TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
FIVE STARS - With great battery life, engaging sound, and a bucketload of options, the Soundcore Life P3 are complete wireless ANC earbuds under $100.
Soundcore Life P3 specs:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof (rain and sweat proof)
6 - 7 hours listening on a full charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 5 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$80 - Look for discounts on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Below this Soundcore Life P3 review, you will find comparisons of the Soundcore Life P3 vs Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, 1more ComfoBuds Pro, Realme Buds Air 2 and SoundPEATS T2.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Available in bright red, light blue, white, black, and the tested dark blue version, the Soundcore Life P3 looks and feels like a true Soundcore product. The brand has proven itself with high-quality products like the Liberty 2 Pro, Liberty Air 2, and Liberty Air 2 Pro, and here too, the charging case has some nice weight to it and a lid that doesn't close instantly on the lightest shake. There are three LED lights on the front to indicate the remaining case, and it supports USB-C and wireless charging.
The case can recharge the earbuds five times fully, providing them up to 6 hours of playtime on a single charge, with ANC on - and around an hour longer with the function turned off. That's a solid score for active noise cancelling earbuds and plenty of juice for average daily use.
The earbuds themselves look rather playful. The stems and upper part are made from shiny plastic with subtle brighter, even shinier sides. On the outside, there's a black inlay with another matte inlay on top. These buds are quite comfortable, with oval parts that sink into your ears and make for a comfortable fit - more so than the more expensive and bulkier Liberty Air 2 Pro. They sit tight enough for runs and workouts - helped further by the IPX5-waterproof level, meaning they withstand rain and sweat.
Controls and connectivity
The Soundcore Life P3 has great connectivity. The earbuds pair and connect fast once you open the case and remain a strong Bluetooth connection up to 9-10 meters away from your device. Hiccups in the connection and sound are rare, and it's possible to switch between listening to one or two earbuds at all times. Music doesn't automatically pause when you take a bud out.
Standard controls are simple and convenient:
Double-tap R to play/ pause music
Double-tap L to skip to the next track
Hold L or R to cycle between ANC noise-cancelling, (Transparency mode) and ANC off
While this may not look like much, you can change all controls and add a touch command for a single-tap on either side as well - so it's also possible to add full track controls, volume controls, and the voice assistant. It's not possible to activate the Gaming Mode from the earbuds though. The earbuds also respond quickly to a single tap so that you may activate an unwanted action now and then. Still - the control options are outstanding.
Calling and watching movies
Watching videos with the Life P3 is easy, with flawless synchronization between audio and video on Android and iPhone. While there is some delay in sound effects when playing games, you can activate a Gaming Mode from the app (only), which speeds up sound effects a little (but not entirely) and emphasizes upper mid-tones to let you hear footsteps and gunshots better - clever.
The Soundcore Life P3 handles both phone calls and video calls decently. The 6-microphone setup reduces sounds from your surroundings so there aren't too many background sounds while you're calling. You sound natural, without too much brightness or too much bass in your voice. However: when there is noise or wind noise around you, the Life P3 heavily processes those sounds, and this can drag away your voice as well - up to the point it's hard to hear what you are saying.
A minor downside: you can't cycle between ANC functions while you're calling. So if you have noise-cancelling activated when you're making a call, you may not hear yourself talking so well, and you can't switch anymore. This is a limitation on many ANC and non-ANC earbuds that block a lot of outside noise.
Soundcore Life P3 app quality
The app support of the Soundcore Life P3 has improved over the more expensive Liberty Air 2 Pro. It offers the same generous amount of functions but presents them simpler.
Check the battery status of both earbuds
Quick start guide
Read the manual and help
Update firmware
Find your earbuds by sending out loud beeps to them
Activate a touch-tone for all your controls
Select Ambient sound modes (3 ANC settings + 2 Transparency mode settings)
Turn on/ off Gaming Mode
Change controls or reset to default controls
Do a Tip Fit Test to ensure you have the right ear tips
Sleep Mode with all kinds of Ambient noises you can slide softer and louder; with timer up to 3 hours
Create your sound equalizer
Choose from 21 equalizers (+ Bass Up function for default equalizer)
The amount of options from the app is truly incredible, while it doesn't feel overwhelming. The sleep mode is an excellent, well-executed idea you can set up to your liking and also works great for concentration purposes.
While far from all 21 equalizers are spot on, the option to turn up extra bass with one tap (you really have to love bass, though), the Bass Reducer, and the lively yet balanced Acoustic equalizers are worth looking into. You can even edit the existing equalizers and save your own custom one - it's all truly helpful and great to have.
ANC Noise cancelling test of Soundcore Life P3
The Soundcore Life P3 has ANC active noise cancellation and ANC off as standard, and with the app you can add the Transparency mode to your controls. Switching between the functions is confirmed by different beeps that sound a bit too much alike.
ANC strength: You can switch between three active noise-cancelling from the app, yet Traffic, Indoor, and Outdoor are pretty much alike in most circumstances. They reduce darker background sounds heavily, up to the point where they can be inaudible. More nearby sounds like keyboard clickings and climate control are reduced in volume as well. The same goes for (distant) traffic, although passing trains and scooters can still be heard. Nearby voices come through pretty well when you're not listening to music, but the ANC in all its three settings is convenient enough to bring some peace to your head.
Transparency mode strength: The Transparency mode, which you can activate to hear sounds around you, also has two settings: focused on voice or all effects around you. With the latter, it's doable to hear and locate traffic around you while you're listening to music at moderate volume levels. Impressive.
Wind noise reduction: Both the ANC and Transparency mode manage to rule out wind noise pretty good. Even when you're riding on a bike with ANC activated, wind noise doesn't interfere too much with your music and also doesn't sound too sharp. If you want to rule out even more wind noise, you can turn off ANC entirely. Switching to this setting has a strange effect, though: it takes about half a minute before the bass returns to the music.
With all the functions and their effectiveness, the Soundcore Life P3 offers solid ANC and Transparency for the money.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Soundcore Life P3: Bass +
If you've been following Soundcore earphones, you'll know they have a lot of bass. After the Liberty Neo, Life P2, Liberty Air 2, Liberty 2 Pro, Spirit Dot 2, Life A1, and Liberty Air 2 Pro, the Soundcore Life P3 is no exception.
Even with the Bass Booster in the app switched off, the Life P3 has a ton of mid-bass. Electronic slams and drums hit with a thump and strike fast, although that's easy to oversee in the rumblings bass tone cause. Each strike is smeared out long and the bass flows easily into the lower mid-tones that join in on the fun. Even though the sub-bass [the darkest bass you can feel as much as hear] doesn't sound very deep, there's a lot of weight in the lows in this earphone - also when you're playing music in lower volume.
Yet unlike some previous models like the Life A1 or Spirit Dot 2, the P3 doesn't only appeal to bass lovers. Soundcore has got the higher frequencies right this time around - they sound more natural than the Liberty 2 Pro, and less sharp than the Liberty Air 2, for example.
From lower male vocals to high-pitched female voices: they take up a prominent role in the music without dominating the song and other instruments. They strike a fine balance between clarity and smoothness and reach higher notes as easily as lower ones. Vocals sound bright enough, but rarely sharp or thin.
In addition, vocals also play a central role in the music - meaning they often sound right in front of you. Much better than on most Soundcores, the Life P3 positions instruments next to you. While the soundstage isn't very wide, it's clear that drums may come from your left, while guitars appear more on your right. Separation between layers and instruments is rock solid. Especially with the Acoustic equalizer, typical mid instruments like guitars, piano, or saxophones, sound natural and textured.
While you do need to appreciate a vast amount of bass in your music, the Soundcore Life P3 sounds plenty engaging, rich, yet smooth. Supported by some handy equalizers that will let you easily tweak the music, it will please many music lovers.
Soundcore Life P3 comparisons
Soundcore Life P3 vs Liberty Air 2 Pro
With the Soundcore Life P3 released, it's become pretty obsolete to lay down an extra $50 for the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro. The latter has a sleeker case with a lid you can slide open, the buds look slightly more formal, and the sound has more forwarded and rich vocals and stronger upper-mids... but the cheaper newcomer just offers better value for money. Its sound is a tad darker but also fuller and easier-going than the Air 2 Pro, yet with better instrument placement. The Life P3 app is easier to navigate, the case is more compact, and the earbuds fit tighter in your ears while making less inner-ear noise. Battery life is comparable - and the Life P3 noise-cancelling and call quality are even a bit better.
Soundcore Life P3 vs 1more ComfoBuds Pro
Available for the same price, the 1more ComfoBuds Pro is a true competitor to the Life P3. The Soundcore plays up to 2 hours more on a single charge, but the 1more ComfoBuds Pro ANC is more effective and silences out darker and brighter sounds in the background and nearby better. Both models have convincing Transparency modes; the 1more even better microphones for phone and video calls. The 1more has a more balanced sound, with more naturalness in the mid-tones and nuances in (higher-pitched) vocals. The Soundcore has weightier and quicker bass and drums, and offers more separation and better placement of instruments and details, especially with the Acoustic equalizer activated. Controls are more comprehensive, too.
Soundcore Life P3 vs Realme Buds Air 2
Realme Buds Air 2 on the left, Edifier TWS330NB on the right
The metallic-blue coated Realme Buds Air 2 looks more stylish than the Life P3 at only half the price. The Soundcore has up to 2,5 hours longer battery life on a single charge, and its noise-cancelling filters out more (background and closeby) sounds. The Transparency modes are excellent on both, though, and the same goes for call quality and... sound. Both come with a boosted mid-bass, although the P3 smears out bass tones longer. The Realme bass sounds deeper, and vocals are more prominent. The Soundcore controls all frequencies so well it can appear more artificial than the Buds Air 2, but it's also easier, less peaky, to listen to. The Realme has a flatter, more pocketable case.
Soundcore Life P3 vs SoundPEATS T2
The cheaper SoundPEATS T2 may not have stems, but its call quality is nearly as good as that on the Life P3, while it also has a strong Active Noise Cancelling mode - if you receive a unit without a slight ANC disturbance when you're not playing music, that is. The Soundcore is more comfortable and has up to 1,5 hours longer battery life per charge. Despite the blown-up bass, the Soundcore offers more definition in the mid-bass and other lower frequencies, and has more natural and open sounding mids and upper-mids. Dynamics are better too: the Life P3 reveals and keeps details better even in crowded songs.
Verdict
With great battery life, engaging sound, and a bucketload of options, the Soundcore Life P3 are complete wireless ANC earbuds under $100.
Five stars - Excellent
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I bought the Soundcore Life P3 myself to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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