New set of buds from Soundcore - the Space 40 - pack a
ton of features (gaming mode, multipoint and long battery life), they're
small enough for sleeping and come with Soundcore app support - one of
the best companion apps around!
The
Space A40 buds are equipped with a similar adaptive active noise
cancellation technology found in the Space Q45 headphones. It uses a
hybrid mic design (internal+external) two noise cancelling microphones
per earbud so, you can enjoy calls with minimized noise in the
background.
Opening the charging case lid
triggers automatic bluetooth pairing mode. You can connect the Space A40
earbuds to two separate devices (e.g. phone + laptop), thanks to
multipoint support. Stereo to mono switching is seamless without
disconnection nor re-connection delay. The earbuds reconnect instantly
when taken out of the charging case.
Like most earbuds on the
market, the Space A40 uses touch controls, which are remappable via the
Soundcore app. Touch gesture controls consist of single tap, double tap
and long press that allow you control a total of 3 functions per earbud +
calls (answer/end/reject). Functions that can be chosen include
play/pause, volume up, volume down, skip to previous, skip to next,
voice assistant, game mode
The Space A40 earbuds store
inside a pebble style charging case with rounded edges and flat base,
letting you keep the case upright. The lid has a strong (non-wobbly)
spring loaded hinge. The case earbud docking area has a spacious glossy
plastic design similar to the Spirit Dot 2, making it very easy to remove the earbuds by pinching them out or pushing them out at an angle.
The
Space A40 earbuds are made entirely of plastic with metal mesh guard
and chrome plastic accents around the touch control panels. Touch
sensitivity is highly responsive, requiring only a light touch (no
tapping). The Space A40 earbuds weigh 5.5 grams each - similar in weight
to the Life P2 earbuds, Life P3 buds, and Liberty Air 2 Pro. The Space A40 case weighs 49 grams and measures 6.5cm long, 4.5cm wide and 2.5cm high.
As
well touch control remapping, the Soundcore app features EQ settings
with 8-band equalizer, 20 preset sounds and custom EQ mode to make your
own sound signature. From the app, there is also battery level indicator
for each earbud as well as manual anc mode to
manually adjust
the strength of the active noise cancellation.
Transparency (ambient)
mode can also be manually adjusted via two settings: 1) vocal/ near
field close range (best when talking to people) and full
transparent/far-field longer range (best for situational awareness).
In the battery department, the Space A40 buds support quick charge
and take 2 hours to charge to 100%. The case takes 3 hours to charge
(via cable) and 3.5 hours when using a 15W fast wireless charger.
Battery life with 65% volume and ANC On is around 8 hours (40 hours with
the charging case). With ANC Off, playtime increases to 9.5 hours (50
hours with the case). LDAC drains an extra 2 hours, while game mode 3.5
hours less.
Potential deal breakers
Potential deal breakers
- The Soundcore app does not show the battery level of the charging case
- Voice assistant, game mode and anc/transparency modes can only be controlled via double tap or long press. Single tap is not available for these options
- When game mode is enabled, it automatically disables the sound presets and equalizer settings
- You cannot use anc and game mode at the same time
- No on-ear detection (auto play/pause)
- Weak noise cancellation during calls - noise leaks into the call in a noisy environment
- Ldac only compatible with Android (iOS does not yet support it)
Selling points for the Space A40
- high passive isolation helps the active noise cancelling mics suppress background noises and some voices
- Great ANC
- Excellent battery life
- High resolution Ldac support
- Wireless charging support - same as the Life P3 case
- Wind noise mode
- You can disable touch controls - perfect buds for sleeping
- ANC and transparency modes work also with one earbud
- No status leds on earbuds; hence no blinking
- Adjustable auto power off
- Touch tone feedback can be disabled
- You can switch the order of the listening modes (anc, transparency and normal) as well as pick only two listening modes
- Normal mode (turns off anc mode and transparency mode)
- Graphic equalizer app
- Comfy to wear - short nozzle + thin eartips (thin bore and thin flange)
- Earbud finder (handy if you misplace the earbuds)
- Dual multipoint connection for up to 2 simultaneous devices
- Automatically adaptable anc
- Three anc levels to choose (strong, moderate, weak)
- Transparency mode works flawlessly (feels like not wearing earbuds)
- Supports aac and ldac (Android 8.0 version and newer) - same as Space Q45 headphones and Liberty 3 Pro buds.
- 18 month limited warranty
- Flip up lid design
- Can be connected whilst in the case
Accessories included with the Space A40 buds are a short charging
cable (Soundcore branded) and different size silicone eartips. You can buy the Space A40 from Soundcore amazon store.
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