Gadget Review: Soundcore H30i Offers Great Sound Performance – News

The world of consumer gadgets is full of devices that are similar to a 500-horsepower sports car that can reach a top speed of over 300 km/h. With a legal speed limit of 120 km/h, that’s more power than you’ll ever see. Just as you’ll rarely — if ever — get to use the full potential of the latest gadget in your hand, whether it’s the latest mobile phone, tablet or computer, or even an audio device like the latest speaker or headphones.

But in an age when the average personal device has more processing power than the first lunar mission, it’s simplicity that has become a rarity. In the feature-packed world of cutting-edge techno-wizardry, where every gadget is complicated to the core, simplicity has become almost an art form, one that’s deceptively difficult to pull off, but beautiful when done well. Like the Soundcore H30i wireless on-ear headphones.

This pair of Anker headphones stands out for their ease of use and high-quality features. Available for an affordable price of Dh149 in most retail stores, or even cheaper online, they provide excellent value for money.

Appearance matters

Available in three colours – white, burgundy and black – our review unit is the black version, finished in elegantly smooth yet hard plastic on the headband and ear cups, which also have a shiny metal frame for a sporty look. The bottom of the headband is suitably padded with soft faux leather, as are the ear pads on both ear cups.

The H30i has a simple and minimalist design and build. It has no touch controls, instead it has an on/off button, which can also be used as a pause or track change button when pressed briefly or long. You can also skip tracks using the wide volume button.

The device is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 for secure and lossless pairing, supports pairing with multiple sources, and has a battery life that lasted us well beyond the claimed 70 hours on a full charge at half volume. The Soundcore app provides detailed support for the device, showing battery levels, multi-device connections, and an equalizer, as well as sound presets that follow the theme of simplicity to make things easier for those who don’t want to fiddle with frequencies.

In keeping with the principle of simplicity, there is no active noise reduction here, but the tight-fitting ear cups do such a fantastic job of blocking out ambient noise that even this passive noise reduction provides a great sense of sound isolation.

The sound performance is what sets this Soundcore apart from other models in its price range. There’s a punchy, booming bass that you’d expect only from more expensive models, and the bass is tight enough not to drown out the mids and highs, especially if you turn on the Bass Reducer setting in the app. There’s a hint of sibilance in the highs from time to time, but that can be easily reduced with an EQ or by turning off the Bass Reducer.

Overall, the H30i’s sound quality is balanced and versatile, whether you’re listening to a variety of music genres, podcasts, watching YouTube or movies. Of course, it’s not audiophile grade, but we’ve listened to more expensive headphones that are less capable in terms of sound.

The disadvantage of the H30i headphones is the quality of calls, specifically the microphone located on the side of the right earpiece, whose sound capture system is unable to filter out interference from the surroundings, such as wind noise.

That, and the fact that the earcups feel a little too tight after three or four hours of use, especially if you wear glasses, are the only two caveats to an overall excellent set that puts simplicity and sound at the forefront.

Soundcore H30i Wireless Headphones

Views: