Having recently spent some time in Soundcore’s company, waking up to the news that Anker had quietly (and we mean quietly) dropped a brand-new pair of Beats-looking earbuds, going by the name Soundcore Sport X20, it was quite literally music to our ears.
A sequel to the now two-year-old, but still-stellar Sport X10, the X20’s grand entrance was somewhat marred by the fact Anker unveiled the buds on Reddit, rather than, you know, a press release or something more traditional. Still, it’s all about the destination. As long as the journey involves blasting jams, you know?
Anker down
NOW AVAILABLE: Soundcore Sport X20 | Flexible Fit
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Thankfully, that is the whole point of the Sport X20. Like the Sport X10 that came before it, Soundcore targets those customers who don’t mind manhandling or sweating all over their buds. To wit, Soundcore has made these things tough. Covered in a smattering of silicone, the X20 is essentially “everything-proof” with an IP68 rating and an extra coating of what Soundcore calls SweatGuard technology.
Pull back the silicone tips to find an offering of physical buttons, something we don’t often see in this gesture-ridden age of wearables. For a sports-centric pair of buds, precision is key and physical controls are a big part of that. As for the fit, Soundcore’s thrown in some very adjustable ear hooks (30-degree rotation and 4mm extension), designed to aid overall comfort during a run or workout.
The Sport X20 pumps sound out of two 11mm dynamic drivers, making for a bass-fueled audio profile made even more so by the BassUp feature. Like the brilliant Soundcore Space One, the X20 arrives with Soundcore app support and HearID tech, allowing for major customization of an individual user’s sound profile. Noise cancelling is included too, allowing for manual adjustment or adaptive ANC, depending on the sort of life you want out of these.
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As such, Anker’s improved battery life tremendously since the X10’s day. A single charge should deliver roughly 12 hours of use according to Anker, though flicking ANC on should knock that down to 7 hours. Bring the case along and you’ll get 48 hours if ANC isn’t your thing, and 28 hours if it is. It’ll crush a gym session, no problem — ANC or not.
Anker’s already selling these over on Amazon in the US for $80 (roughly R1,500). At the time of writing, Soundcore has yet to release these in South Africa, though we don’t expect that to remain the case for long. South African pricing, however, may not be as kind as Amazon’s, considering the R3,000 price still attached to the Sport X10 locally.