Noise cancellation at its finest: Anker Soundcore Space One Pro Headphones review

Anker is a regular on many best headphones lists, and now it has a new model to show off. The Space One Pro is an enhanced version of a previous set of headphones, the Space One. With its focus on comfort, noise cancellation and a solid playtime between charges, the Pro aims to provide an even better audio experience for music fans.

The Space One Pro's noise cancellation tech helps block out distractions. It does this with six microphones, four of which are front-facing, which detect noise and block it out. As over-ear headphones, the cups also help to keep sound in, so your audio shouldn't leak out the same way as with regular earphones.

The Space One Pro won't be making any budget headphone lists but instead stands among mid-budget and upper ranges. The drivers provide rich sound quality, with the usual superb clarity and bass that Anker is known for. It also is capable of Bluetooth Multipoint, meaning it can simultaneously connect to more than one device wirelessly.

We've had one of our tech experts, Kyle Purves, test the Space One Pro. They're no stranger to reviewing Anker's products and have previously looked at the original Space One headphones. They've made sure to become familiar with the Space One Pro's ins and outs, coming to understand its strengths and weaknesses and whether it's worth your money.

The User Experience

Noise cancellation

The Space One Pro feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which effectively blocks out outside noise and allows you to immerse yourself more in what you're listening to. It does this with its four-stage noise-cancelling system, blocking out background noise in real-time.

In my testing, the ANC proved to be fantastic and very effective. A lot of construction work happens around where I live, and thanks to the Space One Pro, I was able to nullify the jackhammer sounds and focus on my work. I could also stick a playlist on and prevent any outside distractions.

It wasn't just construction that it blocked out. From barking dogs to noisy car alarms, all the loudest sounds were successfully drowned out. It made getting immersed a lot easier, and while I primarily use the Pro for music, it was also brilliant for game and movie audio.

Quality listening

Anker and its Soundcore range tend to sport excellent, well-balanced drivers, and I'm happy to say that the Space One Pro continues this trend. The 40mm drivers are superb and produce rich and clear audio. There's minimal distortion, so whether you're listening to movie dialogue or your preferred music genre, you get an enhanced hi-fi experience.

When testing audio products, I always like to experiment with bassy music, and the Pro is equipped to handle it. It was very easy to listen out for and pick up distinct basslines. In fact, from jazz to metal and beyond, the Space One Pro excelled at every genre I threw at it. Going forward, I imagine myself using this as my go-to pair of headphones for appreciating music.

Battery life and Bluetooth

The potential playtime of the Space One Pro is practically unmatched for its price. A total of 40 hours is already very impressive and outperforms its peers by a few hours, but it can reach upwards of 60 once ANC is turned off. To put that into perspective, you could listen to music with it for eight hours a day for a whole week and still have a bit of charge left. That's fantastic, and considering that you can give it a few bursts of charge here and there, it's not unrealistic to keep it from running flat for a very long time.

The Pro's brilliance in battery life makes it a solid pick for portability and use when travelling. Coupled with the Bluetooth connection, which proved to be consistent and very reliable during my time with it, I see myself taking these headphones with me just about everywhere.

Unseen microphones

Despite not being a headset, the Space One Pro can still be used for voice calls. The microphones can pick up your voice, so you can use them in the same way as earbuds. This is handy because you won't need to lean into your laptop's built-in mic, and there's no external mic that needs to be moved around.

From testing it on calls with coworkers during the day and with friends at night, it seems the mic quality is quite solid. It isn't mindblowing, but it manages to outclass what you would expect of a laptop mic. It's not a major feature, but it is definitely an appreciated inclusion.

That all said, I did find it a bit unusual to use. As these are over-ear headphones and prioritise blocking outside sound, I was thrown off by how my own voice sounded when wearing them. It's entirely possible that this might not be an issue for you, and I reckon that with enough time, I would adjust to using them for this.

Over-ear comfort

As mentioned, the Space One Pro is a set of over-ear headphones. This means that the cups fit over the ear, fully encompassing them. Other designs, like on-ear and open-ear, have their benefits, but personally, I find over-ear headphones to provide the best balance of comfort and sound quality.

The Pro doesn't put any pressure on your ears, making them much more comfortable for longer listening sessions. Some over-ear headphones can get stuffy over time, but that never became an issue when I used the Pro. Adjusting the band is easily done, and the cups sit in place without moving, even when walking around.

Over-ear cups also help with noise reduction. Because your ears are covered, less outside noise can get in, even with ANC turned off. In turn, your audio will also leak out a lot less as the cups form a soft seal.

Flexible design

The Space One Pro's 'FlexiCurve' design is cleverly thought out. Headphones can't match the compact size of earbuds, but the Pro's foldable nature gives it an edge over other headphones. There are multiple joints and segments that provide it with extra freedom of movement. The cups can be folded into the band and layered on top of each other, making the Pro surprisingly small when necessary. It can take a bit to get the method down, but the instructions inside the box were able to guide me.

For an added bit of portable convenience, there's also a travel bag for the Pro. It's handy to have, but it is only included with the headphones for a limited time. After that, it will be a separate purchase.

The Pro VS the Original

As previously mentioned, the Space One Pro is a new and improved version of Soundcore's previous model, the Space One. I've reviewed the Space One before and have continued to use it, and now that I have experienced the new model, I can appreciate the differences.

What's the same?

There aren't too many things that are exactly the same between the two models, but there are a handful that are very similar or only slightly improved upon.

In terms of performance, the drivers are 40mm on both headphones, providing fantastic sound quality. The Space One was already excellent in this regard, so I'm happy that the Pro focused its improvements on other areas. The playtime is also comparable between the two. While the Pro should last about five hours longer with ANC turned off, both headphones last for around 40 hours with it enabled.

As for the physical build of the headphones, I would rank them just about equal in terms of comfort. The Pro gets a slight edge over its predecessor as I found it a little lighter on my head, but only by a small margin.

What are the improvements?

I already like the Space One, but the improvements that the Pro makes are brilliant. Even though I found the mic a bit unusual to use at first, the leap in quality is very noticeable. It was my main complaint about the Space One, so I'm very pleased to see it substantially improved.

Whereas the battery might be comparable between the two models, the charging time has received a significant upgrade. With USB-C charging, the Space One could get four hours of playtime out of five minutes of charging. That was already great and comfortably outperformed many other headphones and earbuds. And yet, the speed and efficiency of the Pro outshines it effortlessly. It is capable of getting eight hours of play out of five minutes of charge. That's twice the playtime for the same time charging, and it's hard not to be blown away by that. What was already a strong suit has been further honed and refined.

The last difference I want to note is also the most visually apparent. As seen in the photo included at the start of this section, the Space One Pro is a lot more compact than the original. Despite how much I enjoyed using the Space One, I would often choose earbuds over them when travelling since they took up a chunk of bag space. That's no longer the case, as the Pro's ingenious flexibility means I am able to bring it with me everywhere I go. It may seem like a minor feature to some, but when put to the test, I found it to be an impactful improvement.

Any downsides?

It's an incredibly minor complaint, but I would like to note something that hasn't changed between the two models. For some reason, the button press required to turn the headphones on and off feels strangely long. It is purely a nitpick, but compared to other headphone models, this does feel a bit out of place. Still, it's by no means a dealbreaker.

Price and competition

At £149.99, the Space One Pro are certainly outside the limits of being budget headphones. Its predecessor, the Space One, retails for around £90 when not on sale. That's quite a jump in price, and while I do deeply appreciate the improvements that the Pro has made over the original, I'm not entirely convinced that a £60 difference will be worth it for everyone. On the one hand, I think the Space One Pro absolutely justifies its price, but on the other, the Space One was already a fantastic set of headphones.

For a comparison with similarly priced headphones, look to the Edifier WH950NB. It's the same price as the Space One Pro, so you should be getting a comparable experience. Both headphones sport very impressive battery life and excellent sound quality. The notable differences would be in the microphones and noise cancellation. Where the Space One Pro has six microphones and ANC, the Edifier WH950NB sports four microphones and two modes of ANC.

Who is it for?

The Anker Space One Pro is versatile enough that just about anyone can appreciate how it sounds. Its main strengths are its sound quality, noise cancellation, and battery life. If you can get good use out of two of those three, then they will be excellent for you. For me, they're fantastic for blocking out outside noise and letting me listen to music as I work, helping me to focus and be free from distractions.

Would we recommend it?

Absolutely. The Space One Pro is an excellent step up from an already brilliant set of headphones. The mic quality, charge time, and flexibility improvements make it stand out from its predecessor, but even if you ignore all of that, just about every aspect of the Space One Pro is impressive. The noise cancellation is very effective, and the drivers make the bass sound all the better with them. At £149.99, it's certainly pricey, but it more than justifies the price tag. This is a pair of headphones that is worth choosing, and I will be continuing to use them for a long time.

More items to consider?

Who tested it?

Kyle Purves is a tech writer for What's The Best who frequently reviews audio products. They're no stranger to Anker products, having reviewed numerous speakers, power banks, and headphones before. As such, they know what to keep an eye – and ear – out for, ensuring they are always thorough in their reviews.

How was it tested?

To test the Anker Space One Pro, I used them at every opportunity daily. This allowed me to push the battery life and see how well it holds up in practice, as well as understand how comfortable wearing them for long sessions would be. I used them during voice calls, with those on the other end informing me of the mic quality. For music, I tried a variety of genres, including loud and bass-heavy tracks, both to test the potential of the drivers as well as to see how much sound would leak out at higher volumes. The noise cancellation was tested in a handful of ways, but most notable was using it to get immersed in gaming and TV shows without distraction.

Why should you trust us?

At What's The Best, our mission is to provide accurate and reliable reviews, ensuring our readers receive honest and transparent information about the best technology products available. Anything less would undermine our commitment to being a trusted source of unbiased product information.

Our dedicated in-house writing team comprises experts with extensive experience and a genuine passion for technology. Collectively, we have spent decades testing and writing about tech, leveraging our expertise in all our articles, advice pieces and reviews.

We maintain complete editorial independence and do not accept payment for product reviews. Our writers have full control over their content, ensuring that products are selected based solely on the needs of our readers. While we may earn commissions or other compensation from links on our website, this never affects our product choices. These links enable us to continue offering valuable consumer advice, without compromising the integrity of our reviews.

Read more about why you should trust us.

How we test products at What's The Best

Struggling to navigate the audio world? We provide unbiased reviews for real listeners.

At What's The Best, we ditch the technical jargon and deliver sound reviews for sound people. Our team of audio enthusiasts puts everyday speakers, headphones, and more through their paces in real-world listening scenarios. We don't waste your time with staged tests – we focus on how these products actually perform for everyday music lovers.

The result? Unbiased buying advice you can trust. We only review the most relevant and impactful audio products on the market, so you know you're getting the latest insights. Can't find a review for your specific gear? We're constantly expanding our review database, so stay tuned!

Want to dive deeper into how we test audio products? Visit our dedicated page detailing how we go about performing our audio reviews.

Kyle Purves is a Tech Writer and Reviewer for What's The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

They're well-versed in reviewing a variety of tech products, with a soft spot for speakers and earphones. They're also no stranger to hunting down the best savings, always wanting to get the best deal possible. Outside of work, they can often be found playing through an RPG, listening to Japanese noise rock, or trying to catch up with their ever-expanding list of shows and anime to watch. If possible, they try to play Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times a week, but getting six adults to be free at the same time is easier said than done.

Subscribe to the What's The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the rest of the What's The Best team.