Soundcore R50i review – Big bass on a baby budget

Wading through the Wild West of the budget earbud market can be a disorienting experience. With so many similar-looking products with wildly varying quality of sound, build, quantity of features, and battery life, it’s harder to tell products apart. Discerning which ones are worth your hard-earned cash can feel impossible. Fear not, we’re here to help.

In an area where distinguishing between products can be challenging, the Soundcore R50i, despite some flaws, sets itself apart by aiming to address these fundamental user needs. As customary from Soundcore, these do a good enough job of what they set out to do, but the price tag is key to the user experience. On a tight budget, you need earphones that can endure versatile use and feature above-par battery life. The R50i features great build quality and boasts an impressive 30-hour battery life from just a two-hour charge, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious consumers seeking reliability.

A Blessing for Bassheads

Sound-wise there is lttle to say about the R50i’s. The first thing you’ll notice when you start using them is the massive bass. If your music tastes lean more toward hip-hop and electronic music, you’re in for a really fun time. If you’re on the older side and don’t listen to bass-heavy tunes, you may find this overwhelming, though you do become accustomed to it. The mids and trebles are clear enough, and thankfully, you have the (limited) ability to adjust the bass via the Soundcore App, though only via 22 non-customisable EQ presets.

Staying on the Soundcore App, we expected it to be a game changer for the user experience. Unfortunately, it was anything but. The app offers few features – none of them revolutionary. The aforementioned preset EQs, though fun to play around with, are of little use to an audiophile who wants to customise an ideal sound profile. The app’s catalogue of ambient sounds is its best feature, though hardly a unique offering. The app also features a Gaming Mode, which enhances the background sounds of a game for a more immersive experience.

Unfortunately, the Soundcore App is only available on iOS and Play Store, which means you only get access to these features on your phone. Everyone’s situation is unique, but chances are if you’re buying super low-budget earphones, the phone you’re using them on isn’t going to be some advanced gaming machine. The fact that no PC version of the app exists is a shame.

Let Me See That Body

If there’s one thing you truly get value for out of the R50i, it’s the build quality. The buds’ IPx5 rating gives it a compact frame that resists splashes of water and dust, and the matte black finish is great at hiding the inevitable minor scratches of everyday use (and occasional misuse). Budget earbuds that can take a good amount of mishandling go a long way for someone with tight purse strings.

The heavily Airpod-inspired design is a comfortable fit in your ear, though we aren’t exactly fans of the design, especially if you’re active or commute a lot. Something as simple as a shrug can nudge the protruding battery cylinder loose, resulting in an anxiety-inducing hunt when it happens in any area that has a lot of foot traffic.

The case is as strong as well, boasting the same matte black plastic finish. The magnetic connection slots the earbuds firmly into place without much effort. The buds have excellent range for their price which worked out great for us while playing basketball – as long as you ensure your phone’s location is accounted for. The touch responsiveness is a bit iffy, which is frustrating when you’re working out. The Soundcore App allows you to edit the button functions, a great feature for increasing the headphones’ versatility. Sadly, during review one earphone occasionally became unresponsive. A return to the case to reset solved the issue.

Big Battery, Big Runs

The home run feature of the R50i’s is their incredible battery life. The buds last up to ten hours on a full charge, and the case can support three full charges for an estimated total of 30 hours of battery life. If you’re a busy individual using them even semi-sporadically, the battery life stretches even further. It’s a game-changing amount of battery life for someone with a busy life and spends a lot of time in transit. The R50i’s claim to reach a full charge in two hours, in our experience, though results were varied, it was certainly quicker than that.

Soundcore R50i verdict

For the price tag, the Soundcore R50i’s are some of the best value for money you can get on the market. Standing as a testament to the notion that quality needn’t always come with an exorbitant price tag. They’re not without their shortcomings, though, particularly in the realm of  design finesse, features, and responsiveness.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the Soundcore R50i excels in the areas that matter most to budget-conscious consumers. They offer great value for money at only R550. For consumers prioritizing durability and impressive battery life without breaking the bank, the R50i presents a compelling choice that exceeds some expectations. With a robust build quality that ensures longevity, an incredible battery life, and bass that packs a big punch, the Soundcore R50i emerges as a quality choice in the budget earbud market