P42i | True Wireless Earbuds with Adaptive ANC

Amazing earbuds

I have a number of different Soundcore earbuds that I use in different settings. I also go to 10-20 concerts a year and protecting my hearing is very important. Most venues these days regularly hit 100+ db sound, which damages hearing long term. I have tried multiple different ear protectors, from the basic 3M foam ones to Etymotic and other more expensive options, but they all muffle some amount of sound (usually the higher frequencies). When I saw the specific use case for these earbuds for concerts and other noisy events I was intrigued so got a pair. After wearing them for one concert (actually during the concert) I bought three more pairs for the rest of my family. They were that big of an improvement. The overall sound level was brought down significantly, BUT the frequency distribution remained relatively the same as the source sound - no cutting of the highs leading to a muffled sound. What is still an unknown is how effective they will be in louder venues but based on my initial experience I'm very optimistic. One thing to be aware of - since the noise cancelling is adaptive, there is an occasional "jump" in the noise reduction where the sound you hear suddenly changes in volume. It's infrequent (or at least was for this concert) and not overly disruptive, just something to be aware of. Yu also need to be careful of your phone - if you have the soundcore app up you could inadvertently switch modes (i.e., go from noise cancelling to transparent) if you touch the screen by mistake. Again, not a big issue, just something to be aware of.

These are very good noise cancelling earbuds that are a great choice (and value) for both everyday use, critical listening of high quality and lossless music, and for making calls or recording voice audio where there isn’t a lot of background noise.

You will need to have some patience and a little time to properly set up your new earbuds using the easy-to-follow instructions and Soundcore app. When first connecting the earbuds, you will need to update their firmware (twice if you want to use supported Spatial Audio or the LDAC codecs). If you have a modern flagship phone, you will want to set up the sound customization in your phone’s settings (for example, Adapt Sound on Samsung phones) before proceeding on the Soundcore app.

There are a ton of useful features on the app including maximum vs adjustable adaptive noise cancellation, a gaming mode (reduced latency at some cost to audio quality), multi-device connection, enabling the Hi-Res Audio LDAC codec. Enabling LDAC to improve audio quality is something I’d recommend everyone (on Android) do if their device supports it, unless it causes their Bluetooth connection to become unstable.

Pros: Outstanding audio quality (with LDAC enabled) with no perceivable distortion and a wide frequency response (though only the low end of 20Hz is listed in the specifications); long battery life (8-12 hours per charge) and charging in the case for up to 56 hours; a lightweight, secure, comfortable fit suitable for running or the gym; amazing adjustable noise reduction (up to 55db); and an 18-month manufacturer’s warranty against defects.

Cons: A little complicated and time consuming to set up; helpful AI features like a personal assistant, live translation and a provided hearing test may cause data privacy concerns (note: the Soundcore app states that no data is shared with third parties); and the app's HearID equalizer function is a little complicated (a classic equalizer is buried within the settings).

Love this earbuds. Its very easy to connect to your phone and very easy to use. I've been going to concerts more lately and the loud sound really hurts my ears. This works great.- charges full in 1 hour and play up to 12 hours depending on your usage- comfortable fit in the ear and stays put. It also come with 4 different ear tip sizes- High sound quality- can use it for workouts, concerts and phone. The sound is very clear. the call recipients did mention that it does sound like I am too close to the mic but is able to hear perfectly fine- device is very light less than 2ozs and 2" long- I recommend this product

great sound. exc stereo imaging and clarity, you can hear the fine details in the music, also the bass response is pretty accurate and not hyped. these also fit comfortably in my ears and dont fall out. the battery life is exc for small ear buds. (i got a little over 8 hours playback before needing a recharge) i updated to the latest firmware and tend to rock these on "normal" mode vs anc and disable touch controls. be sure to download the soundcore app so that you can customize. the eartips that were preinstalled fit well in my ear, but the also include extra size tips. the charging case is compact so you can keep on you and keep the earbuds charged up. overall decent pair of headphones, i think they are a good value for under 80 bucks, way cheaper than airpods