I’m always on the hunt for the best headphones. I’ve reviewed quite a few models in my time. I was genuinely about to break down and buy some AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max until I found Soundcore’s newest Space series — specifically, the Soundcore Space Q45 and the Space A40.
Here’s why they are good enough to make me no longer need Apple’s headphones.
First Impressions
Q45
I’ve been a long time user of the Soundcore Life Q20’s. In fact, they have been my go-to over-ear headphone of choice since early 2020. When I first unboxed The Space Q45’s, I was thrilled to see that they looked similar to the Q20s, but looked like a refined version with some welcomed changes.
To start, I noticed the new Q45 model is a little more elegant looking, with a slightly refined ear shape, and a more minimal arm connecting the two ears. The ear pads are now circles, not ovals, and the ability to resize to fit larger heads is no longer as visible as it was before. Now, you can expand to a lager size without it looking like the heaphones are detaching.
Beyond that, I was happy to see familiar buttons, with a volume control, play/pause and a button to control adaptive noise canceling. One button I was missing was the bass boost button. However, these headphones have enough low end that once I started using them I didn’t really feel the need to boost anything.
A40
Back in late 2021 I began using Soundcore’s Liberty 3 Pro headphones. I was wildly impressed with the quality of sound, the sound canceling and the comfortability of these headphones. Until about a month ago, I was still using those every day. About one month ago though, I switched my headphones to the Soundcore A40s and it was well worth the switch.
The firs thing I noticed different from the Liberty 3 Pro Headphones was that the design had changed. Now, the A40s fit almost entirely in my ear, looking much cleaner than having something dangle out of my ear. Next up, I noticed that due to the new design, there was no longer a need for the ear wings that would go up around the outer part of my ear. Rather, now my customizable size comes from the ability to choose from the included ear canal tips to make sure I have a good size fit for maximum noise canceling control and all-day comfort.
Outside of those changes, I found familiar tap, double-tap, and triple-tap features that help me control my audio just from my headphones.
Design/Features
Q45
The Soundcore Space Q45s feature 50-hours of playtime on one charge, a comfortable fit that would help make that 50 hour mark even possible, and has genuinely wonderful audio quality. One of my favorite things about the aforementioned Life Q20s that I love is that they have such a “true sound”, or they play without muddling up the sound. I was thrilled to discover that after a few of my test songs, I was able to confidently say that these Space Q45s had that same wonderful quality.
A few of the notable features of this pair of headphones would be the “Seamless Sliding Design”, Aluminum Alloy hinges, Ai-Enhanced calls, and the same great dual connection abilities and customizable sound. These headphones are also LDAC certified (Android only) and Hi-Res wireless audio certified allowing for maximum quality.
A40
These headphones are seamless and genuinely hide in my ear. I have found that I can even go nearly an entire day with one or two of these headphones in and they have yet to get uncomfortable. Through the companion app, I am able to customize what my single, double, triple, or even tap and hold does. This has given me an incredible amount of control and has been truly useful with all day use. The amount of times I switch between noise canceling and the voice enhancing option so I can chat with someone around me quickly is truly astonishing.
The notable features in this model have to be the size changes to be smaller and more minimal, the ability to reduce even more noise and sound quality. These three things truly make the headphones amazing to use, and a reason for me not to drop a ton of cash on Apple’s new flagship models.
Pro/Con
Q45
Pro
- Comfortable fit
- Adaptive Noise Canceling
- 50H+ Playtime
- Great Physical Controls
- USB-C Charging
- Included Carrying Case
- Multi-Device Bluetooth Connect
Con
- Does a good job overall blocking most sounds, but there is still some bleed-through
- The connection to the app sometimes takes a bit to work
A40
Pro
- Average 8H playtime
- Charging case
- Custom fit with 5 ear tip sizes
- USB-C/wireless charge [Charging Case]
- Wireless charging [headphones in charging case]
- Phenomenal adaptive noise canceling
- Multi-Device Bluetooth Connect
- HearID hearing test and custom sound
Con
- Call quality isn’t as good as Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, but still good.
Final Thoughts
The Soundcore Space series could not have come at a better time. The over-ear Q45s are a phenomenal option for those who want a more comfortable, not inner-ear option. Great quality, phenomenal price.
The Soundcore Space A40 is truly a show stopper. The audio quality is amazing, the adaptive noise canceling is incredible and the price is shockingly low.
Both of these are absolutely recommendations I am comfortable giving anyone, and I plan to.