Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro Review (2024)

Thanks to their open design, the $169.99 Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro true wireless earbuds can produce an exceptionally wide stereo image and present your surroundings more naturally than most competing models. Long battery life and a flexible, detachable neckband are additional highlights, though the bass response often seems thin and we would prefer more on-ear control options. Overall, the $99.95 JBL Endurance Peak 3 earphones remain our Editors’ Choice winners for their superior bass response, more durable design, and lower cost.

Flexible Wearing Options, But Limited Controls

Available in Dynamic Black (and eventually Aqua Blue, Electric Purple, and Frost White), the AeroFit Pro earbuds feature ear hooks that gently clamp around the upper portion of your ear for stability. They feel secure once you realize that the drivers are meant to hover just outside your ear rather than inside it. If you wear glasses, however, you might find that the ear hooks fight a bit with your frames for real estate.

Anker doesn't include any eartips due to the open design, but the included, detachable neckband is a quality accessory. The reasonably flexible 0.7mm titanium wire easily snaps onto the earpieces and features length adjusters that help you ensure a comfortable and snug fit. I recommend starting at the longest band length and simply adjusting once the earbuds are in place.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

These earphones notably don't seal off your ear canal, which means that both the bass response and the consistency of the stereo imaging suffer. On the plus side, the open design helps you hear your environment more clearly than with a digital, mic-dependent transparency mode. Whether that's a tradeoff you are willing to make is one of preference.

Internally, the enclosures house 16.2mm drivers. Anker claims their titanium-coated domes enhance the depth. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and support the AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs. LDAC support is usually a bonus, but the open design somewhat negates the advantage you get from high-res streaming from compatible sources. What's more useful is multipoint connectivity with up to two devices.

Single tactile buttons on the upper part of each earbud handle the controls. Press once on the left earpiece to decrease the volume or twice to skip to the next track. On the right earbud, press once to increase the volume or twice to control playback. The app lets you customize the functions of the buttons, but I would have liked more input options such as a triple tap or a long press.

An IPX5 rating means the earbuds can withstand light splashes of water from any direction. Just don't submerge them or rinse them off under heavy faucet pressure. This rating is slightly above average, but the fully dustproof and waterproof JBL Peak 3 earphones (IP68) are far more suitable for exercise and rough conditions.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

The charging case is large because the ear hooks take up a lot of space. A button on the front opens the lid, while the base features a USB-C port for charging via the included USB-A-to-USB-C cable (wireless charging is not an option). As expected, there's no room for the neckband in the case, which leaves you with a loose item to worry about. Given how adjustable the neckband is, I wish Anker had found a way to make room for it.

Anker estimates the earphones can last roughly 14 hours per charge and that the case holds an additional 32 hours of battery life. These numbers are excellent, but your real-world results will likely vary based on your typical listening volume and codec choice. If you are in a rush, 10 minutes of charging should get you roughly 5.5 hours of playback, which is an impressive figure.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro App Experience

The Soundcore app (available for Android and iOS) looks clean and keeps unnecessary features to a minimum. When you first pair the earbuds, it walks you through basic fit and operation instructions before taking you to a main screen with battery readouts for each earpiece and the case.

Sound Effects and Controls tiles follow below. The Sound Effects section offers three audio presets: Soundcore Signature (the default), Podcast, and Treble Booster. A Bass Booster would be far more useful here. The app also includes a custom EQ with eight bands, though adjusting the lower-frequency bands wasn't very effective in testing. Here, you can also enable a spatial audio effect. I don't recommend you do, however, since it worked poorly in testing. Anker's implementation isn't good to begin with and the open design of the earphones leads to even thinner bass response than with it off.

(Credit: Anker)

In the Controls section, you can assign any of the available options (Play/Pause, Track Forward, Track Backward, Volume Up/Down, or none) to the single- and double-press functions for each earpiece's button.

Finally, the Settings menu lets you update the firmware, adjust the auto power-off behavior, and activate a sound-based feature for locating your earbuds if you lose them. Android users can also enable LDAC playback.

Wide Sound That's Light on Bass

Open earbuds make countless sacrifices to achieve two main goals: a natural presentation of your environment and a wide stereo image. I tested the earphones in the Soundcore Signature listening mode.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earbuds can't deliver the full extent of the bass depth since they don't seal off the ear canal. They don't sound tinny or thin, but bass lovers certainly won't enjoy the presentation.

The drivers manage to reproduce some of the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” That said, the bass levels are faint due to the shallow fit. The various vocal performances on the track sound crisp, with plenty of high-frequency detail.

Drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, sound fairly natural with a slight hint of depth. Callahan’s vocals have a bit more low-mid richness, but the track sounds bright overall. I must call out the engaging spatial feel; it’s amazing how placing the drivers just outside of the ear canal can lead to a wide stereo image.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, benefit from the immersive stereo field, too. The lack of bass depth isn't as noticeable on tracks like this with a natural richness in the lower-register instrumentation. Meanwhile, the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals sound clear and spacious.

The voice mic array works decently well. I had no trouble understanding every word of a test recording to my iPhone, though the signal is a bit less crisp than what I'm used to with competing models.

Open Earbuds With Select Appeal

The Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro earphones offer a mixed experience. On the one hand, we're fans of the wide, engaging stereo image, the highly adjustable neckband for a secure fit, and the top-notch battery life. On the other, the thin bass response, the limited control options, and the forgettable spatial audio feature give us pause. If you're a fan of ear hooks, the in-ear JBL Endurance Peak 3 earphones remain our Editors' Choice winners because they offer fuller bass response, similar battery life, and a better IP rating for less money. If you're looking for workout earbuds with a more traditional design, meanwhile, we recommend the pricier, noise-cancelling Jabra Elite 8 Active ($199).