Anya Zhukova · October 24, 2024 · 7 min read What are you looking for when shopping for a pair of wireless over-ear headphones? Comfortable fit, excellent sound quality, decent ANC, long battery life with enough playtime for travels, and maybe a few more things. What if we told you we found all that at a reasonable price?
Check out our full review of the Soundcore Space Q45 by Anker to see why we loved these headphones so much and why they should be on your holiday shopping list.
Anker Soundcore Space Q45: First Impressions and Specs
Soundcore Space Q45 is the latest addition to Anker’s over-ear headphones. We previously featured these noise-canceling headphones in our list of the best headphones for workouts, but the Space Q45 is capable of much more. They deliver great sound and classy style and have an excellent adaptive noise canceling system that allows you to enjoy your personal space indoors, outdoors, or commuting.
Here’s the list of the full tech specs of the Soundcore Q45:
- 6.3 x 3.4 x 7.4in (16 x 8.6 x 18.8cm)
- 10.3oz (292g)
- USB-C charging port
- Active noise cancellation: Adaptive ANC
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (codec support: SBC, AAC, LDAC), AUX
- Battery: 750mAh, up to 65 hours of playback, or 50 hours with the ANC mode on
- Colors: Black, Blue, White
- Price: $149.99 (on Amazon, on the Soundcore official site)
While we can’t call the Space Q45 budget headphones, they’re still cheaper than the high-end models by Sony or Sennheiser. At the same time, the Soundcore Space Q45 are top-tier headphones with flagship specs, including ANC, Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connectivity, Hi-Res audio certification, LDAC support, and some of the longest battery life that you’ll experience in this headphones category.
Design & Unpacking
Design-wise the Space Q45 might seem a little bulky to some people. However, if you prefer the solid build quality over the lightweight, you’ll enjoy the Space Q45. The soft earpads feature generous memory foam cushioning and faux leather on the inside of the headband and earpads. These headphones will sit securely and comfortably on your head during long listening sessions.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find in the box while unpacking your Soundcore Space Q45:
- Soundcore Space Q45 headphones
- USB-C cable
- AUX cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Travel case
The body of the headphones made with aluminum and thick plastic ensures the Space Q45 won’t break immediately if you accidentally drop them. If you want extra security for transportation, use the carrying case with a plastic mold inside to pack your headphones and charging cables.
The Space Q45 lacks touch control gestures and wear detection (it doesn’t automatically pause when you remove your headphones) but makes up for it with several multifunctional buttons on both earcups.
Both earcups have side panels that feature control buttons. On the left earcup, you’ll find a power button that handles pairing and an ANC button that you can use to switch through the Normal, ANC, and Transparency modes. The same earcup also features a USB-C port for charging.
The right earcup has a play/pause button that handles phone calls. You can hold this button for a few seconds to mute the mic or press it twice to activate the voice assistant. On one side from it, you’ll find the AUX port, and on the other side, you’ll find the volume controller that also functions as a track navigator.
Audio Quality and Features
If you’re looking for a pair of mid-range headphones that won’t break the bank, the Space Q45 is the right choice. The 40mm double-layer diaphragm drivers deliver an impressive mixture of rich lows, clear mids, and bright treble. These headphones allow you to get powerful bass and clear vocals, so you don’t have to compromise while listening to your favorite tunes.
The Space Q45 has an upgraded noise-canceling system. For best results, we recommend using the adaptive ANC mode that automatically adjusts depending on your surroundings and noise levels. If you want to adjust ambient sound, you can use the Soundcore app to select the level of transparency and noise-canceling that suits you best.
The call quality is one more big improvement on the Space Q45 compared to its predecessors. The Q45 uses dual-mic with an AI-enhanced algorithm that picks up your voice and isolates it from background noises. You can pick up your calls while walking, on public transport, or in a noisy cafe, and your voice will still sound clear and precise.
Thanks to Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint connection, you can stay connected to two devices at the same time and quickly and painlessly switch between music, calls, and videos. The Space Q45 supports LDAC codec for pairing with high-resolution digital audio players, as well as AAC and SBC codecs. Only Qualcomm’s aptX codecs are missing.
App & Connectivity
To set up your headphones, you’ll need to fully charge them and update the firmware using the Soundcore app (available for Android and iOS). The app also offers plenty of extra features that you can use to personalize your listening experience.
On the main page of the app, you’ll find four different modes: Ambient Sound mode (switches between Normal, Noise Cancellation, and Transparency modes), Safe Volume (enables a volume limit), Controls (allows you to set custom on-ear controls), and Sound Effects with several EQ presets and an ability to create a custom preset.
The customizable Equalizer is pretty fun to play with. By default, you’ll have the Soundcore Signature EQ on. If you want more oomph, try the BassUp mode, which increases the intensity of lows. You can choose from 22 different presets for all genres. The app allows you to customize the existing presets and create your own from scratch using the Custom section.
A couple more things you can do in the app are downloading new firmware updates, adjusting the automatic power-off function, changing the prompt tones, and enabling the Wind Noise Reduction feature. The Wind Noise Reduction is switched off by default, but you can enable it using the app.
Finally, there’s an option to add widgets of these functions to your home screen for quickly switching between noise-canceling modes on your phone.
Battery Life
According to Anker, the battery in the Space Q45 can last up to 50 hours of listening with ANC on or 65 hours without it. These numbers are quite impressive, but your individual results will vary depending on the listening volume and mode you choose. For example, if you select the LDAC codec, it’ll reduce the battery life to about 37 hours with ANC on and 45 hours with ANC off.
The Soundcore Space Q45 doesn’t support wireless charging, but the fast charging that it supports still gives great results. Thanks to the fast charging, you can charge your Space Q45 fully in 100 minutes (from an empty battery). Or you can plug it into the charger for 5 mins to get about 4 hours of listening time.
Should You Buy the Soundcore Space Q45 by Anker?
The Soundcore Space Q45 is a great headset that will suit practically every need, whether you want to use them for gaming, music, sports, or commuting. We recommend buying them if you’re after top-tier headphones for a bargain price. Anker offers an 18-month warranty on these headphones, which means you can reach out to their customer service team should you experience any problems with the item.
If you’re after something smaller that can easily fit in your pocket, we also recommend taking a look at the in-ear Soundcore Space A40 true wireless earbuds. They’re a great and affordable alternative to Apple’s Airpods.
