Best value
No cheaper model scores higher.
We line the models up by today’s price. A model gets this label when it scores higher than every cheaper model, so each step up the line buys a higher score. A higher score counts only from 0.5 points (out of 10) above the previous label, so a gap that reads as equal on the page earns no new label.
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Is the Soundcore P40i right for your home? Find out in 7 questions →From the facts the maker states, by the rules of our advisor.
Green is the best of these 3, also when they share the lead.
| This model Soundcore P40i Best on 4 facts | Higher score, 25% pricier Soundcore Space A40 Best on 2 facts | Higher score, 25% pricier Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Best on 2 facts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most important facts | |||
| The lowest price today at a store that ships to you, shipping included. A price with an asterisk comes from a store abroad, and its shipping cost is our own estimate. Lowest price | $79Soundcore (brand store) best | $99Soundcore (brand store) | $99Soundcore (brand store) |
| Our own score out of 10: 60% the maker’s facts and 40% store ratings. Price does not count. Score | best | best | |
| The average of the stars buyers give at the stores, with the number of reviews behind it. We only compare it from 20 reviews. Customer rating | – | – | ★ 4.3 · 217 reviews |
| How the headphones cancel outside noise with microphones. Hybrid uses microphones outside and inside the cup, adaptive also adjusts to the sound around you. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Adaptive | Adaptive | Adaptive |
| How long the headphones or the earbuds play on one charge with noise cancelling on, as the maker states it. In this comparisonWhen it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 10 h best | 8 h | 8 h |
| What the headphones or one earbud weigh. Lighter is more comfortable for hours at a time. In this comparisonWhen it matters
When it matters less
Source
| – | 4.9 g best | 5.2 g |
| The Bluetooth version. A newer one connects more steadily and uses less power, if the phone has it too. In this comparisonSource
| 5.3 best | 5.2 | 5.3 best |
| How well they resist water and dust, as the IP code states. IPX4 survives sweat and rain, IPX7 a short dip in water. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| IPX5 best | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| How the sound is packed for Bluetooth. AAC suits iPhones, aptX and LDAC carry more detail from Android phones that support them. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| – | SBC, AAC, LDAC | LDAC |
| Connected to two devices at once, such as a phone and a laptop, and switching by itself to the one that plays. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| yes | yes | yes |
On November 13, 2026 the lowest price for the Soundcore P40i is $79 at Soundcore (brand store), shipping to the United States included. In our ranking it is rank 6 of 28 with an in-ear fit, with a score of 9.8 out of 10.
Shipping included, sales tax added at checkout. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. How we read and order prices
Product on the market since February 2024
How the headphones sit: over the ear, on the ear, in the ear canal, in the outer ear, beside the ear or on the cheekbone.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Nov 1
Two separate earbuds with no wire between them, charged in a case.
96 of the 184 models we track have this.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Nov 1
They play over Bluetooth, without a cable to the phone.
153 of the 184 models we track have this.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Nov 1
The plug for a cable, so you can also listen wired, for instance on a plane or with a battery that has run out.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Nov 1
They play sound over a USB-C cable, straight from a phone or a laptop.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
The diameter of the speaker inside. A bigger driver does not by itself mean better sound.
11 mm on this model
Lowest
4.7 mm Highest
56 mm Middle
12 mm
Lower than 62 of the 107 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
How well they resist water and dust, as the IP code states. IPX4 survives sweat and rain, IPX7 a short dip in water.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
How you play, pause and change the volume on the headphones themselves.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
Whether the app lets you choose what each button, tap or swipe does. With some controls, only part of them can be changed.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 2
How many microphones the maker counts, for calls and noise cancelling together.
6 on this model
Lowest
0 Highest
10 Middle
6
Higher than 39 of the 90 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
You can adjust bass and treble in the maker’s app.
105 of the 106 models we track have this.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
Sound that seems to come from around you rather than from inside your head.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
How the headphones cancel outside noise with microphones. Hybrid uses microphones outside and inside the cup, adaptive also adjusts to the sound around you.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
Lets outside sound through on purpose, so you hear traffic or a colleague without taking them off.
109 of the 119 models we track have this.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
Can work as a hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss, where the maker has it approved.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
The Bluetooth version. A newer one connects more steadily and uses less power, if the phone has it too.
5.3 on this model
Lowest
5 Highest
6.1 Middle
5.3
Lower than 43 of the 141 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
Connected to two devices at once, such as a phone and a laptop, and switching by itself to the one that plays.
115 of the 117 models we track have this.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
The newer Bluetooth standard for sound, with the LC3 codec: better sound on less power, with phones that support it.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
Can listen to a Bluetooth broadcast, such as a TV, an airport announcement or a friend sharing music.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
Whose phones the headphones are made for. Some features, such as one-tap pairing or spatial audio, work only with that maker’s phones.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Nov 1
How long the headphones or the earbuds play on one charge with noise cancelling on, as the maker states it.
10 h on this model
Lowest
4 h Highest
75 h Middle
8 h
Higher than 58 of the 108 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
How long they play on one charge with noise cancelling off.
12 h on this model
Lowest
5 h Highest
135 h Middle
10 h
Higher than 73 of the 123 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
How long the earbuds play in total with the charges stored in their case.
60 h on this model
Lowest
18 h Highest
60 h Middle
36 h
Higher than 85 of the 86 models we track.
Source: Manual · checked on Nov 1
How many minutes of charging give the playback below.
10 min on this model
Lowest
3 min Highest
20 min Middle
10 min
Higher than 50 of the 132 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
How many hours of playback a short fast charge gives.
5 h on this model
Lowest
1 h Highest
15 h Middle
3 h
Higher than 104 of the 132 models we track.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
The case or the headphones charge on a Qi pad, without a cable.
55 of the 64 models we track have this.
Source: soundcore.com · checked on Nov 1
The music pauses when you take them off and plays on when you put them back.
Source: assumed, not named by the maker · checked on Nov 1
The warranty the maker gives in the United States.
2 years on this model
Lowest
1 year Highest
3 years Middle
2 years
Higher than 4 of the 30 models we track.
Source: Manual · checked on Nov 1
Where a row says “no (assumed)”, the maker's full product page for this model names the feature nowhere, so we take it as a no.
Sources: soundcore.com · Manual
Confidence: medium. Fewer than 300 owners’ ratings at the stores. The highest score today is 9.9.
Owners’ ratings 40%–
Owners’ ratings, 40%: none yet at the stores that ship to the United States, so this part is left out and the score is the features part alone.
Features 60%9.8
75 of 75 points for the maker’s facts, the other 25 counted at the market’s average share of 91%.
In our other editions it costs today: Netherlands € 63 at bol.com.
The maker states up to 10 hours of play with noise cancelling on, and 12 hours with it off. With the charging case, that comes to 60 hours in all. A 10-minute charge gives 5 hours of play.
Yes, adaptive noise cancelling, which adjusts its strength to the sound around you. It also has a transparency mode that lets the sound around you in when you want to hear it.
Yes, it can stay connected to more than one device at a time, such as a phone and a laptop.
It is rated IPX5. That protects it against jets of water, so rain, sweat and a rinse under the tap do no harm.
The maker
The audio brand soundcore belongs to Anker Innovations, a company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Changsha, China. The first soundcore speaker came out in 2014, and the brand now trades as Anker soundcore under the unified Anker brand. Its headphones include the Space One and the Liberty 4 NC.
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