Soundcore P31i

The Anker Soundcore P31i are budget wireless earbuds that excel at sound quality, ANC, and battery life. They support LDAC and Hi-Res audio, and the adaptive noise cancelling cuts up to 52 dB. Call quality is their only major weakness, but for pure listening, they're nearly unbeatable at this price and have cracked our top 5 overall.

Our tests put the P31i's 11mm dynamic drivers to work, and they didn't disappoint. With LDAC streaming and Hi-Res certification, these buds deliver a rich, detailed soundstage that's rare at this price. Bass is punchy without drowning out the mids, and treble is crisp. It's not neutral like studio monitors - there's a slight V-shape tuning - but the companion app's graphic EQ lets you tweak it to your liking. The sound quality now sits in the 89th percentile across all earbuds we've tested, meaning it outperforms most of the competition, including some models that cost twice as much. This strong showing helped push the P31i into our top 5 overall, where it holds its own against flagships like the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Technics EAH-AZ100.

The adaptive ANC is another highlight, effectively hushing low-frequency rumbles like airplane engines and AC hum. With up to 52 dB of noise reduction, it's among the best we've measured in the budget category. Battery life is where these earbuds really flex: we clocked 10 hours of playback on a single charge (8 hours with ANC on), and the case extends that to a staggering 50 hours. A 10-minute quick charge gives you 3.5 hours, so battery anxiety is essentially nonexistent. Unfortunately, the microphone system is a weak link. With six mics and AI noise reduction, you'd expect clear calls, but our call quality tests placed it in the 10th percentile - one of the worst we've seen. In noisy environments, your voice often gets muddled and compressed. If you're frequently on conference calls, these aren't the buds for you.

When compared to the EarFun Air Pro 4+, the P31i trades blows. EarFun's model has slightly better mic performance and a more compact case, but the Soundcore earbuds offer a richer sound with LDAC and a longer battery life. If you're an Android user who wants hi-res audio streaming, the P31i is the clear winner. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are a step up in overall polish and call quality, but they cost almost three times as much. You're paying for tighter integration with Samsung phones and a more refined build. SoundPEATS H3 is another budget contender, but it lacks the adaptive ANC and LDAC support that make the P31i stand out. The JBL Live Pro 2, while comfortable, can't touch the P31i's battery endurance or sheer ANC strength. The P31i has now muscled its way into our top 5 overall, sitting alongside premium flagships like the Sony WF-1000XM5, Technics EAH-AZ100, and JLab JBuds Pods ANC. It can't match those models on call quality or premium build, but for raw audio performance and staying power, it's a giant killer.

Pricing on the Soundcore P31i is all over the place, ranging from $31 to $685 across different sellers. The vast majority of legitimate listings sit between $60 and $80 on Amazon, which is where you should look. At that level, the value proposition is incredible. You're getting flagship-tier sound, best-in-class battery life, and effective ANC that rivals earbuds selling for $200 or more. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro will set you back around $180, and the EarFun Air Pro 4+ hovers around $90. The P31i undercuts both while offering comparable audio and ANC, plus a translation feature that, while a bit gimmicky, could come in handy for travelers. Just ignore the scalper listings at $685 - they're not worth anyone's time. The fact that these earbuds now rank alongside the Technics EAH-AZ100 and Sony WF-1000XM5 in our top 5 makes the price feel almost unfair to the competition.

If you're hunting for wireless earbuds that won't break the bank but still deliver premium features, the Anker Soundcore P31i should be near the top of your list. They pack a surprising amount of tech into a lightweight in-ear design: 11mm dynamic drivers, Hi-Res Audio with LDAC support, adaptive noise cancelling that blocks up to 52 dB, and even a real-time AI translation feature for over 100 languages. For the price, it's an absurdly generous spec sheet.

But specs don't always tell the full story. We put these buds through our testing and dug into what actual owners are saying to see if they really hold up. The short answer? They absolutely do - mostly. The sound quality and ANC are top-notch for budget earbuds, and the battery life is almost ridiculous. However, if you spend a lot of time on voice calls, the microphone performance might be a dealbreaker.

Still, for pure listening and day-to-day use, it's hard to find a better value right now. The P31i has climbed into our top 5 overall, joining heavy hitters like the Technics EAH-AZ100, Sony WF-1000XM5, and JLab JBuds Pods ANC. That's elite company for a sub-$100 pair of earbuds.

Skip the Soundcore P31i if your top priority is crystal-clear call quality. The mics simply don't hold up in loud settings, and if you're on back-to-back conference calls, you'll be disappointed. Also, if you'd rather avoid an app that asks for data collection or prefer a smaller case that slips discreetly into your pocket, you might want to look at the EarFun Air Pro 4+ or the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro. The translation feature sounds neat, but it's finicky to use in real conversations, so don't let that be the deciding factor.

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore P31i? If you want fantastic wireless sound, long battery life, and solid noise cancelling without spending triple digits, it's a no-brainer. These are easily the best value earbuds we've tested in the sub-$100 category, and they've earned a spot in our top 5 overall alongside the Technics EAH-AZ100, Sony WF-1000XM5, and JLab JBuds Pods ANC. The sound quality, backed by LDAC and Hi-Res certification, is genuinely impressive, and the ANC will keep you focused in noisy spaces. The huge battery means you can go days without plugging in the case. But you need to go in with eyes open about the mic. If phone calls are a major part of your daily routine, or if you need flawless voice pickup for Zoom meetings, these buds will frustrate you. The translation feature is also more of a novelty than a dependable tool, so don't buy them solely for that. For everyone else - music lovers, commuters, and casual listeners - the P31i delivers an experience that punches way above its price class.