Anker's over-the-ear wireless headphones with USB-C charging are a steal at $28
They're comfortable, they fold, they play for up to 60 hours on a charge -- oh, and they sound great.
Anker's crushing it in the audio department. Late last year, I found a lot to love in the company's new true-wireless Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro. And today I'm here to gush over an over-the-ear wireless headphone that just shouldn't sound this good at this price: The Soundcore Life Q10 for $27.99 when you clip the on-page $2-off coupon. That's $2 below the last time I raved about it and $7 below the time before that.
The Q10 is a gorgeous set of headphones. Mixing black and red, it looks like a much pricier product -- and feels like one, too, with a surprisingly sturdy design and comfy earcups that block a goodly amount of outside noise. The headphones fold (on metal hinges, no less) for easier storage and transport, though unfortunately Anker doesn't provide a carrying case -- my only real complaint.
Anker promises a whopping 60 hours of playtime (something I wasn't able to test), and up to five hours with just five minutes of charging. That charging takes place via USB-C, though you'll have to BYO AC adapter if you don't have a sufficiently powered USB port.
The Q10 is Hi-Res Audio certified, which is a bit odd because that usually refers to audio sources, not gear. But this is not my area of expertise. I'll just say that I listened to a ton of different music, all streamed from Spotify, and it all sounded terrific. Good range, well balanced overall. I particularly liked the bass-boost button (though not the noisy "normal!" and "bass up!" announcements that happen every time you push it), which added extra oomph without overwhelming the music.
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Prefer wired connectivity? Plug the included removable stereo cord into your phone (assuming it has a jack) or tablet.
I didn't try making any calls with the Q10 (I don't like phone conversations where I can't hear myself talk), so I can't speak to microphone quality.
The icing on this cake: Anker's 18-month warranty. That's better than what you get from name-brand headphones costing considerably more.
If you bought these last time around, hit the comments and share your thoughts. I continue to consider this the best budget over-the-ear headphone deal of 2020 (so far -- it's still early).
Read more:
- The best headphones for 2020
- Best over-ear headphones of 2020
- Best cheap wireless noise-canceling headphones to buy in 2020 for under $100
Originally published last month. Updated to reflect new sale price.
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