DESIGN, COMFORT AND BATTERY LIFE

In size and shape of earbuds, the Anker Soundcore Life A1 is a continuation of the Soundcore Spirit Dot 2 and Life Dot. It has round and medium-sized earbuds, which come with sport-wings in three different sizes. These make sure the earphones cling into the top of your ears, making it easy to exercise and run with them, as they likely will never fall out. The IPX7 waterproof rating helps here - you can even take them under the shower after your workout. 

 But... the Life A1 isn't the most comfortable. The large sport-wing puts a bit of pressure on the upper part of your ear, and as the big size completely seals your ear off, chances are you'll feel a light thud every step you take. It's also hard to keep the sport-wings in place once you've removed them after cleaning or switching to another size. And last: the LED-light flashes white light even when you're playing music, which isn't handy for bedroom use.

 Battery life is fantastic, however. Like other models released at the beginning of 2021, the Life A1 has around 8 hours of playtime on a single charge - a terrific score. The case can recharge the buds three times before needing new power itself. It can be charged wirelessly and via USB-C - and a 10-minute recharge gives the earbuds 1,5 hours of playtime. 

 The charging case is on the larger side, like the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo, but in matte black this time.

 CONNECTIVITY AND CONTROLS

The Soundcore Life A1 has physical buttons that require presses instead of just touches. It's a bit of a soft-touch, which prevents pressing the earbuds into your ears too deep, but it can therefore be hard to control them with gloves on.

The control scheme is easy to learn:

• Press R once to increase the volume

• Press L once to decrease the volume

• Press R twice to play/ pause music

• Press L twice to skip to the next song

• Press R or L three times to switch between the sound signature

• Hold R or L to activate the voice assistant

It's impossible to return a song from the earbuds, but the controls are pretty comprehensive otherwise. For sports purposes, having actual buttons instead of touch controls is good: these buttons function better with sweaty or wet fingers.

The connectivity on the Soundcore is good. It has a strong connection from your device to your earphones up to ten meters and also holds in areas crowded with wireless signals. It's also possible to continue listening to one earpiece while you're listening to the other. Pick the charged bud up, and you'll return to stereo listening without problems.

 CALLING AND WATCHING MOVIES

Watching videos on the Anker Soundcore Life A1 is flawless on both iPhone and Android phones. Audio synchronizes with video perfectly, including in the challenging YouTube-app. 

 There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when you're playing games, however. There is no low-latency gaming mode to counter this delay.

 Call quality then? The Life A1 puts your voice through clear but a bit too soft. Surrounding noises like traffic passing by and people chatting in the background are reduced nicely in your call but can still battle your voice, as it really is a bit too soft. As every so often, wind noise challenges your voice big time.

 SOUND QUALITY OF LIFE A1: BASS OR BASS

The unique selling point for the Soundcore Life A1 is the possibility to switch between three sound equalizers, right from the earbuds.

Each time you're turning the Soundcore Life A1 on, you're getting the 'Soundcore Sound signature' first.

This standard sound is reminiscent of other Soundcore earbuds, like the Liberty 2 Pro, Liberty Air 2, and Soundcore Spirit Dot 2. That means there's plenty of treble, with elevated female and higher-pitched male vocals. Brighter instruments also sound loud and clear, while center-mids like guitars and piano play aren't left out completely out of the music. Mids and upper-mids do feel a bit smoothed out: there can be sudden volume peaks, but they feel comfortably flattened most of the time.

The soundstage (the feeling of music being around you) isn't particularly big on the Life A1. There is some separation between instruments and layers, but they all feel close to each other - again giving a Soundcore a somewhat artificial sound.

But you won't notice all these things as much as the bass. There's a ton of bass on the A1, with heavy-hitting mid-bass that keeps on pumping and sub-bass that rumbles loosely - even in genres where you wouldn't expect it.

So yeah - there's a lot of bass straight away. But press one of the earbuds three times, and you'll switch to a dedicated bass mode, which puts things into overdrive. The bass gets boosted further, and now each mid-bass slam and sub-bass tone rumbles (and yeah, kind of bloats) on. The bass isn't tighter in this setting, nor does it become quicker, but it's punchier and there's just so much more aftermath after each bass tone. The bass setting grants a heavy, boomy bass.

Press three times again, and you'll hop over to the Classical mode - which reduces the bass of the other two settings and paves more way for vocals and higher mid-tones. Unfortunately, this seems like nothing more than a volume trick, wherein the bass is reduced in volume, and the higher frequencies therefore seem raised. Vocals don't win on dynamics, higher-pitched instruments don't offer more detail - they just sound a bit louder, making the sound brighter and more shallow. It's the least worked-out sound signature of the three, one you'll likely only go for when the bass just becomes too much.

Volume-wise, the Life A1 ticks all boxes: it can go from relaxingly soft to insanely loud on both iPhone and Android.

It's a neat option to switch from sound signatures from the earbuds - but ultimately, the Soundcore Life A1 just asks you: how boomy do you want your bass? It's a feast for bass lovers.

SOUNDCORE LIFE A1 COMPARISONS

 SOUNDCORE LIFE A1 VS SOUNDPEATS SONIC 

The SoundPEATS Sonic doesn't have three sound modes, but with 12 (!) hours battery life, a gaming mode, and full track and volume controls on the earbuds, the Sonic is even more feature-packed. The Sonic earbuds don't need sport-wings to stay just as tightly in your ears. The Life A1 has more vivid upper-mid vocals; it pushes them more than the Sonic, on which higher-pitched vocals can sound thinner. The Sonic bass strikes deeper, but it's looser than the Soundcore - which has a more rounded bass in the standard-setting and a much stronger bass in the bass mode. The Life A1 also has a warmer, friendlier sound and represents mid-tones better. If you're in for bass, the Soundcore is the better option.

SOUNDCORE LIFE A1 VS FIIL T1 LITE

Compared to the great $35 Fiil T1 Lite and the hugely comparable $65 Fiil T1 Pro, the Life A1 sounds a bit more smoothed-out in the higher frequencies. While there is enough presence of brighter vocals and instruments, the Soundcore flattens them a bit better for a more relaxing listen. The T1 Lite gives instruments and vocals in the center-mids more body and detail and separates and places them better from each other. Mids sound more natural as well. The bass setting of the Soundcore overpowers the bass from the T1 Lite, even when you trigger the Fiil-app and select the Bass equalizer. The Soundcore battery life is better; the T1 Lite is more comfortable and portable. It also handles phone calls better.

SOUNDCORE LIFE A1 VS SOUNDCORE SPIRIT DOT

The Life A1 continues on the Spirit Dot 2, which has a larger charging case and touch controls, but comparably sized earpieces - including strong but slightly uncomfortable sport-wings. The Spirit Dot may still be the favorable option for bass lovers. It is closer to the bass setting than the regular sound of the A1, yet the Spirit Dot 2 bass strikes just a little faster. It hits deeper and is tighter; even more engaging than the A1. The Life A1 is a little cleaner and more controlled in the mids, however. As it has two other sound settings, 2 hours extra playtime per charge, and more sweat-resistant controls, it is a better choice rationally.

SOUNDCORE LIFE A1 VS TRN T300

The TRN T300 is another recommendation for bass fans, but it also does a better job of pleasuring other music lovers. The TRN has a warmer sound and sounds more friendly due to earlier rolled-off highs. In easier-going songs and more traditional genres, the TRN shows a wider, more natural soundstage with better instrument placement than the Soundcore. The Life A2 extends highs further, providing brighter vocals and instruments with more detail, but it can be more piercing if you're sensitive to treble. Darker sounding instruments sound more pronounced and lively on the TRN. The Soundcore does have double the battery life and better build quality, however.