Experience the Ultimate in Wireless Sound: Anker Soundcore Space Q45 TWS Review
0A brand-new headset in Anker's Soundcore Life lineup is the Soundcore Space Q45. This new headset has many of the same features and a comparable build quality as its predecessor, with a strong emphasis on its active noise cancelling (ANC) features. Does it succeed in overcoming the mediocre build and sound quality reputation of the product line?
While the pleather ear cups on the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 are comfortable, they are not as breathable as I prefer. The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 is primarily made of plastic. Fortunately, the ear cups can be turned to lay flat and are fairly adjustable. Additionally, the ear cups can be folded up for simple storage in the included case. If you're in a hurry, you can put the headset in a bag, but the plastic doesn't seem to be very scratch-resistant.
The strongest component of the headset is a metal-reinforced headband that has some give to accommodate larger noggins. Any hot spots that develop on the wearer's top of the head are reduced by the band's cushioning. For a few hours at a time, the Space Q45 is generally comfortable. This set of headphones will be useful for your commute or for a focused music listening session as long as you don't get too sweaty. Controls for the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 are neatly divided between the left and right ear cups, depending on the function. On the right ear cup are play/pause and volume controls for media.. It also has a place where you can use your own custom EQ preset in addition to Anker's presets. Use of the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 is certainly not required, but it is a good way to maximize its potential. The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 connects via Bluetooth, with a wired 3.5mm connection as a fallback. A standard USB-C cable is used to charge the headset. Depending on your phone, the headset can connect using a variety of Bluetooth codecs. The default format is AAC, but it also supports SBC and LDAC if you enable them through the Soundcore app (doing so necessitates the headset turning itself off and back on). A 65-hour battery life without ANC and a 50-hour battery life with ANC is what Anker claims. The headset's battery life exceeded these predictions during our testing, coming in at 55 hours, 48 minutes.
The ANC on my Soundcore Space Q45 wireless headphones does a good job of isolating the noise of the trains and the bus while I'm using them on public transportation. You must get a good fit with the headphones to achieve this kind of realistic result; make sure there are no gaps between the padding and your skull. Probably the biggest problem with the headset is the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 sound quality. It's not all bad—after a few minutes of use, most users will grow accustomed to the headset's sound—but it falls short of competing products on the market. Across the entire frequency spectrum, the frequency response curve deviates noticeably from our ideal target curve. The higher frequencies are under siege by an undulating change in response that makes high-end musical elements sound hissy and betrays the playback's accuracy. The sub-bass is also slightly accentuated, the midrange is slightly depressed, and the higher frequencies are slightly depressed. The Anker Soundcore Space Q45's sound is incredibly uneven in the high end, which is by far the biggest problem. This is audible on songs by the Arctic Monkeys like "Brainstorm," where the drums' cymbals, in particular, sound noticeably off from what I'm used to. The vocals in that same song, however, seem to fit the frequency response pretty well.
This is a great choice for ANC headphones for the office, particularly if you participate in a lot of conference calls throughout the day. The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 is a good headset all around. It's pleasant to use, has clearly labeled and simple-to-use controls, and is long-lastingly comfortable to wear. The biggest problem is that the headset's sound quality is simply inferior to that of other models on the market (though you can EQ it). If you're accustomed to higher-quality audio, your favorite songs will by default sound a little off on this headset. However, if you can overlook that, this headset is typically a wise choice. Perhaps you prefer podcasts to music, or you need this headset for travel and can appreciate its emphasis on noise cancellation. This headset is a good set of wireless ANC headphones as long as you are aware of its shortcomings.