In the editorial office, we tested new wireless headphones, the so-called plugs from the brand Soundcore. Specifically, these are headphones with a model designation Soundcore Space A40, which boast long durability, active noise suppression and low weight.
In the review, we will look at the sound quality, the comfort while wearing them in the ear and get to know their controls and all the functions they offer.
Where to buy Soundcore Space A40?
You can find these new wireless headphones on sale through the manufacturer's official website Soundcore.com. In addition, the product is also available with completely free shipping and fast delivery within Europe in just 3-7 working days.
Soundcore Space A40
Technical specifications
Model name | Soundcore Space A40 |
---|---|
Sound | Hi-Res Wireless; LDAC; HearID |
Noise suppression | yes with adaptive ANC (Active Noise Canceling) |
Endurance per charge | 10 hours |
Endurance with charging box | 50 hours |
Fast charging | 10 minutes of charging = 4 hours of playback |
Bluetooth | 5.2 |
Microphones | 6 with AI support |
Charging port | USB-C |
Application for smartphones | Yes |
Certifications | IPX4 |
Content and quality of packaging
Wireless headphones Soundcore We ordered the Space A40 together with the eufy Video Doorbell 2K, so these products were packed in a larger box. The free space between them was filled with air fillings, the box was not damaged at all, so we rate the quality of the packaging positively.
The headphones themselves come in a small box, where we can find all the key features of these headphones. The cardboard box is significantly strong and rigid, so it protects the headphones inside enough by itself.
These are stored in another cardboard reinforcement in their charging case. In the lower part of the box we can still find four pairs of spare silicone plugs and a charging cable with USB-A to USB-C terminals.
Quality of workmanship and design
Soundcore Space A40 are small and light wireless in-ear headphones. The weight of one earphone is only 4.9 g, so they are clearly among the lighter ones. Even in terms of size, we can classify them as smaller headphones with a simple and elegant design.
The headphones are almost entirely glossy black except for the outer part with the brand logo Soundcore. In this case, it is dark gray and matte, which at least eliminates fingerprints. Other color versions are also available, specifically white (White) or blue (Navy Blue).
The box, in which the headphones are also charged, is compact and, like the headphones, is also made of a combination of matte and glossy black. The outside is matte black plastic, which is pleasant to the touch, while the inside around the headphones is glossy black.
Unfortunately, fingerprints are caught here, and at the same time, this place will probably also contain small scratches from constantly removing and inserting the headphones.
The box has LEDs in the front part that signal the battery status and also a charging USB-C port in the back part. Next to it, we can find an inconspicuous button for resetting the headphones.
First turn on and pairing with smartphone
Headphones Soundcore Space A40 are ready for use immediately after opening the charging case. They will automatically synchronize with each other and enter Bluetooth pairing mode.
If you ever need to manually put the headphones into the mentioned pairing mode, just put them in the case, leave it open and hold down the button on the back of the case for about 3 seconds. After that, the signal LED will start flashing and the headphones will go into pairing mode.
We tested them mainly with the Xiaomi MIX 4 smartphone, which immediately searched for them nearby and offered us a pairing. It was done without any problems and quickly. The headphones really just need to be removed from the case, paired with a Bluetooth device and used.
You will also be pleased with the possibility of pairing with another device, as the headphones can be connected to up to two devices at the same time.
Codecs, sound quality and volume
Headphones Soundcore The Space A40 supports the Hi-Res Wireless standard, as well as the LDAC codec, which you will use especially with Android smartphones, as Apple does not yet support this codec.
According to available information, the LDAC codec is supported in Android smartphones from version 8, Oreo. If you have a smartphone from Xiaomi, like us, you can find the supported codecs in the developer settings. The LDAC codec must be activated through the application, which requires an update of the headphones' firmware.
The brand itself Soundcore characterizes the sound of these headphones as strong bass with clean mids and clear highs. We have to admit that the sound quality is really at a high level from our point of view. Although the bass is not that strong in our opinion, it is definitely not weak either. The mids and highs are beautiful and expressive, so musical instruments and vocals stand out nicely in the compositions. The aforementioned basses are set just right for us at a pleasant level.
As for the volume, it is just right. Even the maximum volume was not uncomfortably high for us, so probably people who like very loud music will not find their way. But it is definitely sufficient for normal listening to music, and most of the time we had the headphones at 60-70% volume.
The sound quality is also good when talking on the phone. Whether it's the person on the other end of the phone or us, we both hear each other very well and clearly.
Application Soundcore
Similar to other headphones from Soundcore, also nami we can pair the tested Space A40 with the application Soundcore. It is not necessary, because the headphones can be used without the application, but for full use we recommend installing the application.
Here you will find various settings that cannot be made without the application. We will talk about individual settings in more detail later. To use the application, registration, login and subsequent addition of headphones are required. Pairing with the application is simple and fast.
Noise cancellation (ANC)
The attraction of these headphones is also the function of active noise cancellation (hereinafter referred to as ANC, from the English Active Noise Cancelling). The manufacturer claims noise suppression of up to 98%. Honestly, with such a high number, we would expect to hear absolutely nothing from the outside environment while listening to music, which is not the case in this case.
Nevertheless, the level of suppression of ambient noise is very good. Up to 6 microphones, which are located on the headphones, help with this.
In the application, we even have the option of activating adaptive ANC. The second option is manual adjustment in three modes - low, medium and high.
In addition to ANC, there is also a normal mode and the so-called transparent mode, which is suitable if we want to have an overview of the surrounding events and not be completely isolated from the sounds of the environment in which we are, or if we want to talk to someone while listening to music.
HearID function and equalizer
Another interesting feature is HearID. This is an intelligent mode in which the application adjusts the sound exactly for your ears based on the different frequencies you hear.
When activating the function, we had to move to a quiet place, which was informed by the application itself, which measures the noise level in decibels. Several sounds in different frequencies follow, and for each of them you have to unclick whether you hear the given sound or not.
Based on the frequencies you hear and which you don't, the application sets the optimal sound for your ears. In our case, we were happy with the result, but it was not too different from the default setting, which is the music profile Soundcore signature.
Another option is to set your own equalizer, or choose from several preset ones. Here we can find up to 22 different profiles such as Bass Booster, Podcast, Flat, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Pop, Rock and others.
Touch control settings and game mode
Both headphones have a touch surface that is large enough and responds well to touch. It can recognize a classic touch, a double tap and a longer hold for 2 seconds.
The great thing is that we can customize the touch controls in the app. We can choose what to do with each touch. The default setting for classic touch is volume control and for double tap it is skip to next song and pause. A long hold switches between ambient modes – ambient noise cancellation, normal mode and transparent mode.
We can switch to the next or previous song, decrease or increase the volume, pause or start playback, activate the voice assistant, turn game mode on or off, and switch ambient mode.
The aforementioned game mode, the so-called game mode. It has the task of reducing the latency (delay) of sound when playing games. Its activation can be found in the settings.
Endurance and charging
The manufacturer claims a battery life of up to 10 hours with another 40 hoursnami in addition, which we get by recharging in the box. In total, it is up to 50 hours.
Although such durability is difficult to achieve, we must nevertheless point out that the headphones last an exceptionally long time on one charge. Our battery capacity dropped by 30% after listening to music via Spotify for two hours. At the same time, we had both the ANC function and the LDAC codec turned on. We had the volume set to approximately 65-70%.
Headphones from Soundcore so they pleasantly surprised us with a great endurance for one charge. Thus, we can easily achieve a little over 6 hours of use per charge, even with the use of ANC and the LDAC codec, which reduce the overall endurance. The box is charged using a USB-C cable, which you can also find in the package, but without an adapter, or wirelessly.
Soundcore Space A40: Final evaluation
Wireless headphones (plugs) Soundcore For a price of up to 40 EUR, the Space A100 offer very good sound quality, active noise cancellation and excellent battery life per charge.
In particular, we must emphasize endurance. With active noise cancellation and active LDAC codec on, we got just over 6 hours on a single charge. In addition, the box in which we charge the headphones offers enough capacity for four more charges.
We also praise the elaborate application Soundcore, in which we can set the ANC level, or turn on adaptive ANC, set touch control or sound profile. Also interesting is the HearID function, which adjusts the sound exactly according to the frequencies that suit our ears or the game mode with low latency.