soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro Review: A Clever Hybrid Open-Ear ANC Design

THE SCORECARD

How the soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro scored

• Comfort

  8/10

  They remain comfortable for all-day use, but I feel more of the hybrid design in my ear than with the AeroFit 2.

• Security of the fit

  9.5/10

  The five adjustment levels let me lock the earbuds in securely at any level, including when the drivers sit close to the ear canal.

• IP rating

  10/10

  The IP55 dust and water resistant rating is suitable for sweaty workouts, rain and some dust exposure.

• Case and battery life

  8/10

  Battery life is decent, but the case is thicker and wider than the AeroFit 2 case because it has to accommodate every adjustment level.

• Controls

  9.5/10

  The physical button controls are more reliable than touch controls and offer extensive left- and right-earbud customization.

• Connectivity

  10/10

  Bluetooth 6.1, SBC, AAC, LDAC, multipoint takeover and a gaming mode are all here, though mono mode is still absent.

• Call quality

  8.5/10

  These give me the best call quality from a hook-style open-ear earbud, with improvements over the AeroFit 2 in background and wind noise.

• App customization and extra features

  9/10

  ANC, separate EQs for ANC and open-ear modes, spatial audio, audio balance and other app controls add a lot over the AeroFit 2.

• Sound quality below 60% volume

  9/10

  With my EQ and the drivers close to the ear canal, bass is punchier, vocals are clearer and instrument separation is better than on the AeroFit 2.

• Sound quality above 60% volume

  8.5/10

  They still sound good loudly, but the AeroFit 2 has slightly crisper treble and can deliver a little more bass at very high volume.

The Pros and Cons

soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro features discussed in my review

How the hybrid open-ear and ANC design works

The AeroFit 2 Pro has five fit positions. At levels one and two, the ear canal stays open so you can hear your surroundings. Level three is the neutral position. Move to levels four or five and the drivers sit closer to the ear canal, with ANC turning on automatically through sensors in each earbud.

It is a smart idea, although it is not completely effortless. Switching between open-ear and ANC positions changes the sound to suit the new driver placement. I usually found that change took around 5 seconds, though it sometimes took up to 10 seconds and the two earbuds did not always update at exactly the same time.

For my ears, level three with ANC off sounded best using the stock EQ. With the drivers at levels four or five, bass became slightly too boomy for my liking. The app gives you separate EQs for open-ear and ANC modes, which is important here, but getting the best result can take some time if you are extra picky.

Is the AeroFit 2 Pro comfortable and secure for exercise?

I scored comfort at 8 out of 10, one point below the AeroFit 2. They are still comfortable enough for all-day use, and the thin hook wire works fine with glasses, but the new hybrid arrangement puts more material in and around the ear canal. You need at least 16 mm of ear canal space, so measure your ear before buying.

Security of fit is excellent at 9.5 out of 10. Unlike the AeroFit 2, which was most secure at level one, the Pro model grips my ear well at every adjustment level. That means I can use the open setting outside or move the drivers closer for ANC in the gym without giving up stability.

They are not great for side sleeping. Moving them farther from the ear canal made them usable for me on a pillow, but the AeroFit 2 is the better pick if that is a priority.

AeroFit 2 Pro ANC is modest but more consistent

The AeroFit 2 Pro's ANC is not comparable to an in-ear or even a half-in-ear earbud. It slightly reduces loud noise such as gym music, clanging weights, traffic, buses and trains. That reduction means you do not need to push your media volume as high in noisy places, which is the real benefit for an open-ear earbud.

Shokz OpenFit Pro has slightly stronger ANC, but I found the AeroFit 2 Pro more consistent. With the Shokz, sudden loud sounds or wind picked up by the microphones could reset the ANC, then it took about 15 seconds to return to full strength. I did not have that issue with the AeroFit 2 Pro, even outdoors on a windy day.

There is also a wind-noise reduction mode, though I did not find it made a difference. The good news is that the microphones do not pick up much wind even with that mode off.

Sound quality and leakage depend on fit position

Soundcore knows how to make a loud open-ear bud, and the AeroFit 2 Pro gives you plenty of volume. It also leaks less sound than the hook-style open earbuds I have tested. At around 70% volume, not much sound escapes compared with most open earbuds, likely because the hybrid design funnels sound through a smaller driver nozzle.

Below 60% volume, I scored sound quality at 9 out of 10 using my EQ with the earbuds at level five. Bass has more punch and reaches deeper than on the AeroFit 2. Vocals are clearer, and the mids and treble reveal more detail with better separation between instruments.

Above 60% volume, they score 8.5 out of 10. The Pro has punchier bass, slightly more sub-bass, clearer vocals and better instrument separation, but the AeroFit 2 has slightly crisper treble and gives a little more bass if you push close to maximum volume.

Calls, controls and connectivity are strong points

I scored call quality at 8.5 out of 10 after quiet-room, simulated crowd-noise and simulated windy-city tests recorded on an actual phone call. They are half a point ahead of the AeroFit 2 and give me the best call quality from a hook-style open-ear earbud.

The move to button controls is a welcome one. I found the AeroFit 2's single tap could activate accidentally, while these buttons are more reliable. You can assign single, double, triple and long-hold commands separately to each earbud, and the settings save differently for one-earbud and two-earbud use.

Connectivity gets 10 out of 10. You get Bluetooth 6.1, SBC, AAC, LDAC, multipoint takeover and a low-latency gaming mode. The gaming mode did not noticeably improve latency in my quick test, changes the sound by boosting bass and prevents EQ adjustments. They also still do not play both audio channels in mono mode.