Soundcore - by Anker Life Note 3 XR True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones - Black

The market for wireless earbuds has gotten extremely crowded and it really takes a lot to stand out lately, but these Anker Soundcore wireless earbuds have somehow managed to do just that. I have used many great wireless earbuds over the years, but I was still surprised by how much I like these earbuds. They offer everything you would want in wireless earbuds (great sound quality, comfortable to wear, effective active noise cancellation, stable Bluetooth, long battery life), and all at an exceptionally competitive price. They are now my daily wear earbuds, and I highly recommend them to anyone. The first thing to do is download the exceptional Soundcore App. The App is not necessary to use, but not using it will cause you to miss out on some nice features and control convenience. Anker really impressed me with how well designed their App is. It makes setting up and controlling these earbuds as easy as could be. The App walked me through the initial setup and has a sound measuring test to ensure that I was using the right size tips to achieve a tight ear seal. If a tight ear seal is not achieved sound quality will be affected, especially bass response. Included is an assortment of eartips in various sizes. As much as I love the App, of course the most critical requirement for headphones is that they sound good. These earbuds do not disappoint in this area and offer exceptional sound quality. They use high quality drivers to deliver full range sound with surprising levels of bass. The App has an excellent equalizer function to further fine tune the sound to personal preference, or to accommodate different types of listening material. I left it on the default Souncore Signature EQ setting, but the equalizer offers several different preset settings and a BassUp option. There is also a custom setting for those that want to set their own EQ levels. The active noise cancelling (ANC) really impressed me with how effective it is. It makes a noticeable difference in noisy environments. I tested the ANC by turning it on and off in a running vehicle and under a ceiling fan set to high. With the ANC turned on the mechanical sounds of the engine and ceiling fan motor were almost completely reduced. Turning the ANC off resulted in the mechanical noise immediately returning. The ANC has 3 different setting (Transport, Indoor, Outdoor). There is also a Transparency Mode for when you want to hear sounds that are around you more clearly. There are 2 different Transparency settings (Fully Transparent or Vocal). The Vocal setting was especially helpful in amplifying voices around me, all thanks to the microphones and excellent processing. The Apple version of the App I am using allows a widget to be created and placed in the quick access section of iOS. This widget allows the ANC setting to be changed without opening up the App. The call quality is beyond excellent. Voice calls sound superior to using the phone by itself because the earbud processing effectively isolates and filters out background noises. The earbuds automatically turn on and connect when the case is opened. I find this to be very convenient, and prefer that to having to power them on individually, like some other earbuds that I have used. The Bluetooth connects instantly and is very stable and long range. I was able to leave my phone anywhere in the house and walk around and stay connected. I measured the range at about 50 feet before the connection dropped. Another thing I greatly appreciate is that the left earbud can be used individually, as well as the usual right earbud. There are times when I need mono sound and like being able to choose which earbud I use for mono sound. The case is compact and easily fits in my pocket without being noticeable. The App also has some other features that I really like and want to mention. The first being that the earbud touch control button operation can be changed from the default settings. Several different functions can be set to be controlled by 1 or 2 taps on the left or right earbuds. Some other features the App offers is a “find my earbuds'' sound, which is quite loud and should not be used while worn, and a Superior Sleep mode that plays numerous white noise sleep sounds that can even be combined and each adjusted by level. It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds. The earbuds lasted me about 7 hours per charge. This will of course depend on volume levels and whether processing such as noise cancellation or transparency is being used. The case can charge them 5 times for a total of about 35 hours of listening time. I give these Anker Soundcore wireless earbuds nearly perfect marks for active noise cancelling, comfort, design, and sound quality. In my opinion, these wireless earbuds are nearly impossible to beat at this price point..

Soundcore Life Note 3 XR True Wireless Multi-Mode Noise Canceling In-Ear Headphones That game of “Never have I ever … “ jumped to mind as I finished setting up these in-ear headphones and began listening to my music collection. Quite simply: I have never had earbuds connect so easily and quickly to my iPhones. and remain un-fussy re: connectivity. I have never had such an immediately useful APP that proved intuitive to use. I have never had so many adjustments available on a set of earbuds anywhere near this low price. I have never had such an immediately comfortable earbud fit (although the seal has been troublesome for me). This is not a rave review, however. Listening satisfaction was very dependent on “fit”, and that was difficult for me to achieve consistently. Getting earbud tips to fit is an ongoing frustration ….. no matter what brand of earbuds I try. SOUND QUALITY and CUSTOMIZATION: I need to temper my enthusiasm here and spend more time with these Soundcore earbuds. But, my immediate impression is they sound really rich and maintain intelligibility and the voices are very good. The equalizer in the App has some great sound modifying curves to choose from. I can customize them. It is easy to get pulled into an obsessive cycle of fussing with the sound! I keep getting sucked into fiddling. The SINGLE most critical control you have over sound quality is earbud FIT. They have to fit snugly or the bass drops off quite a bit. This is true for all earbuds, but it’s worth repeating. When it’s right, it’s very nice. [I was still struggling so I sent an email to Soundcore and asked for some help. They sent me a couple of similar sized foam tips. Big difference. I was now plugging sound leakage and my enjoyment jumped up. Thanks Soundcore.] PHONE CALLS: “You’re on earbuds? Huh. I could never tell. You sound no different to me.” So much for phone call quality based on my questioning several callers. Listening to them, it was the same. Nicely done, Soundcore. [See images included with this review to see APP features and controls.] NOISE CANCELLATION: The Soundcore Life Note 3 XR offer 3 levels/quality of background modification. (They call it optimized noise canceling with Multimode Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling.) From the APP you can choose a typical noise cancellation profile: low frequency rumbles, engine drone and similar sounds are reduced. In the APP is a selection that enhances certain background sounds (the user chooses) so that outdoor activities can be made safer. And finally, you can turn off any background reduction or enhancement. I can definitely hear an impact on the background sound, with sound enhancement working especially well. The background voice reduction setting is a bit more subtle. Similarly, noise reduction settings are not as great as I might prefer, but they definitely help. Here again, fit is critical for the best performance from this feature set. When I have my best fit, my scores in this area go up also. ERGONOMICS: How the fit and shape of the earbuds meets your needs is a personal thing. These are the first of this specific design shape I’ve owned, and shape has proven to be irrelevant. I find them comfortable enough, when they stay put. With so many ear tips to choose from, I’ll experiment for better fit (waiting for foam earth from customer service), but I’d like a few, deeper or firmer ear tips. These Soundcores are also very light-weight. The charging case is small and easy to carry around. The earbuds have IPX5-rated protection. The earbud batteries should play for 7 hours before a charge is required and the carry case can add another 35 hours before it needs a recharge. FIND MY DEVICE: In the settings (GEAR ICON) there is a simple control that triggers a high frequency signal that helps you locate your lost earbud. The frequency Soundcore has chosen will require a quiet room to hear. Bats and teenage girls, however, should have no trouble hearing it in a crowd. SUMMARY: There is so much control. If you’ve ever felt you could do a better job shaping the sound of your music, here’s your opportunity. The underlying capability of the earbuds is broad, so there is lots of room for you to play around. I’m gonna find a pre-made sound contour out of the 21 provided by Soundcore or maybe make one of my own. These earbuds, in my ears, are sensitive to the snugness of the fit. For this reason, I would strongly suggest that Soundcore add a few more ear tip types in the box, perhaps solid foam or other types to ensure a customer can find their preference. The extra eartips that Soundcore sent me helped greatly. When that fit is right, everything, sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfort all fall into place. I can recommend, with a note that a good return policy is important.

Best budget earbuds out there. Great noise canceling. Great sound. Comfortable fit. Soundcore App makes these earbuds sound even better! The charging case is of great size and portable. Plus, battery life is beyond expectations.

Loved these so much that i bought another pair for my girlfriend. She loved them as much as i did.

I've been a huge Anker fan for many years. They have always made great products that are innovative, practical and affordable. For the last few weeks I have tested the new Soundcore Life Note 3 XR truly wireless earbuds and I am extremely impressed by everything about them.. The buds are comfortable and fit very securely in my ears. Bluetooth consistently maintains a rock solid connection up to 40 feet away. Sound production quality is excellent (especially if you like Bass). The noise cancelling performance is amongst some of the best I have ever heard. The case is small and comfortably pocketable. And the battery life is incredible. I have been using these earbuds heavily in the last two and a half weeks with the noise cancelling turned on and in its loudest setting and I've only used up a third of the cases battery power. Additionally, the soundcore app is the best companion app I have used to date. It has an equalizer, 3 sound cancelling modes and even a sleep mode which I absolutely love. Overall, these are the most premium and innovative headphones I have used to date and I give them my highest recommendation. 

Anker has really made a name for itself in the past few years. Bringing the Party Cast series of bluetooth speakers out to, wait for it... Rave reviews. Not to mention their Life series of headphones. One would say that they rival some of the much more expensive brands on the market. I have to admit that I, myself, am a big fan of their products. So much so that I’ve not only received and reviewed many of their products, but also purchased quite a few as well, just to hear how they stack up. I haven’t been disappointed yet. Enter the Life Note 3 XR multi-mode Noise cancelling true wireless in-ear headphones. I was so excited to get my hands on a pair of true wireless headphones from Soundcore that I jumped out of my running shoes when I got the notification to review these. It’s hard being a fan of a product line sometimes, because it sometimes clouds your judgement on being too biased towards the brand. But then, sometimes it helps to have an idea of what I’m expecting from that brand also. So I'm going to try and be as brutally honest and unbiased as possible in this review. Buckle up. Here we go. Specifications For starters, we’re looking at a pair of oversized 11mm drivers , 6 mics for clear calls. 5 sets of different sized ear tip gummies. Multi-mode Active noise cancellation. IPX5 water resistance for the instances that may have you caught out the rain while out for a nice hike or just simply running errands. And finally, you get 7 hours of battery life per charge. Plus 4 more charges in the carrying case, totalling 35 hours of talk/listening time, before plugging it in to recharge. There’s even a gaming mode that you use while gaming on your PS4-5 or Nintendo Switch, allowing for a more immersive gaming. What’s Missing While there’s USB C fast charging, there isn’t any wireless charging. That’s a bummer. And while they work as expected with the Soundcore app, they just don’t seem to give off that amazing sound that I’ve come to love from Anker. However, I will cut them some slack, as they are basically earbuds. And you’re just not going to get that over the ear sound from earbuds. You just can’t. I have reviewed earbuds that do pack in the boom, but they are also $200 more, so I’m not too upset. At this point, you must be used to not getting a charging brick in the package and expect that 3in charging cable to suffice. And finally, I found that the ambient modes aren’t nearly up to snuff, to be useful. Milestones I haven’t tried any of Soundcore’s previous earbuds, so I don’t have anything, from the company, to compare to them. As I said earlier, Soundcore has made great speakers and headphones affordable and that can't be discounted. They are very comfortable for longtime use. They are also very nice looking. The phone calls are very clear. They rival more expensive brands in that case. The charging case has a stylish carbon fiber look to it. I haven’t seen that look on any other charging case. It’s a welcomed design choice. Basically, these come out to be very nice, quality true wireless bluetooth for the asking price of $99.99 USB. Through their shortcomings of no wireless charging and lack of base, you still end up with a pair of earphones that allow for very clear phone calls in noisy environments, so the noise cancelling is a go. But again, the ambient modes are not worth the struggle of setting them up. The motion prompts are hit or miss, so I recommend just using the app whenever possible. And the Gaming mode allows for low latency gameplay. That’s awesome.

The Life Note 3 XR sound great. I've had my share of earbuds and I'd put the audio quality of these up against any of them. They're comfortable in my ear. They've had good battery life. The charging case is small enough to comfortably keep the buds in my pocket when I'm not wearing them. Pairing was easy. Add to that an easy to use app with configurable noise cancellation modes and I think Anker has a winner with these buds. Inside the box you get a USB-C to A charging cable, additional bud fits (but I thought the default fit the best), the case, and ear buds. Pairing out of the box was easy. If you need to re-pair your headset later, keep your buds in the case and hold the button inside the case for three seconds. Regarding the built-in microphones, I took several phone calls while using the buds. Even outside, I was told that I sounded clear. The six microphones really work. I highly recommend the Anker Life Note 3 XR. HD audio has sounded amazing. Sound is loud, clear, and detailed. I'm impressed.

Got these on sale but they won't pair with my new Samsung. It's not my phone, they connected with my previous earbuds. There's not even a light on these Ankers to let you know they're on. Going back to the store.