Anker has put its new Thus audio chip into headphones for the first time with the Soundcore Space 2 Pro, and a review by Engadget has given the product a score of 8.4 out of 10. The headphones cost $200, and the company claims upgraded voice clarity as a result of the new chip. The review says that they are not only an affordable alternative to flagship headphones from brands such as Apple, Bose and Sony, which cost between $350 and $500, but also a worthy contender in their own right. The Space 2 Pro does not look like a $200 product, according to the reviewer, especially in the grey version that was tested, since the metal sliders for fit adjustments, the leather wrapped headband and ear pads and the subtle metallic accents give it a premium appearance.
The audio performance continues this advantage. The headphones use 35mm drivers that are made from two different materials in order to improve both the clarity of high notes and the depth of bass, and the reviewer found more bass and overall clarity than is usual in the $200 range. Anker also holds a Guinness World Record for the clearest over ear headphones for calls, and the reviewer found the claim to be justified after testing. With the Thus chip and a six microphone array, the headphones block background noise while keeping the voice of the speaker natural, and the reviewer did not sound robotic. The company promises up to 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) on and up to 60 hours with it off, and in testing, almost entirely with ANC enabled, the Space 2 Pro lasted 31 hours.
The headphones have some weaknesses. The Thus chip powers Hear ID 5.0, a feature that uses a hearing test to customize the sound, but the reviewer did not find that the resulting audio profile, the spatial audio settings or the curated presets offered a meaningful improvement over the stock tuning. Anker lists Adaptive ANC 3.0, which uses the chip and eight microphones, and the headphones do an above average job of lowering the volume of human voices and block keyboard clicks. However, general noise cancelling is described as just okay, and the headphones struggled with constant noise sources such as white noise machines and loud fans.
An AI note taking feature that is listed as to be determined on the specification sheet could also bring issues, if it arrives. It would be more awkward to wear over ear headphones in a meeting than to place a small earbuds case on a table, and regular use of the transcription service of Anker would need a subscription after the free allowance of two hours of transcription a month and 10,000 minutes of audio storage, which is free for two years. Plans cost either $8.33 or $20 a month, billed annually. The review concludes that the Space 2 Pro has many premium traits, with good sound, a refined design, a comfortable fit and battery life that matches the claims, and that anyone who puts voice clarity first should consider it. It notes that the best overall headphones can cost $460 at full price, which makes a $200 alternative that does not disappoint a notable achievement.
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