Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Soundcore P20i review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Soundcore P20i vs 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 P20i Review in Short
The Soundcore P20i is an ultra-budget earbud that delivers better sound quality than expected, but lacks active noise cancelling and multi-point connection. Competes with 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
- Good sound quality
- Good battery life
- Good value under $30
- No active noise cancelling
- No multi-point connection
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
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 P20i 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.
Now, the P20i is slightly large in its earbud and not as form-fitting and ergonomic as the Liberty 5, AirPods, or Samsung Galaxy Buds.
So I don’t really recommend the P20i if you have smaller ear canals, as they may not fit securely compared to other earbuds.
Other than that, if you have average to large ear canals they should be fine.
Features
The Soundcore P20i was originally released in May 2023, so it has some modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX5 dust and water resistance rating (sweat, rain, and low-pressure water streams)
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Custom EQ
- Native apps for both iOS and Android
The P20i is rather light on features as it doesn’t have active noise cancelling, transparency mode, or multi-point connection.
Microphone Quality
Being a sub-$30 “ultra-budget” earbud, the microphone quality on the Soundcore P20i is average to below average.
It’s serviceable relative to its ultra-budget price, as it has some AI noise reduction from Soundcore.
But it only features 2 mics total, while more advanced setups can contain up to 4-5 mics and a bone conduction sensor per earbud.
Overall, it’s nowhere near true “flagship” level like the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, etc.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: N/A
- With ANC off: 10 hours on a single charge / 30 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 10 minutes = 2 hours of playback
This battery life is average across the class, and it’s important to note that the P20i doesn’t have active noise cancelling which would diminish its battery life further.
Comfort + Features Score: 8.0 out of 10
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Performance
The Soundcore P20i does NOT have active noise cancelling or transparency mode features.
Instead, it relies on the passive noise isolation from its physical seal, similar to earplugs.
The physical seal does block out some outside noise, but is overall underwhelming compared to even the most basic active noise cancelling.
The solution is to play music at a moderate volume or higher, and then it does a better job of drowning out ambient noise, but at the increased risk of hearing damage.
As an alternative, the CMF Buds Pro 2 and TOZO NC9 are also under $40 and have surprisingly good active noise cancelling.
Noise Cancelling Score: 3.0 out of 10
Sound Quality
The P20i is powered by 10mm dynamic drivers which is larger than average, and the main focus is bass response.
Unlike Soundcore’s more expensive Liberty series, the P20i doesn’t support any hi-res codecs like LDAC.
One note I want to make here is that the lack of active noise cancelling diminishes the sound quality in real-world scenarios.
Outside noise competes with the music leading to a loss in finer details that would be picked up with stronger noise cancelling.
With that said, the sound quality of the P20i for being sub-$30 is not bad, but nothing special.
Soundcore’s “house sound” tends to be V-shaped and bass forward, which is true of the P20i.
For modern genres and bass-heavy music, the P20i is decently enjoyable.
That said, I highly prefer the Soundcore Liberty 5 which is in another level, hence the $60-$70 price difference.
In the P20i’s price range, I also highly prefer the CMF Buds Pro 2, followed by the JLab Go Air Pop+.
Sound Quality Score: 6.9 out of 10
Value
The Soundcore P20i retails for $39.99 USD, but can be found on sale for as low as $20.99.
At its nearly $20 sale price, the P20i is actually one of the cheapest products we’ve ever tested.
For that sale price, the P20i is decent and better than expected.
That said, the lack of active noise cancelling and multi-point connection are deal-breakers for me personally, and I’d highly recommend upgrading to a budget earbud with those features.
I’d spend an extra $20 for the CMF Buds Pro 2, or spend about the same for the JLab Go Air Pop+ which has better sound quality, or TOZO NC9 that has strong active noise cancelling.
Value Score: 9.0 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 8.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 3.0 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 6.9 / 10
Value (10% of score): 9.0 / 10
Total: 6.30 out of 10
Is the Soundcore P20i Worth it?
At its $21 sale price, it’s hard to argue that the Soundcore P20i isn’t worth it, if not for the sound quality alone.
That said, there are a handful of sub-$40 budget earbuds that I do prefer, such as the CMF Buds Pro 2, JLab Go Air Pop+, and TOZO NC9.
The CMF and TOZO have surprisingly good active noise cancelling, while the JLab has better sound quality, but no ANC.
For my money, I’d spend a little extra to get the CMF Buds Pro 2 for around $40.
Or upgrade within the Soundcore family to the Liberty 5, which is excellent as well.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless earbuds are:
- CMF Buds Pro 2
- JLab Go Air Pop+
- TOZO NC9
- Soundcore Liberty 5
- Beats Studio Buds Plus
- EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus
- Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
- AirPods 4 ANC
- Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro
- AirPods Pro 3
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
- Nothing Ear 3
- SoundPEATS H3
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
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.
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