Anker’s new Soundcore fitness earbuds take on the Powerbeats Pro with a rotating ear-hook design - The Verge
Anker’s new $79 Soundcore X10 earbuds have bass-forward sound, IPX7 sweat and water resistance, and up to eight hours of continuous battery life. Their rotating ear hooks keep them in place during intense workouts.
Fitness-focused, sporty earbuds usually come with one of two solutions for staying in your ears: they either have wing tips to help anchor them in place (as recently seen in the Sennheiser Sport buds), or there’s a wraparound ear hook a la the Powerbeats Pro. With its new Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds, Anker is opting for the latter. The $79 X10s have a bass-forward sound signature, IPX7 sweat and water resistance, and up to eight hours of continuous battery life (or 32 including case recharges). They’re available now in black or white, with a red color coming sometime later.
Anker says the rotatable ear hook lets you “adjust the wearing angle to ensure the earbuds nest comfortably in place to prevent them from falling out during vigorous workouts.” The earbuds each weigh 4.4 grams, far lighter than the Powerbeats or other competitors like the JBL Endurance Peak II.
The silicone, rotating ear hooks allow these earbuds to fit into a compact carrying case.
Image: Anker
While the Soundcore X10 earbuds are designed to be heavy on bass out of the box, Anker says you can turn off the default “BassUp” EQ setting using its mobile app and choose from over 20 other presets if you prefer something more balanced. According to the company, the X10s have “hybrid noise cancellation” to help eliminate background noise if you’re running or exercising outdoors. And there’s also a transparency mode for situations where you need to amplify your surroundings.
Their IPX7 means the X10s can safely “be rinsed off under a faucet or water fountain after a workout,” and with a total of six microphones on board (along with a wind reduction setting), Anker seems confident they’ll handle voice calls quite well.
The Soundcore X10 earbuds come in black, white, and (eventually) red.
Image: Anker
For $79, you’re losing out on features like wireless charging, in-ear detection, and other extras that typically demand a higher price. And their 10-millimeter drivers probably aren’t a match for the Powerbeats Pro or other higher-end fitness buds. You do at least get fast charging, which gives the earbuds two hours of playback time after just 10 minutes on the charger.
Rating: 5