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Anker Soundcore upgrades its Sleep earbuds with ANC and snore blocking
19 hours ago
- Soundcore Sleep A30 introduces active noise cancelation, a key upgrade from last year’s A20
- New Adaptive Snore Masking in the case responds to a partner’s snoring in real time
- 7% slimmer design aims to improve comfort for side sleepers
- Battery life dips slightly due to ANC: 9 hours (local) or 6.5 hours (Bluetooth) playback
- Available for $229.99 in August, or $139 for early Kickstarter backers starting today
A year after releasing Sleep A20 earbuds, Soundcore has introduced a more advanced model, the Sleep A30, adding active noise canceling and a new snore-masking feature built into its charging case.
This is the first time Soundcore has included ANC in its sleep-focused earbuds, something I thought the A20 could have benefited from, as they relied solely on passive isolation. During my review, I found the A20 struggled to block out low-frequency disturbances like passing cars or persistent snoring, especially when the window was open. With the A30’s Smart ANC capable of reducing noise by up to 30dB, Soundcore seems intent on closing that gap.
Also new is Adaptive Snore Masking, a feature that uses mics in the upgraded case to analyze the volume and frequency of nearby snoring and generate custom masking audio in real time. It’s an interesting approach to a common problem that no amount of memory foam can seem to fix. I’m curious to see how effective the system is in practice, but the premise is more proactive than anything seen in the A20.
The buds themselves are now 7% slimmer, further improving comfort for side sleepers. This may seem minor, but anyone who’s worn sleep earbuds knows how noticeable even small reductions in pressure can be over eight hours of use. Soundcore also promises improved AI-generated brainwave audio, which hopefully is more soothing than the A20’s preset soundscapes, which I found muddy and uninspiring.
Battery life does take a hit compared to the A20 — down from 14 hours to 9 hours in local mode (or 6.5 hours via Bluetooth streaming), with a total of up to 45 hours including the case. Still, that’s enough to cover multiple nights for most users.
Rounding out the feature set are sleep position tracking, a repeatable alarm with snooze, and Find My Earbud support, all returning from the previous model. The Sleep A30 comes in two colors, classic white and a new mist green, and a plentiful variety of ear tips and wing sizes is included to help you find the right fit.
The A30 is available for pre-order now via Kickstarter at a discounted $139 for early backers, ahead of its August retail launch at $229.99 at retailers like Amazon. Whether the ANC and snore detection justify the $80 price jump from the A20 will depend on how well they actually perform, which I’ll be finding out soon with a review unit headed to the pillow.