The Soundcore Space 2 have some big boots to fill. Their predecessor, the Soundcore Space One, were some of the best cheap headphones we’ve ever tested thanks to the impressive ANC and surprisingly premium sound quality. So how do the new Soundcore Space 2 hold up?
Well, if you’re expecting that same faithful, rich, and wide soundscape, you’ll be relieved to hear that Space 2’s got it. Sure, you would probably get better sound quality with the midrange Bose or Sony options, but you wouldn’t get the same premium features found on the Space 2. For just $129, you get access to a personalized sound profile, live translation (with the Soundcore app), and impressive ANC. The Space 2 perfectly bridge that gap between “premium features” and “budget price”.
Want to find out if the Soundcore Space 2 are truly some of the best headphones on the market right now? You know you want to keep reading this Soundcore Space 2 review.
Soundcore Space 2 review: Specs
Price |
|
Headphone style |
Closed back |
Drivers |
40mm |
Frequency response |
Unspecified |
Impedance |
16Ω |
Durability |
None |
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.1, 3.5mm aux |
Multipoint connectivity |
Yes |
ANC |
Yes |
Wear detection |
Yes |
Battery life |
70 hours |
Weight |
9.3 ounces |
Colors |
Black, teal, white |
Soundcore Space 2 review: Price & availability
The Soundcore Space 2 are $129 from Amazon U.S. and £129 from Amazon U.K. This makes them some of the cheapest headphones you can get in 2026; the CMF Headphone Pro ($99) are the only high-quality recent release that beats this price.
For an extra $70, there’s the Soundcore Space One Pro ($199), my go-to recommendation for midrange headphones, and for $50 less, you might want to check out the JLab JBuds Lux ANC ($79).
The previous model, Soundcore Space One, were $99 at launch, so you’re paying $30 extra for the newer version. However, you get a range of new features like nap mode and live translation (which you have to pay for).
Soundcore Space 2 review: Design
As I expect from Soundcore gear, the Space 2 are flexible, comfy, and lightweight. I tested the teal pair, which would have been my choice had I bought them for myself anyway.
The Space 2 have wear detection, which I had to calibrate in the Soundcore app before it worked on the headphones, and a range of surprisingly premium features, which I’ll discuss in the ‘App’ section below.
Unfortunately, there’s no IP rating, unlike the Nothing Headphone (a), which had an impressive (for over-ears) rating of IP52, meaning you can safely wear them in the rain (for a little while).
Comfort
The Space 2 are supremely comfortable. I could wear these for hours and hours (and I did). The ear cups are beautifully cushioned, with a padded headband that didn’t feel heavy on my head at all.
They’re just as comfortable as the CMF Headphone Pro, which were equally lightweight and easy enough to wear for long listening periods. I have no qualms recommending these even to people with sensitive heads.
Controls
The Soundcore Space 2 have a range of controls, and thankfully, they’re all buttons. I’m glad Soundcore didn’t follow the Bose/Sony trend and build egregious touch controls into the headphone cups.
Entering pairing mode is super simple — just double-press the power button — and the multi-function button controls smart assistant, answering calls, and more (if you customize in the Soundcore app).
Thankfully, there’s a separate button for ANC, which means I never accidentally cycled through ANC modes while trying to adjust volume.
Connectivity
I was pleased to see that the Space 2 have multi-point connectivity. This was super easy to set up — I didn’t even need to adjust it manually in the app — and both my phone and laptop stayed connected. The headphones even switched automatically between devices.
The Space 2 use Bluetooth 6.1, which is great to see. Samsung also released its new earbuds — Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro — with Bluetooth 6.1 earlier in the year. I’m flabbergasted how Soundcore is capable of releasing budget headphones with the newest Bluetooth version in 2026, but only a month earlier, Apple’s flagship AirPods Max 2 ($549) launched with only 5.3, limping far behind.
Soundcore Space 2 review: Sound quality
To test the sound quality on the Soundcore Space 2, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz on both my iPhone 16 Pro and using LDAC on my Samsung Galaxy S25+. I’ll discuss standouts here.
‘Busy Girl’ by Tove Lo is a disco-infused electronic track with a pulsing synth melody and rich bassline. At the start of the track, there’s a vocal section with layered glitch effects, which sounded a little fizzy through the Space 2. After this section, Tove Lo’s vocals were clear and melodic, and layered pleasantly over the top of the soundscape.
After, I played ‘Era Vulgaris (Non-LP version)’ by Queens of the Stone Age, which is a rough desert-rock track with heady, lazy guitars and deep male vocals. Josh Homme’s voice was at the centre of the song, and I could hear the backing vocals clearly. There wasn’t as much instrument separation as I’d have liked, as I couldn’t discern between bass and guitar layers easily, but for $129, I was pleased.
However, LDAC was really impressive. I played ‘YES GODDD’ by Slayyyter, which is a challenging, hyperpop-meets-NIN track, a heavy, crackling guitar and synth bassline and effected vocals. The Soundcore Space 2 handled this with confidence, the heavy bass and growling, screeching vocals clear over the instrumentation. The higher-frequency details at the top of the synth and in percussion were clear, too. Obviously, the Space 2 sound better with LDAC, so Android users are getting even more of a treat here.
The CMF Headphone Pro are much bassier (thanks to the manual bass adjuster but also feel a bit narrower. The Space 2 have more width. One isn’t better than the other — it’s just up to your personal preference.
Soundcore Space 2 review: ANC
The Soundcore Space 2 have three ANC modes: on, off, and transparency. When I was using ANC, I could still hear high-frequency office sounds over my music, like keyboards clacking and mice clicking. However, I couldn’t hear the air con.
When I was walking around the city, I couldn’t hear much traffic noise, and I was completely immersed in my music. I caught glimpses of construction drilling, but for everyday use, this ANC is stellar.
Soundcore Space 2 review: Call quality
Soundcore claims the Space 2 have three AI-powered mics. To test the call quality, I called my boyfriend, who had listened to every single pair of headphones I’ve reviewed, so he’s basically a control test at this point.
He reported that I sounded audible, but my voice was a little fuzzy at the end of words. However, he could understand everything I said, and couldn’t hear environmental noise like traffic or voices.
Soundcore Space 2 review: App
As with the Space One and Space One Pro, the Space 2 use the Soundcore app. This app is fantastic — and it has some new features! You can now use live translation, a feature present on 2025’s AirPods Pro 3, 2026’s Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and 2026’s AirPods Max 2.
A returning feature is the HearID personalized EQ, which I loved on the Space One Pro, and I love on the Space 2. This is effectively a gamified hearing test (“Which sounds better?”) that generates you an EQ based on your ears’ ability to perceive sounds.
There’s also a white noise feature, strangely titled ‘Nap mode’. I’m curious who is wearing over-ear headphones to sleep! Something straightforward like ‘white noise’ or ‘focus mode’ would have made more sense. Odd name aside, ‘Nap mode’ is actually really pleasant — it’s just indefinite rain sounds.
Here are some screenshots from the Soundcore app so you can see for yourself.
As you can see, the features are all easily navigable, and the overall interface is user-friendly. I really enjoy using Soundcore’s app — it feels more modern than JLab’s app and EarFun’s app.
Soundcore Space 2 review: Battery
If you’re not yet impressed with the Soundcore Space 2, prepare to be. These $129 headphones boast 70 hours of playtime with ANC off, and 50 hours with ANC on. This is the same as the CMF Headphone Pro (with ANC on), ten hours longer than the JLab JBuds Lux ANC and the previous model Space One.
I listened for 8 hours and the battery dropped to 70% — I was using LDAC, ANC, testing all the features, so normal listening will probably get you longer than this.
Soundcore Space 2 review: Verdict
The Soundcore Space 2 feel like much pricier headphones. With AirPods Max 2-inspired features like live translation, impressive LDAC sound quality, and memory foam ear cups, I’d honestly recommend saving your $$$ and getting these over, say, the Sony WH-1000XM4 (on sale) or Bose QuietComfort (not Ultra).
Although you’re obviously getting better sound quality with those Bose and Sony options, if you really value premium features (live translation, for example) for as little money as possible, I’d recommend the Space 2 instead. It’s not all about the smart features, though. Casual music listeners will also get what they want from the Space 2 — a faithful, rich soundscape with surprising width and a particular emphasis on vocals. I had a wonderful time listening to these headphones.
The Space 2 are the best of all worlds: budget price, impressive sound quality, great ANC, and supreme comfort. I’d happily recommend these headphones to everyone.
