Premium wireless headphones can be prohibitively expensive for many of us, and searching for a cost-effective alternative can require compromises to be made. However, with theSoundPEATS SpaceHeadphones, the balance of functionality and affordability means less of a compromise than you might think.
With Hybrid ANC, multipoint connectivity, and standout battery life, SoundPEATS has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in a set of budget headphones. And as long as you’re not planning on using them for regular voice calls, there’s plenty to get excited about.
Soundpeats Space
With Hybrid ANC, multipoint connectivity, and an impressive battery life, the SoundPEATS Space headphones deliver a feature-rich experience that truly impresses, particularly for the price point.
Feature-Rich and Budget-Friendly Headphones
There’s a bit of a stigma with headphones that float around the $100 mark, with some naysayers doubting the build quality and playback quality they provide.
In the case of the SoundPEATS Space Headphones, it’s haters be damned. These are lightweight, comfortable headphones that deliver exceptional sound quality for the money.
The 40-millimeter dynamic drivers provide enough power to drive your everyday listening, and the bass response is generally very good, even with the volume cranked up. They may be less suitable for critical listening, but for recreational purposes, they sound incredible for budget-priced headphones.
The Space Headphones work with Bluetooth 5.3 and offer multipoint connectivity, which has become the expected standard for wireless headphones. Switching from my smartphone to my PC was a breeze, and made transitioning from a lunchtime walk to sitting back at my desk a seamless experience.
Elsewhere, there’s also a dedicated 65ms low-latency Gaming Mode, which I found effective for syncing my in-game audio, with no noticeable lag.
For wearability, the padded earcups provide plenty of comfort, and the headband itself can be easily adjusted to suit heads of all shapes and sizes, though the headphones themselves cannot be folded.
Wired charging is provided courtesy of the included USB-C cable that comes with the headset.
Excellent ANC but Questionable Call Quality
Considering the Space Headphones retail for well below the $100 mark, they really don’t have any right to sound as good as they do.
The Hybrid ANC here offers you a choice of Normal Mode, Passthrough (transparent) Mode, and ANC Mode. The Normal Mode sounds pretty robust and full-bodied, with a decent punch of bass that I was pleasantly surprised by.
Passthrough Mode does a good job of filtering through ambient sounds, letting you take in the world around you when you need to. However, the ambient sounds tend to feel a little flat to my ears, and I found this mode (though useful) too distracting to listen to for long stretches.
The ANC Mode truly impressed me, however. I tested the Space Headphones in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, and the only time I heard anything other than my music, was when I foolishly took a walk during a gale. But assuming you’re not taking an ill-advised stroll during high winds, you likely won’t be bothered by any external noise whatsoever.
I can’t recommend the ANC here highly enough. It sounds fantastic and delivers a truly immersive experience. Pop ANC Mode on, fire up Hans Zimmer’sDune 2 Soundtrack, and let yourself be whisked away. It sounds so good you might even convince yourself that you’re scanning for wormsign on the sands of Arrakis.
Unfortunately, things were less positive when it came to the microphone quality for call-making and taking.
It’s generally fine if you’re in an indoor space, but outdoors with a plethora of sounds around you, you may almost struggle to hear yourself clearly. Voices come through quite low in the mix, and vocal clarity can be inconsistent at times. It’s an experience that frustrates, and makes it hard to recommend these headphones for that purpose.
SoundPEATS Audio App: Simple but Efficient
When I reviewed theSoundPEATS Air4 Pro, I spoke about how the SoundPEATS Audio App (available foriPhoneandAndroid) looked a little bare bones in some respects but still had features enough to enrich your experience.
It won’t come as a surprise that the Space headphones use the same audio app for your customizable settings. So if you’ve used the app before with previous SoundPEATS audio devices, your experience will likely be similar here.
Bear in mind when opening the app that these are budget headphones, and you’ll be better equipped to manage your expectations. It’s a simple yet intuitive app to use, that employs sliders in the customizable EQ to get your balance right, manual controls for Normal, ANC, and Passthrough modes, and an on/off switch for the 65ms Gaming Mode.
There’s also a SoundPEATS Classic EQ setting that balances the sound for you and provides well-balanced audio that does the job nicely enough if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to spare to tweak things yourself.
The SoundPEATS Audio app paired with the Space headphones in a matter of seconds, and as with theAir4 Pro, I didn’t experience any issues with it at all. It may not suit the audiophiles among you, but it ran like a dream and has enough substance to satisfy most listeners, particularly at this price point.
Great Battery Life: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
I can’t lie. This one’s a doozy. With the SoundPEATS Space headphones, you get to enjoy a whopping 123 hours of playback from a full charge. That’s a working week’s worth of music without the ANC engaged.
However, the numbers are still pretty decent if, like me, ANC is a must. With the ANC on, you get a very respectable 65 hours of playback when fully charged. Plus, thanks to the Space headphones' fast charging capabilities, you can expect up to 12 hours from a short 10-minute charge. Plenty of juice for your daily commute, if you’re strapped for time in the morning.
Where its battery life is concerned, these Space headphones leave very little to complain about. There’s enough power here to easily get you through the working day or even the working week. Heck, you could even take these on holiday with you, and find you don’t need to charge them once.
It all depends on how you use them, of course, but I’m betting you won’t be disappointed with the battery life, in any regard. And the quick charge facility is a nice little cherry on top, that rounds out these headphones as a great, practical, grab-and-go option.
Should You Buy the SoundPEATS Space Headphones?
I have to say that overall, I really enjoyed my time with theSoundPEATS Space Headphones. There’s lots to love here for well under $100, with the fantastic ANC Mode and stellar battery life being clear highlights. Multipoint connectivity is effortlessly convenient too, and switching between devices with these headphones was an easy-peasy, fuss-free experience, as it should be.
They’re comfortable to wear and easy to adjust, and the onboard controls and app controls make it nice and simple to change up your settings without any drama. It’s a shame that the headset cannot be folded, as this would score it some extra points in the portability stakes, but this is a relatively minor grumble.
On the downside, ambient sounds in Passthrough Mode can sound a bit wispy, and prove distracting to the ear. But the likelihood is this won’t be your go-to choice of sound mode in any case, and it’s fit for purpose on the occasions you need to keep an ear to the outside world. Voice calls too, aren’t without their difficulties. I found the sound quality to be inconsistent here and at odds with the otherwise excellent audio.
Overall, the SoundPEATS Space is highly recommended as a very high-quality pair of wireless headphones, with the ANC and battery life worth the price of admission alone. If you’re looking for the best you can get for the least amount of money, they’re well worth buying and a great way to enjoy your favorite music and games.
