Anker Soundcore A30i active noise-cancelling earbuds review: Tiny earbuds, big sound

When is a lipstick case not quite a lipstick case? When it’s home to the Anker Soundcore A30i ANC Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. For a little more than a cafe meal for two, these budget active noise-cancelling earbuds offer good sound, decent active noise-cancelling (ANC) capabilities and an effective companion app.
Anker Soundcore A30i ANC Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, black (S$48.90, usual price S$89.90)
Key specifications
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One of the Soundcore A30i’s most striking features is its lipstick-style charging case. Well-built and sturdy, the case fits easily in bags, pouches and Dad jeans. The spring-loaded case snaps shut so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally opening in transit.
The diminutive bean-shaped earbuds weigh just 3.7g. They felt comfortable in the ear and I routinely used them for several hours at a stretch without issue. Their small size made them a challenge to handle, at least for my large hands and fingers. I was also constantly activating the touch controls while positioning each earbud. Once in, they stayed firmly in place and the touch controls were responsive and easy to use. 
The user-friendly soundcore app enhances the A30i’s functionality. It allows users to select noise-cancelling or transparency modes and customise controls and equaliser presets. It has numerous presets that change how the earbuds sound – by emphasising bass or treble, for instance.
The default Soundcore Signature preset produces a well-balanced profile that I used throughout this review. Audio nerds will have fond memories tweaking the equalisers on their OG stereo sets. The app recreates this in digital form. Its eight-channel equaliser lets users customise frequencies if none of the presets suit their tastes.
At its default equaliser preset, the Soundcore A30i produced balanced, detailed sound. Vocals and treble were clear and detailed without sounding harsh. Bass notes were punchy and controlled but lacked a little low-end. If you need more low-end bass, this can be tweaked in the app, without making audio sound muddy. 
The Soundcore A30i’s sound profile remained consistently good and did not change with or without ANC and when it was in transparency mode. This means that if you’re listening to these earbuds in a quiet room, you can switch of ANC to extend battery life. 
The Soundcore A30i offers clear vocals, a good overall balance and punchy mid-bass tones at its default settings. You’ll enjoy balanced, detailed, punchy sound on pop, rock and hip-hop tracks. Low-end bass frequencies are lacking slightly. If you enjoy bass-heavy songs, like Wiz Kalifa’s We Dem Boyz or Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ classic Thrift Shop, you can use the equaliser to compensate for this.
Voices and musical scores were clear and balanced on the Soundcore A30i. On its default settings, the lack of low-end bass meant some action sequences – like the afterburners in Top Gun: Maverick’s aerial sequences – felt less impactful.  
Latency – when there’s a delay in the sound and the on-screen action – wasn’t an issue on the Soundcore A30i. I tested across multiple platforms (Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, free-to-air channels), devices (phones, tablets, TVs, consoles) and Blu-ray discs.
Audio quality was good on phone calls, Zoom and Teams meetings. I had no problems hearing what participants were saying and vice versa. Phone calls in noisy environments were also clear for me, although callers said my voice occasionally lacked clarity for them.
I tested the Soundcore A30i’s noise-cancelling capabilities on the MRT, a food court and at home. First up, one of our underground MRT lines, where the tunnel amplified the train noise and passengers’ voices. Then, I headed into the belly of the beast – the office food court during lunch hour. It was packed and had music blaring from a loudspeaker.
Finally, I used it at home to see – purely for research purposes – if I could drown out my family’s voices and focus on watching a movie.
In all three scenarios, the earbuds provided a decent degree of noise cancellation. I set my device volume at 50 per cent to ensure that background sounds weren’t simply blocked by loud audio. There was a noticeable reduction in background noise – even on the MRT and food court – though some of it was still audible. 
It fared less well with nearby conversations. These were less distracting but still audible, though this is also a byproduct of how noise-cancelling algorithms work.
These are not fitness-oriented earbuds but are still IP54 rated. This makes the Soundcore A30i resistant to sweat and dust. They stayed in place during long walks but I wouldn’t recommend these for vigorous exercise. They lack the ear hooks or wings that keep fitness earbuds in place. If these fall out when you’re running, finding them could be a challenge.
ANC headphones have built-in microphones that pick up environmental sounds. These sounds are fed into an ANC chipset, which generates an inverse signal that is played through the headphones to neutralise or “cancel” the external noise.
This is most effective at cancelling consistent, low-frequency noises like traffic or an aircraft’s engine. It is usually less effective against sudden or high-frequency sounds like a vehicle horn or your better half demanding to know why you’re tuning them out.
On some ANC headphones, especially budget models, the noise-cancelling process can change the sound profile. Activating ANC may affect bass and treble response or change the overall sound profile. Some ANC headphones sound best only when ANC is activated. This means users need to activate ANC even in quiet environments, affecting battery life.
The Anker Soundcore A30i (S$48.90, usual price S$89.90) provides balanced, clear audio with punchy, controlled bass. If you need extra low-end bass, this can be customised in the app. Its sound profile doesn’t change when ANC is activated.
The Soundcore A30i’s noise-cancelling capabilities are good but not great. It noticeably reduces loud background noise but does not eradicate them. 
Get it if: You want a budget pair of ANC earbuds that perform well
Pros: Good balanced sound, effective app, small size and light weight
Cons: Sound-cancelling is good but not great, default sound profile lacks low-end bass
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Prices are accurate as of the time of publication.