Soundcore P30i Review 2025: Budget ANC Earbuds That Punch Above Their Weight

Soundcore P30i Review 2025: Is This Budget ANC Earbud Worth Buying?

In a market flooded with overpriced earbuds promising premium features, finding a budget-friendly pair that doesn’t compromise on core performance feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Enter the Soundcore P30i – Anker’s latest addition to its affordable audio lineup, priced at under $50. But can a pair of earbuds in this price range deliver meaningful active noise cancellation (ANC), decent sound quality, and enough battery life to keep up with daily use?

After testing the Soundcore P30i for 14 days – commuting through busy subways, working in noisy offices, and hitting the gym – I’m breaking down every detail: from sound profile and noise cancellation effectiveness to comfort, battery life, and value for money. By the end of this review, you’ll know if these budget ANC earbuds are the right fit for your needs.

1. Unboxing & Design: Simple, Functional, and Durable

Let’s start with the unboxing experience – a small but telling part of any tech product. The Soundcore P30i comes in a compact, eco-friendly cardboard box that’s easy to open. Inside, you’ll find:

• The Soundcore P30i earbuds (available in black, white, or blue)
• Charging case
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• USB-C charging cable (no wall adapter)
• Quick start guide and warranty card

Design & Build Quality

The earbuds themselves follow a sleek, in-ear design with a matte finish that resists fingerprints – a nice touch for a budget pair. They’re lightweight (just 4.6g per earbud) and feature a stem-style design that’s become popular in recent years, reminiscent of higher-end models like the AirPods.

What stands out is the build quality: the plastic feels sturdy, not cheap or flimsy, and the earbuds are rated IPX5 water-resistant. That means they can handle sweat during workouts or unexpected light rain – a valuable feature for commuters and fitness enthusiasts alike.

The charging case is equally practical: it’s small enough to fit in your pocket, has a LED battery indicator on the front (4 lights = full charge, 1 light = low), and latches securely to prevent accidental opening. The USB-C port on the back is a welcome inclusion (no more micro-USB cables!), though wireless charging is noticeably absent – a trade-off for the low price.

Comfort & Fit

Comfort is make-or-break for earbuds, especially if you plan to wear them for hours. I tested the Soundcore P30i with the medium ear tips first, and they fit snugly without causing pressure or discomfort. The stem design helps distribute weight evenly, and the earbuds stayed in place during walks, gym sessions, and even headphone workouts.

After 3 hours of continuous wear (during a workday), I experienced minimal ear fatigue – impressive for in-ear earbuds. If you have smaller or larger ear canals, the included extra ear tips should help you find a secure fit (pro tip: use the fit test in the Soundcore app to ensure a proper seal for optimal sound and noise cancellation).

2. Sound Quality: Balanced, with Room to Customize

Sound quality is the most critical factor for any pair of earbuds, and the Soundcore P30i surprises with a balanced, enjoyable sound profile – especially for its price point.

Default Sound Profile

Out of the box, the P30i delivers a warm, balanced sound with:

• Bass : Punchy and present, but not overpowering. It adds depth to hip-hop, EDM, and pop tracks without muddling the midrange. For example, in Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” the bassline is tight and impactful, but you can still hear the crisp hi-hats and Lamar’s vocals clearly.
• Mids : Clear and detailed, which is great for vocals and acoustic music. I tested with Taylor Swift’s “cardigan” and was impressed by how well her voice cut through the instrumental, with no muddiness or distortion.
• Highs : Bright but not harsh. Cymbals and string instruments have clarity without causing ear fatigue – a common issue with budget earbuds that crank up the treble to compensate for weak bass.

The overall soundstage is surprisingly wide for in-ear earbuds. While it doesn’t match the spatial awareness of premium models like the Sony WH-1000XM5, it’s more than enough for casual listening and makes movies and podcasts feel immersive.

Soundcore App & Customization

To take sound quality to the next level, download the Soundcore app (available for iOS and Android). The app offers:

• Equalizer (EQ) presets : 22 built-in presets, including “Bass Booster,” “Vocal Enhancer,” “Classical,” and “Podcast.” I found “Balanced” and “Vocal Enhancer” to be the most useful for daily listening.
• Custom EQ : Adjust bass, midrange, and treble to your liking with a 5-band EQ.
• Soundcore Signature : The brand’s default tuning, which balances clarity and warmth.

The app also lets you update the earbuds’ firmware, check battery levels, and customize touch controls – a level of customization you don’t often see in budget earbuds.

Call Quality

Call quality is another important feature, especially for remote workers or frequent callers. The Soundcore P30i uses a dual-microphone system with environmental noise reduction (ENC) to filter out background noise.

In my tests:

• Calls made in quiet rooms were crystal clear – the other person could hear me without any static or distortion.
• In moderately noisy environments (like a coffee shop), the ENC did a solid job of reducing background chatter, though some loud noises (like a espresso machine) still came through.
• In very noisy settings (subways or busy streets), call quality degraded slightly – the other person reported hearing some wind and traffic noise, but my voice remained intelligible.

Overall, call quality is above average for budget earbuds – not perfect, but more than adequate for most daily use cases.

3. Noise Cancellation (ANC): Impressive for the Price

Active Noise Cancellation is where many budget earbuds fall short, but the Soundcore P30i delivers a surprisingly capable performance – especially considering its under-$50 price tag.

How It Works

The P30i uses hybrid active noise cancellation, which combines feedforward and feedback microphones to block out external noise. It offers three modes:

• ANC On : Blocks low-frequency noise (traffic, subway rumble, air conditioning) and some mid-frequency noise (office chatter).
• Transparency Mode : Lets external sound in, so you can hear announcements, cross the street safely, or have a conversation without removing the earbuds.
• Off : Disables ANC to save battery life.

Real-World Performance

I tested the ANC in three common scenarios:

1. Commuting (Subway/Bus)

The P30i excels at blocking low-frequency noise like subway rumble and bus engines. With ANC on, I could listen to music at 50-60% volume and barely hear the surrounding noise – a huge improvement over passive noise cancellation alone. High-frequency noise (like a baby crying or loud conversations) was reduced but not completely eliminated, which is typical for budget ANC earbuds.

2. Office Environment

In a noisy office with printers, keyboard clacks, and colleagues talking, the ANC did a solid job of creating a quieter workspace. I could focus on work or listen to music without being distracted by background chatter. Transparency mode also worked well here – I could hear my colleagues if they approached me, without having to take off the earbuds.

3. Home Use (Air Conditioning/Neighbors)

The ANC blocked out the hum of my air conditioner and distant traffic, creating a more peaceful listening environment. It didn’t completely block out loud noises (like a door slamming), but that’s expected – even premium ANC earbuds struggle with sudden, loud sounds.

Transparency Mode

Transparency mode is clear and natural – not tinny or distorted like some budget earbuds. It amplifies external sound just enough to keep you aware of your surroundings, making it perfect for walking, running, or working in an office where you need to stay accessible.

4. Battery Life: All-Day Performance

Battery life is a key consideration for wireless earbuds, and the Soundcore P30i doesn’t disappoint.

Single-Charge Battery Life

• With ANC On: Up to 6 hours of playback per charge.
• With ANC Off: Up to 8 hours of playback per charge.

In my daily use (2-3 hours of listening per day, with ANC on about 50% of the time), the earbuds lasted 2-3 days on a single charge – impressive for a budget pair.

Charging Case

The charging case provides an additional 24 hours of battery life (with ANC On) or 32 hours (with ANC Off), bringing the total battery life to 30 hours (ANC On) or 40 hours (ANC Off). That’s more than enough for a week of daily use without needing to charge.

Charging Speed

The P30i supports fast charging: a 10-minute charge gives you 2 hours of playback (with ANC Off) – perfect for last-minute commutes or trips. A full charge of the earbuds takes about 1 hour, and the charging case takes 1.5 hours to fully charge via USB-C.

5. Additional Features: Touch Controls, App Support, and Compatibility

Touch Controls

The Soundcore P30i features intuitive touch controls on the stem of each earbud:

• Single tap (right): Play/pause, answer/end call
• Single tap (left): Switch ANC/Transparency/Off mode
• Double tap (right): Next track
• Double tap (left): Previous track
• Triple tap (right): Activate voice assistant (Siri/Google Assistant)
• Press and hold (either): Reject call

The touch controls are responsive and easy to learn, though they can be a bit sensitive at first – I accidentally skipped a few tracks while adjusting the earbuds. Fortunately, you can customize the touch controls in the Soundcore app to fit your preferences.

App Support

As mentioned earlier, the Soundcore app adds a lot of value to the P30i. In addition to EQ customization and touch control settings, the app lets you:

• Check the battery level of each earbud and the charging case
• Update firmware for bug fixes and performance improvements
• Enable “Find My Earbuds” (plays a sound to help you locate lost earbuds)
• Adjust ANC sensitivity (low/medium/high)

The app is user-friendly and doesn’t have any annoying ads – a rare find for budget tech products.

Compatibility

The Soundcore P30i works with both iOS and Android devices, and pairing is quick and easy. Simply open the charging case, press and hold the button on the back for 3 seconds, and the earbuds will enter pairing mode. They connect automatically to your device after the first pairing, and the connection remains stable up to 30 feet (10 meters) – no dropouts or lag during music playback or video calls.

6. Pros & Cons: Is the Soundcore P30i Worth It?

Pros

• Affordable price : Under $50 for ANC earbuds with solid performance.
• Impressive ANC : Blocks low-frequency noise effectively for the price.
• Balanced sound quality : Warm, clear, with customizable EQ via the app.
• Long battery life : Up to 30 hours total with ANC on – enough for a week of use.
• IPX5 water resistance : Suitable for workouts and commutes in rain.
• Comfortable fit : Lightweight, stays in place during activity.
• Useful app features : EQ customization, touch control settings, firmware updates.

Cons

• No wireless charging : Charging case only supports USB-C.
• Call quality in loud environments : Struggles with heavy background noise.
• Sensitive touch controls : Easy to trigger accidentally at first.
• No spatial audio : Not a big issue for budget earbuds, but worth noting.

7. Who Should Buy the Soundcore P30i?

The Soundcore P30i is an excellent choice if you:

• Are on a budget (under $50) but want ANC earbuds.
• Commute through noisy environments (subways, buses, trains).
• Work in a noisy office and need to focus.
• Want earbuds for workouts or outdoor activities (IPX5 water resistance).
• Prefer a balanced sound profile with customization options.
• Don’t need premium features like wireless charging or spatial audio.

It’s not the best choice if you:

• Prioritize call quality in extremely loud environments.
• Want wireless charging.
• Are an audiophile looking for studio-quality sound.
• Prefer over-ear headphones for longer listening sessions.

8. Final Verdict: A Budget ANC Champion

After two weeks of testing, the Soundcore P30i has exceeded my expectations. For under $50, you get active noise cancellation that works well for daily use, balanced sound quality with customization options, long battery life, and a comfortable, durable design.

Is it perfect? No – the lack of wireless charging and so-so call quality in loud environments are minor drawbacks. But considering the price, these are trade-offs that most budget shoppers will be willing to make.

The Soundcore P30i proves that you don’t need to spend $100+ to get a reliable pair of ANC earbuds. It’s a great option for students, commuters, remote workers, and anyone looking for affordable wireless earbuds that don’t skimp on core features.

If you’re in the market for budget ANC earbuds, the Soundcore P30i is hands down one of the best options available in 2025. It offers unbeatable value for money and delivers performance that punches well above its price tag.

• Tags:
• Soundcore
• Budget Earbuds
• ANC Earbuds
• Under $50
• 2025