Soundcore Life Q35chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Widely reported as the headphone's biggest flaw: sound quality noticeably changes or gets muddied when switching between Normal, ANC, and Transparency modes, requiring separate custom EQ presets to compensate. A firmware update improved but did not fully resolve this for everyone.

@sickegg2000

Great review. I total agreed with that EQ shift, that’s always a soundcore thing, but I can live with it by 2 separate custom presets. My biggest issue are the ear cup, the stitch lines on the skin side bothers me a lot…. I hate it, but I wouldn’t pick q30/q45, they all have the volume imbalance issue. But q35 is not as obvious. Soundcore just seem to go downhill with their sound quality, Q10 impressed me the most(but way too uncomfortable), then Q20(most comfortable for me), even sound is not that good. Then Q20i is a step down, weakest sound quality from soundcore. I guess that will be the problems with budget headphone, guess my next one won’t be soundcore anymore. Just too much sacrifices.launch

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June 3, 2024

@jintei8524

The app is still the best feature on both because we can get patches and adjustments over time so despite this current issue you mentioned with the EQ shift (first time I saw this on a review for these headphones), I believe this will be addressed in the future and fixed as well\n\r\nIn my opinion, having LDAC (I'd prefer aptX instead) and wearing detection don't seem enough for a 50 buck increase as these Soundcore models are intended to be budget-friendly, but they're still a fine piece of tech for their retail price (even better on deals at their official site)\n\r\nThanks for the quality review man, I also want to note that your smile is beautifullaunch

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August 12, 2021

@keKel-13

Thank you for the honest review. Just bought mine about 10 days ago and am waiting for the arrival. I was already expecting the EQ shift to be a problem ever since the first video I watched about the Q30 and later on watching other videos about the Q35, that you had to mess with the EQ in app to take full advantage and bring out the true sound quality of it. So I thank you for reinforcing this subject. I was OK with having this little work once it arrives, but now I'm actually eager to really fine tune it.launch

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August 10, 2021

@smilodon92

Thanks for this honest extensive review man! Literally nailed every aspect of it.\n\nI really hope Soundcore address this EQ shift issue and maybe fix it with a software update, if possible.launch

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May 4, 2021

Commenters consistently describe the out-of-box sound as excessively bass-heavy and muddy, requiring EQ adjustment to reach a balanced sound, which some feel shouldn't be necessary at this price point.

@chilldikofi5852

I just got these headphones, honestly the quality of bass is a bit disappointing. I mean, the bass is present but not rumbling as claimed. My tws earbuds have a rumbling sweet bass but not this. I EQed acoustic, and increased the bass so that the mids and the treble isn't overpowered.\nIt has just a good bass but not rumbling. That's for me.launch

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June 1, 2024

@lynxxlynxx

Despite everyone loving the sound of these, I didn't like it that much. They're extremely bass heavy. You can EQ them with the app (which works very nice and fast) but the stereo wasn't wide enough for me and the soundstage way too small.\nAlso they feel very cheap overall and sit very loosely on the head. I have a medium sized head (58cm) and haven't had any problem with any other headphones I own. The Soundcore fell of my head almost every time I looked down. So they're not good if you move around alot. The NC I liked really much.\nBut I didn't like the talking when changing modes and that you cannot disable the touch function. It always says \"normal, transparency or noise cancelling\" and mutes the music for a few seconds.\nSomething that bothered me is, that they claim to be 20-40k Hz, but you can only EQ them up to 12k, like JBLs e.g., which go only up to 20k. Not that I hear anything beyond 16k anyways...\nI ended up sending these back and got myself some JBL 660 NC. The sound is much flatter, not so bass heavy and much wider and natural. And I can't even believe I say that about a JBL headphone...\nThe price is the same, but the built quality is much much higher, the wearing comfort is better and they don't fall of my head. Also the App is pretty much the same. The autoplay/pause sensor also works better.\nAlso I tested them both wired and the JBL wins here too.\nFor me the JBL is closer to my Beyerdynamics and Sennheisers, which I'm used to and love a lot.\nI have some Anker in-ears too, and about them I can say, they're pretty damn good!\nBut the overears.. not for me!launch

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June 6, 2023

@6Hail6Lucifer6

I bought in to the hype and picked up this headphone last week. Was disappointed with how they sound to be honest, also there was a weird behaviour of the volume controls with switching between two devices. I 100% agree with the muddied sound and huge change in EQ! i feel somehow the Soundcore Q10 sound better than these. Also, as an iPhone user, i can't make use of the LDAC. I ended up returning this.launch

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August 14, 2022

@housepianist

Thanks for the review. I'm late to the comment party but I have been interested in the Q35 for a while. I did have a chance to hear one in a retail outlet and noticed the heavy bass presence, but that also could have been the selections they had available to listen to which were already bass-heavy.\n\nYou bring up a good point about the bass in these headphones and the tendency for manufacturers to tune these things with stupid amounts of it out of the box. I know that most people who buy wireless headphones want that big bass, which I get, but I don't manufacturers realize that non-bassheads (audiophiles?) want these kinds of headphones too. It would be nice to see headphones like this come out of the box tuned relatively \"flat\". That way, bassheads can go into the app to thump them out and those who prefer a more balanced sound can make slight tweaks, or none at all, to get the sound they want. \n\nI don't know, maybe it's just me because I'm an old-timer audiophile but some of us do embrace these cool, BT headphones. But we have to bring the sound back! Features are great but if the sound sucks, it's a fail. Maybe we should start a petition to have manufacturers #bringbackthesound to their headphones. And Soundcore is in a great position to do that since they make pretty good quality products overall.launch

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August 18, 2021

Several commenters feel the Q35's price increase over the Q30 isn't justified given similar sound quality, pushing it out of true budget territory into competition with mid-range headphones.

@galileo93

Watching this video 3rd time already, I think it's time to replace my battle worn Blue Dio UFO (got them after your recommendation), been using them more than 3 years and they still fine, but a bit worn out and I want to upgrade into better sound quality,anc and type C charging.\n\nAfter all the firmware update, how's the sound quality?\n\nI'm surprised to see then priced at 150$ directly from china right now, while the q30 cost 75$...\nI guess the q30 is a better purchase still right?launch

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June 17, 2022

@dontsurroundurselfwithurself

Great Review, Jeff. You're right in saying that the Q30 is the better buy - but that's partly Soundcore's fault. Being that the Q35s are released so soon after the Q30s, besides the issues you raise, I find it confusing why they didn't upgrade to BT ver. 5.2, and offer HearID on them, their new flagship model, to further distance it from the Q30s. My guess is that the \"real\" release will be a Q40, with this just being a placeholder until then.launch

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May 2, 2021

@truthseeker6804

as theyre raising the prices up drastically, they need to also raise their sound quality. and at this price point, it cant be considered budget headphones anymore. medium priced headphone.launch

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May 2, 2021

@selfloathinggameing

I feel it's weird that Soundcore made a product at a sigificantly higher price point, and while I love my Q30s ($68) that I just got last week, the Life Q products work best as the top of the budget crowd, at 130 you're competing with Hesh ANC and other midlevel stuff\n\nFor me I can't justify $60 more for the upgrades on the 35slaunch

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April 28, 2021

Some users report the headphones feel loose, cheap, or fall off during movement, while others find the earpads get too hot in warm climates; comfort is rated below competitors like the Sony XM4.

@lynxxlynxx

Despite everyone loving the sound of these, I didn't like it that much. They're extremely bass heavy. You can EQ them with the app (which works very nice and fast) but the stereo wasn't wide enough for me and the soundstage way too small.\nAlso they feel very cheap overall and sit very loosely on the head. I have a medium sized head (58cm) and haven't had any problem with any other headphones I own. The Soundcore fell of my head almost every time I looked down. So they're not good if you move around alot. The NC I liked really much.\nBut I didn't like the talking when changing modes and that you cannot disable the touch function. It always says \"normal, transparency or noise cancelling\" and mutes the music for a few seconds.\nSomething that bothered me is, that they claim to be 20-40k Hz, but you can only EQ them up to 12k, like JBLs e.g., which go only up to 20k. Not that I hear anything beyond 16k anyways...\nI ended up sending these back and got myself some JBL 660 NC. The sound is much flatter, not so bass heavy and much wider and natural. And I can't even believe I say that about a JBL headphone...\nThe price is the same, but the built quality is much much higher, the wearing comfort is better and they don't fall of my head. Also the App is pretty much the same. The autoplay/pause sensor also works better.\nAlso I tested them both wired and the JBL wins here too.\nFor me the JBL is closer to my Beyerdynamics and Sennheisers, which I'm used to and love a lot.\nI have some Anker in-ears too, and about them I can say, they're pretty damn good!\nBut the overears.. not for me!launch

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June 6, 2023

@toddleroux4745

Great review. Thanks, Jeff. Have had the 35s for over a year. Your review has given me great info to use my phones better. One thing, I live in Japan, have a tiny head (needless to say my mother's favorite), and the earpads make them too hot to wear other than in winter. Finally, just downloaded the app. Thanks again.launch

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October 8, 2022

@tupchurch

I have the Sony XM4 and the Anker SC Q35 and I cannot decide which one to keep. The Sony's are so comfortable and I really like the ability to listen to two audio sources at the same time. The Q35 might sound even a little better than the XM4 and are more than $100 less, but they aren't super comfortable. I am probably going with the Sony for the reasons I described, but if you don't have the cash and like AAC and LDAC then these would be a good option. Still not sure though because of sound performance, I will have to tinker with the EQ more before I make my final decision.launch

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September 29, 2022

Multiple users report that when connected via the 3.5mm cable, volume is either extremely loud with no way to adjust it from the headphones, or audio stutters at lower volumes.

@filipeaguiar9016

I have this headphones for almost a year and there's something i wasnt able to solve and i d like to see if its just my headphones or others have the same issue, when you have them wired and on and at lower volumes some sounds get cut out and its like a stutter, at Higher volumes everything is ok. I noticed this on ps4 and PC, PC its really low volume but ps4 not so much. Can you try and see if it happens to you? I've contacted support, and are great btw, but i dont they have a solution.launch

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September 19, 2024

@nitramus123

Took a chance and got them because I don't mind playing with the EQ but was totally surprised. Updated firmware and got version 1.20 and there is little to no EQ shift at all. I still have 2 problems. When connected to pc via 3.5mm jack the volume is extremely loud and have to bring it almost all the way down and the volume can not be controlled from the headphones when connected by wire.launch

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June 12, 2021

Some users feel the noise cancelling underperforms compared to expectations or even older Soundcore models, still allowing ambient sound like fans to be heard clearly with ANC engaged.

@johnsanchez1348

Watching this review makes me feel like I got a bad pair of Q35s. Sound is good but the anc is what has me thinking mine not quite right. My Q20s do a better job at anc. You can tell it's been turned on but I can still hear everything around me like a box fan for example. My Q20s do better with anc off.launch

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August 26, 2021

One user notes that using the headphones for Discord plus game audio simultaneously doesn't work well because Bluetooth forces a low-quality hands-free audio profile.

@vivisiow7214

Just a headsup, but for people who intend to use this as a discord + game music, it doesn't really work out because bluetooth profiles doesnt allow it, and it forces you into hands free audio for this function, and its hands free audio sucks. Im saying this as a user of the headphone.launch

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April 9, 2024