Product: Anker Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones
Model: A3029Z11
Condition: New
Designed for long-lasting comfort, these headphones are up to 10% lighter than standard Active Noise Cancelling headphones with memory foam padding
40mm drivers with highly-flexible silk diaphragms that reproduce deep, resonant bass and crisp treble up to 40kHz—ensuring music has enhanced clarity and precise details
Hybrid active noise cancellation uses external and internal microphones to detect and cancel out up to 95% of engine noise
Transport, Indoor, and Outdoor modes tailor noise cancellation to block specific noises more effectively
By pairing 2 microphones with a noise reduction algorithm, these headphones eliminate distracting ambient noises so you sound crystal-clear when making calls
Listen for up to 60 hours on a single charge in standard mode and 40 hours in in noise cancelling mode
For a boost of power, charge for 5 minutes and get 4 hours of playtime
Weigh only 9oz (260g) for a light feel
Earcups and headband feature memory-foam padding covered in soft protein leather to provide all-day comfort for your ears and head
Controls:
Call, Track selection, Volume, Mute
Noise Cancelling (Active):
Yes
Connection Type:
Wireless, Wired
Wireless Connectivity:
Bluetooth version 5.0
True Wireless:
Yes
Built-In Microphone:
Yes
Carrying Case:
Yes
Microphone Features:
Noise cancelling, Fixed
Headphone Fit:
Over-the-Ear
Adjustable Headband:
Yes
Battery Life:
60 hours
Battery Charge Time:
2 hours
Works With:
Siri
What’s Included?
1x Anker Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones
You’ll need a Bluetooth adapter; the PS5 doesn’t support Bluetooth audio without converting the signal to either USB or a 3.5mm stereo cable—if you wanted to bypass the controller for whatever reason you could use this headset with a long 3.5mm cable & a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter like this one. To convert Bluetooth to USB, you could use this.
Got a pair of Anker wireless ANC earbuds and they are nice, so I imagine the over the ear ones would be better. Don’t love that the app controls the noise cancellation level but it works.
This is sketch and disappointing to me… What’s the model#? Only thing provided is a sku# that is on Verizon’s ridiculously overpriced site for an item unavailable .I think these are Q20i which are the same price on Amazon and other places. Convenient that no price exists on bestbuys site for this discontiued item… Very very deceptive. Boo.
@greg92078 I own several devices made by Anker which rebranded itself to Soundcore. They are one of the better alternatives out there compared to the other overpriced/overhyped main brands out there. They also have great customer support if you have any problems.
@Konoakapen it’s not uncommon for non authorized reseller’s to have their own warranty instead of the manufacturer warranty. Meh could have bought them at closeout with no manufacturer support. Not saying thats what happened but…
Some quick Googling reveals that these are identical spec-wise to the Life Tune and Life Q30. Apparently Anker uses the different labels to complicate 1:1 price comparison and get different retailers to carry them. These are the Best Buy models, which the BB website is currently selling on clearance for $70 — although the product page says they’re sold out.
Anker’s questionable marketing aside, I’ve found these to been excellent. Lightweight, comfy, great sound, good ANC (which can be controlled by a physical button, not just the app), solid battery life, decent companion app. They’ve fallen to second place behind my AirPods Pro 2, but I still reach for them when I want over-ears. Well worth the $40 IMHO.
@sparkle_motion not to defend Anker but it’s pretty common for consumer electronics to have “different” model numbers for specific retailers. Usually some minor cosmetic change. I agree it’s kinda BS.
@mcanavino teams generally does a great job of filtering out background noises with a wired headset. I generally don’t hear their dogs… They generally just hear me talking to the cats. More voice quality.
Thanks giving it a go. The cats have about broke the work wired headset in like 10 places and still have shark coupons to burn
~about halfway down it Turned out woot was selling the same one for 69.99. Id guess they bid on the same lots or something?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To balance it out they gave four $10 coupon codes to anyone who bought/decided to buy one. I bit cause. I prefer meh. Cat hair. Id probably buy 4 things before new years. But if you have them don’t forget to use them
“…cancel out up to 95% of engine noise”
Darn it, I work in an office, not an engine room, so these prolly won’t do. Oh well, at least I’m not one of those poor sods in the engine room.
@marclove Nah, these are much more legit. Anker generally knows what they’re doing. Build quality and comfort are really good, ANC is capable, and the sound quality might not be true “audiophile-grade” but they’re pretty darn solid.
I bought them for $80 and they absolutely hold up against many headphones costing twice that price. They’re a few years old at this point, so I wouldn’t pay full price anymore, but for somebody on a budget looking for a cheap pair of quality headphones, I think they’re an easy recommendation.
@OnionSoup I went ahead and got a pair… crossing my fingers. Hopefully first pair of wireless headphones I don’t hate. If they can carry their charge well after a few months of neglect I’ll be happy.
@OnionSoup i have a pair of q35 which may or may not be a step up from this (ive heard 20i and 30) that I got last black friday. (I say a step up, but double checking the specs, I only get 40 hours battery.)
Im not a heavy headphone user either. They generally only get when Im using the lawnmower. That said, I might have had to charge them once in the year Ive had them? It’s been a few months since their last use (switched back to earbuds 'cause they kept catching on a tree) and they’re still at 60%. No idea what they were before that, but, as I said, Ive only ever charged these once, if at all since I got them.
@Skaene thank you. That gives me hope. My typical headphone useage- probably 12hrs in one week… then not use them for a month or two… then another 12 hrs… etc, etc.
I used to have wireless headphones a while back and they’d be dead everytime I wanted to use them. Same with earbuds. My experience with other Anker products has been good though.
@OnionSoup I haven’t had any issue with Anker sound products battery dying from sitting on a shelf too long. I have a portable speaker from them that I bought over 5 years ago and it still works today.
@jpbb1972 also curious. I’d love a pair of good ones but I can’t make myself spend that much money.
For the silence, my Q35 (soundcore) reduce my lawnmower to a very low hum.
I love my Soundcore Q30s and have bought pairs for both of my parents. They are a great value at the ~$70 they usually sell for. My wife kept receiving sub-par bluetooth headphones as gifts and we were planning on getting her a pair of Q30s when those died. At $40 I immediately ordered.
WTH, why not? My current set (Altigo from here 3+ yrs ago) is starting to peel the rubber coating off the ear pads - time to start using those on the mower I guess…
I “won” a pair of the Q30s in a charity auction for my kid’s taiko group for $48. So good deal AND good cause.
Anyways though, I’ve been very pleased with the noise cancellation (I mean it’s not as good as my kid’s (!) AirPods Pro, but also, < $50!), esp in my goddamn noisy office (top floor beneath HVAC units/metal roof, and ALSO chatty co-workers + mandatory RTO Tue-Thu).
The only nitpick is that they get a little warm. That’s actually a nice perk now that it’s “winter” in California, but during the summer (esp when the work HVAC was struggling), they started feeling a little too cozy, and a little moist too .
I feel that’s probably common for any over-ear cans though, and I think if I wore them all the time, I’d maybe consider those fabric headphone cover things.
OH, I haven’t tested in extensively, but even in somewhat noisy environments, I’m told that my audio sounds fine. However that may also be helped by Zoom’s background noise removal…
I got these from Meh previously, I’m not an expert audio snob - but I really like these & would recommend. For what they cost I am extremely happy with them.
Funny, before I opened meh this morning I was thinking “I could use some new headphones, mine are dying”. Then I was excited to see I was being accommodated so conveniently. But then not these, because I like my ones that have wires and do bluetooth, because that way I can use the wire with my laptop and bluetooth to the TV and only ever do pairing once (and not use battery most of the time).
@TheFLP@kbaum17 Ah! Thanks, I missed that (it wasn’t mentioned on the main page description). I shall give them a shot then, and see if they last longer than the no-name knockoffs I got last time.
I need to replace my work computer headset — the headband is broken in two places — but I don’t really need wireless for that. Or noise cancellation. So there’s no point having them turned on all day when I’m only gonna get one or two calls, if any.
I’m very happy with the Beats Studio Pros I got recently, which do more or less what these do. I could use those for work if it made sense.
I’m annoyed that I must install a phone app as a requirement to switch the noise cancellation mode. That capability should be built into the headphones (as is the case with my Sony pair). I would have passed on this deal had I known about this limitation.
I’ve been using these SoundCore earphones side-by-side with my Bose QC45 wireless noise-cancelling earphones - for a good 4 months.
As much as I love Bose products, I’ve got to say that these SoundCores have the edge this time. They have better sound for music, clearer highs and deeper bass. They also have more noice-cancelling (at least in my environment) and the battery lasts longer by about 30%.
The Bose are very good, don’t get me wrong here, they are just a close 2nd place - and the cost a lot more! Sound is good, but not AS good as with the SoundCores. When the Bose can’t connect to a bluetooth source, they keep trying (and announcing it in a robotic voice) - annoying. The only realy advantage to the Bose is the physical switch to turn them off/on. That’s a nice touch.
Lastly, on my ears, the SoundCores are more comfortable and I can wear them for much longer without noticing I’m even wearing them.
@jpbb1972
I really liked mine as well, using them on flights primarily. Alas… one of the earpads has now split and I am searching for a solution to replace/repair it. Kinda bummed about it actually
Specs
Product: Anker Soundcore Life Tune XR Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones
Model: A3029Z11
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$99.99 at Verizon
Reviews at Best Buy
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Standard: Monday, Dec 11.
Enhanced: Thursday, Dec 7 - Monday, Dec 11.
Wonder if these with with PS4/5…
@sarahsandroid not recommended for wireless gaming. Latency is high.
You’ll need a Bluetooth adapter; the PS5 doesn’t support Bluetooth audio without converting the signal to either USB or a 3.5mm stereo cable—if you wanted to bypass the controller for whatever reason you could use this headset with a long 3.5mm cable & a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter like this one. To convert Bluetooth to USB, you could use this.
Got a pair of Anker wireless ANC earbuds and they are nice, so I imagine the over the ear ones would be better. Don’t love that the app controls the noise cancellation level but it works.
This is sketch and disappointing to me… What’s the model#? Only thing provided is a sku# that is on Verizon’s ridiculously overpriced site for an item unavailable .I think these are Q20i which are the same price on Amazon and other places. Convenient that no price exists on bestbuys site for this discontiued item… Very very deceptive. Boo.
@greg92078 Reddit says q30. And everything they say is true. Also the model number is right up there at the top of the page.
@greg92078
These are not the Q20i. Best Buy had the price at $99 as well.
@sammydog01 then what is the model #? Don’t see it
@greg92078
A3029Z11
(4th line under the big Specs header above)
@greg92078 I own several devices made by Anker which rebranded itself to Soundcore. They are one of the better alternatives out there compared to the other overpriced/overhyped main brands out there. They also have great customer support if you have any problems.
My daughter asked for noise cancelling headphones for Christmas. Don’t tell her where I got them.
/giphy cherished-terrific-snowplow
What’s the deal with the warranty? Surely they’re also covered by manufacturer warranty if they’re new?
@Konoakapen it’s not uncommon for non authorized reseller’s to have their own warranty instead of the manufacturer warranty. Meh could have bought them at closeout with no manufacturer support. Not saying thats what happened but…
I have two pairs of the Q30s which are near or identical. Very comfy for being big, wear for hours a day.
Some quick Googling reveals that these are identical spec-wise to the Life Tune and Life Q30. Apparently Anker uses the different labels to complicate 1:1 price comparison and get different retailers to carry them. These are the Best Buy models, which the BB website is currently selling on clearance for $70 — although the product page says they’re sold out.
Anker’s questionable marketing aside, I’ve found these to been excellent. Lightweight, comfy, great sound, good ANC (which can be controlled by a physical button, not just the app), solid battery life, decent companion app. They’ve fallen to second place behind my AirPods Pro 2, but I still reach for them when I want over-ears. Well worth the $40 IMHO.
@sparkle_motion not to defend Anker but it’s pretty common for consumer electronics to have “different” model numbers for specific retailers. Usually some minor cosmetic change. I agree it’s kinda BS.
Model: A3029Z11 is in the description
Google says
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/soundcore-by-anker-life-tune-xr-wireless-active-noise-cancelling-over-the-ear-headphones-black/6453193.p?skuId=6453193
What I care about is that the mics are clear to replace a work headset.
@unksol I use them daily on WebEx (bleh) with no issues. Honestly it picks up too much - dog farts on another floor and they hear it.
@mcanavino teams generally does a great job of filtering out background noises with a wired headset. I generally don’t hear their dogs… They generally just hear me talking to the cats. More voice quality.
Thanks giving it a go. The cats have about broke the work wired headset in like 10 places and still have shark coupons to burn
@mcanavino @unksol “shark coupons”? how/where/what did you get those?
@kbaum17 @mcanavino it was product specific/will be tied to the account. back in September they sold a refurbished shark cordless vacuum for 99.99.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/shark-pet-cordless-stick-vacuum-with-powerfins-certified-renewed#64f94ac76db28262d6dbba98
~about halfway down it Turned out woot was selling the same one for 69.99. Id guess they bid on the same lots or something?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To balance it out they gave four $10 coupon codes to anyone who bought/decided to buy one. I bit cause. I prefer meh. Cat hair. Id probably buy 4 things before new years. But if you have them don’t forget to use them
“…cancel out up to 95% of engine noise”
Darn it, I work in an office, not an engine room, so these prolly won’t do. Oh well, at least I’m not one of those poor sods in the engine room.
@pchops easy to solve. Simply idle an engine in your room. Please vent appropriately to avoid death obviously
Lots of key words to make them almost sound like legit headphones instead of the garbage you’d find on the checkout line at Marshall’s lol
@marclove Nah, these are much more legit. Anker generally knows what they’re doing. Build quality and comfort are really good, ANC is capable, and the sound quality might not be true “audiophile-grade” but they’re pretty darn solid.
I bought them for $80 and they absolutely hold up against many headphones costing twice that price. They’re a few years old at this point, so I wouldn’t pay full price anymore, but for somebody on a budget looking for a cheap pair of quality headphones, I think they’re an easy recommendation.
So… I typically avoid wireless headphones because I hate having to recharge them. Much rather just have a wire since I only use them at my desk.
That said. 60hrs is pretty good. That’s probably 4 months of headphone use for me.
If I don’t use them for six months though is that battery charge going to be wiped out? Or does it hold it’s charge well?
@OnionSoup I went ahead and got a pair… crossing my fingers. Hopefully first pair of wireless headphones I don’t hate.
If they can carry their charge well after a few months of neglect I’ll be happy.
@OnionSoup i have a pair of q35 which may or may not be a step up from this (ive heard 20i and 30) that I got last black friday. (I say a step up, but double checking the specs, I only get 40 hours battery.)
Im not a heavy headphone user either. They generally only get when Im using the lawnmower. That said, I might have had to charge them once in the year Ive had them? It’s been a few months since their last use (switched back to earbuds 'cause they kept catching on a tree) and they’re still at 60%. No idea what they were before that, but, as I said, Ive only ever charged these once, if at all since I got them.
@Skaene thank you. That gives me hope. My typical headphone useage- probably 12hrs in one week… then not use them for a month or two… then another 12 hrs… etc, etc.
I used to have wireless headphones a while back and they’d be dead everytime I wanted to use them. Same with earbuds. My experience with other Anker products has been good though.
@OnionSoup I haven’t had any issue with Anker sound products battery dying from sitting on a shelf too long. I have a portable speaker from them that I bought over 5 years ago and it still works today.
Been looking for some overs to replace the inners.
/giphy fantastic-loving-log
@quantrill No Log™ gif from Ren & Stimpy? You had ONE JOB giphy…
Lucy Dacus! Richmond, Virginia represent!
Can’t wait to compare to my Bose QC-45’s: price paid vs what you get…how much bang (or silence) per buck?
@jpbb1972 also curious. I’d love a pair of good ones but I can’t make myself spend that much money.
For the silence, my Q35 (soundcore) reduce my lawnmower to a very low hum.
I have 3 pairs of these for me and the kids - they are great - great sound, battery… really nice headphones. I use them for planes over my airpods
@TheNewGuyHere “I use them for planes over my airpods” – wait, what? Do you work in the engine room?
@pchops ha - my work only picks the worst seat for me on the airplane. They would sit me in the luggage if they could
@TheNewGuyHere how’s the latency? Would they be good for movie watching or will the voices not match the lips?
@Kolada I’ve never noticed movies being out of sync - that would annoy me really bad and can say I have never seen it
Hmmm… that logo on the earpiece looks very familiar…
@finsterhygiene Yes it is meant to resemble Beats, but if you look closer it’s a music note.
@finsterhygiene deets by bre
I love my Soundcore Q30s and have bought pairs for both of my parents. They are a great value at the ~$70 they usually sell for. My wife kept receiving sub-par bluetooth headphones as gifts and we were planning on getting her a pair of Q30s when those died. At $40 I immediately ordered.
@armada120
Thanks for the ringing endorsement. I decided to step up from the 2 for 20 bucks ones I had that are starting to peel…
WTH, why not? My current set (Altigo from here 3+ yrs ago) is starting to peel the rubber coating off the ear pads - time to start using those on the mower I guess…
/giphy peaceful-flashy-punch
@chienfou
Giphy had a hard time finding a “peaceful punch”
@chienfou Clip from “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”
As others have said:
Mehght as well.
/buy
@blaineg It worked! Your order number is: magical-crisp-festivities
/image magical crisp festivities
/giphy magical-crisp-festivities
/showme magical-crisp-festivities
Looks like this is a Verizon/Best Buy exclusive SKU for the Life Q30’s. This is a good price, too.
I “won” a pair of the Q30s in a charity auction for my kid’s taiko group for $48. So good deal AND good cause.
Anyways though, I’ve been very pleased with the noise cancellation (I mean it’s not as good as my kid’s (!) AirPods Pro, but also, < $50!), esp in my goddamn noisy office (top floor beneath HVAC units/metal roof, and ALSO chatty co-workers + mandatory RTO Tue-Thu).
The only nitpick is that they get a little warm. That’s actually a nice perk now that it’s “winter” in California, but during the summer (esp when the work HVAC was struggling), they started feeling a little too cozy, and a little moist too
.
I feel that’s probably common for any over-ear cans though, and I think if I wore them all the time, I’d maybe consider those fabric headphone cover things.
OH, I haven’t tested in extensively, but even in somewhat noisy environments, I’m told that my audio sounds fine. However that may also be helped by Zoom’s background noise removal…
I got these from Meh previously, I’m not an expert audio snob - but I really like these & would recommend. For what they cost I am extremely happy with them.
Funny, before I opened meh this morning I was thinking “I could use some new headphones, mine are dying”. Then I was excited to see I was being accommodated so conveniently. But then not these, because I like my ones that have wires and do bluetooth, because that way I can use the wire with my laptop and bluetooth to the TV and only ever do pairing once (and not use battery most of the time).
@ravenblack these do wired and Bluetooth…
@ravenblack According to the specs, they can be used wired or wireless.
@TheFLP @kbaum17 Ah! Thanks, I missed that (it wasn’t mentioned on the main page description). I shall give them a shot then, and see if they last longer than the no-name knockoffs I got last time.
the ONLY notable difference between this and the Q35 model is LDAC (which most phones don’t support.)
I need to replace my work computer headset — the headband is broken in two places — but I don’t really need wireless for that. Or noise cancellation. So there’s no point having them turned on all day when I’m only gonna get one or two calls, if any.
I’m very happy with the Beats Studio Pros I got recently, which do more or less what these do. I could use those for work if it made sense.
/buy
@ZeroedIn It worked! Your order number is: snowy-traditional-wonderland
/image snowy traditional wonderland
@ZeroedIn /giphy snowy-traditional-wonderland
/buy
@melbell It worked! Your order number is: crystalline-jovial-greenery
/image crystalline jovial greenery
I’m annoyed that I must install a phone app as a requirement to switch the noise cancellation mode. That capability should be built into the headphones (as is the case with my Sony pair). I would have passed on this deal had I known about this limitation.
SoundCore (these) VS Bose QC45.
I’ve been using these SoundCore earphones side-by-side with my Bose QC45 wireless noise-cancelling earphones - for a good 4 months.
As much as I love Bose products, I’ve got to say that these SoundCores have the edge this time. They have better sound for music, clearer highs and deeper bass. They also have more noice-cancelling (at least in my environment) and the battery lasts longer by about 30%.
The Bose are very good, don’t get me wrong here, they are just a close 2nd place - and the cost a lot more! Sound is good, but not AS good as with the SoundCores. When the Bose can’t connect to a bluetooth source, they keep trying (and announcing it in a robotic voice) - annoying. The only realy advantage to the Bose is the physical switch to turn them off/on. That’s a nice touch.
Lastly, on my ears, the SoundCores are more comfortable and I can wear them for much longer without noticing I’m even wearing them.
I hope that’s helpful to someone!
@jpbb1972
I really liked mine as well, using them on flights primarily. Alas… one of the earpads has now split and I am searching for a solution to replace/repair it. Kinda bummed about it actually