Review: Soundcore P30i earbuds | Good Housekeeping UK

If you’re buying your very first pair of wireless earbuds or getting some as a gift for a teenager, I’d always recommend not spending hundreds on headlinegrabbing models unless you know they have the features you need. Audio is a competitive area within tech and there are a huge number of options at low prices that give you a chance to experience wirefree earbuds at a reasonable price.

These models can still offer many features you’d get from more expensive pairs too. There is a wide range of excellent headphones under £50, and I’m impressed by how capable the Soundcore P30i earbuds are at this price.

While there are great earphones available at affordable prices, there are still some features that it’s rare to see in the budget market. These include active noisecancellation, customisable controls and Bluetooth multipoint for dual connections. Soundcore’s P30i deliver loads of value because they cost £49.99 yet have all these features, and some clever extras too.

These are a great option for most people buying their first pair of buds. They’re wellrounded and budgetfriendly, yet still bring you reliable noisecancellation, customisability, and an innovative charging case.

Soundcore P30i: At a glance

These are very compact earbuds, and when I look at them sidebyside with some of my favourite AirPods Pro from Apple, I can see that they’re about the same size and with even shorter stems. They also come in a much wider range of colours and are available in black, blue, pink, green and white.

What this small size means is that they’re quite comfortable to wear too, and you also get a choice of three different ear tip sizes in the box to help you get the right fit. Yes, it can take a bit of a twist to make sure you won’t hear the outside world, but once that’s done I find these very snug.

They’re easy to connect to your smartphone, laptop or tablet over Bluetooth, and once you’ve downloaded the Soundcore smartphone app, you get some extra features too. You can tweak the tap controls and choose from various sound profiles including “Podcast”, “Acoustic”, “Classical” and more to adjust the sound to your liking.

Yet, it’s worth knowing that even with these adjustments, the sound tends to remain bassheavy. This might appeal to bass enthusiasts and works well for most pop and dance music. But those of us after a more balanced or nuanced sound may find this much bass a bit overwhelming.

Overall, I find the audio quality is more than adequate for casual listening, especially considering the price point, but I’ve also heard better from the likes of the Moondrop Space Travel (£25) and 1More PistonBuds Pro Q30 (£49).

The charging case of the Soundcore P30i deserves a special mention. Not only does it provide up to 45 hours of total battery life (10 hours on a single charge in normal mode, and seven hours when noisecancelling), but it also doubles as a phone stand. This clever feature is an improvement on the P40i earbuds from Soundcore, which have a similar case.

It’s ideal if you’re getting this pair of buds for someone wanting to watch videos handsfree while on the train or at their desk. The case can hold most smartphones in either portrait or landscape orientation, making it a versatile accessory.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Soundcore P30i is its active noisecancelling (ANC) capability. More expensive rivals can deliver better noisecancelling but I found that these aren’t far behind the competition.

In noisy environments, the earbuds effectively reduce the background distractions so you don’t need to turn up the volume to unsafe levels. I always test earbuds in the roar of London Underground trains, and I found that these did a great job in this environment.

They were also mostly decent at quieting the chatter of my colleagues at the office, but those higherfrequency sounds weren’t always tackled by this noisecancelling system.

These are budget buds, after all, so of course there are a couple of downsides to consider.

Sometimes, I found them a little bit tricky to fit comfortably if I hadn’t given them a twist into position, and it’s possible that some might find they get less comfortable for extended use. They also don’t feel premium, although that’s understandable at a lower cost. They don’t have wireless charging, although once again that’s not typically expected at this price range.

It’s also possible to get significantly better noisecancelling performance, better build quality or superior sound from models that cost just a little more. Soundcore’s own Liberty 4NC is much better for ANC, while Sony WFC700N is worth considering too at under £100, as they’re great for a richer sound and excellent noisecancelling.

For those on a budget and buying their firstever pair of wireless earbuds, the Soundcore P30i is a smart choice that doesn’t compromise on the essentials. They offer excellent value for money at £49.99.

With strong noisecancelling, impressive battery life, and a highly functional charging case for onthego movie fans, they’re an ideal choice for those getting their first earbuds or anyone prioritising smart features over top build quality and perfectly balanced audiophilegrade sound. While not without some flaws, the P30i earbuds deliver a solid audio experience at an appealing price.

Simon Cocks is Hearst UK’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy across a range of titles including Good Housekeeping UK, Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.   

Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.  

A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.  

He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and moneysaving advice guides and edited thousands of indepth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.  

He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  

When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.  

You can follow Simon on Instagram at @simonrcocks, on Threads at @simonrcocks, and on Twitter/X at @simoncocks.