I tested the Soundcore Space 2 Pro and it's a killer Bose alternative for $160 less — as long you ignore the AI features

When I reviewed them in 2025, the original Soundcore Space One Pro proved to be one of Anker’s biggest curveballs. I honestly expected something extremely mid from the mid-priced headphones. So when the Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro launched in September 2026, I couldn’t wait to try them out.

While I love the overall sound quality and the personalized EQ feature, there are a few quality-of-life issues that prevent the Space 2 Pro from receiving the coveted 4-star “Recommended” rating. If you value products with their advertized AI features actually working as intended, you’re not in the right place.

But don’t care about AI in headphones? Then, the Space 2 Pro could be some of the best over-ear headphones available today. It totally depends on what you’re after. Don’t fret — I’ll walk you through all the details in this Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Specs

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Price & availability

The Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro (say that ten times fast) cost $199 from Amazon U.S. and £199 from Amazon U.K. This is the same launch price as the predecessor, Soundcore Space One Pro, which I like to see.

$200 places them firmly in the mid of mid-range. Even so, the similar-performance Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 (not Ultra) will set you back a lot more — $359, to be exact. The brand-new Beats 360 are $349, but have an IPX4 rating (more on that later) and interchangeable ear cups.

At this price point, you might even want to check out Sony’s recently refreshed WH-1000 XM4, which were initially released in 2021. Now you can snag these cans for $298, which isn’t bad for the high-quality sound.

For those looking to save even more money, you might want to check out Soundcore’s budget option, the Space 2, which sound much better than their $99 price tag might suggest.

For the Space 2 Pro, Soundcore ditched the, well, Soundcore branding and added the parent company’s name: now it’s Anker Soundcore. Consequently, the app is now called Anker Soundcore rather than Soundcore.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Design

In terms of design, the Soundcore Space 2 Pro are both inconspicuous and sleek. I tested the lovely grayish mauve, which would be my choice if buying these for myself. If you want something a bit more eye-catching, you might want to check out the aforementioned Beats 360.

Unfortunately, there’s no IP rating. While this isn’t unheard of for over-ear headphones — the AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 lack one, too — the Nothing Headphone (a) are rated IP52, making them splashproof, while the Beats 360 are IPX4 rated, making them water- and sweat-resistant, so excellent for working out.

Comfort

The Space 2 Pro are oh-so comfortable. I wore the headphones for eight hours while donning glasses, and the cups never pushed my glasses into my skull. I barely felt them — checks out, considering they’re just 9.2 ounces. This is a whole ounce lighter than the Space One Pro and the Beats 360.

Controls

There are controls on either ear cup, and, thankfully, no touch controls. Woo-hoo! While simple to use, I wish the controls had more customization. There’s no option to configure skip forward/skip back or pause… surely the most important buttons on an audio product? No, Anker has decided to forgo actually useful audio-related controls in favor of AI controls and assistants. Great! It just makes no sense.

Connectivity

I found connecting the headphones supremely easy. Multipoint also works seamlessly: I was connected to my phone and laptop within seconds. All you have to do is press the Bluetooth button for each additional device, and it works exactly how it’s supposed to.

The headphones use Bluetooth 6.0 and also have LDAC (a high-resolution codec available on most modern Android phones). I’m extremely relieved to see Bluetooth 6.0 as Apple released both the AirPods Max 2 and the Beats 360 with Bluetooth 5.3 / 5.4, respectively. Yes, in 2026. I know.

In short, Bluetooth 6.0 will provide a longer range and more stable connection. In reality, I was able to go downstairs and to the front door before the Space 2 Pro disconnected.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Sound quality

To test sound quality, I listened to a range of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles.

Just like its predecessor, the Space 2 Pro are very bassy. If you like a bassy sound signature — similar to the JBL Live 780NC or the Bose QuietComfort/Bose QuietComfort Ultra — you’ll like it. Of course, you can adjust the default EQ to whatever suits you. I’ll discuss this more in the “App” section below, but you can also do Soundcore’s HearID game to find your “optimal” EQ.

With my personalized EQ, I listened to “Hot Dog” by Limp Bizkit. The heavy, crunchy guitars in the chorus chugged through the headphones without unbalancing the vocals. In the verses, the softer guitar riffs fluttered around the background of the track. Most present of all was bass, which led the track like a knight commander running into battle.

Details are pronounced, too. I switched back to Anker Signature EQ for my next track. The chattering synth flicks in “Bias” by Floating Points were clear enough to trick my mind into thinking my jaw was trembling. I could feel the vibrations around my skull. Through the rest of the track, the sub-bass (the lowest bass, and the stuff you can feel rather than hear) grumbled along with intensity; although it might be a touch too rounded for some, I love powerful bass (as long as higher frequencies don’t suffer because of it).

The playful licks of synth towards the end of the track were layered beautifully over that pumping sub-bass. Each flickering synth was clear and well-formed, with no crispiness or overly bright processing issues. This song sounded immense.

All that being said, the propulsive bass might be a little too intense for some listeners. While details are still clear, the bassline dominated in “Superscar” by ADELA. Let me reiterate: this is not inherently a bad thing. I personally like this sound signature because I get a naughty bass response without the vocals being pushed back.

Overall, the Space 2 Pro sound like their predecessor with a little more oomph. Bass steals the spotlight, but without shoving higher-frequency details into the wings.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: ANC

ANC, as expected, is great. I tested the headphones both in the office and while walking around the city. I couldn’t hear myself typing or conversations around me.

When I was walking around the city, I could hear some construction (drilling) noises, but chatter and general human noise were completely silenced. If you live near a super busy road or are often on public transport, these headphones would suit you fine. However, if you want to obliterate nearby drilling, they might not be enough (but is there anything capable of blocking out a concrete drill?).

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Call quality

Anker’s marketing claims the Soundcore Space 2 Pro hold the Guinness World Record for the world’s clearest call quality. Well, I’ll be the judge of that.

To test call quality, I called my boyfriend, who has listened to every pair of headphones and earbuds I’ve ever tested. I played a drilling noise track at max volume (75dB) to test the environmental sound reduction capabilities.

He said my voice was clear and audible, around the same as my AirPods Pro 2, but it wasn’t anything special. He also reported he could hear the drilling noise track in the background; however, the headphones isolated my voice and he could hear everything I said.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: App

Because the Space 2 Pro come with Anker’s new “Thus AI” chip, they have an upgraded AI assistant. If you’re the kind of person who uses AI in headphones, this’ll be music to your ears. Personally, I never use AI in any earbuds or headphones, so this is redundant for me.

Even so, “Anka” (yes, that’s its name) is supposed to be able to do a number of interesting things: adjust your EQ, take notes, and even tell you a joke. The joke, however, is that Anka can’t do any of these things.

Haha. Really funny. It couldn’t even answer the pre-programmed suggested questions. If you want headphones with AI that actually works, the Space 2 Pro might not be the ones for you.

I do find it ironic that Anker uses AI-generated images in its advertisements but its own AI doesn’t work. It feels serendipitous.

Even so, it’s incredibly frustrating that Anker is selling an unfinished product: don’t advertize AI features that don’t work. I’ve reached out to Anker to clarify this.

Apart from the non-functional chatbot (seriously, who asked for this?), the Soundcore app can do everything you’d expect it to. You can customize EQ manually, configure the controls (kind of), and cycle through ANC modes. As far as apps go, it’s standard.

Of course, there’s the HearID function, as in the Space One Pro. I love this feature. I’m a sucker for gamified personalized EQs.

My HearID was markedly quieter in the low mids than Anker’s Signature EQ, but a little more pronounced in the sub-bass. Naturally, you can adjust the EQ on the fly, too, so you can easily switch between bass and balanced when you go from rock to pop, for example.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Battery

The Soundcore Space 2 Pro last for 60 hours with ANC off and 30 hours with ANC on. I listened for 8 hours and it went down by 20%, which checks out.

Although I’ve tested headphones with seriously unkillable batteries — like the EarFun Wave Pro (55 hours with ANC) and the EarFun Tune Pro (80 hours with ANC), 30 hours is more than enough to get you through at least a decent chunk of the week.

But please remember — you have to turn off the headphones manually. They don’t sleep after a certain amount of dormancy. I woke up one morning to find my headphones dead.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro review: Verdict

The Anker Soundcore Space 2 Pro are great headphones. Are they better than the predecessor? As good as they sound, I’m going to say no. Not when the advertized AI features don’t work. Again, this is super personal — I do not care about AI in headphones, full stop, so I could overlook this. But it does leave a sour taste in my mouth. What other features don’t work?

As far as I’ve tested, everything else works. HearID? Yes. 30-hour battery? You got it. Rich, high-quality sound? Yep. Supremely clear calls? Uh-huh. Cloud-cushion comfort? Another yes. Honestly, though… I think I’d buy the Space One Pro on discount instead of paying full price for the Space 2 Pro. The improvements, while seemingly impressive, aren’t worth the extra cash. True, we’re still waiting for said discounts, but with Black Friday around the corner, I’m sure there’ll be some decent savings on the older model now.

Even so, if you want the newest version, you won’t be disappointed. The Space 2 Pro sound excellent, feel super comfy, and have great call quality and ANC. Just beware of those “AI” features.