TWS True Wireless Earphones - $25 - $50
Soundcore has released the second pair of wireless earbuds that also functions as a phone stand due to a clever trick in the charging case. Does it justify buying these $50 earbuds - and is the P30i better than the P40i?
Soundcore P30i/ R50i specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC codec
IP54 waterproof rating
7 - 9 hours playtime on a single charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Has: ANC, Transparency, app support, multipoint connection, phone stand
Doesn't have: gaming mode
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$50 - Buy on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Underneath this Soundcore P30i/ Soundcore R50i review, you will find comparisons between the Soundcore P30i vs Soundcore P40i, Soundcore P20i, Soundcore A30i, and the CMF Buds.
I bought these earbuds myself to test and review. All reviews on Scarbir.com are unsponsored and honest. Want to support my research? Buy me a coffee or support me via PayPal.
The Soundcore P30i (also sold as the Soundcore R50i) is the second model from Soundcore that has a charging case that can also function as a phone stand. It's easy to think of this as a gimmick, but it honestly is a brilliant feature.
Underneath the belly of the P30i case, you can pull out a plastic plateau on which your phone can stand either in horizontal of vertical position. The phone then rests against the rest of the case. The weight distribution is so good, it can hold smaller and larger 6+ inch phones, including phones with thick charging cases easily.
The Soundcore P40i that only released a few months ago, also acts as a phone stand - but you'll have to open the regular lid and take the earbuds out to use it. It will then drain the battery of both the buds and the case.
As the P30i's case has two separate lids - one for the earbuds, one for the phone stand, you can use the function too when you're not using the earbuds.
The left lid contains the earbuds, the right one is the floor for the phone stand
Don't underestimate how useful this feature is. Always having such a compact phone stand with you is brilliant for watching a movie in a train, to quickly show a video to some friends, or just to put your business phone in an upright position so you can clearly see the incoming notifications.
The Soundcore P30i actually is quite a good choice for business purposes, as it supports multipoint connection meaning you can connect the earbuds to either two phones, or a phone and a laptop. It switches automatically when you get a phone or video call, or when you pause output on one device, and press play on the other.
When you take a call, your voice is loud enough, but it feels a bit fragile and comes with some small hums from the microphone. Surroundings like chatter and a radio playing in the background are muted well, but your voice immediately turns thin and wonky when there's a bit of wind involved.
The Active Noise Cancelling also performs very middle-of-the-road for budget earbuds. Even though the extensive free Soundcore app lets you choose between Adaptive ANC that adjusts to your surroundings, manual ANC strength between level 1 to 5, or ANC geared towards certain scenarios, the overall dampening could be better.
Darker and middle sounds still come through, and that radio playing in the background or those colleagues chatting a few desks away: you'll still hear them when you aren't playing music. More constant and silent noises, like typing and darker electronic buzzes, are filtered out well - but the only slightly more expensive P40i's ANC is stronger overall.
When it comes to the basics, the Soundcore P30i does a lot right.
The battery life of 7 hours on a single charge with ANC and music on is a great score. The earbuds are IP54 waterproof, making them suitable for working a sweat in the rain, and via the app, you can add and setup all your desired controls to the earbuds - including changing volume by a single tap. While there isn't a specific low-latency mode, the P30i does synchronize the sounds and action on your screen in games too.
Let's also not forget that the case is compact enough to carry easily in jeans pocket, and that the oval earpieces grant a snug and easy fit - although the round rubber tips are on the larger side. You may need to remove them every now and then to relieve the pressure on your ears a bit.
Unfortunately, the Soundcore P30i doesn't sound very good. It bears an entertaining mid-bass that gives off strong punches, and it can rumble and stab severely in the sub-bass (darkest bass tones you can feel as much as hear) as well, but the P30i just feels off in frequencies above it.
The lower mid-tones are so heavily boosted, they don't only emphasize drums, darker guitars and lower electronic tones, but also can clutter when these darker instruments or frequencies kick in. Center mid-tones like guitars and piano play barely play a role in the music, and even higher male and female voices don't stand out from the clutter very much. Vocals aren't forward enough to liven up the sound. Treble? It pretty much rolls off before it becomes treble.
Just like the Soundcore A30i that has been released at the same time, the Soundcore app has a ton of sound options. That model is saved by the 3D Sound effect which brings the vocals and lower treble forward. On the P30i, it gives the sound a bit more volume and width, but not more presence in the highs.
The 20+ sound presets and the option to create a custom equalizer, all with the ability to switch the 3D Surround sound on or off, sadly fail to provide the Soundcore P30i a balanced, rich sound.
Apart from the Treble Booster EQ, perhaps. By flicking the higher vocal frequencies up, music becomes more energetic in the highs and more entertaining overall. Especially when crossing the volume bar halfway, the punching bass and more open highs will have your head nodding in no time. The 3D slider is a hit-and-miss then, still, sometimes offering a nice stadium-vibe, but mostly offering a way too metallic sound. Unfortunately, even without it, treble can feel a bit metallic.
The Soundcore P30i is a pair of wireless earbuds you want to take you everywhere due to its multipoint connection and brilliant phone stand functionality. It's a shame that the call quality, Active Noise Cancelling and sound quality aren't as desirable.
For the third phone stand model, let's hope Soundcore truly knocks it out of the park.
Design and comfort: 5/5 - Ear tips need relief after a bit, but great 7 hours battery life and a brilliant charging case
Controls, connectivity and app: 4.5/5 - Multipoint connection, fully customisable controls, great app support
Playback: 4/5 - Flawless video playback, solid game performance
Call quality: 3/5 - Doable in easy circumstances, not great in wind or lots of noise
ANC: 3.5/5 - Not the strongest, but reduces constant sounds well. Transparency mode doesn't do much.
Sound quality: 3.5/5 - Punchy bass is the highlight in an otherwise cluttered sound; Treble boost EQ rebalances for an energetic and fun listening
VERDICT: 4 STARS (Good)
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on your Amazon country
Soundcore P30i comparisons
Soundcore P30i vs Soundcore P40i: Which is better?
The Soundcore P30i has a more practical phone stand feature than its predecessor, the Soundcore P40i released early March 2024. You have to take the earbuds first out on the P40i, while you can use the phone stand indepently from the earbuds on the P30i. The P30i also handles big phones a tad better in its stand. The P40i has slightly stronger Active Noise Cancelling, more usable Transparency mode, and is a tad more comfortable thanks to the oval instead of round ear tips.
Both models don't sound very refined, and put most effort into a punchy bass and (overly) heavy lower-mids. The P30i bass is (even) thumpier and at the same time more articulated than the P40i alternative, and the P30i separates higher frequencies better than the P40i - even though you'll only find them with some equalizer presets. The P40i can get rough on higher volumes, while the P30i benefits from a bit more volume. Earbuds with phone stands deserve better sound.
As the Soundcore P30i and P40i nearly cost the same, the cheaper option at the time may be the better option. If it purely comes to the phone stand, the Soundcore P30i is better than the P40i.
$50 - $70 - Buy on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Soundcore A30i vs Soundcore P30i: Beans vs stems
The Soundcore P30i has been released at the same time as the Soundcore A30i, which is a similarly priced pair of wireless earphones with a comparable feature set. The A30i has bean-shaped earbuds that sit snugly and very comfortable in your ears, and are great for side-sleeping as well, although their battery life is just too short to last an entire life. The P30i has half an hour longer playtime on single charge, and offers more responsive controls. The A30i doesn't have the brilliant phone stand feature, but does look great with its lipstick shape.
They're comparable in waterproof rating, multipoint connection, call clarity, and comparable ANC performance. Sound-wise, both aren't Soundcore's best models, as both tend towards the lows very much and forget to refine the treble on top. The P30i has a punchier bass and feels more uplifting. Still, with the 3D Sound setting in the app, the A30i manages to sound clearer and more open, while the P30i is darker, muted and more closed-in whichever sound setting you throw at it.
$50 - Buy on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Soundcore P30i vs Soundcore P20i: Battle between brothers
The Soundcore P20i is the cheapest model in Soundcore's P-range, and unlike the Soundcore P30i, this older model doesn't double as a phone stand yet. The p20i also lacks multipoint connectivity and Active Noise Cancelling - it really is more barebones. The Soundcore P30i handles calls better as well, giving your voice some much-needed extra volume over the P20i. Both earbuds are around IPX5 water- and sweat proof and both have great battery life.
Another similarity is the sound. Both lean heavily on their punchy bass and have strongly reduced treble giving them a dark and somewhat cluttered sound. The P30i does let in more detail and separation of instruments in its music, especially with the 3D setting on. On both models, the Treble Booster brings out the best sound they have to offer.
$30 - Buy on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Soundcore P30i vs CMF Buds by Nothing
The Soundcore P30i and CMF Buds by Nothing have a lot in common. No, not the phone stand feature, but otherwise: they're sold for the same price, both have multipoint connection, stem design earbuds with IP54 waterproof protection, and a sound that revolves mostly around the bass.
The CMF has stronger Active Noise Cancelling, a dedicated gaming mode with great synchronization, and is slightly more comfortable thanks to subtler ear tips. The Soundcore has 1,5 hour per charge more battery life, adds volume controls to the stems, and a stronger connection to the iPhone and Android app - which the CMF Buds sometimes fails to maintain.
Both need musical tweaking to add dynamics to their bassy signature; the CMF Buds can sound fluent with a dark, deep, and rumbling bass underneath with a custom equalizer and the bass slider (see my review for suggestion); the P30i embrace more treble, show more separation and can sound more open - also metallic at that. Their punchy basses both fare best on high volume levels; both lack finesse. Out of these two, go for the phone stand.
$40 - $50 - Buy on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $50
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Disclaimer: I bought these TWS true wireless earbuds myself. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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