Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsNot just for gamers. These headphones pack a killer feature that can be used by anyone
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2022
These are not your average true wireless earbuds. In a saturated market of wireless earbuds, these bring a unique feature that opens up many new possibilities of uses that most people might not even know. If you've ever used bluetooth earbuds and noticed that what you were watching or playing wasn't matching up with the sound, then you've experienced audio latency. Bluetooth in its current state is the guilty party that can cause that effect where the lips don't match the voice. Some might not be bothered by this, but once you see it, you can't stop thinking about it. Some hardcore gamers get around this by using 2.4ghz instead of the Bluetooth protocol. 2.4ghz headphones have virtually no latency whatsoever, but require you use a dongle to plug into your device.
These Soundcore VR P10 headphones are hybrids with both functions. The dongle allows imperceptibly low latency. But because they are also capable of using the bluetooth protocol, you are able to connect these to both your gaming device and your phone. While gaming or watching videos, if you get a call on your phone, it will automatically lower the volume on your game or video, while prioritizing your call volume. It's a seamless experience.
2.4ghz headphones existed for a while, but until recently, they were mostly over-the-ear style. Personally, I can't stand anything on my head for long periods of time due to the pressure and overheating. There are only a handful of in-ear earbuds with 2.4ghz dongles at the time of this review. This one is the ONLY one that has a passthrough charging feature on the dongle itself. If you use a dongle on a device with only one USB-C port, then you'll have to choose between charging or listening. These dongles allow you to do both. With the battery life of devices like the Quest 2, you'll definitely need to do both at the same time.
Non-gamers:
If you have a phone, tablet, or laptop that you use to watch movies or shows, take zoom calls, or listen to music, as long as it has a USB-C port you can instantly connect these headphones to your device without fumbling around in the bluetooth settings trying to get it to pair. This is immensely helpful if you constantly switch between using a laptop, a tablet, and a phone. Imagine you are watching a movie on a tablet and you get a zoom call on your laptop. Instead of unpairing and repairing, you just slap the dongle in. Additionally, Anker has stated that more dongles will be available for purchase soon, meaning that you can have multiple dongles, each plugged into a device you use often, and just switch via the app. All the while having low latency.
PS5:
I've tested it with the PS5. It works flawlessly. Instant connection and no noticeable latency. The sound is very immersive and I can easily tell the direction of footsteps in-game. Additionally, these earbuds finally allow you to use wireless headphones with your PS5. Previously, you had to either use over-the-ear style 2.4ghz headphones, or use a wired headphone plugged into your controller. Otherwise the latency would be preposterous. If you use your PS5 as a media player (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.) you'll be able to enjoy private listening with wireless earbuds and have no latency. Pair this with a PS5 remote and now you have one of the best and most powerful "Smart-TVs" with a private listening function. If you live in an apartment and watch movies, you're probably constantly turning down the volume when an explosion or shot rocks you to your core, and then turning it back up because you can barely hear the whisper dialogue in the next scene. With these headphones, you can peacefully watch your movie as intended, while not worrying about cables, latency, or your neighbors getting mad.
Steamdeck:
Works exactly as you might expect. I have not run into any issues. Passthrough charging works great. If the sound suddenly doesn't work and you see "echo-sink-cancel", then its a bug with the Steamdeck, not the headphones. Restart to fix. Be aware that if you buy the official Steamdeck dock, that there is no USB-C out port on that dock. You may have to buy a USB-C to USB-A adapter for the dongle.
Quest 2:
These headphones were made for the Meta Quest 2. In VR, if you have any sort of latency, it could make things very disorientating and nausea inducing. These are perfect for having an immersive experience and reducing VR sickness. One cool feature is that if you are using it with the Quest, you can turn down the 2.4ghz signal to prevent interference with your wifi. Since the earbuds are so close to the dongle when you use it with the quest, you don't need the signal to be strong. Also, the quest dies very quickly. These are the only true wireless earbuds with a dongle that lets you charge and listen at the same time. They sound much better than the stock speakers on the Quest 2 and allow you to pinpoint the direction that sounds are coming from. The point of VR is immersion. Audio immersion is just as important as visual immersion.
Switch:
The passthrough function does not work with a Switch. I believe it's a limitation with the Switch's software. It doesn't seem to allow the one USB-C port to have multiple functions at the same time. The headphones still work beautifully via the dongle, but you won't be able to charge at the same time. Not the fault of the soundcore earbuds though. Maybe it can be patched by a switch software update in the future. If you play in docked mode, maybe try plugging the dongle into a USB-C to USB-A adapter and then into the dock. I have not tried this, but it might work.
PC:
Not every PC has USB-C ports. Not to worry, I have tested these with a USB-C to USB-A adapter and it works great. If your PC does not have a USB-C port, you will need to buy an adapter separately. Otherwise, all features (volume adjust, low latency) function well.
Mac:
Works really well. You can even adjust volume with a tap on the earbuds (gesture can be adjusted in the mobile app). Since these are both bluetooth and 2.4ghz, you can have them connected to your phone and MacBook at the same time for the ultimate productivity experience. The sound will come through both depending on which device you are using. Example, Zoom on MacBook to phone call on iPhone automatically.
iPad:
Also works well. Passthrough charging is quite important since the iPad only has one USB-C port. If you game on your iPad, you'll appreciate it.
ChromeOS/Chromebook:
Works fine but currently there is a weird bug in ChromeOS with USB-C headphones. The volume will adjust normally up to around 50% volume where the loudness suddenly blasts your ears at 51% volume. Be careful with Chromebooks until they patch this. Keep it under 50% or test it past 50% with them out of your ears.
**Cons**
With certain devices (Switch, Some Tablets), these headphones are a bit limited. The passthrough charging feature won't work unless your device allows that USB-C port to multitask. So be aware of your devices functionality if you're buying this to use with a specific device.
With certain devices (Switch, PS5), adjusting the volume via tapping the earbuds don't work. This is again a limitation of the software of those devices, not the earbuds. On the PS5, it is a painful multi-step process to adjust the volume in their menus. Hopefully a software patch will fix this as USB-C headphones become more popular. On mobile devices like Android and iOS tablets and phones, PCs, and MacBooks, it works just fine.
The dongle is kept in the top part of the case via a magnet. It's very easy to put it in, but kind of a pain to remove the dongle since it's recessed so far in. If you have bigger hands, this might irritate you. I suggest taking the earbuds out first before trying to take the dongle out.
With the exception of some devices, the headphones work amazingly and sound great. They solve a very niche but very annoying problem. Get them, you won't regret it.