Soundcore P20i Review

Our Soundcore P20i Experience

The Soundcore P20i are a reasonably set of buds often offered for under twenty dollars. The case is simple, yet flimsy-feeling, and is small enough for most pockets. It features an easy-grip wrist lanyard and an easy-to-open one-hand lid. The earbuds fit easily into the case and are held in place by magnets that gently pull them into position. The case features an LED light, and the buds include multiple silicone tips, as well as a USB-C charging cord.

The tips are easy to change, and the fit feels comfortable and stable. The buds are bigger than some, but don't feel too obtrusive even in smaller ears. The stems are on the longer side, and we definitely got them caught on clothing if not taking special care. However, they managed to feel comfortable for longer than expected and stayed in our ears with minimal readjustments when we were really active. We liked wearing them for workouts where movement was the goal and bass was the driving force behind reaching new goals.

These buds are pretty comfortable. Finding the right tip is key, but generally, they fit well and feel comfortable. We didn't experience as much ear fatigue as we have with similarly designed competitors, and the stems are short enough to avoid snagging on most things. We wore them for about 4-5 hours before needing a break. While these stayed in place for the most part, until things got really crazy with headbanging, they can loosen somewhat with something as simple as a broad smile. They were a little slippery when sweaty during working out, but they didn't fall out until repeated jump boxes. However, given the smaller price, we thought it was pretty good.

These buds paired easily, and even non-tech-savvy users were able to manage them without the directions. The app is basic and doesn't offer much. We found ourselves not using it much after the first day. While they play music, we enjoyed them more for podcasts, streaming movies, apps like Duolingo, and audiobooks, than music.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

The sound quality for the Soundcore is one of the worst in the bunch. While it offers perfectly acceptable sound for audiobooks and podcasts, it wasn't great for music.

The bass is the strongest frequency, with a presence even when you wouldn't expect it. It is muddy and feels bloated with lows that bleed into one another, creating a murky mess. If bass is your place, they offer that and can please for the price.

The mids sound distant from the center stage, and all the sounds are veiled, as if they are positioned five feet behind the microphone. While there is some color and range of textures, even favorite tracks feel like a mediocre version of themselves. Even Leon Bridges' lush, velvety voice sounds muted, like he has a speech impediment.

The treble is lackluster with no sparkle or shimmer. Even “Opalite” by Taylor Swift sounds dim. However, they aren't harsh or grating across various genres, which was a pleasant surprise. If you enjoy or prefer sparkingly vivid highs, these buds won't take you there.

We track the frequency curve of the Soundcore in comparison to our preferred curve. The P20i struggles to align with our house curve due to significant variations in the bass range and fluctuations in the treble range.

Soundstage

The Soundcore doesn't shine when it comes to sound or soundstage. While not particularly surprising, given the lower price tag, we think there is some room to enjoy these buds for activities like online streaming of shows or podcasts. While we didn't hear much layer or instruments in space when listening to music, we could hear the clicking of glasses behind us in a bar scene while streaming a show on Netflix.

We didn't detect any height, but there is a sense of spread, creating a feeling of width but minimal depth. They cannot replicate the excitement or intimacy of a live performance. However, there's enough room to allow the production to breathe, and the location is accurate enough to give you a general sense of where each musician is positioned.

Comfort and Fit

For cheap buds, these are relatively comfortable. With a wear time of over 4 hours, they outperformed similarly priced competitors. While some competitors could be worn for up to 8 hours at a stretch, we found the comfort and fit to be better than expected, given the reasonable price. However, overall, they failed to break into the average range.

Noise Cancellation

Soundcare doesn't have active noise cancellation (ANC), but the passive blocking is impressive and outperforms some models with ANC.

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Scoring just below the average for the group, they block enough ambient sounds for everyday use and help with focusing, but they fail to provide the significant dampening that we see in high-priced competitors offering active noise cancellation.

App Features

The Soundcore has an app, which is impressive for earbuds at this price point, but it is basic and not particularly useful, with some users opting to uninstall it. It works equally well with both Android and iPhone. It offers preset EQ, and some are pretty good, but none allow you to adjust the frequencies yourself.

You can change the touch controls, though we liked them as is out of the box. There is a gaming mode and a find earbud chime. There is no ear detection feature, so they don't automatically pause when you remove one earbud, but they work well with just one earbud at a time. The app also includes a battery icon that indicates when the battery is getting low, but it doesn't display a percentage, so it isn't as helpful as it could be.

Battery Life

The Soundcore's battery life is better than average, with a runtime of 8.5 hours in our tests. While this is less than the manufacturer's claimed 9 hours, it is close, and the case includes three additional charges with a quick charge time of 3 minutes, allowing for an extra hour. While 8.5 hours might not be long enough for a full day, the ability to recharge three times with the case manes with some minimal downtime you can get three times the amount.

Call Quality

If making calls or using buds in meetings is essential, the Soundcore is a poor choice. While it handles the occasional call in quieter environments well, it starts to struggle when the background volume gets cranked up or wind is present.

Voices are adequately loud and easy to understand; however, the background noise, including voices and keyboard sounds, is also audible and competes with the callers, making it not ideal, but still intelligible.