- Stylish, compact lipstick-shaped case
- Excellent sound with deep bass, clear mids
- Customizable ANC and EQ via app
- Comfortable, lightweight fit
- Short battery life
- Occasional connectivity drops
The Soundcore A30i earbuds impress with their stylish lipstick-shaped case, excellent sound quality, and customizable ANC. Comfortable and feature-packed with a great app, they’re a steal at $50. However, shorter battery life (4.5–6 hours) and occasional connectivity drops slightly mar the experience.
I’ve tried out a ton of earbuds over time, but the Soundcore A30i, which hit the market in May 2024, caught my eye right away with their unique look.
The charging case pops out like a fancy lipstick making it a cool trendy gadget that’s easy to take with you in your pocket or bag. I bought a pair from AliExpress for about $50.
After giving them a good test run, I’m keen to tell you what sets the A30i apart, plus a couple of quirks you should know about.
Let’s get into it!
Soundcore A30i Specs
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | Version 5.4 |
| Charging | Type-C |
| Battery Capacity | 310mAh |
| Charging Time | 1 Hour (Earbuds) 2 Hours (Case) |
| Driver Size | 6mm |
| Playtime | Up to 7 Hours (Earbuds) 24 Hours (with Case) |
| Other Features | Bluetooth Range: 10m |
Unboxing and What’s Included
Opening the Soundcore A30i box feels like unwrapping a little gift. Inside, you get the earbuds nestled in their unique lipstick-shaped charging case, a USB-C cable, a few different ear tip sizes, and some basic paperwork.
Design and Comfort
The A30i’s design is a head-turner. The charging case is compact and stylish, sliding out like a fancy lipstick tube, which makes it fun to carry around.
The earbuds themselves are tiny—each weighing just 3.7g—and shaped like smooth little beans. They’re incredibly comfortable, slipping into your ears with a snug, natural seal that’s perfect for long listening sessions or even wearing while lying down.
I wore them for hours without any discomfort, and they stayed secure during light jogs. One small downside: the ear tips pop off a bit too easily, which could be annoying if they get stuck in your ear.
Also, unlike some other earbuds, there’s no light indicator on the earbuds themselves to show pairing or battery status, which I missed.
Setup and Connectivity
Setting up the A30i is as easy as it gets. Pop the earbuds out of the case, and within seconds, they’re in pairing mode.
On my phone, I went to Bluetooth settings, saw “Soundcore A30i” pop up, and connected instantly.
The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.4, which offers a solid 10-meter range. They also support multipoint connectivity, so I could pair them with my phone and laptop at the same time, switching between devices by pausing one and playing the other. It worked smoothly about 80% of the time, which is great for the price.
However, I did notice occasional audio drops where one earbud would fade out for a few seconds before coming back, almost like the sound was shifting between ears.
It’s not a full disconnect, but it happened often enough—once per session or so—to be noticeable. I’ve seen similar complaints in online reviews, so it’s something to keep in mind.
Sound Quality
When it comes to sound, the A30i absolutely delivers. I popped them in, played a mix of hip-hop, pop, and podcasts, and was blown away by how good they sound for the price.
The bass is deep and rich, the mids are clear with great vocal separation, and the highs have enough detail to make dialogue in movies or podcasts pop.
There’s no distortion, even at high volumes, and the soundstage feels surprisingly wide for such small earbuds.
The Soundcore app lets you choose from 22 EQ presets—like Bass Booster or Classical—or create your own custom EQ, which I had a blast tweaking to match my taste.
There’s also a 3D surround sound mode, but honestly, it made things sound a bit artificial, so I stuck with the default settings. For $20–$30, the audio quality is honestly phenomenal.
App and Features
The Soundcore app is a big reason these earbuds feel like a steal. It’s clean, easy to use, and packed with features.
You can check battery levels for each earbud and the case, tweak touch controls, and adjust ambient sound modes.
The A30i offers adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) with strong, moderate, or weak settings, plus scene-specific modes for places like a bus or office.
The ANC does a decent job blocking low-end noises like traffic or air conditioners, though it’s not as strong against voices or high-pitched sounds.
There’s also a transparency mode with wind noise reduction, which is handy for staying aware of your surroundings, though I didn’t notice a huge difference with the wind feature.
You can cycle through modes (transparency, normal, ANC) by long-pressing the earbuds, but here’s a tip: set “normal” mode in the app for long presses to save battery, as ANC drains it faster.
The touch controls are responsive, but I’d recommend avoiding single-tap actions, as it’s easy to accidentally trigger them when adjusting the earbuds.
The app also lets you set the earbuds to auto-power off or stay on, and you get beeps for low battery alerts (20% and 10%). It’s a no-nonsense app that covers everything you need.
Call Quality
With four AI-powered microphones, the A30i handles calls better than I expected for budget earbuds.
I tested them outdoors on a breezy day, and my voice came through clearly, with the wind noise reduction helping keep things crisp.
It’s not perfect in super noisy settings, but for casual calls or video chats, it’s more than good enough.
The mics pick up your voice naturally, making the A30i a solid choice if you take a lot of calls on the go.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the A30i hits a snag. On paper, you get 7 hours per charge (5 with ANC on) and 24 hours total with the case.
In reality, I was lucky to get 6 hours without ANC and about 4.5 hours with it on. The case takes 1.5–2 hours to fully charge the earbuds, and it struggles to provide two full charges before needing a recharge itself.
I often found the earbuds low on battery after just a few hours of use, which meant keeping the case charged was a must.
There’s a fast-charge feature—10 minutes for 2 hours of playtime—which is a lifesaver, but the overall battery life is a weak point for all-day use.
The Verdict
The Soundcore A30i is a fantastic budget earbud that punches way above its price tag.
The stylish lipstick-shaped case, comfortable fit, and stellar sound quality make it a joy to use, and the app’s customization options—like adaptive ANC and custom EQ—add serious value.
The call quality is impressive, and the setup is effortless. However, the shorter-than-advertised battery life (4.5–6 hours per charge) and occasional connectivity drops are noticeable drawbacks.
If you’re after great sound and don’t mind charging frequently, the A30i is a no-brainer, especially for music lovers or movie buffs who want immersive audio on a budget.
If battery life is a dealbreaker, you might want to check out other options such as Redmi Buds 7S, Oppo Enco Air4 Pro, or CMF Buds 2 Plus.
Overall, these earbuds are a great pick for the price—just keep a charger handy. Got questions? Drop them in the comments, and I’ll help you out!
Nick, the Co-founder of Earbuds Arena, is a seasoned freelance tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering wearables, apps, headphones, and gadgets. When he’s not immersed in the tech world, you’ll likely find him unwinding with video games, going for a run, or enjoying a game of soccer on the field.
