Why You Can Trust CNET Anker Soundcore Life P2 review: The company's best true wireless earbud value yet
Anker's Soundcore Life P2 earbuds check a lot of boxes -- including decent sound and good headset performance -- in the hunt for good cheap AirPod alternatives.
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The Soundcore Life P2 list for $60 but generally sell for $50.
Available at half the price of Anker's Soundcore Liberty Air 2 earbuds but sporting a very similar feature set, the Soundcore Life P2 pipe-style true wireless earbuds are an excellent value option. The buds charge horizontally in their case rather than vertically, and the case and the buds have a slightly cheaper feel than the Liberty Air 2. Their sound doesn't have the presence boost in the treble that the Liberty Air 2 buds have, so they're not as clear-sounding with well-recorded tracks and the bass isn't quite as well defined. But they're warmer and more forgiving, which I appreciated, and they sound more like the original Liberty Air model. (I would buy these instead of the Liberty Air earbuds, which are now $60.)
Anker Soundcore Life P2
Like
- Good sound for the price
- Affordable
- Lightweight, they fit comfortably
- USB-C charging (7 hours of battery life)
- Good for making calls
- IPX7 water-resistance rating (fully waterproof)
Don't like
- Case feels a little cheap
- Sound is only decent, not great
It's also worth noting that instead of touch controls they feature physical buttons, which some people prefer. Like the Liberty Air 2 earbuds, they have four microphones, two of which are supposed to help with noise reduction when making calls in noisier environments. They do a decent job of reducing background noise during calls, but my voice didn't sound as clear to callers as it did with the Liberty Air 2 'buds.
The earbuds look a lot like the step-up Soundcore Liberty Air 2, model, but the case feels a little cheaper.
While there's no wireless charging, you do get USB-C charging. Battery life is rated at a healthy 7 hours at moderate volume levels and they have an IPX7 water-resistance rating, which means they can be fully submerged in water to a depth of 3 feet and survive. They're arguably the best value in the Anker true wireless line right now, though, as I said, expect good, not great, sound quality. An almost identical version to these earbuds is sold at Target under the name Soundcore Life Note.
Read more: Best cheap true wireless earbuds in 2020
Another pair of earbuds in this price class are the Earfun Free, which have a generic bud design without the AirPods-like mic pipes. I like the Earfun Free's sound a little better -- and their performance as a headset exceeded my expectations -- but the Anker 'buds have a little more style to them and some people may prefer the Soundcore Life P2 earbuds' pipe design.
