importantly sound amazing with their Hi-Res audio, noise cancellation and transparency mode. These headphones have proven themselves in variety of uses such gaming, taking phone calls with the dual built in microphones, listening to some music, and even helping in falling asleep faster. So, lets go over some of the features of the Soundcore Life Tune XR Headphones by Anker.
Features:
-First and foremost, these headphones feature a fast pairing process using NFC feature on your phone and the headphones to connect. I personally did not notice much of a difference in connecting the headphones using the traditional Bluetooth method. Nice feature to have but Bluetooth works just fine.
-Secondly, I highly recommend that you download the Soundcore app if you want to fully utilize the features available on these headphones. The app allows you to adjust the equalizer on the headphones. The equalizer has multiple presets setting already set for your convenience, such as bass booster, bass reducer, dance, flat, deep, podcast, and many more. The app also allows you to access the sleep mode or as I like to call it “Relax Mode”. The sleep mode also has multiple ambient sounds built in such as fan noise, camp fire, or the ticking of a clock and many more. The app also allows you to adjust the noise cancellation levels based on where you are, if you are indoor, outdoors, or in a transport. So, the soundcore app is truly a must for you to unlock the full protentional of the amazing headphones.
-So, the box states that with 5-minutes of charging you can get 4 hours of playtime. I tested this feature out, left the headphones to charge for 5 minutes and I think with the ANC mode on I was able to get about almost 3 hours of playtime, which considering is still not bad at all. These headphones provide up to 60 hours of playtime on the normal mode and 40 hours with the ANC mode on.
-Active Noise Cancelling – Indoor, Outdoor, Transport
-Transparency Mode
-Button controls for volume and Noise Cancellation, and touch control for transparency mode
-Comfortable and Light Weight, these headphones are super comfortable. The earcups are memory foam and provide all day comfort. I was able to wear these while working, roughly about 8 hours, and I had no issue except for my ears started to get hot and sweaty, other than that they were amazing.
-One of my favorite feature of this headphone was the fact that even though these are advertised as wireless headphones, you have the option to also use them as wired with the provided 3.5mm audio jack cable. Even though many manufactures are moving away from the audio jack, I am glad soundcore at least gave us the option.
Overall, I honestly could not find anything that I was not happy with, these are comfortable, sound amazing and solid built headphones. I would highly recommend these headphones.