SOUNDPEATS SPACE – They cost very little but do not give up ANC, lots of AUTONOMY and SPATIAL sound
When we come across over ear headphones, the feeling is that of having a quality product, including construction, compared to traditional earphones. Perhaps because the common imagination is to associate ear-cup headphones with people who are experts in the sector, such as audio technicians or DJs, or because it is thought that wrapping the ear provides a more enveloping listening experience if we think exclusively of music. Well today I bring you the new SoundPeats SPACE for review which promise a high level of quality at an affordable price. But will they have managed to convince us?
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On offer on Amazon
UNBOXING AND CONSTRUCTION
Even just taking a look at the packaging of the headphones, we understand that we are dealing with a product that, despite its economic nature, does not seem like it at all, in fact there are meticulous details on the sales box and everything inside is protected by a sponge. Inside the equipment includes:
- headphones;
- 3.5 / 3.5 mm audio jack cable;
- Type-C charging cable;
- manuals.
Unfortunately, a transport bag is not supplied, in order to protect them from small bumps or scratches, but with a few euros you can find one, also because the SPACE can be folded by 120° on themselves so as to take up less space, or you can simply rotate the earcups 90°.
The headphones under review use materials such as plastic and imitation leather, the latter used to cover the memory foam padding of the earcups and the upper part of the arch, the surface that rests on the head, further embellished with a fabric with a texture relief that increases the grip of the grip. The design is decidedly classic, while the arch can be adjusted to different sizes by means of a plastic and metal core, making it robust and easy to slide. The SoundPeats are available in 3 different colors, i.e. white with silver serigraphs and black with bronze serigraphs and cream/beige with gold serigraphs.
On the drivers we find the physical buttons to give commands while the letters R or L are "embroidered" inside to indicate the left or right side of wearability. On the right profile we therefore have the on/off button which also performs the play/pause function by pressing once, or recalls the smartphone's voice assistant or Game Mode with double or triple pressure respectively. Always on the same side we find the AUX input for wired use and then the volume rocker, through which we could also skip the track forwards or backwards by pressing and holding the respective button.
On the left driver, however, we find the Type-C input for charging the headphones and the ANC button, which will recall the standard, transparency and ANC profiles. The weight of the headphones is 264 grams, about 120 grams less than the more expensive AirPods Max, so comfort also benefits, being able to use the SoundPeats SPACE for long sessions.
CONNECTIVITY
The SoundPeats SPACE are wireless headphones, therefore Bluetooth, which adopt a 5.3 module (JL7018F6 chipset) which not only offers quick and easy-to-detect pairing but the connection itself remains rather stable, without causing drops. An excellent thing is the integration of Multipoint technology, which allows you to pair the headphones with two devices simultaneously, for example to manage music and/or calls on one or the other device.
But what should not be underestimated is the cable connection, where obviously everything is even more stable musically and it is certainly recommended to use it for more professional uses, such as video editing or novice DJs. In wireless mode we still have a more than decent audio latency, of 65ms through the game mode, which can be activated both from the app and from headphones.
AUDIO AND MICROPHONES
The audio of the SoundPeats SPACE is really good, especially compared to wireless Bluetooth headphones in the same price range, which really elevates them to best-buy. Thanks to 40 mm dynamic drivers, listening to every musical genre is very clean both wireless and wired, but you will never need the cable, no matter how good they sound. The presence of the bass is decidedly important, which does not overpower the other medium/high tones, but is full-bodied and pronounced almost as if the standard profile were calibrated for listening to dance music or films where audio effects are a fundamental component. You can still balance the audio profile from the application, drawing on presets already created for music styles, or create a personal equalization but what is even more amazing is the possibility of creating a real audio profile based on how you listen to certain sound frequencies. Furthermore, when used via AUX cable, you can benefit from Hi-Res AUDIO certified listening.
But let's get to the noise cancellation chapter, because the SoundPeats SPACE offer a hybrid ANC, which makes my opinion of the product even more positive. The over ear nature of the product basically already isolates you from the context but by activating the ANC you are completely immersed in the multimedia content you are listening to. If we analyze the technical data, i.e. the -35dB that we obtain as noise suppression, we do not realize the real noise suppression capacity of these headphones. There is also the Transparency mode, which does its job well, but which I find superfluous on this type of product, because personally I would never think of wearing them to do sport even if I admit it can be useful in areas such as the airport, remaining alert to any announcements.
As regards the microphones, it should be noted that the SoundPeats product was not created with the aim of managing calls, but if necessary you can also do this, reaching poco more than enough on calls, at least if the use is in a city environment and therefore with loud noises to disturb, while in the office or home even the audio in conversation becomes high quality, using ENC technology.
AUTONOMY
Another big strong point of the new SoundPeats SPACE is certainly the autonomy: the large 1000 mAh battery does its job very well, respecting the manufacturer's instructions. We can say that you will get tired of listening to music sooner than they will of running out of charge, given that the 123 hours of playback on a single charge (61 hours in ANC mode) are definitely confirmed. Recharging takes place in about 2 hours using a USB Type-C cable but if you really run out of battery life you can always use them in the traditional way, i.e. using an AUX cable, in this case giving up smart functions such as ANC, or alternatively, with 10 minutes of charging you will have an additional 12 hours of music playback.
On offer on Amazon
CONCLUSIONS AND PRICE
So have the SoundPeats Space wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphones convinced us? Without a doubt, the audio products being reviewed do their job and are absolutely preferable to similar products from more renowned brands which sometimes cost even 3/4 times the price of the SoundPeats. By the way, you can find the SPACE model directly on Amazon with warranty and Prima shipping at a price of less than 50 euros (at the time of writing €48,99), a price that I define as honest. With them you have a lot of autonomy, excellent audio quality both for music, films, podcasts and if necessary also for calls, but above all a hybrid ANC that amazes. There is also app support for customizing the sound but also updating the firmware. In short, complete headphones which, thanks to the killer feature of being able to function in the traditional way via AUX cable, become a point of reference for all users looking for quality without selling a kidney. If I define them as a best buy, that's all there is to it.
