Soundcore has released its third generation of sleep headphones. The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 model is the world’s first with active noise cancellation (ANC) in this category of devices. These headphones help people fall asleep despite snoring, city noise, or other sound irritants.

Packaging and assembly

The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 comes in Anker’s classic white box with a picture of the headphones.
The package offers an extensive set: besides the headphones and charging case, it includes silicone tips, memory foam tips, and flexible ear wings in multiple sizes for a secure fit. There is also a short USB Type-C cable and documentation.
In total, six additional sets of tips and wings allow you to customize the fit for any ear size and shape. This is significantly more than competitors offer and really helps you find the right size and model for you.

Design and ergonomics of the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30

The Sleep A30 charging case is round and relatively large. The device features a pleasant matte plastic body.

The front panel has LED charge indicators. The Soundcore logo is visible on the top. On the back, there is a USB Type-C port for charging, another indicator, and a reset button.

There is a silicone stand on the bottom that reduces slippage of the case on the surface.

Inside, the case features matte plastic in a slightly different color, soft LEDs that light up when the earbuds dock, and a nearby magnetic mount.

The designers shaped the case so you can easily insert the earphones and secure them in place for charging. And in general, this compartment is relatively large, the earphones are easy to reach with your fingers and easy to return.

Anker designed the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds to maximize comfort, even when you sleep on your side. They feature an ultra-thin and flat design that is 7% thinner than the previous A20 model. At least that’s what the developer claims. Each earbud weighs only 3 grams, making them the lightest in the category of sleep earbuds with ANC functionality.

The inside of the earbuds are marked L and R, and feature charging contacts and presence sensors. The silicone ear tips have a unique double-layer design. This is said to provide better isolation and comfort.
The flexible ear wings are made of soft silicone. They help secure the earbuds in your ears. This feature further secures the earbuds in your ears and really helps prevent them from falling out, no matter how you sleep.
The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 model is IPX4-rated for moisture and sweat resistance. This means that accidental splashes of water or sweat won’t damage them. However, they cannot be completely submerged in water.

Features of the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30

The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 features 4.6 mm dynamic drivers. The claimed frequency range is 20-20,000 Hz. Codec support is limited to basic SBC and AAC, which is typical for devices designed for sleep rather than music listening.

The main feature of this model is active noise cancellation (ANC). While this has long been standard in regular TWS earbuds, it is a novelty for sleep devices.

According to Soundcore, the ANC feature can reduce noise by up to 30 dB. However, it is important to understand the context here. This figure refers to overall noise reduction, not all types of sounds. In practice, the effectiveness of ANC in the Sleep A30 is significantly more modest compared to giants such as Bose or Sony. But it’s an additional opportunity to reduce noise that is already significantly “cut” by the in-ear design of the headphones. So together, it works great.

ANC in the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 copes well with monotonous low-frequency sounds such as air conditioner hum, fan noise, or distant sounds on the street. However, irregular sounds, such as a partner’s snoring, are less effectively blocked. That’s why Soundcore has developed a special snoring masking system.

This feature first monitors snoring sounds within a 1.5-meter radius via a microphone built into the case, so it’s best to place it near your pillow or on your bedside table. The system then analyzes the level and frequency of the snoring, and the headphones play an optimized masking sound in real time to cover up the snoring. These are usually different melodies or variations of white noise. You can choose these yourself in the app or let the system choose automatically.

Sound and use during sleep

The Soundcore Sleep A30 headphones are not designed for regular music listening, but you can still use them for that purpose. However, the available sound profile is optimized for sleep, so it is calm, soft, and without sharp accents. Keep in mind that the headphones only support the two most common codecs, AAC and SBC.

The compact drivers provide sufficient detail for podcasts, audiobooks, and background music. Low frequencies are present but not dominant. The midrange is best implemented here, while the high frequencies are most lacking.

The quality is quite acceptable for listening to pop music or rock. However, if you want to enjoy complex compositions with many instruments, the Sleep A30 will seem “flat” to you, as it has a narrow soundstage and limited instrument resolution.

Connection, app, and controls

The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 uses Bluetooth 5.4 to connect to your smartphone. However, unlike many conventional TWS earbuds, these do not support simultaneous connection to two devices (Multipoint). This is probably logical, as they are designed to be used at night with one gadget by one person.

Control is implemented via classic touch gestures. But instead of touch panels, which can be triggered by accidentally touching the pillow, Soundcore uses accelerometers. They recognize tapping on the earbud body.

Pros

• modern and very compact design;
• comfortable for sleeping on your side;
• active noise cancellation (ANC);
• adaptive snore masking;
• large library of sleep sounds; 
• local and Bluetooth playback;
• IPX4 water resistance;
• extended package with various attachments.

Cons

• high price;
• modest ANC effectiveness compared to conventional headphones

Final Verdict

Overall, you will definitely have to get used to the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30. They are really comfortable to sleep in because the earbuds are physically very small and do not protrude beyond the ear, which means they do not press on your ears at all and are almost imperceptible when you sleep on your side. It takes more getting used to the music or background sounds, but now I find it hard to imagine falling asleep without the sound of a snowstorm, which I set for myself. It’s very atmospheric for winter. By the way, the white noise sounds can be combined with each other, or you can let the program mix them randomly.