Its no secret that headphones can vary wildly in price. There are bargain bin options with minimal features you can get for pennies, of you could spends hundreds on a premium pair with all the bells and whistles. Something that tends to jack up the price of a pair is the inclusion of active noise cancellation. However, this set from Soundcore by Anker seems to be an exception. The model supports ANC, yet is only priced at $70. It’s rare to find that on something for under triple digits. If you find that to be quite a deal, you’re gonna love what you read next. Amazon currently has the Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones on sale for 43% off. That ends up shaving off $30, and bring the price you pay to just $40. My partner and I spend more than that on Taco Bell, and yet it can get you a solid pair of noise cancelling headphones.
Active Noise Cancellation
So how does noise cancellation work anyway? The technology is surprisingly simple. Outside the Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones are an array of four microphones. When ANC is on, they actively listen to external noises from your environment. The hum of a plane engine, the chatter of a busy office—whatever it, it’s records and then inverts the soundwaves. If you remember high school physics, opposite soundwaves played at the same time cancels them out. So what you’re left with is only the sound being produced from whatever you phone, laptop, or other connected device is playing.
When you find yourself needing to hear your surroundings, you can just flip the Q20i headphones over to transparency mode. This lets environmental sounds filter back in through the headphones.
These headphones in particular even let you connect to up to two devices simultaneously. This means you can be using them to watch a YouTube video via your laptop, and then when a call comes in on your phone, you can just answer it and have the audio switch over. No need to disconnect and pair to a new device.
Battery life is pretty solid. You’re working with up to 40 hours of listening time even with active noise cancellation turned on. If you even realize you forgot to charge them right as you’re about to head out the door, no worries. Just five minutes of charging time will grant you up to four more hours to listen to you music, podcasts, or audiobooks. That’s great for any commuter in a rush.
