Review of Soundcore by Anker P20i Headphones: Bass That Hits Hard

The products of the Anker brand are probably already associated by everyone with serious wireless sound and the most advanced technologies. At the same time, they have both a flagship line, where everything is, so to speak, on the cutting edge, and a series of affordable, yet no less quality solutions. The company selects almost the best speakers on the market, for all models there is a proprietary application available, there is a search function, a gaming mode, and flexible settings for each of the connected devices. Today we will focus in detail on the already almost popular headphones: Soundcore P20i.

Specifications

• Bluetooth: v5.3
• Codecs: SBC, AAC
• Driver: dynamic 10 mm
• Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
• Battery life: up to 10 hours (30 with case)
• Protection: IPX5
• Noise cancellation: passive
• Gaming mode: Yes

Packaging and Contents

The box is simple but made with taste. It showcases the model itself and highlights its key features. Such as water protection according to IPX5 standard, a total of 22 equalizer settings, and up to 30 hours of battery life in standalone mode. Naturally, this includes the case’s battery, but by themselves, they also play quite a bit—up to 10 hours straight.

Inside, there was documentation, a small Type C cable, a wrist strap, and a bag of branded silicone ear tips. Moreover, the tips here are not small sizes but quite standard sizes.

Design/Ergonomics

The case is small in size, matte, with a loop for attaching the strap, a Type C port, and a single LED indicator. In shape, it resembles a pebble but opens like a shell.

The loop is resilient, the closure is held by powerful magnets, and inside there is a soft layer to prevent scratches and two slots for the earbuds.

The cups, with their geometry, are somewhat similar to Apple products. The conversational microphone is logically located at the very edge of the stem, on top is the touch layer, with a hole for compensation on the back and a medium-sized sound tube with a holder for the ear cushions.

In fact, using the P20i was very convenient for me, I didn’t notice any drops, the app allows you to search for each earphone individually, the volume is sufficient, there are no auto pauses or active noise cancellation here, and among the codecs, only the basic SBC and AAC are present. Not much, but in most scenarios, this is enough.

Moreover, we have access to a proprietary app with a whole bunch of equalizer settings, the ability to update the firmware, reduce latency in games, and assign functions you need from any list of available gestures. That is, they can be customized—just like you are used to.

Measurements

Measurements showed a standard impulse decay rate, a good phase curve, acceptable discrepancies between channels, and peak distortion reaching only 0.36%, which, for TWS headphones, is simply genius.

You can familiarize yourself with the decays at 30 and 60 dB in the graphs below.

As for the frequency response, we have a lift in low frequencies by 16 dB with a sharp transition to an almost perfectly flat midrange. Then, for better expressiveness, they boosted 3 kHz, highlighted 8 kHz, and took care of the very edge of the range by adding a few more peaks there.

In my opinion, the tuning is excellent, even slightly better than that of CMF by Nothing Buds Pro.

Sound

To the ear, the P20i will please any connoisseur of clear, meaty, and truly thumping bass, which is abundant here. Moreover, there are no issues, even the slightest, with it. I will say more, the sound turned out to be energetic, juicy, quite expressive, and with a pleasantly velvety tint. I wouldn’t quite call it completely flat, but there is no dominant upper midrange or overly bright high frequencies.

The rhythmic part here, of course, is somewhat pushed aside, but thanks to the timbrally rich low frequencies – it is almost not felt. The only nuance that can be pointed out here is the contrast between the richness of the lower and the increased resolution of the upper part of the range. But it’s also quite difficult to catch that.

Personally, I am very pleased with the detailing, some incredible cohesion, a warm cozy atmosphere, openness, and a worthy representation of the emotional component of the track. Yes, this is clearly a basshead solution, but made with taste and with excellent knowledge of psychoacoustics. Honestly, I always have more questions about expensive wired Hi-Fi headphones than about these Soundcore ones.

In comparison, Soundcore Life P2 Mini mostly highlights the upper midrange, which is more meaty for them. Realme Buds T300 show a similar picture, however, the bass is already felt better here. My old favorites EPZ 350T Pro, against the background of the heroes of the review, seemed a bit muffled and somewhat neutral in character, and yesterday, virtually just released KZ Carol provide a similar harmony but more transparency and a much better rendering of nuances. Carol really did a great job, but they are not bass-heavy at all, rather the opposite, with a slight inclination towards technicality. Most similar to the heroes of the review are Realme Buds T100. However, they are brighter, a bit more aggressive, and also with greater mass at the very top.

Here I would summarize that those who need a little less bass and a greater emphasis on vocals should consider the T100, if speed and clarity of sound are important—look at the Carol, and if you are a fan of neutrality—then the 350T Pro. The heroes of the review impress with their comfortable, homely atmosphere, quality of low frequencies, resolution, and overall coherence. Stylistically, they are quite defined, I personally had enough clarity and drive in them, and the audio picture is constructed fairly correctly, plus there is naturalness, resolution, and that specific bass punch.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the wireless TWS headphones Soundcore P20i from Anker personally pleased me with the absence of false triggers from the sensor, comfort of fit, availability of a gaming mode, the ability to completely customize them to my own preferences, a convenient loop for carrying in hand, and an ergonomic shape of the body.

By sound, they are primarily bass-heavy, with some really nice juicy lows. I was pleased with the cozy analog atmosphere, a certain touch of velvet, decent dynamics, resolution in the mid frequencies, and a sense of wholeness or, if you will, naturalness of everything happening. Of course, with the caveat regarding the bass. If you need music that pumps but without excessive brightness, aggression, or constriction – this is it. Good headphones, I expected nothing less from Anker.