Those looking for the best all-around package for their dollar. Anker’s latest mid-range buds have the firepower and functionality of top-performing luxury buds. At $64.99, they’re the true embodiment of getting plenty of features without sacrificing affordability.
The P42i pack many of the same features as Anker’s premium models and performs nearly as well in audio, battery life, and noise cancellation — all at a third of the price. If you don’t want to drop $150 on AirPods or Bose wireless earbuds, these are a great all-around pick under $100.
Anticipate crisp instrument separation, deep bass, and sharp vocals when plugging them into your ears. The Soundcore Signature preset is well-balanced, and there are additional presets and a customizable EQ to personalize the sound. Enabling the LDAC codec boosts fidelity to hear more detail and nuance when streaming music on Android devices. However, you’ll want to set up the HearID feature, as it intuitively creates a sound profile tailored to your hearing.
Noise cancellation is also pivotal to sound performance. It provides an uptick in bass that gives contemporary recordings more oomph. Multi-level ANC produces an extra layer of noise reduction to minimize unwanted noise. Standard mode silences low- and mid-frequency sounds with ease, especially when set to Ultra ANC. Adaptive mode scans the environment to achieve stronger noise neutralization. Wind Noise Reduction is great at reducing harsh wind effects. Transparency mode is equally excellent and has a HearGuard setting that protects your hearing by automatically adjusting the amount of loud noise entering the buds.
In addition to the aforementioned features, these buds come with a Fit Test, multi-device connectivity, wearing detection, and a Game Mode that reduces latency when gaming. There’s even AI integration (e.g., Live Translation, chatbot capabilities), which is much better than it was on past Anker releases.
Fast charging (10 mins=3.5 hours) is some of the best at this price point. A full charge provides up to 12 hours of listening time, depending on how you use the buds, and the wireless charging case provides up to 56 hours of listening time.
Flaws are very few. Spatial audio drastically hollows out the midrange, and the small-stem design with tiny capacitive sensors makes tap input difficult. Besides that, these are near-flawless buds at an unbeatable value.
