Soundcore C30i by Anker, Open-Ear Earbuds, Clip-On Headphones, Lightweight Comfort, Small-Ear Friendly, Stable Fit, Firm-Shell Design, Attachable Ear Grips, Big Drivers for Clear Audio, 30H Play, IPX4

My favorite headphones for doing things in. I forget I'm wearing these. They're so comfy and actually do have quite a bit of bass. Even the deep sub-bass in deep house is still there. I can't even believe that I can listen to the very bass focused music I like with these. They're missing that bit of growl that super deep bass has. These are definitely not as thick or rich sounding, can even be a little sharper sounding than the Bose QC 35 ii I have. To be expected. These sound more like standing in a really big room listening to music. You're not close to the music but it feels expansive and light especially since you can feel and hear your surroundings and you don't feel plugged up by over the ear headphones or earbuds. (They don't give the sound of an echo but some things feel like the sound is coming from all around you, which is delightful. You can turn on the EQ to"3D surround" and that's kind of echo-y and even more surrounding you, though I don't prefer that setting.) Before these I was practically living in my Bose QC 35 ii over ear headphones and now I'm not often tempted to put the Bose on. Bought them for audiobooks, stayed for music. I even thought that I love to live in noise cancelling every minute of my day, but it turns out that when ambient sound isn't distorted by earbuds and I have lovely music or books perfectly and comfortably in my ears, I prefer these to noise cancelling. I am a person who is quite irritated by bad sounds (dishes clanking, my electric toothbrush, cars driving, etc). I thought I liked that disconnected feeling you can get listening in noise cancelling, but it turns out that it's really nice to feel more in the real world while I listen to things. I can also put the sound to a level where I have some background beats/tunes and still listen to birds and the river. So lovely. They've been on many walks and hikes. I've jogged a bit with them in, washed dishes, put shirts over my head, and put on glasses and masks and hats. They haven't fallen out once. I was concerned that a lot of these type can't be turned on without their case so I'd always have to bring the case. Nope. It seems that it will stay in standby mode even if when it's not connected to anything for hours, and will still be on and ready to go when I reconnect the device (phone usually or my garmin watch). I have worn them literally all day most days since I've received them. The battery easily lasts the day, though sometimes I am not sending sound through them. Most of the time I'm on multiple hour calls and listening to music or audiobooks constantly, and only charging while I sleep. People report that my mic sounds very good. There are a few YouTube videos about this, if you're interested. My ears were a little bit sore on day 1 and 2 but I think it was because I was messing with the position and pulling them on and off frequently and incorrectly. It's worth sliding them up the ear before you take them on and actually putting them on up there before sliding them in place. You'll get used to it quickly and it's easy to find the sweet spot in your ear that sounds best and then just always put them there. They feel really light once you have them on. I have had 2 pairs of bone conduction headphones (one was the Shockz open move) that were so hard to wear with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask. Even without all the other stuff near my ears, I would always need to reposition those. These are just chilling there in place, not pushing my ears outward like the shockz. I'm pretty sure these also sound quite a bit better, and still sound great when they're not positioned perfectly.

I am seriously overjoyed at finding these! They are truly the only design on the market that keeps my ear free enough for my purposes. They are perfect for using in the office. I only wear the left one, since everyone else’s desks are to my right, and changed the audio settings in my phone to mono so I don’t miss any parts of the music. I work as inside sales support for a small electrical distribution firm so I have to be ready to answer the phone and be able to hear my coworkers in the small office too. I can pick up the phone and hold it to my left ear easily even with this on. I just pause the music first. I wanted something that wouldn’t need to be removed every time I had to hold the phone to my ear and this is it. I can also leave the music playing and hold the receiver to my right ear and hear the call perfectly. I used the app to change the touch commands. I have the “Hold for 2s” setting for the Play/Pause and it’s perfect. It’s easy to trigger by just holding the earbud with your thumb on the back. No fumbling around trying to find the sensor or needing to try multiple times to make it work. I did notice that it’s much more easily/accidentally triggered if you don’t use the plastic ear grips. I use the smallest one and it completely solved the problem of accidentally triggering the Play/Pause with my hood. I don’t necessarily need to use the ear grips for making the earbud fit, it fit fine without it, but adding the smallest one did not make them too tight at all. It’s super comfortable and I wear it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and there is no soreness. I forget it’s on my ear. I’ve tested how well it will stay put by shaking my head and moving around in all sorts of dramatic way which I would never do in daily life and it doesn’t budge. The main reason I needed these is because I work in an office with 4 other people and they listen to the same god-awful music on a Bluetooth speaker every day. I was being driven insane by having to hear stuff like Limp Bizkit, Creed, Britney Spears, and 90s dance hits every day. I’m a music snob with some obscure, niche tastes and I didn’t want to make everyone else in the office unhappy by requesting to take over the speaker a few times a week. Even with just wearing the left earbud it drowns out their music and I can’t tell what they’re listening to. There is truly no sound bleed from these either. I don’t have it super loud, but loud enough to enjoy my music. I tested it and can’t even hear anything coming from the earbud if I have it in my hand or on my desk. I have long hair that hides my ears and I doubt anyone in the office even knows I have the earbud on. They definitely can’t tell I’m listening to my own music to drown out their nightmare office music. The sound quality is just fine for the average person. My husband is an audio engineer and I’m sure he would have some complaints about sound quality, but he lives and breathes audio so he’s very hard to please. For the purposes of passively listening to music while actively busy working, these are perfect. I first bought some of those bone conduction things with the strap around the back since the speakers sit on the temples and not on the ears at all, but I hated them and had to keep repositioning them because the strap would get bumped by my hair or hood. Plus it’s way more obvious that you have them on. The charge is impressive and I could probably go 3 or 4 days without charging, listening to music 8 hours a day. I love that the case holds a charge and I don’t even have to plug it in during the week and it recharges the earbud. I only plug it in on the weekend to charge it up for the week. You can find the battery levels for both earbuds and the case itself in the app. Lastly, I love how it looks. It really doesn’t matter compared to everything else, but I think it looks cool with the clearish outside and the components visible. It’s just a nerdy bonus for me. I truly LOVE this product!

I've been an earbud user for years now but hated feeling isolated from my surroundings, especially around the house when hearing a family member or not missing a doorbell is critical. "Transparency mode" on the devices I tried it on always had a habit of amplifying background noises but still making me feel closed off. A few other inexpensive open-ear solutions I'd tried had mediocre audio quality that was too tinny & hollow to stick with. I'd seen higher-end open-ear solutions but they always felt overpriced for what I wanted. The clear design of the C30i caught my eye, and the price seemed good enough to roll the dice on. After a few weeks of use, I think they're a fantastic fit. I was worried that hard plastic clips sitting over my ear would be uncomfortable after a while or still make me feel isolated -- but I can genuinely say that they're comfortable and unobtrusive enough that I routinely forget I'm wearing them. Feature-wise, they're basic but get the job done. They pair easily and stay connected well. They have solid battery life. The alert tones for pairing or tap commands sound fine and aren't loud or intrusive. The tap controls work fine (once you get used to having to double-tap for things that are a single-tap on most earbuds). Qi charging for the case or positional spatial audio would be nice to have, but I'm not going to complain at this price point. As for audio quality, you need to know what you're getting into. The audio on the C30i is clear and clean. For audiobooks and podcasts, I can't complain one bit. The volume level is perfectly fine and voices all sound great. The sensation is very similar to having decent desktop PC speakers that follow me around. For music, it's a bit more mixed. Because of the design, there just isn't much of any bass, and the overall sound profile just doesn't sound very full. Tinkering with the EQ can add a bit of richness, but you're just not going to get the full sound response you'd want for real music listening. That said, it's serviceable for playing some light background music, watching videos, or playing games. But podcasts and audiobooks are really where these things shine, and that's 95% of what I use earbuds for. I'm tempted to try a hook-style open-ear options like the Aerofits as I know that form-factor can deliver a bit more bass, but I'm honestly not in a rush. The comfort / performance / cost balance on these would be HARD to beat, and the fact that I'm a sucker for transparent plastic gadgets helps, too.

I must have weird ear holes or something because I've owned several iterations of ear buds and these are by far, the most comfortable. I can wear these for hours on end with little to no pain or pressure on my ears. I own bone conduction headphones are while these are not that, they do allow for ambient noises to be heard which is great for what these are designed for; the active person. If you are wanting this for a metro or bus commute, they are probably not for you but for a walker, biker, or even driver that needs to hear ambient noises, these are perfect. The sound quality is not like an over-the-ear headphone but they aren't marketed that way. They have great sound and bass to treble response that makes listening to most genres of music comfortable. They are great for audio books and I've been told they sound great when used as a phone. My one caveat is the 'button' (more like a sensor) at the back that can be a slight pain to hit properly. But, with a bit of practice, it's easy to learn. As far as cost, these are extremely well-priced and are definitely worth it. I was happy to go with black. The case is a simple clam-style and fits in any pocket nicely. I did have trouble with the left bud shortly after receiving these but an email to Anker support resolved the issue promptly. I will be buying these for a family member as they borrowed mine and loved them. Another great product, Anker!

I LOVE these. This is the first in-ear speaker I have tried. The sound is great (It is a small speaker in the curves of the ear and some outside sound is expected so it is not going to be recording studio level but it sounds better than a tiny speaker hanging out on my ear flap). I wanted bone conducting like my husband, but I have hair and glasses. They were not comfortable. I hate pods/buds - I have to take them out, I never have the case, it is probably still playing my podcast in my pocket where it remains until I wash it with the rest of my clothes - there is no IPX rating for that. I tried the leash for the L/R buds with the pole part but that usually blocks the mic, can't charge that way. I can leave these C30i on ALL DAY. They are not in the way, if I need to talk to someone I can - I can hear them, I can stop the audio and leave it in place. My hair does not get in the way or pull them out/they do not pull my hair. They fit very well - with or without the extra grips. My husband put them on and started jumping and running, they stayed. The bluetooth lets me go further from my phone than any other device. They stay charged longer than my phone (latest model) with pretty consistent listening & calls throughout the day. And bonus, the case holds a charge. The only time I have had a complaint about the quality on a call was when I put them on in the middle of the call - they connected while I was probably touching the mic. They connect immediately - a lot better than some I have had to do something for each and every time. I like the app - I like having the options to make changes and see the battery life. I like the sound better than his bone conducting (another brand). I have had a few Anker/Soundcore products and have not had any issues. My last bluetooth was a neckband, so old that they do not make them any more. There was a collision with the small speaker grill/cover/thing and the tooth of the dog, otherwise the 5 year old Soundcore product would still be going strong as a daily use. This is a good replacement.

I really wanted to love these! We have several other Soundcore Products and have found them to be reliable, with great sound and excellent battery life. I listen to audio books and podcasts for much of the day; sometimes as much as 10 hrs, and currently use Soundcore earbuds. I was attracted to the open-ear design and felt that style would be better (hearing other noises on walks and hikes, ear health, etc). I wear glasses and was excited about the clip style which don’t interfere. Positives: They paired seamlessly, the first time and every time. They sound good for my purposes and I could still hear noises around me. The microphone is good; friends said I was clear and there wasn’t a lot of background noise. They are pretty easy to put on, and they felt very secure. Negatives: The touch control is a nightmare. Every time someone was speaking to me I found myself tap, tap, tapping to attempt to pause the book, and eventually just got out my phone to pause. There is a small, raised circle where you are intended to tap, but it’s very slight, difficult to locate and even when I did, it didn’t consistently work. They are uncomfortable! At first they felt awesome and I was so pleased. But as the day wore on, I began to feel pain on the outside edge of the ear. When I removed the clip, I found that the edge of my ear was folded inward and having been turned in for about 4 hrs, it actually created a small “cut”. I next tried to wear them higher on my ear, at the smallest part of the ear, but then the speaker landed/pressed gently on interior cartilage and hurt after just an hour. I tried again, trying to ensure that my ear would not fold, but they just don’t allow room and the outer edge just crimps a little. I actually have small ears, with no piercings; maybe I’m just very sensitive. Even if they fit, the extremely poor touch control is a dealbreaker. I had high hopes, but these must go back and my listening hours returned to my old Soundcore Life P-2 in-ear buds.

EDIT: After I wrote this review, Anker reached out to me and offered to send me the updated version (Soundcore C40i) of these buds at no additional cost to me. I had not even heard of them being released as they apparently just came out. I tried to leave a review there but as I didn't technically purchase them, Amazon is not allowing me to, so I'm just going to leave a brief review here. I'm happy to report that the worst issue of the earlier version has been fully resolved so far as I can tell, as there is no discomfort whatsoever and they are much easier to put on and off. Unfortunately, one issue did remain and that is that my earlobe shape is apparently not well-suited for this style of earbud. They push the bud too far away from my ear canal and the sound comes through to me as super tinny with low volume. At first I thought that they just didn't put out enough sound, but once I pressed them closed to my ear canal, they actually sounded really good with decent volume and a full sound, so I'm sure it's just my lobe shape. I would be far less hesitant to recommend the C40i's to anyone interested as the pain issue is now gone, but I would still make sure you are aware that the sound may not be optimal for you if your ears are shaped a certain way. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- I read many reviews before I purchased this and many people raved about the comfort and fit these earphones provide. When I got my pair though, I was immediately struck by how difficult they were to put on and more importantly, how much they hurt! It wasn't super painful at first, but after wearing them for less than an hour, it became unbearable. I also found that just the act of putting them on and taking them off caused my left ear to swell a small amount which also made it harder to put back on. When comparing to other earphones with the same general form-factor, I think the obvious flaw is in the fact that the C30i are 100% rigid with absolutely zero flex. That makes comfort, easy of putting on and taking off, and even sound quality largely reliant on your specific ear shape and size. Clearly, these earphones work great for some, but I have never decided to return a product as fast as these. That out of the way, I will say that the sound was surprisingly high with little-to-no bass. I use Tozo Open Egos and while they won't blow you away with their sound quality, they were much better than the C30i. That may be due to a poor fit, but I have no way of determining that for certain. Lastly, I have questions about the placement of the touch controls. I was surprised to learn that they were on the back of the device, meaning that to use the controls, you essentially pinch your ear, with the thumb pressing against the back of your ear. The controls seemed to functino well, but I would imagine that depending on your body, the back of the earphones may make contact with your neck and cause accidental activations. Bottom line, while these may be servicable earphones for some, the fact that they are the cheapest earphones in this form factor by a mile means nothing if you can't comfortably use them. If they intrigue you and you are looking for the budget option, I can't say not to try these, but I would say that you should be prepared to return them if the odds are not in your favor.

These are great earbuds, but I've found that they are not for everyone. These buds assume your ears look a certain way and if your ears vary from that, they will be very uncomfortable. Personally, I got lucky and my ears work great with this particular model. The sound quality is impressive, the battery life is great, they're easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing. My only issue is that the hard plastic material is a bit too hard. Something even slightly softer to the touch would make these a 5-star product

Great fit and do what they meant to really well If you want deep immersive sound these are not for you. But if you want to hear the kids while you listening to your music these are a great option

Satisfied customer,like the sound😭

I have small ear canals so other types of ear buds start to hurt or fall out of my ears. The Soundcore ones suit me so well. It took me a little while to get used to putting them on but now I'm used to it, it's easy. Sound is good and I'm still aware of my surroundings when wearing them.

They're pretty comfortable if you can get them into the correct position in your ears. Just be aware that if you have multiple ear piercings, these earbuds will not work well for you, as they act like cuffs from the front to the back of the ear. The sound is nice, the music and audiobooks come through clearly. It's nice that you can crank the volume and still hear environmental noises, making it a nice option for walking around outside and being aware of your surroundings.

Kinda hard to slide it on the ear, and yet it wont fall that easy once I done, its just always stays on the ear no matter what.