The Anker Soundcore P40i are active noise cancelling (ANC) earbuds at an approachable entry-level tier. Despite their wallet-friendly price, they come with a comprehensive app that includes EQ, a 'Game Mode' for reduced latency, and a long battery life. As the bigger sibling to the non-ANC Anker Soundcore P25i, let's see if they're worthwhile.
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore P40i are very good for sports and fitness, provided they fit you. Their IPX5 rating means they can handle water splashes if you take them for a run in the rain. They feel comfortable, although they lack wings or stabilizers, so their fit is looser, but these headphones are stable (for most people) even if they require readjustments. Onboard controls are intuitive and comprehensive, and you can use both 'Ambient' mode and the wind reduction control for awareness during outdoor exercises.
- IPX5 rating.
- Stable and lightweight in-ears.
Fit can require readjusting.
The Anker Soundcore P40i is a good choice for travel. They have a nine-hour continuous battery life with an additional four charges in the case. They're comfortable and stable to wear, and their connectivity is excellent. Meanwhile, they're small enough to fit in most pockets so that you can travel light. They also have great ANC, so noise like rumbly bus and plane engines will be well mitigated. On the other hand, they can leak some of your audio, which is less of an issue on a daytime commute than on a red-eye flight if your neighbor is trying to sleep.
- Long battery life.
Great ANC performance.
- Audio can leak.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are decent for the office. They feel comfortable and fit a bit looser, which is fine for working at a desk. Their battery life with ANC enabled will get you through the workday. Plus, their multi-device pairing makes it easy to switch between your phone and your work PC. The onboard mics aren't spectacular, and call controls are limited, but they're serviceable for the occasional call. Their ANC also has you covered, attenuating noise from ventilation systems and ambient office chatter.
- Long battery life.
Great ANC performance.
- Audio can leak.
- Poor mic recording quality.
The Anker Soundcore P40i aren't ideal for wireless gaming due to their latency. You can enable 'Game Mode' in the Anker Soundcore app, which reduces the audio/visual desync, but it'll still be noticeable.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are Bluetooth wireless earbuds, so you can't use them wired.
The Anker Soundcore P40i have okay audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response deviates little from their bass-boosted sound profile, with fluctuations localized to the treble veiling detail or brightening sibilants depending on the pitch. The L/R drivers are decently well-matched for everyday listening—slight mismatches in the mid-range will, at worst, create small gaps in the stereo image. While there are more pronounced phase mismatches in the upper range, we lose sensitivity in this range over time, so you likely won't perceive less precise positioning of audio objects. Group delay is a different story, with timing differences between adjacent bands in the bass signaling significant phase shifts that contribute to the inflated bass in the frequency response. While the earbuds produce harmonic distortion at high levels, in practice, you likely won't be listening to anything loud enough in the mids and treble to cause perceivable distortion. Because the earbuds bypass the pinna, they won't improve immersion through outer ear interactions.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are great for noise isolation. While their ANC system has 'Scenes' to cycle through depending on your environment, they don't meaningfully affect the earbuds' isolation performance—they easily attenuate noise from bustling streets to crowded subway stations. In the other direction, the headphones leak a bit of audio with a tinny version of your audio exceeding the noise floor of a calm room.
The Anker Soundcore P40i have a middling microphone. Your voice will sound distorted and thin on calls. In the loudest conditions, the microphones separate noise decently but can cut out parts of your speech.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are excellent for frequency response consistency. Generally speaking, your audio will sound the same between different uses, regardless of your physical characteristics. The only caveat is that the fit can loosen over time, especially if you have larger ear canals, so they might require some readjustment after initially establishing a seal.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Apr 02, 2026:
We've corrected an error in App Support; the headphones don't have a room effects feature.
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Updated Apr 25, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Apr 25, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0, which updates our sound tests and performance usages. You can read more about this in our changelog.
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Updated Feb 07, 2025:
We've updated the Noise Isolation - Full Range, Common Scenarios, Voice Handling, and ANC Wind Handling sections following an update to firmware 01.67.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Soundcore P40i come in four different colors: Black, Blue, Purple, and White. You can see the label for our unit, which is the 'Black' model. We expect these to all perform similarly. If you encounter a different variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments below, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Anker Soundcore P40i feature noise cancelling, which is similarly effective compared to the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless or the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless. Unlike the less expensive Anker Soundcore P25i, the P40i includes ANC. Meanwhile, the JBL Tune Buds True Wireless also come with ANC at a similar price point, though it's not nearly as effective as that of the Anker. Having built a reputation for delivering powerful noise cancellation at wallet-friendly prices, Anker delivers on the standards they've set with the P40i.
On that note, check out the best budget noise cancelling headphones, the best budget and cheap wireless earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds for other products that might suit your needs.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 and the Anker Soundcore P40i are both affordable ANC earbuds with different strengths and weaknesses. Both are bassy, but the CMF sound a bit more balanced with a warmer treble, while the Anker have a much more excited sound profile. You can EQ either. The CMF have a more accurate-sounding microphone system that filters out background noise a bit better. They also let you use the LDAC codec for Hi-Res audio files. Meanwhile, the Anker boast a longer continuous battery life and a lower latency performance. The Anker also feel a little more comfortable with more ear tips to find your fit.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are a tier above the Anker Soundcore P31i in the Anker earbud lineup. As a result, they do have a better noise isolation performance and a better battery life, which makes them more suited to frequent long-haul travelers. That said, the P31i punch above their weight in some regards, with a more comfortable fit and a much better mic recording quality, with better noise handling. Both buds have a bass-heavy default sound, but the P40i are especially heavy-handed with the low-end, so unless you're a bass lover, you'll likely prefer the P31i's slightly more balanced sound.
The Anker Soundcore P25i are slightly more stripped down than the Anker Soundcore P40i. The P25i lack active noise cancelling and only use the passive isolation provided by their ear tips and fit. They both use the same app with an equalizer and low latency 'Game Mode.' They also share the same IPX5 rating against water splashes with similar continuous-use battery performance. However, the P40i have ANC, which makes them much more performant when dealing with background noise. The P40i also support multi-device pairing, and their case stores four charges versus the P25i's two charges. Still, the choice likely depends on whether you want noise cancelling and your budget.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore P40i perform similarly with mostly minor differences. The Liberty 4 NC support LDAC for high-quality audio. Meanwhile, the P40i have significantly lower latency when you use them in 'Game Mode.' The P40i also have an IPX5 rating, which certifies better protection against water exposure than the IPX4 rating found on the Liberty 4 NC buds. Otherwise, they both have very similar app functionality.
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Test Results
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