Audio review
Soundcore Space A40 Review: Six Hours or Ten, Depending Who Asked
Three testers, three battery figures, four hours apart. What they agree on is that the case lid opens on its own and the earbuds fall out.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Anker
Soundcore Space A40
Good · researched from 3 sources
For the money the cancelling, the codec support and the app are all better than they should be, and two of three testers found the battery excellent. Be careful with the case, because the lid does not stay shut.
- Buy if
- Commuting and low-frequency noise such as traffic and trains · Anyone with an Android source that can use LDAC · Listeners who want real EQ control at a budget price
- Skip if
- Exercise, on Trusted Reviews' assessment and an IPX4 rating · Anyone expecting flagship cancelling, on Noisy World's comparison · Larger ear canals, which Noisy World found the supplied tips did not suit
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
Four hours of disagreement
SoundGuys, on a fixed 75 dB test: 7 hours 55 minutes.
Noisy World, after a month of real use: about 6 hours, against a stated 8.
Trusted Reviews: 10 hours in the buds, and barely needing to charge them.
Volume accounts for most of that. A standardised loud test sits somewhere between casual listening and pushing them hard, which is exactly where SoundGuys' figure lands.
Plan on seven, with the case adding four more charges for roughly fifty hours in total. Ten minutes on charge returns about four hours.
The cancelling, measured properly
Noisy World is the only source that tested frequency by frequency, and their characterisation is the most useful: reduction comparable to moderate-strength earplugs, strong against low-frequency sound like traffic, uneven across the rest of the range.
Their comparison against the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II elsewhere in this catalogue is unsparing. The Bose is in a different league.
But they also identify the specific thing these do well: good low-frequency reduction without needing to jam the earbuds deep into the canal, which is what most cheap cancelling earbuds require to work at all.
SoundGuys puts the strength between 40 and 100 Hz. Trusted Reviews describes it handling supermarket chatter and street traffic without silence.
The case is the fault
SoundGuys found the hinge insecure: the lid opens on its own and the earbuds fall out.
That is not a minor grumble on something designed to live in a pocket. It is the mechanism by which people lose earbuds.
Trusted Reviews adds that getting the buds out is a little fiddly, which is an odd pairing with a lid that will not stay shut.
LDAC, again
SBC, AAC and LDAC over Bluetooth 5.2, on earbuds at this price.
Worth reading alongside the Soundcore Motion 300 elsewhere in this catalogue, where two reviewers listened for the LDAC difference and could not hear it. On earbuds, where the drivers are close to the ear and the codec is not being asked to feed a small woofer, it has more chance of mattering.
The app is the other half of the value: 22 EQ presets, a custom equaliser, and a HearID profile built from your own responses.
Fit is the thing to check
Five tip sizes are supplied. Noisy World still needed third-party extra-large tips for larger ears, while finding smaller canals fitted well.
Since the cancelling depends on the seal, and since the seal is doing most of the work above the low frequencies, that is the difference between these performing as reviewed and disappointing you.
How it scored
The overall 8.1 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Sound quality
SoundGuys says the default profile comes fairly close to their preference curve while under-emphasising the highs and lows. Trusted Reviews calls it clean, natural and well balanced.
Value
SoundGuys scored 7.4 out of 10 and calls it an excellent deal. Trusted Reviews gave four stars and calls it good value with all the key areas covered.
Build quality
SoundGuys reports the case hinge is not secure, the lid opens on its own and the earbuds fall out. IPX4 only.
Ease of use
22 EQ presets, a custom equaliser and a HearID profile in the app. Noisy World criticises the limited adjustability between cancelling strengths.
Noise cancelling
Noisy World measured performance comparable to moderate earplugs, strong on low frequencies and uneven across the range, and well behind the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- LDAC alongside AAC and SBC on earbuds at this price
- Noisy World credits good low-frequency reduction without needing a deep insertion
- 22 EQ presets plus a custom equaliser and a HearID hearing profile
- Trusted Reviews barely had to charge them across the review period
- Ten minutes of charging returns about four hours
- Five ear tip sizes supplied
What we didn’t
- Battery figures range from six hours to ten across our three sources
- SoundGuys reports the case lid opening on its own and the earbuds falling out
- Noisy World says the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are in a different league for cancelling
- SoundGuys rates the microphone average, with wind causing major processing artefacts
- Noisy World needed third-party extra-large tips despite five sizes being supplied
- IPX4 only, and Trusted Reviews says they are not ideal for exercise
Specifications
| Battery | 7 h 55 m at 75 dB per SoundGuys; about 6 hours per Noisy World; 10 hours per Trusted Reviews |
|---|---|
| With case | Four further charges per SoundGuys; about 50 hours total |
| Quick charge | Ten minutes for about four hours |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC and LDAC over Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| App | 22 EQ presets, custom equaliser, HearID profile and noise control modes |
| Ear tips | Five sizes supplied |
| Noise cancelling | Comparable to moderate earplugs, strongest between 40 and 100 Hz |
| Case | Hinge not secure per SoundGuys |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
SoundGuys supplies the measured battery at a stated output level, the frequency response assessment, the codec list, the app inventory, the microphone assessment and the case criticism, and scored it 7.4 out of 10. Noisy World ran a frequency-by-frequency noise reduction test across a month of real use and supplies the attenuation characterisation, the comparisons against rivals, a second battery figure and the ear tip finding. Trusted Reviews supplies listening impressions, the comfort assessment and a third battery figure, and gave four stars. The three battery results differ by four hours, and all are reported rather than averaged.
What we read
Common questions
How long does the Soundcore Space A40 battery last?
How good is the noise cancelling?
What is wrong with the case?
Do they fit?
Can I take calls on them?
The bottom line on the Soundcore Space A40
For the money the cancelling, the codec support and the app are all better than they should be, and two of three testers found the battery excellent. Be careful with the case, because the lid does not stay shut.
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