Soundcore Q20i vs Q30 | Differences Explained
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Differences Summary
Q20i on left, and Q30.
The Soundcore Q20i and Q30 are two of the best budget headphones out. Considering the price, the bass is legit on both, and they have ANC. So which one should you buy? In short:
The Q30 has more detailed sound with more bass potential, less clamping force, and a longer battery life.
The Q20i has thicker ear pads, a stronger clamp, and it's slightly lighter.
I recommend the Q30 if it's within budget, but the Q20i is still an excellent value.
Connectivity
Both devices connect using Bluetooth 5.0 with multi-point. This means they can be connected to two devices at once, but only play audio from one at a time.
They come with an included 3.5 mm cable to use them wired and they work powered off. In fact, plugging in the cable immediately turns them off.
That means no ANC and default EQ when using them wired.
Battery Life
This one is a bit confusing. On Soundcore's website, both of these headphones are listed as having 40 hours of power with ANC on and 60 with it off.
The back of the box says the Q30 actually gets up to 50 hours with ANC on and 70 with it off.
In my experience, both of these consistently lasted over a week with ANC on. Past that point, it’s pretty tough for me to gauge the exact level. So just expect one week + of use if you’re utilizing them 4-5 hours a day.
Controls
Q20i (all on right earcup)
volume up/forward track
play/pause/power
volume down/previous track
noise cancellation toggle
Q30
Left earcup
noise cancellation toggle
power
Right earcup
volume up/forward track
volume down/previous track
play/pause/power
You can use the software to activate the touch control of the Q30. All this does is let you hold the right earcup for 2 seconds to toggle ANC and transparency mode. Honestly, it's redundant since there's already a dedicated button that does the same thing.
Headphone Audio Quality
Both the Q20i and Q30 use 40 mm drivers with a distinct V-shaped sound. The sub-bass is thick all the way up to 100 Hz before it starts to fall off quickly. The mids are very scooped out, and the treble is strong on both. This allows both to have some thump without sounding muffled.
The Q30 sounds more open and airy due to the more prominent (but still limited) mids and the much higher treble peak.
Personally, I like the Q20i out the box more, but with software equalization, the Q30 has much more potential. The Q30 can be set to a higher volume with a more bass heavy EQ before the low end bottoms out and distorts.
And I'm talking. deep, booming sub-bass potential like a club or party on the Q30. It's really fun.
The Q20i's sub-bass starts to lose all its detail and rumble at about 70% volume and just starts to pop at that point.
Ultimately, the Q30 is clearer and has more bass potential than the Q20i. But they're both budget drivers. The Q30 at 80-85% volume runs into a similar issue with the bass.
If you want massive, booming bass at high volumes, I'd pass on both of these. But if you're okay with lowering the volume a bit to preserve the sound, the Q30 is Bass Arena approved. The Q20i doesn't get the same stamp, because you have to use it at such a low volume to really get that low end boom.
Active Noise Cancellation
The ANC on these is about a 6/10 in terms of actually blocking out outside sounds.
I expected more, especially from the Q30 because it boasts "multiple ANC modes", but there's not much difference between the modes.
Microphone Audio Quality
Software
Both headphones use the Soundcore app. It's super simple - basically just an equalizer that you can customize or use any of the presets. There’s also the option to toggle ANC from normal, on, and off.
Controls customization is not available for these. The app is pretty quick and responsive for what it does. No complaints.
Q30 ANC modes.
Comfort and Build Quality
These two are some of the most comfortable headphones I've worn. B+ in comfort for both.
The Q20i weighs about 248 grams and 256 for the Q30. For context, the Sony Ult Wear is 255, so these are pretty light considering the competition.
The builds are almost entirely plastic, but there’s a small amount of metal on both frames which has adjustable eight.
They both have pleather ear cushions, but the Q20i has slightly thicker padding inside. It also has more clamping force for a snug fit, where the Q30 stays on looser. The headband padding is basically the same on both - same material as the ear cushions, but minimal memory cushion inside.
This is really personal preference, because even as a glasses wearer, they were still both about even in comfort for me. The only thing that would make them better is even lighter weight.
They both have swivel and fold up easily, but they don't come with a hard case to protect them. So you'll have to get one separately.
