#q45

I would in no way classify myself as an audiophile. Although I cannot tell the high or low notes, I don't get upset if I can't hear something in crystal clear clarity 100% of the time.

I wear headphones when I'm on the go. Historically, that's been on a commute of about an hour into London; more recently, that's been on flights and holidays.

I've tried a spate of upper-end commercial headphones, all of which were driven by noise cancellation first and sound quality second. I've used Bose QCS, Sennheiser, Sony, and even a pair of Nokia headphones, which a colleague once described as making me look like a cyberman.

I prefer the over-ear style of headphones; the in-ear ones just don't work, and I have an aversion to sticking things in my ears.

The last set of Headphones I owned were the Sony MX3s, which are great headphones. A few years ago, I got them on a recommendation from a colleague at work and was not disappointed. They have got me through many a commute, flight, and boat journey while travelling.

Unfortunately, last week, on a trip to London, these headphones were lost. I can only assume they fell out of a bag or a pocket in a pub, and that left me with a choice.

Do I invest in another expensive set of headphones, with my preference being the new Bose Ultra, or do I realise that my trips in and out of London are not as frequent, and maybe I could spend the money elsewhere?

This led me to have a look at what was available in the 100-200 pound (Pound of Dollar; it's a 1:1 in the tech world) range of over-ear headphones. I wanted something with Active noise cancelling and sound good enough to stream Spotify in high quality and listen to podcasts.

It turns out that much of the technology from a few years back at the top end of the market has found its way to the other end in 2025, which has led to many good, cheap headphones.

The usual searching, reviews, and YouTube led me to the Anker Space Q45, a set of headphones at a hefty discount on Amazon at the time, and generally getting some good reviews. When I say they were discounted, I mean they were GBP45.

The Purchase was made, and my new headphones arrived the next day.

Here are my thoughts on the order in which I assessed them.

Build

These feel solid, possibly more solid than the Sony headphones. I don't mean solid as cumbersome and heavy; I mean solid as well-built. They are plastic, but it feels premium and, importantly, don't creak when you move your head. There is a weight to the headphones, which doesn't make them heavy; it makes them feel like they will stay on your head. The cups are soft and cover my ears, and I could envisage myself feeling comfortable with these during a long-haul flight or an epic bus journey through a foreign land.

Headband

I have a large head. The band between the cups doesn't feel uncomfortable on my head; it doesn't press on the top of my head or cause any other noticeable discomfort.

Soundcore App

I'm using this on Android and can only assume the iPhone app works similarly. The headphones pair either by Bluetooth or using the Anker Soundcore app. This app is minimal, supplying profiles to adjust the sound according to your preference and giving information about the headphones. It's not going to revolutionise your world. However, it does have one interesting feature.

Ear Test

As we age, our hearing changes; we lose the ability to hear some sounds and gain the ability to hear others. The Soundcore app has a feature that runs a hearing test, plays a set of beeps of varying volume levels, and creates a sound profile based on the test results.

This works. This test made a noticeable improvement to the sound I was getting out of the headphones, making it crisper and more depth. I was really impressed by it.

General Sound

So, are these headphones any good? The simple answer is, if, like me, you are after a set of over-ear headphones with great nose cancellation and decent sound that you can use to while away the hours on a long journey oblivious to the crying kids or arguing teens in the vicinity, these headphones are great. The sound quality is really good, the noise cancellation works really well, and the battery life is really 24+ hours.

Final Thoughts

I have to admit, I was a bit snobbish and a bit flexy when it came to headphones. I used to be the same with cameras. This is a welcome wakeup call that in today's financial climate, there are great GBP100/200 headphones out there.