For the last several days, I have been trying to wrap my head around these earphones. On one hand, I have a list of things that make sense as to why these earphones are great. Then, I have a smaller list of things that they need to be better at. But the strangest thing I have is an even shorter list of things that don’t make sense about the overall feeling regarding these earphones. Now, sure, I know sound is subjective, but that doesn’t explain everything to a level that even I accept for myself, so I won’t pretend that you should understand them. The best way I can describe it is like trying to explain why Superman is the greatest comic book hero of all time, even though there are so many other heroes who are more powerful, yet they aren’t Superman and nobody will ever be Superman. A great deal of this is because of what the foundation of the comic book world was built upon. Superman was the catalyst and springboard upon which comics were built. Therefore, the thing that is honored the most is the one that has been there since the beginning. Maybe that’s what this is..
Anker represents the new hero on the block (well, “newer”), a block that has been dominated by brands like Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose. While they represent new technology and are considered to have the best phone tech in the world of Bluetooth, they are not Superman, like Sony, Sennheiser, and the like. Maybe that is why these earphones feel so generic and lackluster in their presentation and appearance to me. On the surface, these things are tiny and unassuming, and that is supposed to be a great thing. However, I have never felt less attachment to something that checks as many boxes as these do, and trust me, there are a lot..
- Sound is absolutely stunning, rich , powerful, treble extension and mid range reveal things I’ve never heard in songs. Along with very nice soundstage and imaging. ( * make sure volume is at least 45-50% to hear these results).
- The fit is just the best ever. They are tiny and disappear and grip you inner ear thanks to the material they used. Even has great venting tech!
- ANC is the best of all Bluetooth earphones surprisingly( you heard me!).
- Phone call ability is the best on the planet of Bluetooth, PERIOD.
- The Case is quality and pocket size
- The battery life is up to 12 hours an over 45 hours of total life with fast charging.
- 2 year warranty
- App is great given access to EQ, presents, customization, and even Ambient soundscapes.
- Has LDAC support
- Has Multiple Point ability.
- IP 55 rating.
- And is the one of the lightest and smallest Bluetooth earphone in the world.
- You can sleep in them or work out in them.
- Finally the Price of $129 is just showing out now.
Literally the only thing I can complain about is the sacrifice system it has for the tech it offers. What does that mean? Well, in order for you to benefit from the battery life, you are not allowed to use all the features presented to you. If you use LDAC with ANC, your promised battery life of 12 hours and 46 hours total drops all the way down to 4 hours and 17 hours total. This is a disappointment. I hate systems like this that some manufacturers put into tech. Sony gives you great battery life no matter what you use. Sennheiser does the same thing, as do Apple and others. Anker should have been able to do this as well by now. All of their other products had the same sacrifice system in place, but I had hoped by now this was handled or at least made better. Going from 12 hours to 9 hours would be better if you use ANC and LDAC, but that is just me. Lastly the absent of things like read my text messages, voice controls, or some other gimmick that make it special to the users. If I’m being nitpicky, maybe better touch controls as theirs have a lag to it and are harder to register.
Overall, as you can tell, there is not really that much that anyone can complain about, as I said. And yet, I have no attachment to these earphones. I can objectively recognize that the earphones are great. I can fully see that much work was put into this unit. I can even see how this unit could be the answer to the prayers of many people who have been seeking great performance without the huge price tag, as this unit comes in at $129. And yet again, for the life of me, I can’t find myself attached to it like I have with other brands. Could it be the unassuming looks? Is it the lack presentation or the lack of hype? I don’t know fully what it is. Maybe it’s a combination of it all. I just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe I just finally hit my limit of earphones for this year and now have too many options to be objectively attached. Maybe I’m afraid to trust the results because it’s not every day that you run into a brand like Anker doing so many things better and right versus other brands that have a longer history of it. Anker is just proving that sometimes greatness can come to those who aren’t at the front of the line, and not only to those who have been in the line the longest.
At the end of the day, Anker did what they needed to do. They delivered and challenged the power hierarchy of Bluetooth earphones. So be warned now, you may not get this kind of honesty from others on social media who are tied to other brands. Make no mistake about it, Anker just fired a shot at the leading brands of Bluetooth earphones again. They did this first with the Liberty 5 Pros, but with these latest Buds 2, they have done it again. For me, while they are not perfect, I still easily give these a 4.7 out of 5 star review based on the things they are reasonably responsible for. So yes, I highly recommend them for anyone that wants to try something different, powerful, and yet pocket-friendly, both in cost and size.
