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The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds are down to $44.99 from their usual $79.99. That’s nearly half off for a pair of noise-canceling earbuds that PCMag crowned their Editor’s Choice and Best Budget Earphones of 2022 .
Available in black , blue , green , purple , and white , these IPX4-rated earbuds have a rounded design that slips into your ears easily without needing earfins. You get five sizes of silicone eartips in the box (XS to XL), so finding the right fit shouldn’t be an issue. You get support for AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs, which covers most users, though there’s no AptX. If you’re an Android user who swears by AptX, that might be a downside, but most won’t notice the difference.
Their 10mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 40kHz. The bass is deep without distorting at high volumes, and the highs stay crisp. If you like tweaking your sound, the Soundcore app lets you customize the EQ. There are built-in presets like Soundcore Signature and Bass Booster, but you can also manually adjust the eight-band EQ to match your preference.
The touch controls (built into the outer panels of each earbud) are a mixed bag. They work, but the default layout isn’t too great and there’s a slight delay between tap and action, notes this PCMag review . You can double-tap the left earbud to play/pause, the right one to skip forward, and hold either to cycle through ANC modes. If you want volume controls, track navigation, or a voice assistant trigger assigned to different gestures, you’ll have to customize it in the app.
As for ANC, it’s impressive for this price, but not flawless. The Space A40 cuts out low-frequency sounds well. Higher frequencies, like clattering dishes or chattering voices, don’t get completely canceled, but the earbuds still dampen them noticeably. On the plus side, you can tweak noise cancellation in the app, choosing between adaptive and manual settings. Also, battery life is pretty solid—you get 10 hours per charge (with ANC off) and up to 50 hours with the case. Even with ANC on, you’re looking at around eight hours—plenty for daily use.
If you’re considering alternatives with better water resistance, you might want to check out the Jabra Elite 7 Active ($179.99).
