Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review

We enjoyed our time with the original Anker Soundcore Space One headphones. They’re feature-rich with a stylish design, not to mention budget-friendly at less than $100. With the arrival of the new Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones, we couldn’t help but notice they share plenty of the same features but at twice the price. Does that make them twice as good as the original? Let’s take a listen and dive into this Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones review.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro?

I found the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones comfortable to wear. Plenty of plush, synthetic padding is wrapped all the way around the headband, leaving nothing to catch a hair when putting them on. The ear cups are also quite roomy and create a decent seal around my ears, but I did notice some heat buildup after an hour or so of wearing them.

The headphones also feature a “super foldable design.” And Soundcore means it. The ear cups swivel 180 degrees, and in combination with a pair of hinges on the headband, you can fold them up, ear cup to ear cup, into an extremely small and portable package. While they win some points for packing down so small, unfortunately, it makes them feel a little flimsy when handling them. Picking them up with just an ear cup, for example, the headphones will swivel around your hand, and the hinges easily collapse in on themselves. You’ll want to get into the habit of picking these headphones up with both hands.

On the topic of portability, let’s talk about the soft bag Soundcore supplies for a carrying case. This is an absolute letdown, considering the Soundcore Q45 headphones, which are less expensive, come with a hard-sided case for travel. If a product has the word “Pro” in its name, I expect to see something more substantial to protect it with. The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones also do not feature an IP rating, meaning they are not protected from dust, water, or sweat. If you live in a rainy climate or are eyeing them up as your next workout headphones, you’ll have to take your chances.

Should you use the Soundcore app for the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro?

I recommend using the Soundcore app with the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones. There are plenty of useful features to take advantage of, not to mention customization options. It even allows you to adjust the intensity of both your ANC and Transparency modes on a scale from 1 to 5. This is a handy feature if you need to hear more or a little bit less of your surroundings.

You’ll find your EQ options under the Sound Effects menu, and oh boy, are there ever options. We’re talking twenty three different EQ presets to choose from. Dance, Deep, Electronic, Lounge, Rock, Piano, and Pop, to name a few. It may seem overwhelming, and it is. Several of them shouldn’t exist. I found the Deep preset reduces almost all treble frequencies, leaving you with nothing but muffled payback. Fortunately, you’re also provided with a customizable 8-band EQ if you’re keen on dialing out those pesky low-end frequencies yourself.

Some other cool features the Soundcore app offers include “Easy Chat” mode. With this feature engaged, your playback volume is reduced to a minimum as soon as you start talking. It kicks in very quickly, almost instantly. Under Sound Effects, you’ll also find “HearID Sound.” Running this program creates a custom EQ for you by playing the same music sample over a series of different EQ settings and asking you to select the one you prefer more. I unfortunately didn’t have any luck, and the preset it gave me wasn’t quite what I like, but it’s worth a go if you’re a casual listener.

How do the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro connect?

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones connect to your device via Bluetooth 5.3, offer multipoint connection, and support the standard SBC and ACC codecs. Android users, however, can take advantage of its support for LDAC if they are keen on a higher bit-rate listening option.

Of course, you also have the option of wired listening via the supplied 3.5mm cable. This is a handy feature if you’re a frequent flyer and want to use the infotainment provided on the airplane. It’s worth noting that while you can still use ANC and Transparency Mode with a wired connection, the rest of the physical buttons are not active. You’ll need to control your playback volume via your source device.

How long does the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro battery last?

Soundcore advertises 60 hours of playback off a single charge and 40 hours with ANC on.

How well do the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro cancel noise?

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones aren’t the best noise canceling headphones on the market. However, they do an acceptable job of attenuating low-frequency noises like the rumble of a bus or train during a daily commute. Working in my office at home, they were also sufficient at keeping the noise of the landscaper’s leaf blowers at bay.

Thanks to the quality seal from the well-fitting ear pads, the Space One Pro headphones also provide a good amount of passive isolation. This helps reduce higher-frequency sounds like people’s conversations or the sound of that one coworker’s extra clicky mechanical keyboard who can apparently type 300 words per minute.

How do the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro sound?

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones have a very bass-heavy sound, which some users might enjoy, but most will want to modify.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones’ MDAQS results are not great. While they receive a decent Immersiveness score of 4.5, a relatively low Distortion score and an even lower Timbre score bring their overall score to a meager 2.4. By this measure, our simulated panel of listeners shows issues with the stock sound of the Space One Pro headphones.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Objective Measurements

Well, where to begin? The chart above shows that the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones’ measured frequency response is highly compromised compared to our headphone preference curve. There is a significant over-emphasis in sub-bass frequencies, but we also see some rather unusual dips and seemingly random bumps working our way from the mid to treble frequencies. Capping it all off, there is an intense treble spike at 6kHz, again, a little further up the frequency range than we usually like to see. Safe to say, we’re not exactly fans.

Can you use the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro for phone calls?

You can take phone calls while connected to the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones and get a usable performance in most conditions. Whether you’re on a work conference call or FaceTiming with a friend, they’re up to the task. Take a listen to our examples below to get an idea of how the microphone sounds in various conditions.

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro?

Unless you want to rattle your skull regularly, I don’t recommend buying the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones. While they are comfortable to wear, their bass-forward sound requires a lot of work to tame by either sifting through 23 EQ presets, many of which sound the same, or making your own with the custom EQ. With the absence of things like a hard cover case that should come with a “Pro” model, I struggle to see how Soundcore can justify charging twice the price of the original Space One headphones, even though they share so many of the same luxury features.

What should you get instead of the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro?

Save yourself a cool $100 and snag the original Anker Soundcore Space One headphones. ($99.99 at Amazon) They provide so many of the same desirable features for half the price. Quality ANC, wired connection, long battery life, and while they’re still a little bass-forward-sounding, it’s not as intense as what the Space One Pro headphones produce.

That said, I’m not one to judge. If you’re still keen on bass-heavy sound, you can check out the Sony ULT Wear ($148 at Amazon) for the same price as the Anker Soundcore Space One headphones at $199. They also feature plenty of padding for a comfortable fit, fold up nicely for travel, provide quality ANC, and, of course, plenty of bass.

Frequently asked questions