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You can buy ten pairs of these amazing earbuds for the price of Apple's AirPods Pro
Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini earbuds
I like my AirPods Pro. I really do. They are the best earbuds that I've ever owned.
But at $250, they are out of the reach of many people's budgets. Not only that, but if you're someone who's prone to lose or break things, or maybe you want earbuds for a kid that loses or breaks things, then the idea of dropping that much cash doesn't make sense.
The benefit of paying a lot of money for earbuds is that you know that you're getting quality. At the lower end of the market, there is, I'm sorry to say, a lot of trash. And paying money for bad earbuds is not only wasteful, but it's also disappointing.
Also: Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Pixel Buds Pro vs AirPods Pro: The battle of the best earbuds
But what if I told you that you could pick up a set of earbuds for a fraction of the price of the AirPods Pro (or the regular AirPods for that matter), but still be able to get a good listening experience?
Well, after sifting through a lot of stuff that's not worth the money, I've found the perfect earbuds for people who don't want to spend too much on their earbuds.
These earbuds are the Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini earbuds.
Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini tech specs
- Speakers: 10mm triple-layer drivers
- EQ modes: Default EQ, Bass Booster, and Podcast
- Play per charge: up to 8 hours
- Play with charging case: Up to 32 hours
- Fast charging: 10 mins charge = 1 hour
- Waterproofing: IPX5
- Bluetooth: 5.2
- Microphones: 2 x with AI algorithm to enhance voice pick up
The Life P2 Mini pack a lot into a small package.
Also: The best earbuds
The 10mm triple-layer drivers are nice and powerful, and deliver great sound, even bass. Also packed into each earbud is a battery that's good for up to 8 hours of playback, which is amazing given that each bud weighs only 0.16oz/4.4g, which is some 10% lighter than your typical earbud.
Each bud weighs only 0.16oz/4.4
The case features a secondary battery which is good for three full recharges of the earbuds, for a total of 32 hours of use.
Tiny charging case can recharge the earbuds three times
Pairing is super easy -- open the case and they are ready to pair. It's worth bearing in mind that the Life P2 Mini earbuds can only be paired with one device at any one time.
Bluetooth connection is solid and reliable, and I experienced no interference or dropouts in normal use.
Charging is handled by USB-C (cable included) and takes about two hours to fully charge. The earbuds also take close to two hours to fully charge, but there's a fast charge feature that gives you an hour of playback for 10 minutes of charging.
Also: Using the wrong USB-C cable can damage your tech. How to avoid that
For those who want to have one earbud fitted, the Life P2 Mini supports single earbud mode.
As for fit, I found the Life P2 Mini earbuds to be comfortable, and to aid that they ship with XS, S, M, L, and XL eartips for you to choose from. However, I recognize that fit is a personal thing, and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for others. But the range of eartips should make getting the right fit easier.
These lightweight earbuds are super comfortable
Controlling the earbuds is done using the touchpad on the side of each bud. As with all buds, this can take some getting used to, but once you build the muscle memory, it becomes second nature.
The earbuds are IPX5-rated, which means that they are capable of shrugging off rain and sweat, which is good for outdoor or gym use.
If you use the Life P2 Mini to make calls, the microphones combined with AI algorithms do a decent job of separating out your voice from the background racket of life, but I did notice that wind and loud car traffic did affect the quality.
But at the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini, that's $24.50.
Yes, $24.50.
Yes, $24.50.
AirPods Pro come in at a whopping $250 -- so you could buy ten sets of these earbuds for the price of a single pair of AirPods Pro.
Are the AirPods Pro good? You bet they are!
Are they ten times better? I don't think so.
If you're looking for a cheap but decent pair of earbuds, the Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini earbuds are definitely worth a look. I love them… just don't tell my AirPods.