Soundcore Space NC by Anker

This lightweight wireless system features oval-shaped earpieces that are slightly slanted in their suspended positions, working together nicely with the soft, artificial leather padding to provide a snug and firm fit around the ears. All in all, the tilt, turn and folding mechanisms of these headphones offer a high degree of flexibility and adaptability that ensures high levels of wearing comfort, with a fit that’s neither too firm or too loose. The only arguable downside is that the materials used can give off a slight odour when these headphones operate at higher temperatures, although ventilation does go some way to alleviate this. On the other hand, it’s worth noting that these headphones don’t suffer from excessive heat build-up like so many other models out there on the market, making them an ideal option for longer listening sessions.

Let’s talk a little about performance and energy consumption. These headphones are designed with continuous operation in mind, with a total running time of 24 hours possible. With active noise cancellation enabled, the battery life is reduced to approximately 16 hours. A complete charge via the included USB cable takes around three hours. As an alternative to Bluetooth operation, these headphones can also be operated via conventional cable connection, with an existing 3.5mm audio input on hand for the purpose. According to the manufacturer, the ANC function can perform for a maximum of 50 hours until battery reserves are spent. A corresponding audio cable with a 1-button remote and integrated microphone are included with the headphones themselves as accessories.

Device Control

These over-ears support Bluetooth 5.1 and delivered stable ranges of over twelve metres during our test when paired with a range of iOS and Android devices. However, this range can suffer from signal dropouts once you exceed a range of six or seven metres, so stability is ultimately limited. Pairing is initiated by holding down the power button on the right-hand side of the over-ears, with this switching the system on and instantly putting the device into pairing mode. When a connection is established, a large touchpad covering the entire surface of the right earpiece is then ready to be used as a remote for controlling all required device functions. While the Play/Stop function is controlled by a simple tap, the volume can be adjusted with a vertical swipe. Volume can also be adjusted this way. A horizontal swipe will allow you to skip forwards and backwards through tracks. Everything works well enough, with little practice. Since the touch control of this device responds so precisely, it’s worth remembering the casing of the headphones is slanted in shape, rather than straight. When you ensure to consider this when carrying out your touch commands, things should work perfectly. In addition, a separate button next to the main power button can be used to answer and terminate telephone calls, with good levels of speech intelligibility, even when your surroundings are noisy and full of distractions. This is made possible thanks to noise reducing technology worked into the integrated microphone.

Sound

The Soundcore Space NC is universal in application thanks to its balanced sound and tuning, with the headphones sufficient to handle a broad musical spectrum. The well-defined basses reach down deep into the deepest ranges without appearing over-emphasised and superficial, while the mids give vocals a real presence. Trebles consistently score, without falling off. Only at higher levels do these over-ears have a tendency to sound overdrawn, with the odd hissing sound evident. Despite a well-structured stereo stage that conveys convincing three-dimensionality, the sound itself is a little cloudy and dull. In this respect, it has to be said these headphones do deliver respectable enough sound quality, but will struggle to meet higher demands due to insufficient resolution.

In ANC mode (which can be activated and deactivated via a handy switch on the left-hand side), bass is given extra presence in its foundations. This tends to deliver a brighter overall sound character. Hybrid noise suppression technology filters both low and high interference frequencies, or at least it does partially. In particular, deep and monotonous external noises are suppressed with ease, while more complicated street noises or a radio in the background are more noticeable. With these sorts of sounds, only the upper sound elements are successfully reduced, with the rest otherwise able to penetrate.