Soundcore Space One Review (2026): Is It Good? Lab Results, Battery Life, and Space One vs Pro vs Sony

How we reviewed this: this is a research-based review. We did not buy or test the product ourselves. We checked the official website, policies and independent customer feedback, and every fact below links to its source. Facts checked 2026-11-04. How we review · Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.

This Soundcore Space One review answers one question: are Anker’s $99.99 noise cancelling headphones still worth buying in 2026? We didn’t test them ourselves. We read the hands-on and lab results from SoundGuys, RTINGS, PCMag, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews and T3, then checked price, stock and specs on soundcore.com on November 4, 2026.

Quick verdict

Buy the Space One if you want strong noise cancelling, LDAC and 30 to 43 hours of tested battery for $99.99; PCMag rates it 4.0 Excellent. Skip it if you take lots of calls in noisy places, wear glasses (RTINGS found the shallow pads can cut bass), or need flagship Sony or Bose noise cancelling.

Pros

✓ $99.99 with LDAC, multipoint, wear detection and an AUX cable
✓ Battery: 42 hours 57 minutes with ANC on in SoundGuys’ test
✓ Noise cancelling scored 8.0/10 at SoundGuys, ahead of Sony’s WH-CH720N (7.3)
✓ PCMag 4.0 Excellent; Trusted Reviews 4.5/5
✓ Deep app: 8-band EQ, HearID, adjustable ANC and transparency
✓ 18-month warranty and 30-day no-reason returns on soundcore.com

Cons

✗ Mic reviews split: RTINGS calls calls “sub-par,” Trusted Reviews says it “muffles voices”
✗ Shallow ear pads: RTINGS says your ears can rub the drivers
✗ Battery varies by test: about 30 hours at Trusted Reviews
✗ Bass-heavy out of the box; needs EQ work
✗ No water or sweat resistance, soft pouch only, no audio over USB
✗ Multipoint pairing doesn’t work while LDAC is on

Check the Soundcore Space One price →

Soundcore Space One specs and price

	Space One	Space One Pro
Price (soundcore.com, Nov 4, 2026)	$99.99, 4 colors in stock	$199.99, 2 colors in stock
Claimed battery (ANC on / off)	40 / 55 hours	40 / 60 hours
Fast charge (claimed)	5 min = 4 hours	5 min = 8 hours
Noise cancelling	Adaptive ANC (“up to 98%,” Soundcore lab)	Adaptive ANC 3.0
Call mics	3 mics with AI	4 mics with AI
Codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC	LDAC on Android (Soundcore FAQ)
Bluetooth / multipoint	5.3 / yes	5.3 / yes
Weight	265 g (9.35 oz)	286.2 g (10.10 oz)
Folding	Ear cups rotate and fold, travel pouch	FlexiCurve: 50% smaller folded (Soundcore)
Water rating	None	None listed

Specs and prices are Soundcore’s own, from the Space One and Space One Pro pages. Neither page showed a sale price in its data. Soundcore’s 40-hour claim comes from its own test on an iPhone at 50% volume, and PCMag notes Anker’s estimates drop to 35 and 46 hours with LDAC.

Noise cancelling: what the tests measured

Good for the price, not flagship level. SoundGuys found that with ANC at maximum, “most noise around you will only sound about one-quarter as loud,” and gave it 8.0/10 for noise cancelling. Its verdict: “While this isn’t as good as the best noise canceling headphones, it is still impressive for headphones in this price range.”

PCMag: it “significantly dialed back powerful, low-frequency rumble,” struggled with white noise, and is “no match for the class-leading Bose QuietComfort 45.” Oddly, PCMag got better results from the default custom mode at level 5 than from adaptive mode.
RTINGS: it “can block out some of the low rumble of bus and plane engines, although it won’t be enough for noisy commutes.” In an office, it handles “chatty coworkers and noisy AC vents.”
Trusted Reviews: good at “significantly reducing cabin noise on a plane,” but in very noisy places “the noise levels simply get too much.”
T3: it “struggles with blocking out some sounds in the lower register.”

The “up to 98%” figure is Soundcore’s own lab claim. No outlet we read reproduced it. Transparency mode got good marks: SoundGuys called it “one of the better transparency modes I’ve listened to.”

Sound quality

Expect bass first. SoundGuys measured a U-shaped response that boosts lows and highs and pulls back the mids; its listener model scored 3.8 out of 5, and it says the bass reducer preset gets closer to its target curve. RTINGS calls the sound V-shaped and warns that glasses or thick hair “can cause a big drop in bass delivery” because the padding is shallow. TechRadar gave sound 3.5/5 and said it “doesn’t sound anywhere near as good” out of the box until you run the app’s HearID test. PCMag liked the “powerful, bass-forward audio.” If you want neutral sound without EQ work, look elsewhere.

Battery life: measured vs claimed

Soundcore claims 40 hours with noise cancelling on. Independent results:

Tester (Space One)	Result	Notes
SoundGuys	42 hours 57 minutes, ANC on	Beats the 40-hour claim
RTINGS	“Over 34 hours continuously”	Exact figure is paywalled
Trusted Reviews	About 30 hours	AAC mode, Spotify at 50% volume
TechRadar	“Proved accurate”	No hours published

So plan on 30 to 40-plus hours depending on volume and codec. That’s still long: in SoundGuys’ tests the Sony WH-CH720N ran 40 hours 11 minutes and the WH-1000XM5 31 hours 53 minutes. Five minutes of charging gives about 4 hours, per Soundcore, and PCMag says a full recharge takes about two hours.

See the Space One on soundcore.com →

Comfort and build

TechRadar found them well padded with no heavy clamping, though the ear cups “get a bit warm when it’s hot.” PCMag called the fit secure and comfortable over long sessions. The main complaint is the pads: RTINGS says they’re shallow enough that “your ears can rub against the driver housing.” The build is plastic; TechRadar lists “feel a little cheap” as a reason to avoid them. You get a soft pouch, not a hard case, and Soundcore says they are not water or sweat resistant.

Owner opinions (not verified): Soundcore’s own store shows 4.76 out of 5 from 440 reviews, but that’s company-hosted. In SoundGuys’ comments, one owner said the plastic headband joint broke after about a year, and another felt a hotspot on the headband after about three and a half hours.

Calls and microphone

This is where reviewers disagree most. SoundGuys said the three-mic system “does an excellent job of blocking background noise.” PCMag said it “works fairly well.” But RTINGS rated it “sub-par for phone calls,” with speech that “sounds thin and robotic” and a mic that can cut out in very loud noise, and Trusted Reviews called calls “the weakest part” of the package. If calls in loud places matter, this isn’t the safe pick.

App and features

Soundcore app: 8-band EQ, more than a dozen presets (RTINGS counts 22), HearID personal tuning, ANC strength, wind noise reduction, Easy Chat and a volume limiter.
Wear detection: off by default; TechRadar found it “very patchy.”
Connections: Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint for two devices, Google Fast Pair and a wired AUX cable. Soundcore’s FAQ says multipoint pairing won’t work in LDAC mode, LDAC is Android only, and the AUX cable has no mic.
Missing: touch controls, NFC and audio over USB (SoundGuys); PCMag disliked the button layout; RTINGS says Bluetooth latency is too high for PC gaming.

Soundcore Space One vs Space One Pro

The Pro costs twice as much ($199.99) and folds much smaller, but the tests don’t say it’s twice as good.

Noise cancelling: SoundGuys scored the Pro 8.5/10 versus 8.0 for the Space One. Tom’s Guide says the Pro’s ANC is “good, but not excellent. It’s not as good as the Bose QuietComforts.”
Sound: the Pro’s SoundGuys listener score was 2.4 out of 5 versus 3.8 for the Space One, and SoundGuys says “most people will prefer the sound quality of the standard Space One.” Tom’s Guide disagrees and called the Pro’s sound “almost as good as the $349 Bose QuietComforts,” with an Editor’s Choice.
Battery: RTINGS lists 36.1 hours for the Pro. Soundcore claims 40 hours with ANC for both.
Overall: SoundGuys rates the Pro 6.8 and the Space One 7.7: “‘Pro’ doesn’t always mean better, nor does it justify charging twice the price.”

Pick the Pro if packability matters and you like heavy bass. Otherwise, save the $100. Our Soundcore review covers the newer Space 2 and the rest of the lineup.

See the Soundcore Space One Pro →

Soundcore Space One vs Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and JLab

To keep it apples to apples, every score and battery result below comes from one lab, SoundGuys. Prices are each maker’s store on November 4, 2026, except Sony, whose store blocked our checks, so those are SoundGuys’ listed MSRPs.

Headphones	Price	SoundGuys ANC score	SoundGuys battery (ANC on)
Soundcore Space One	$99.99	8.0/10	42 hr 57 min
Soundcore Space One Pro	$199.99	8.5/10	Not yet measured (RTINGS: 36.1 hr)
JLab JBuds Lux ANC	$99.99	No test captured	No test captured
Sony WH-CH720N	$179.99 MSRP (SoundGuys)	7.3/10	40 hr 11 min
Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless	$189.95	7.4/10	46 hr 40 min
Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)	$359 (bose.com; matches SoundGuys’ 2nd Gen MSRP)	8.5/10 (85.1% loudness reduction)	Not yet measured (Bose claims 24 hr)
Sony WH-1000XM5	$399.99 MSRP (SoundGuys)	8.4/10	31 hr 53 min
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)	$449	Not checked	Not checked

Space One vs Sony WH-CH720N: the Space One scored higher for noise cancelling at SoundGuys (8.0 vs 7.3) and costs less. Trusted Reviews preferred the Sony’s sound, saying it “has more character.” Sony link: SoundGuys’ WH-CH720N review.
Space One vs Sony WH-1000XM5: SoundGuys rates the XM5 8.6 overall versus 7.7, and its listener score is higher (4.2 vs 3.8). You pay about four times as much for better sound, and the XM5 actually ran shorter in SoundGuys’ battery test. SoundGuys’ XM5 review.
Space One vs Bose: the QuietComfort (2nd Gen) matched the Pro’s 8.5 ANC score at SoundGuys and costs $359. PCMag called the older Bose QC45 “class-leading” next to the Space One.
Space One vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless: a little more battery (46 hr 40 min) at $189.95; Trusted Reviews suggests it as a step up for calls.

See the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless (we don’t earn a commission from Sennheiser) →

Warranty, returns and Soundcore’s track record

Warranty: 18 months on new headphones bought from Soundcore or authorized resellers (3 months on refurbished). Replacements may be “a factory refurbished model of equal value,” coverage is limited to the country of purchase, and you need the serial number or proof of the defect (policy).
Returns: 30 days; “undamaged products can be returned for a full refund, regardless of the reason,” with all accessories and packaging. You pay return shipping on change-of-mind returns.
Holiday returns: on November 4, the page still showed only the 2025 holiday extension. Check before relying on it.
Company record: the BBB rates Anker Innovations F, with 325 of 352 complaints unanswered across all Anker brands. Trustpilot shows 3.8 from 4,221 reviews, 12% one-star.

Who should buy the Soundcore Space One, and who should skip it

Buy it if: you want noise cancelling for commutes, flights or the office for about $100; you use Android and want LDAC; or you want two-device pairing and long battery life without paying for a flagship.
Skip it if: you take calls in loud places (Trusted Reviews points to the Sennheiser ACCENTUM); you wear glasses (RTINGS says the shallow pads can cut bass); you want the strongest noise cancelling (Bose QuietComfort); or you want neutral sound without EQ work.

Get the Soundcore Space One →

FAQ

Is the Soundcore Space One good?

Yes, for $99.99. PCMag rates it 4.0 Excellent, Trusted Reviews 4.5/5 and SoundGuys 7.7, which said “you can’t go wrong” at $100. Weak spots are shallow pads, bass-heavy tuning and a mic that some testers found poor.

How long does the Soundcore Space One battery last?

Soundcore claims 40 hours with ANC on and 55 off. SoundGuys measured 42 hours 57 minutes with ANC on, RTINGS over 34 hours, and Trusted Reviews about 30 hours in AAC mode.

Soundcore Space One vs Space One Pro: which should I buy?

For most people, the Space One. The $199.99 Pro folds smaller and scored a bit higher for noise cancelling at SoundGuys (8.5 vs 8.0), but SoundGuys rated it lower overall (6.8 vs 7.7). Tom’s Guide liked the Pro’s sound much more.

Soundcore Space One vs Sony: which is better?

Against Sony’s WH-CH720N, the Space One scored higher for noise cancelling at SoundGuys (8.0 vs 7.3) and costs less. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 scores higher overall (8.6) and for sound, at about four times the price.

Is the Soundcore Space One waterproof?

No. Soundcore says the Space One is not waterproof or sweat-proof and doesn’t recommend it for the gym.

Does the Soundcore Space One work with iPhone?

Yes, over AAC. LDAC is Android only, and SoundGuys used the Space One with an iPhone throughout testing without issues.