Soundcore V40i by Anker, Open-Ear Headphones, Clear Design, Lidless Case, 4 Adjustable Positions for Every Ear Size, Richer Bass, IP55, 21H Playtime, AI Clear Calls, Bluetooth 5.4, App Control

To be honest, I am blown away by these. Lately when listening with my regular in-ear earbuds, I have found that I leave just one in so I can hear background noise with my other ear. I would turn the volume up to compensate- it would hurt my ear and I could tell it was not healthy for my hearing. I can listen at a comfortable volume with these, but I don't feel as if my hearing is being damaged. With earbuds, even at low volumes it does not feel healthy for any period of time. These are great for around the house and even driving. I watch a lot of YouTube and podcasts and these are perfect for that too. The only situation I want earbuds for is the gym. The overhead music is very loud and overpowering and for that I want noise cancelling headphones. I am surprised that even at very modest volume, I don't find that background noise drowns out the music- there is no noise cancelling, though I think some do include this. They make a clip-on style which I have not tried, but I prefer this over the ear style. They are also very comfortable. When leaving earbuds in for an extended time, the skin of your ear canal hurts as the tissue is very delicate. These just kind of hang out and are aimed in the direction of your ear canal. I did notice today that my ear was a little sore where the hook was in contact, but its also 90 degrees and I'm sweating. The charging case is kind of an odd style choice. Usually there is a lid that closes. The only concern I have is that one my fall out and get lost. It looks classy- I've attached photos. There are no buttons, and I really prefer the tactile experience of true buttons. You have to memorize the the presses and taps needed to stop, play, and change the volume which I am not crazy about. I found the sound profile to be very balanced. Although I would prefer more base, I am happy with this. It is the design and location of the driver that robs the user of base. If you push the driver closer to your ear canal, you can hear more low frequency, so it is there. The highs are great and do not sound tinny. I think there is an app that includes an EQ, which I have not tried yet, though I plan to. These are $80 headphones, so not the cheapest. This is the most I would pay considering how they can get lost, break, etc. However, I don't know how happy I would be with a $25 pair either. With a cheap Chinese model the sound is really going to suffer. I think with an earbud you can get away with lower quality

I like the open concept of the charging case, given that these are open earbuds. It holds onto the buds tightly with magnets, so they won't be falling out on their own. When properly fitted these are unintrusive and comfortable, and most importantly, they don't passively block out the sounds of the world around you. They seem to stay in place good enough for working out. The multiple positions of the hook make it easy to get a secure fit. These have great clarity and sound airy and open like most open earbuds. What impressed me was the bass. These have an impressive punch in deep bass frequencies, nearly as good as in-ear buds. As per usual with Soundcore, the app is the best in the business. From there you get a bunch of options for sound customization and you can customize the function of the tap controls. Given the price these are pretty good value. They seem well made.

These are the best sounding over ear in the price range as long as you’re not in a noisy environment. Good bass while most in this price range have virtually no bass, highs are decent and, believe it or not, having 4 adjustment points is actually a really big plus! I figured it was a gimmick but the sound between 2 and 3 for me is quite noticeable. I use 2 for more awareness of surroundings and 3 for much better bass and immersive experience. Latency for casual gaming is also acceptable but sometimes requires the app which is pretty good, simple but pleasant, doesn’t require an account, log ins or to be connected to the internet and it gives charge status of the headphones (not the case). This should be 3.5 stars but quality sound makes up for it. The case is only good for sitting on the desk, it looks kind of cool and doesn’t take up a bunch of space however the charging port is on the bottom so when you need to charge, those benefits go out the window. It feels sturdy but if you drop it the headphones go flying in 2 different directions making them tough to find. There is no way to tell the state of charge until it’s light starts flashing (including in the app) and by then it is pretty much dead.

Great sound and bass without being bone conducting, which I think tickles at high volume, and doesn't enter and block your ear (which I need for the office and home to hear when someone is trying to get my attention). The ear hooks also make it stay perfectly in place while moving and working out. There are only two down sides as I see it. The look like your wearing bulky hearing aids which is not the look. And the touch sensitivity is too easy to activate. If you're working out and touch your head to the any surface or object it pauses. If you wear a beany over your ears and you move your head at any time it also puases. It's a little annoying.

Sound quality and fit are great. I however couldn't get the headphones to charge in the case with being plugged in. Headphones died twice and I attempted to charge them in the case like my other kinds and they wouldn't charge.

Pros - Very comfortable to wear, almost forget they are there. - Adjustable ear hook ensures the speaker is pointed directly into your ear canal for best sound - Magnetic to catch the ear piece and snap into the case - Very good bass response and range of tones - Excellent companion app to adjust EQ, which is quite effective and noticeable - Comes in Black or White - USB-C charging Cons - Minor issue: case is clear and unprotected, so scratches might occur, but not proven that will happen as I haven’t had the but a week

Yes while the design and style of these are "cool" I would not recommend these for multiple reasons: 1. The open case design is not easily pocketable. Yes the magnets do keep the earbuds in no matter what but it tends to make the earbuds themselves press into your leg at all times. 2. Again the case design. The light is not a sectional light to indicate how much battery is left, instead it can only blink 6 times when at 20% or less which is what leads me to number 3. 3. The case from full charge can only charge the earbuds from ~20% to full once per charge... 4. The earbuds themselves. I hope you like readjusting a ratcheting mechanism each time you try to put them on! (They only fit in the case in the smallest adjustment size) 5. I only noticed this 1 day into trying these, the dual connection mode is buggy at best. (note: not an issue with the app but with these earbuds specifically. I only bought these to replace my older C30i earbuds and their dual connection mode is flawless.) I noticed that when I tried to switch from my laptop to my phone that the audio from the laptop would desync often whenever I went back to it. (Never an issue with my C30i) Also I would have to go into the app and disconnect from my laptop just to hear sound from my phone if they were connected at the same time. (Never was an issue with the C30i). 6. Might just be me but I could never get them to sit comfortably. End result I am returning these ASAP and buying a new pair of C30i.

These open-ear headphones are awesome. Great sound and battery life and not to mention super comfortable. I wear these at work all day and forget i have them on at times. Highly recommend.