Soundcore C30i by Anker

Soundcore C30i Package

The Soundcore C30i are available in either white or transparent smoked glass and come in fully recyclable packaging – the manufacturer has completely dispensed with plastic. In addition to the headphones, the package includes a charging case, two pairs of ear grips in different sizes, a short USB-A to USB-C charging cable and the obligatory Quick Start Guide.

Difficulties with wearing comfort

The Soundcore C30i are oval in shape, and so the “beans” behind the ears are quite thick due to their built-in batteries and the integrated touch control. At around 5.7 grams per earbud, they weigh about the same as typical in-ears and are protected against splashes of water in accordance with IPX4. Like the Bose Open Earbuds and the Huawei FreeClip, the C30i are supposed to be attached to the helix of the ear. This distinguishes them significantly from the AeroFit and AeroFit Pro open-ears from the same company. The AeroFit Pro fit around the ear and are held in place with a neckband, and this can restrict wearing comfort for spectacle wearers. This is not the case with the C30i unless the arms of your glasses are particularly long.

In general, the clip design of the C30i ensures a secure fit. For smaller ears, Soundcore also includes two additional attachments (ear grips) made of fairly rigid, milky-coloured transparent plastic, which are clipped onto the rear “bean” to improve the fit.

Unfortunately, putting on the Soundcore C30i was very fiddly. I didn’t manage to do it without having to take a look at the quick start guide. This was mainly due to the fact that the connecting bridge between the driver and the battery is extremely rigid. The Bose Open Earbuds and Huawei FreeClip were much more flexible, which made putting them on a breeze compared to the C30i.

With the 30i, you have to press the earbuds quite far up over the edge of the earcup and then push them down before they will fit perfectly. For me, this was only possible with an unusually large amount of force, which might cause the wearer slight pain.

When they do fit, they do so very tightly, even compressing my auricle slightly – so they were not comfortable to wear. After about 80 minutes, I had to take the C30i off as the feeling of pressure became uncomfortable.

Of course, all ears are different, so this does not necessarily mean that they will cause you similar discomfort. You should, therefore, try out the Soundcore C30i at your leisure. Unfortunately, I can’t personally vouch for their good wearing comfort.

Operation

Thanks to touch surfaces on the back, the Soundcore C30i responded to double and triple presses as well as a press and hold gesture. This means that all relevant commands were supported during media playback and calls (including volume change). To avoid incorrect commands, single taps are not recognised.

Unfortunately, in practice, this did not work very elegantly. It was interesting that the C30i still reacted to a single touch when straightening them in the ears, and started or paused playback. The sensors seemed to react too sensitively on these ear clips. Two firmware updates did not improve the situation. Added to this, the controls often became a game of patience, as they frequently simply did not respond. Reaching for my smartphone to alter the controls was quicker and more convenient.

Stable app connection

Soundcore always delivers when it comes to app connectivity – and there was no exception with these headphones. Available for Android and iOS, the in-house app offers a wide range of customisation options. You can adjust the sound using an 8-band equaliser, save these different sound profiles and even share them with others. In addition to “Signature”, which was my favourite, and “Bass” through to “3D Surround Sound”, there were unusually few EQ pre-sets to begin with, and these cannot be further refined to suit your own taste.

The app also displays the battery status of the headphones and the charging case. Another function is the option to manage multipoint connections, and the app enables you to customise and lock the touch controls. Firmware updates are displayed here, but unfortunately, the app cannot then be used because the corresponding pop-up cannot be dismissed. If the notification sounds are annoying when using the touch controls, they can be deactivated, as can the warning sounds that go off when the battery is dwindling (below 20% and 10%).

Bluetooth specifications & battery life

The Soundcore C30i work with the latest Bluetooth version 5.3 and support the AAC and SBC codecs. High-resolution codecs such as LDAC or aptX are not included, but this was bearable due to the design of the headphones.

Thanks to Multipoint, the C30i worked with two devices simultaneously and offered a stable range of around 15 metres. In an open space, we achieved good values of around 30 metres.

The battery life was around ten hours depending on the volume, and the headphones can be fully charged three times using the charging case. A quick-charging function allows the headphones to be used for another three hours after just ten minutes of charging. However, the case cannot be charged wirelessly.

Questionable sound

The Soundcore C30i have 12 x 17mm drivers with a titanium coating, which deliver a satisfactory sound overall at moderate volumes, but they were very weak in the bass range – something which is typical for open-ears.

However, in comparison, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds managed to deliver a more homogeneous sound, even at higher volumes. If you turn the C30i up, the sound quickly becomes unnatural and hi-hats and sibilants sound sharp, sometimes becoming cutting. Distortions quickly became unpleasantly noticeable. I found myself reaching for the custom EQ, which was a welcome help.

The Soundcore C30i performed differently depending on the genre I was listening to. The deep basses of modern hip-hop tracks were not adequately reproduced, and dance tracks did not really make me feel like dancing either. In contrast, these open-ears reproduced quieter fare by singer-songwriters or acoustic tracks quite airily.

I enjoyed using these headphones when listening to spoken content. Podcasts, in particular, created the feeling that I was sitting at the conversation table.

The 3D surround pre-set is intended to provide spatiality for watching films and playing games. Overall, the sound image became a little wider, and dialogue was given a slight spatial effect, although this was not always appropriate for intimate scenes. Due to the lack of low-frequency reproduction, gunshots or explosions, for example, did not sound particularly thrilling. This cannot be compared with the 3D audio function of the Apple AirPods Pro. They also lacked head tracking and official Dolby Atmos support, but that was bearable considering their price range.

Making calls with the Soundcore C30i

The Soundcore C30i suppressed ambient noise quite well, but this could have a negative effect on voice quality. In addition, the microphones were quite far away from your mouth, and this could also impair voice quality. Nevertheless, my voice remained understandable throughout the calls we made.

Conclusion

Once again, Soundcore by Anker proves that they are specialists when it comes to value for money. For less than 70 euros, the C30i offer an inexpensive alternative to the more expensive models from Huawei and Bose. In return, you get acceptable sound that requires manual intervention via equaliser, especially at higher volumes.

The long battery life and smooth connection to the in-house app, including convenience functions, were factors that were particularly in these headphones’ favour. However, the touch operation was not the best solution for the control of these ear clips. If you’re interested in these headphones, then you need to give the wearing comfort special consideration: they were too tight on my ears so, unfortunately, I could not wear them for a long period of time without discomfort. You should definitely try them out before you commit to buying!

If you want to enter the world of open-ear headphones at a reasonable price or if you’re just looking for a second pair of headphones, the Soundcore C30i by Anker might still be a very appealing solution.