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Earlier this year, soundcore, the audio brand owned by China’s Anker Innovations, introduced the soundcore Space 2 over-ear headphones. While retaining Hi-Res Audio certification, the updated model features improved 40 mm drivers, a newer Bluetooth version (6.1 instead of 5.3), Adaptive ANC 3.0, and extended battery life. These are evolutionary rather than transformative upgrades over the previous generation, but the headphones nonetheless offer a well-rounded package. In this review, I share my impressions of the new model and my experience using it.
Read also: All headphone reviews
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
soundcore Space 2 Specifications
- Type: on-ear, full-size, closed-back
- Bluetooth version: 6.1
- Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Drivers: dynamic, 40 mm
- Noise cancellation: adaptive ANC
- Microphones: 3, ENC
- Controls: buttons on the housing, app
- Battery life: up to 70 hours without ANC, up to 50 hours with ANC
- Charging: wired, USB Type-C
- Earpad material: faux leather
- Weight: 261 g
- Colour: black, white, turquoise
- Additional features: Hi-Res Audio certification, foldable design and swivel ear cups, soft carrying case included, ability to connect to two devices, support for Apple Siri and Google Assistant
Price
At the time of writing, the soundcore Space 2 is priced at around $135 or €120, placing it firmly in the mid-range segment. In my view, the pricing is well justified, as the headphones offer not only solid Hi-Res Audio-certified sound with extensive customization options, but also a range of additional features, including automatic playback pause and an AI-powered real-time translation function. So, what does the overall package have to offer?
Package contents
The headphones come in a standard retail box typical of over-ear models, featuring an image of the Space 2 along with its key specifications. Inside the package, in addition to the headphones themselves, you’ll find the usual documentation, a USB charging cable, a 3.5 mm-to-3.5 mm audio cable for wired use, and, as a welcome addition, a soft carrying pouch for convenient storage and transport.
Design and Build Quality
The soundcore Space 2 follows a familiar over-ear headphone design. Its large, rounded ear cups are built around a frame made of soft-touch matte plastic that feels pleasant in hand. The outer panels feature a subtle soundcore logo and a matte silver accent ring, while the same finish is used on the inner yoke connecting the ear cups to the headband. The combination of the Linen White finish and matte silver accents creates a clean, understated aesthetic that aligns well with the currently popular “old money” design trend. In addition to the Linen White version reviewed here, the soundcore Space 2 is also available in Seafoam Green and Jet Black.
The ear cushions, like the headband padding, are covered in soft protein leather and filled with memory foam, providing a comfortable fit. As expected, the primary controls are integrated into the ear cups. The left ear cup houses the power button, which also activates Bluetooth pairing mode, the ANC mode button, an LED status indicator, and the connectivity ports, including a USB Type-C port for charging and a 3.5 mm audio jack for wired listening. The right ear cup contains the playback controls, including dedicated volume buttons and a multifunction Play/Pause button.
It is also worth noting that the soundcore Space 2 features a foldable design with rotating ear cups, making the headphones more compact and easier to pack in a backpack or travel bag. The included fabric pouch provides basic protection against scratches and dust during transport, although it offers little protection against accidental impacts or other mechanical damage.
As for build quality and materials, the soundcore Space 2 leaves a very positive impression. The assembly is excellent, with tightly fitted components throughout. The stitching on both the ear cushions and the headband is clean and precise, while the color scheme gives the headphones a distinctly premium appearance.
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Ergonomics
The soundcore Space 2 offers an excellent fit. Weighing just 261 g, the headphones feel relatively light, while the headband provides enough clamping force to strike a good balance between comfort and stability. The protein leather ear cushions are soft to the touch, making the headphones comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions without causing noticeable fatigue or discomfort. According to the manufacturer, this ergonomic design is the result of an extensive development process based on the analysis of more than 2,000 anthropometric data points and user tests conducted at the soundcore Human Factors Laboratory.
The headband offers a generous range of adjustment, making it easy to achieve a comfortable fit for different head sizes. The rotating ear cups and foldable design further enhance usability, making the Space 2 not only comfortable to wear but also easy to store and carry while taking up less space in a bag. The rotating ear cups are particularly useful if you prefer to rest the headphones around your neck between listening sessions. Since they rotate by approximately 90 degrees, they sit more naturally against the body and do not restrict head movement – a practical advantage over many over-ear headphones with fixed ear cups.
soundcore App
Detailed settings for the Space 2 are available through the soundcore companion app, which is available for both Android and iOS.
What does the app offer? In short, virtually everything you would expect from a companion app – and a bit more. The home screen displays the connected headphones and their current battery level, with the noise cancellation controls conveniently located just below. When Adaptive ANC is selected, you can choose from five levels of noise cancellation intensity. Standard mode and Transparency mode are also available.
The next section, Sound Effects, deserves a closer look. At the top is the Spatial Audio mode, designed for users who prefer a more immersive 3D listening experience. More noteworthy, however, is the HearID feature, which tailors the sound profile to individual listening preferences.
HearID consists of a two-stage calibration process. The first stage adjusts the volume threshold by asking the user to identify tones played at different frequencies. In the second stage, the app plays short excerpts of music and asks the user to choose between two different sound profiles based on personal preference. Once the test is complete, the app generates a personalized audio profile. Based on my experience, this feature delivers genuinely noticeable results.
Further down in the Sound Effects menu, the app offers a wide selection of EQ presets to suit different listening preferences. These range from Bass Booster to profiles optimized for specific music genres and content types, including Acoustic, Dance, Podcast, Lounge, and more. A fully customizable equalizer is also available, allowing users to fine-tune the sound manually and save their own EQ presets.
The Controls section allows selected functions to be assigned to the headphones’ physical buttons. Customization is available for the NC button on the left ear cup and the Play/Pause button on the right. For example, a double press of the NC button can be configured to activate BassUp, while a long press of the Play/Pause button can be assigned to launch a voice assistant, enable the AI-powered translation mode, or start Sleep mode. The app also includes a Safe Volume feature, which allows users to set a maximum playback level to help protect their hearing.
The app offers even more customization in the Settings menu. Here, users can enable and calibrate the automatic pause feature, choose the preferred audio mode (LDAC or the app’s balanced sound quality and connection mode), enable audio prompts for low battery and playback mode changes, configure automatic power-off, adjust AI chat settings, activate Multipoint connectivity, and set a sleep timer for automatic shutdown.
Returning to the home screen reveals several additional features. The Soundscape section includes a collection of mindfulness audio tracks designed for relaxation and improved focus, featuring ocean waves, forest ambience, beach sounds, white noise, and various masking sounds. The app also provides direct access to the Anka AI assistant, along with personalized recommendations from soundcore. Firmware updates are delivered through the app as well, improving system stability and, in some cases, introducing new features.
Overall, the soundcore app leaves an excellent impression. The interface is intuitive and well organized, the range of customization options is extensive, and the software feels polished throughout. During testing, I encountered no translation issues, unfinished features, or functions that failed to operate as intended. It serves as a strong example of what a companion app for Bluetooth audio devices should be.
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Control
If your smartphone is in your pocket, the physical controls on the ear cups make it easy to manage playback without taking it out. The control scheme is comprehensive and well thought out. In addition to adjusting the volume, the volume buttons can also skip tracks when pressed and held. The Play/Pause button can be used to answer calls with a single press, reject incoming calls with a long press, and end calls with another short press. Outside of calls, a long press can be assigned to launch a voice assistant, activate the AI translation feature, or enable Sleep mode, with all of these functions configurable through the companion app.
The power button also doubles as the Bluetooth pairing button, while the dedicated noise cancellation button allows users to switch between ANC, Transparency, and Normal modes. It can also be configured to activate BassUp mode for enhanced low-frequency response.
Sound Quality
Now for the most important part. Audio reproduction is handled by 40 mm dual-layer diaphragm drivers, while codec support extends beyond the standard SBC and AAC to include LDAC for high-resolution wireless audio. On paper, the specifications are certainly promising – but how does the Space 2 perform in real-world listening?
Even with the default tuning, the soundcore Space 2 delivers a pleasing listening experience. The sound is clear, detailed, and spacious, with well-controlled bass that adds weight where appropriate without overwhelming the mix. That said, the treble can occasionally feel slightly emphasized or uneven depending on the recording and the genre. In my experience, the default tuning worked particularly well with energetic genres such as alternative rock and electronic music. With instrumental recordings, soul, or jazz, however, the higher frequencies sometimes became more prominent than I would have preferred. Fortunately, the headphones offer plenty of options for tailoring the sound.
The companion app includes a large selection of EQ presets, although I would not describe them as universally effective. For example, I generally prefer deep, powerful bass with a noticeable sense of impact. While the default tuning already provides satisfying low-end performance, I occasionally found myself wanting a little more in certain genres. Switching to the Bass Booster preset produced excellent results with instrumental music, but in electronic tracks – where bass is already abundant – the low frequencies became excessive. The customizable equalizer offers another way to fine-tune the sound and will likely appeal to users who enjoy manual adjustments, although personally I rarely rely on EQ customization.
For that reason, I would strongly recommend using the HearID feature instead. In my experience, it delivers the best overall results. The brief calibration process creates a personalized sound profile based on individual listening preferences, resulting in a more balanced presentation. In my case, HearID subtly enhanced the bass while smoothing out the treble, producing a sound signature that worked consistently well across virtually every genre rather than excelling in only a few. Subjectively, I would rate the default tuning an 8 out of 10, while the personalized HearID profile raised the listening experience to an 11 out of 10. Of course, audio preferences are highly individual, and many listeners may find the default sound signature perfectly satisfying without any additional adjustment.
The soundcore Space 2 also supports simultaneous connection to two devices, and the implementation works exceptionally well. Switching between a laptop and a smartphone is virtually seamless, with the transition typically taking no more than a second.
Another useful feature is Smart Wearing Detection, which automatically pauses and resumes playback when the headphones are removed or put back on. By default, the response time is reasonably good, although it typically takes between one and three seconds for playback to pause or resume. Fortunately, the companion app allows the feature to be calibrated. After a quick calibration process lasting only a few minutes, the response became noticeably faster, reducing the delay to well under a second during my testing.
Another feature worth highlighting is Nap Mode, which can be activated by pressing and holding the multifunction Play/Pause button. Once enabled, the headphones automatically switch on ANC, stop music playback, suppress incoming calls, and play built-in relaxation sounds such as white noise or rainfall, creating a distraction-free environment for short breaks, meditation, or focused work. For added convenience, the companion app also includes a sleep timer that automatically turns the headphones off after a user-defined period.
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Call Quality and ANC
For voice calls and interaction with voice assistants, the soundcore Space 2 is equipped with a three-microphone array featuring ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation). Voice pickup is consistently clear, allowing callers on the other end to hear speech without difficulty. The microphones’ noise reduction also performs well, although it does make the user’s voice sound slightly quieter. The effect is noticeable but not significant enough to impact conversation. Overall, the headset remains perfectly usable for taking calls in noisy environments without needing to remove the headphones.
The ANC system offers five adjustable intensity levels. Overall, it is effective at reducing unwanted background noise, although the highest setting creates a noticeable sense of pressure in the ears. In my experience, levels two or three provide the best balance between noise reduction and long-term comfort.
Even with ANC disabled, the headphones offer a good degree of passive noise isolation thanks to their closed-back over-ear design. This also works in the opposite direction: sound leakage is minimal, meaning people nearby are unlikely to hear your music even at around 80% volume.
Adaptive ANC is particularly effective at suppressing low-frequency noise, making the Space 2 a good choice for frequent travelers or anyone who regularly spends time on airplanes or public transport. When environmental awareness is needed – for example, while walking through a city or having a brief conversation – the Transparency mode performs well, allowing outside sounds to pass through naturally without removing the headphones.
Battery Life
One thing is immediately clear about the soundcore Space 2: frequent charging is unlikely to be necessary. The headphones are rated for up to 70 hours of playback with ANC disabled and up to 50 hours with ANC enabled. Even with relatively heavy use – around five hours of listening per day – that translates to roughly 10 to 14 days of battery life on a single charge. During my testing, which included extensive use both with and without ANC, I managed to drain only about 20% of the battery, suggesting that the manufacturer’s battery life claims are realistic. Fast charging is another practical advantage: just five minutes of charging provides up to four hours of playback, making it easy to top up the battery before heading out if you’ve forgotten to charge the headphones in advance.
Read also: Anker soundcore Liberty 4 Pro Review: Flagship TWS Headset with Unique Features
Conclusions and competitors
In my view, the soundcore Space 2 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a pair of over-ear Hi-Res headphones that combine strong audio performance with extensive sound customization and outstanding battery life. The headphones offer an attractive design, high-quality materials, intuitive on-device controls, a comfortable fit, impressive microphone performance for calls, effective ANC, and one of the most polished companion apps in their class. Additional features such as Smart Wearing Detection, Multipoint connectivity, and the integrated AI assistant further enhance the overall experience.
Overall, there is very little to criticize. The Space 2 is a thoughtfully designed product that performs consistently well across a wide range of everyday use cases. For its price, it delivers a remarkably well-balanced package and stands out as one of the stronger options in the mid-range over-ear headphone segment.
That said, the mid-range headphone market is highly competitive. If I were considering alternatives, I would probably take a closer look at the Edifier ES850NB. On paper, they are comparable to the Space 2 in terms of core specifications while also including a hard carrying case and a low-latency gaming mode, which may be important for some users. Another option worth considering is the Philips TAH8000, which offers an extended frequency response of up to 40 kHz and support for LE Audio.
Where to buy soundcore Space 2
