Anker had the new Soundcore Spirit X2 sports headphones already presented in September 2019. They should actually be available in the same month, but keep shifting. Now the time has come, and for EUR 119.99 the Spirit X2 will finally be available in German retail from June 3, 2020. For a test, I took a look at the earbuds or, better said, listened to them.
I had been looking forward to the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 for a long time and was a little disappointed that the earplugs had been moved so often. In the end, I now hold them in my hands and have already done a few jogging laps with them. Here are the most important key data for True Wireless headphones, which Anker advertises specifically for sports.
Key technical data for Anker Soundcore Spirit X2
- True wireless headphones with earwings
- Connection via Bluetooth 5.0
- 12mm driver
- Battery life: approx. 9 hours
- 10 minutes of charging is enough for 1.5 hours of operation
- Charging via the charging cradle with USB Type-C
- Microphones for noise reduction during calls
- Codecs: Qualcomm aptX, SBC, AAC
- IP68 and Sweat Guard for protection against moisture
- Price: 119.99 euros
As you can see, the Soundcore Spirit X2 should be a good companion for sport. According to Anker, they also let the basses pump properly, which should be exciting for people who listen to beat-heavy or rhythmic music. They also support Qualcomm aptX, which should be responsible for stable connections with high-quality transmission. Often you ask in the comments that Qualcomm’s marketing has worked really well – because AAC usually does too, only SBC would be disappointing.
Equipment and processing
The Anker Spirit X2 are delivered in a fairly large box, which indicates in bold letters “Epic Bass”. Even the product image cannot hide the fact that the headphones are rather bulky. Inside you will find the headphones and some paperwork, of course, the charging case, a cable for USB Type-C for charging, three small envelopes for the earbuds and a total of five ear tips.
The charging cradle collects points for me, because it is made of matt plastic and therefore rather insensitive to fingerprints. There are also three small LEDs on the front outside, which indicate the charge level. There is a small button on the back. The more LEDs that light up after printing, the higher the charge of the shell. The button can also be used for a factory reset by a long press.
The charging port (USB Type-C) is also on the back. The only thing that bothered me a bit is the freaky putting on the earbud wrappers. In addition, the silicone seems a bit too flabby and doesn’t sit as tight as I would have liked. Sporadically it slipped slightly when I took out the earbuds.
The headphones themselves look very robust, even if the design can be described as rather rustic. With their earhooks, the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 are quite bulky. In any case, they do not appear discreet, in everyday life everyone will recognize if you use the earplugs. But Anker advertises them, unlike about the Liberty Air 2, also not as everyday headphones, but as a sports accessory.
Short note: The Spirit X2 are resistant to dirt and water according to protection class IP68, so they are also suitable for swimming or jogging in the rain. However, the manufacturer does not recommend use in showers and saunas, because the headphones are waterproof, but not completely waterproof. The charging case is also not waterproof at all.
Comfort
Unfortunately, I have to pull off the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 a few points in terms of comfort. But keep in mind: every ear is different. What causes me problems can seem completely pleasant to you. At first I could not comfortably use the headphones in combination with glasses or a protective mask. Since the Spirit X2 presses very close to the ear, even my very thin and light glasses in combination with the headphones led to a disturbing feeling of pressure.
I have generally tried all the essays – there are three pairs of essays for the earbuds and five pairs of ear tips. I got stuck with the second largest ear tips and the largest all-around essays. Due to the rather large earwings, which are reminiscent of the Beats Powerbeats, I felt a feeling of pressure in my ears after a short wearing time of 30 minutes. Changing the attachments could not change that.
The Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 was stuck, you have to let them do it: I was able to jog perfectly with it and didn’t have to fumble. In relation to this aspect, I had no complaints, if you look for the right attachments, then these headphones are a tight companion during sports – in my case, unfortunately, a little too tight.
sound
Bass, bass, bass – Anker can no longer get away from promoting the Soundcore Spirit X2 with its bass reproduction. For this purpose, an additional acoustic chamber was placed behind the 12 mm audio drivers, the company says. BassUp is supposed to analyze the played material in real time and increase the low frequencies accordingly. In fact, these headphones are really buzzing, you have to allow them.
But as it usually is: other areas suffer from the very powerful and dominant basses. So I lack the dynamics of the Spirit X2. The sound is very bass-emphasized and especially the highs are damped. If you like listening to rhythmic music, you won’t be bothered, but since I tend to prefer melodic music with intense peaks, Dreampop, Shoegaze, Indie Rock / Pop / Folk and Singer / Songwriter, I’m not perfect with the somewhat mushy sound happy.
So the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 has power and passive noise cancellation is also pretty good – after all, they are decent calibers, these headphones in the Powerbeats look. But I lack the differentiation. If you are more interested in raw power in the bass range, you will probably be very satisfied with the sound.
Further comments
The Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 do not need a connection to the manufacturer’s official Soundcore app, which surprised me. So there are no adaptable operating functions on the earbuds, no automatic pause modes or networking with voice assistants. These headphones are intended for sports – without much frills. There are two buttons per earbud on the plugs, which can be used to stop / start playback and to lower / increase the volume.
Phone calls are also possible with the Spirit X2. I was attested to a language quality that was “OK”. But there are better models the Honor Magic Earbuds For example, according to my interlocutors, they should have done a better job. But normal calls are possible without acoustic problems.
Battery life? That works well with Anker’s statement of about nine hours, I rather managed even a little longer. Of course, the volume affects the runtime. By the way, you can fully charge the charger three times before you have to go to a socket.
My conclusion
I often complain in my headphone tests that the manufacturers’ models are too loose for me. With the Soundcore Spirit X2 from Anker, I now have the problem that they hold perfectly while doing sports, but exert too much pressure on my ears due to their large and tight earwings – combinations with glasses and / or a protective mask even caused a slight pain .
Every ear is different, maybe the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 are perfect for you in that respect – unfortunately, the ergonomics didn’t suit me. I really liked the sound, but it is particularly suitable for listeners of beat-heavy sounds, because the basses are extremely dominant. Well, “Epic Bass” is already bold on the packaging, so you know what to expect.
The processing of the headphones also fits and the aptX, which is loved by many commentators, is also on board. So if you are looking for fixed sports headphones without cables and listen to a lot of rhythmic music and cope with these types of earhooks, then the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 may be just the thing for you.
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