Soundcore P31i Review [WORTH IT in 2026?]

In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Soundcore P31i review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Soundcore P31i vs P20i, CMF Buds Pro 2, JLab Go Air Pop+, Soundcore Liberty 5, TOZO NC9, EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus, and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.

I’m going to do my best to share whether these earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these earbuds are for. I bought these earbuds with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.

I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNow YouTube channel with over 25,000+ subscribers and over 5 million views.

Let’s dive right in!

Soundcore P31i Review in Short

Holding Anker Soundcore P31i wireless earbud in hand

The Soundcore P31i is a surprisingly feature-rich budget earbud under $50 with its serviceable active noise cancelling, AI Live Translation, IP55 water resistance, and decent sound quality. If you can find them on sale closer to $33, they’re an excellent value. Competes with Soundcore P20i, CMF Buds Pro 2, JLab Go Air Pop+, TOZO NC9, Soundcore Liberty 5, EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus, Beats Studio Buds Plus, and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.

Pros and Cons

7.8

Soundcore P31i

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PROS

Active noise cancelling
Good battery life
Decent sound quality
Good value under $50

CONS

Noise cancelling is average
There’s better sound quality

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Soundcore P31i by Anker Translation Earbuds with Real-Time Adaptive ANC

~~$59.99~~ $32.99

Buy Now

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10/04/2026 04:57 am GMT

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

Comfort + Features

Comfort

The Soundcore P31i has a “stem” design similar to AirPods, Samsung Galaxy Buds, and higher-end Soundcore Liberty 5.

From a handling perspective, I find the stem design superior to the “bulb” design which slips out of the hands easier.

The P31i is slightly larger in terms of the earbud size and eartips, so I found them to be not as secure-fitting while working out or over longer periods.

It takes a little bit of fiddling to get the proper physical seal for best noise cancelling and sound quality.

That said, they’re comfy enough for an in-ear, but there are better-fitting earbuds out there, especially for smaller ear canals.

Features

The Soundcore P31i was originally released in November 2025, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:

IP55 dust and water resistance rating (dust, sweat, rain, and low-pressure water streams)
Built-in microphones for taking calls
Bluetooth 6.1
LDAC support
Active Noise Cancelling
Transparency Mode
Custom EQ
AI Live Translation
Native apps for both iOS and Android

Microphone Quality

The P31i features 6 total AI-enhanced microphones, which is a big step up from their previous budget earbuds like the P20i that only featured 2 microphones total.

Mic quality is much improved over that P20i, but not quite at the “elite” level of flagship earbuds that can contain even more microphones and bone conduction sensors.

The P31i is serviceable in most outdoor environments, as it features some wind reduction and adapts to your environment via AI algorithms.

Overall, it’s good but not quite true “flagship” level like the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, etc.

Battery Life

With ANC on: 8 hours on a single charge
With ANC off: 10 hours on a single charge / 50 hours total with charging case
Fast Charge: 10 minutes = 3.5 hours of playback

This battery life is above average across the class that tends to be around 6 hours on a single charge with ANC on, and typically 24-30 hours with the charging case.

Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Performance

Despite being a sub-$50 budget wireless earbud, the P31i has some pretty advanced active noise cancelling and transparency mode features.

This is a huge upgrade compared to their “ultra-budget” P20i model that has no noise cancelling at all.

With the P31i, you can select between 5 manual levels of ANC strength, or set it to “Adaptive” to adjust to your environment dynamically.

Now, I mentioned in the comfort section that the physical seal can be tricky to secure all the time, especially while walking or working out.

When the seal is in, the noise cancelling performance is pretty good for the price, and a massive difference versus no ANC at all like the P20i.

That said, I found myself more impressed by the higher-end Soundcore Liberty 5, which has stronger noise cancelling.

Overall, I would say the P31i has average to slightly below average noise cancelling performance against the class.

As an alternative, the CMF Buds Pro 2 and TOZO NC9 are also under $50 and have surprisingly good active noise cancelling.

Noise Cancelling Score: 7.0 out of 10

Sound Quality

Anker Soundcore P31i, Soundcore P20i, and Soundcore Liberty 5 side by side comparison

The P31i is powered by 11mm dynamic drivers which is larger than average, and the main focus is bass response.

These also support the hi-res codec of LDAC, which is rarer to see in earbuds under $50-$100.

Soundcore’s “house sound” is typically V-shaped and consumer-friendly, and the P31i is no exception.

The bass is the clear star of the show, followed by a forward treble with recessed mids.

I find the bass to be fairly satisfying with decent sub-bass response for an earbud.

Vocals still cut through the bass, but are more treble-forward rather than rich mids with realistic timbre.

The P31i definitely excels for modern bass-heavy music, and falls a bit flat for “real” instruments like Classical and Jazz.

Overall, the sound quality is better than its $30-$50 price point, but I do prefer some earbuds like the CMF Buds Pro 2 and Soundcore Liberty 5, to name a couple.

Sound Quality Score: 7.4 out of 10

Value

The Soundcore P31i retails for $59.99 USD, but can be found on sale for as low as $32.99.

In the sub-$50 range, a lot of earbuds don’t have active noise cancelling, so the P31i is superior to those thanks to its ANC.

There aren’t very many good-sounding earbuds with full active noise cancelling under $50, but the CMF Buds Pro 2 is a serious contender to the P31i.

I’d pick the P31i over most sub-$50 earbuds, and is an excellent value when closer to $33 on sale.

Value Score: 9.5 out of 10

Overall Scoring Breakdown

Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10

Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 7.0 / 10

Sound Quality (50% of score): 7.4 / 10

Value (10% of score): 9.5 / 10

Total: 7.75 out of 10

7.8Expert Score

Great (for under $50)

The Soundcore P31i is a surprisingly feature-rich budget earbud under $50 with its serviceable active noise cancelling, AI Live Translation, IP55 water resistance, and decent sound quality.

Is the Soundcore P31i Worth it?

Soundcore P31i earbuds and charging case next to original box packaging

The Soundcore P31i is a really strong sub-$50 budget earbud contender, considering many earbuds in this price range don’t even have active noise cancelling.

As an overall package, only the CMF Buds Pro 2 comes to mind as a strong alternative for under $50.

If you can find these for closer to $33 on sale, as opposed to their $60 retail price, then they’re an excellent value.

That said, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, I did find myself more impressed by the more premium Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds.

You get what you pay for, at the end of the day.

Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless earbuds are:

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Soundcore P31i by Anker Translation Earbuds with Real-Time Adaptive ANC

~~$59.99~~ $32.99

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

10/04/2026 04:57 am GMT

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

How We Tested and Our Methodology

RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.

We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.

After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.

ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.