The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones might have saved my life. Okay so that might be a bit dramatic, but the idea stands.
When COVID-19 struck and I was mentally preparing to work from home, one glaring issue came to mind — I didn’t have a good pair of headphones to work with. I mean I have a pair of custom-molded in-ears I use for playing live music, but it felt wrong using those all day at my desk.
I needed headphones that could be as versatile as I need to be during this strange time. I need comfort, a built-in mic (help Zoom meetings), portability, and a wired or wireless option.
This is why I love the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. From the second I saw the box, I was hooked. They look like a quality pair even in the picture. Unboxing continued my fantasy for my dream headphones. Pairing to my iPhone, iPad Pro, and MacBook was easy enough. Switching between them is just as easy. I charged these via the common Micro USB cable, though one is included.
The headphones lasted 40-hours– which I can back as accurate — as well as quirky extras like Active Noise Canceling, Deep Bass Boost, Memory Foam ear cups, and a headband. Deep Bass Boost changes the levels of the audio coming in, kicking the bass-heavy notes into overdrive. Anker does this in a way that avoids unnecessary rattling, just the sweet encapsulating bass-heavy notes loud and clear.
I felt like I was in the front row at a concert for my favorite band, called The Band Camino. I hear things in songs by Francis and the Lights (featuring Bon Iver) that I don’t hear when I listen on an iPhone. No matter if it’s Mike H, Kanye, Jumping Ship, or Justin Timberlake, anything I’ve listened to has been downright beautiful. My one suggestion: If it’s heavy bass, try out the Bass Boost for an added kick.
I have used these headphones for nearly every Zoom call I have been on since the beginning of this quarantine. Everyone says they can hear me. I know I can hear them.
While you may be able to find better overall quality in a $200+ pair of over-ear headphones, for the price, I have been blown away at the quality of the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones.
I have pushed these headphones to the last drop of juice a handful of times — for testing sake. I was able to recharge the Life Q20 headphones to four hours of listening in five minutes.
I have yet to turn off the Active Noise Canceling. This was a non-negotiable for me as I was searching for the right pair of headphones to work from home. Since my son plays in the same area where I work, I needed to be able to hone in. Active Noise Canceling allowed me to do just that.
So now the embarrassing facts. I have a big head — very large. I’d like to say it’s because of a big brain — but that has yet to be proven. I’ve never been a big fan of over-ear headphones for this very reason. It’s the same reason I have a love/hate relationship with hats and the head hole on t-shirts.
In the past, headphones like this would push into my head in a weird way, not fit, or just be all-around unpleasant. The Life Q20 is different. The memory foam works wonders. They’re honestly wonderful. These headphones fit me like a hat glove.
