Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro review: open-ear design meets noise cancellation

I always appreciated that even though Anker’s own Soundcore is first and foremost an affordable headphones brand, it always seems to find a way to surprise those who work in the weird and wonderful world of audio testing.

The Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro, announced at CES 2026, is one of these unexpected products that is said to combine the best of open-ear and ANC headphones. Using a clever rotating design, users can twist the noise-producing units into five different positions, letting in more ambient or, theoretically, none at all.

An enticing premise, not least because, as far as I know, there aren’t any headphones that do the same thing. Many of the best earbuds, including the Apple AirPods Pro 3, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, and various other models from companies such as Bose, Sennheiser, etc., have ANC and transparency modes, but none can actually move out of the way of your ear canals to let in external sound like the AeroFit 2 Pro.

A clever twist on open-ear listening

I was lucky enough to get a pair of the Soundcore buds, and have been using them for the last few weeks for workouts, commuting, and in the office. Given the unique design, reminiscent of the Shokz OpenFit Pro, the AeroFit 2 Pro is perfect for all these purposes – at least, on paper.

Soundcore says the AeroFit 2 Pro use an 11.8mm custom driver with a TPU surround and LCP diaphragm, supports spatial audio with head tracking, and offers high-resolution audio via LDAC.

LDAC is a high-resolution streaming codec that allows non-iPhone users (a.k.a. Android-only) to stream audio in a significantly higher quality than standard Bluetooth, and is said to deliver sound much closer to the original, high-resolution recording.

There’s also multipoint Bluetooth 6.1 connectivity, IP55 water resistance with sweat protection, and fast charging that delivers up to 3.5 hours of playback from just 10 minutes in the case.

Specs that punch above the price

Battery life is commendable at seven hours per charge in open-ear mode, 34 hours with the case, or five hours with ANC enabled and 24 hours total with the case. The case is rather bulky, but at least it helps the AeroFit 2 Pro last longer.

As for physical design, the headphones use a five-level adjustment system with 56 degrees of articulation and have liquid silicone ear hooks to reduce pressure during long listening sessions.

And, truth be told, I had zero issues with the comfort of the AeroFit 2 Pro, even while wearing glasses. The bridge running atop your ears is soft and flexible, and the 10.4 g weight (per bud) provides just enough heft to feel the headphones while out and about without making them uncomfortable.

Comfort comes naturally

Of course, I never doubted that Soundcore could deliver buds that sit well in and on your ears. I’m by no means the no. 1 expert on the brand’s products, but I've tested quite a few models over the years, including the Soundcore C40i clip-on buds, the Sleep A30 sleep headphones, and the affordable over-ear Space One.

I also tried the predecessor of the model reviewed here, the Soundcore Aerofit Pro, which also had a unique design, albeit different from the AeroFit Pro 2. The first iteration came with a detachable neckband for a better fit during workouts and could also be used as standalone buds.

This is all well, but no one’s here to accompany me on a trip down memory lane. You want to know if the hybrid open-ear/ANC system works, right? Well, it does, to a certain extent and on a few occasions, but, as with any cutting-edge technology, it has its limitations.

For example, the AeroFit Pro 2 is supposed to snap into noise-cancelling mode if the buds are twisted into positions level 4 or 5. In my experience, it doesn’t always happen, even though in the Soundcore app, you can see the buds changing positions.

More interestingly, when this happens, you also can’t activate ANC manually, which you should be able to do manually by long-pressing the button on the buds (for about two seconds). If the ANC kicks in, you can toggle noise cancellation using the same method, though.

There is also the question of the level of noise cancellation the AeroFit Pro 2 provide. Soundcore claims the buds check environmental conditions up to 380,000 times per second and make up to 180 adjustments per minute to adapt to noise levels and wearing positions.

However, there is a slight issue. The headphones don’t provide as effective passive noise cancellation as in-ear headphones, which compromises ANC quality. Without physically blocking the noise entering the ear canals, ANC can only do so much to override it.

As a result, and even though you can tell the AeroFit Pro 2 is trying to suppress noise, you can hear what’s going on around you, even if the headphones are in ANC mode. Now, I’m not sure about you, but I prefer ANC headphones that block external sounds – that’s the whole point of them.

When the sound does the talking

On a more positive note, the AeroFit Pro 2 sounds great for the price. The nearly 12 mm driver produces powerful sound with surprising clarity. Better still, the system automatically adjusts the volume when you switch between the two modes, lowering it in ANC mode and cranking it up in open-ear mode.

I don’t know how to design headphones, but I would love to see the next iteration of the AeroFit Pro automatically switch to different listening modes, using a small motor to twist the buds into position. Plus, I would love to see a system that checks if the seal is properly achieved. Many headphones offer this feature already.

The Soundcore AeroFit Pro 2 hybrid headphones offer more or less the best of both worlds, leaning toward being a better option for those who prefer open-ear design but would like to enjoy the benefits of some noise reduction now and again.

The fact that they offer two completely different listening modes only increases their versatility, even though the headphones won’t challenge dedicated ANC buds in terms of performance.

The AeroFit Pro 2 is available now in three colours, Black, Purple and White, at Soundcore UK, Soundcore US and Soundcore EU for £179.99 / $179.99 / €179.99 (~AU$257).