The world of consumer gadgets is chock full of devices that are akin to a 500bhp sports car capable of a 300kmh-plus top speed. With the legal speed limit at 120kmh that’s more power than you’ll ever scratch the surface of. Just as you’ll seldom — or perhaps never — utilise the full potential of that latest gadget in your hand, whether it’s a cutting-edge mobile phone, tablet or computer, or even an audio device like the latest speaker or headphone.
But at an age when the average personal device has more computing power than the first moon mission, it is simplicity that has become rare to find. In the feature-laden world of the latest techno-wizardry, with all gadgets complicated to the core, simplicity has seemingly almost become an art that is deceptively difficult to execute but beautiful when done successfully. Like the Soundcore H30i wireless on-ear headphones.
This pair of headphones from the house of Anker stands out for its ease of use and quality features at an affordable price of Dh149 at most retail establishments and even lower online, providing great bang for your buck.
Looks matter
Available in three colours – white, maroon and black – our test piece was the black version, finished smartly in smooth, though hard, plastic on the headband and cups, which also have shiny metal bezel for a sporty look. The bottom of the headband is adequately padded in soft faux leather, as are the ear liners of the two cups.
With an overall simple and minimalist theme to the design and execution of the device, the H30i has no touch controls, instead sporting an on-off button that also doubles as a pause and track-skipper button with a short or long press, while tracks can also be skipped with the broad volume control button.
The device sports Bluetooth 5.3 for secure and lossless pairing, supports pairing with multiple sources and has a battery life that was way longer for us than the claimed 70 hours on a full charge at half volume. The Soundcore app provides detailed support for this device, showing the battery level, multi-device connections and equalizer, as well as sound presets in keeping with the simplicity theme to make it even easier for those who do not want to fiddle around with the frequencies.
Also in keeping with the simplicity, there is no active noise reduction, but the snug-fitting cups do such a fantastic job of blocking out ambient noise that even this passive noise reduction made for a great sense of sonic isolation.
The sonic performance is where this Soundcore punches way above its price bracket. There is a tight thumping bass that you’d expect only from more upmarket models, and this bass is taut enough not to drown out the mids and highs, especially if you activate the Bass Reducer preset on the app. A hint of sibilance does peek through on the highs occasionally but is easily dialled down using the equalizer or by deactivating the Bass Reducer.
Overall, the sound quality of the H30i is balanced and versatile, whether you’re listening to music of various genres, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube or movies. It’s not audiophile grade, of course, but we’ve listened to more expensive headphones that are less capable on the sound front.
Where the H30i falls short is in the call department, specifically in the microphone embedded on the side of the right cup, whose sound capture is unable to filter out ambient noises that interfere with the voice, such as the wind.
This and the fact that the cups feel a little too tight over the ears after three or four hours of use, especially if you wear glasses, are the only two gripes in an overall excellent package that puts simplicity and sound at its core.
Soundcore H30i wireless headphone
Hits:
– Balanced sound output
– Long battery life
– Simplicity and ease of use
Misses:
– Microphone performance
– Tight fit
Price: Dh149
Rating: 4.5 stars