SoundCore Aerofit 2 Review: Open-Ear Headphones That Truly Deliver!

Running in urban settings without becoming a casualty under a bus is a daily challenge for city athletes. Traditional headphones isolate too well, turning each outing into a sonic Russian roulette. Open-ear headphones, however, allow ambient sounds to filter through, preserving crucial environmental awareness. This safety feature, unfortunately, comes at the cost of sound quality.

Physics doesn’t lie. Without a tip to seal the ear canal, deep bass frequencies dissipate. The driver, placed in front of the ear rather than inside it, scatters high frequencies into the environment like confetti. Replicating the quality of in-ear headphones with this format remains a lofty dream for acoustic engineers.

As a subsidiary of Anker, Soundcore is not deterred by these physical limitations. The brand has been achieving significant success recently: the Liberty 5 Pro now challenges the leaders of the premium market, while the Rave 3S speaker seriously contends with JBL and Sony models. Even better, it innovates where others merely copy. The AeroFit 2 even includes an instant translation feature that looks good on paper. Is it just a marketing gimmick or a genuine value-added feature? Let’s find out.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2Technical Specifications

This review was conducted with headphones provided by SoundCore.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2Light as Air

The AeroFit 2 sports a more streamlined design than its predecessors, with a matte finish that effectively limits unsightly fingerprints. The drivers remain visible—as dictated by the format—but the overall aesthetics are discreet and modern.

The real breakthrough comes with now adjustable ear hooks. Gone is the one-size-fits-all approach of the first model, as the AeroFit 2 adapts to all ear shapes with four distinct positions. This major evolution changes the game and ensures a simply perfect fit.

The charging case is somewhat larger than those of its competitors, a deliberate choice that makes sense: it houses a larger-capacity battery to justify the total 40 hours of battery life. The front LED conveniently indicates the remaining charge level at a glance, avoiding unpleasant surprises before heading out.

Robust Build, No Frills

The recipe mixes high-density plastic for the main body and soft silicone for the hooks. The SoundCore AeroFit 2 weighs about 10 g each, twice as much as in-ear headphones, but their mass is not at all bothersome, as they rest on the entire ear, not just the canal and the auricle. They are literally forgettable after five minutes of use, even during extended sessions. The case itself weighs 76 grams, fits easily into a shorts pocket, but it’s best left at home before setting out for a sport.

The IPX5 certification effectively protects against powerful water jets and intense sweat. More than enough to handle a surprise rain shower or a sprint session at 35°C.

The playback controls are tactile, with an auditory feedback as soon as a command is executed. The touch areas respond well, even with wet fingers. Unfortunately, there is no volume control on the headphones, and one must rely on their smartphone or watch.

Four colors are available: black, white, blue, and green.

Internal Design

Soundcore opted for oval transducers measuring 20 x 11.5 mm, significantly larger than those of standard in-ear headphones. The reason is simple: as the ear canal remains open, the low frequencies partially escape, necessitating an increase in their volume at the earphones, using larger transducers.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2A Well-Designed App

The Soundcore app smartly centralizes all settings without falling into the trap of excessive complexity. The interface remains clear and the navigation intuitive, even for users unfamiliar with audio subtleties.

The equalizer offers true sound customization with numerous musical presets covering all popular genres. Each profile can be saved and recalled according to mood or activity.

The tactile commands can be customized at will according to one’s habits. Single tap, double tap, triple tap, long press: each gesture is freely assignable among the available functions.

However, the system has some frustrating limitations: it’s impossible to assign volume control to certain otherwise logical gestures.

Translation That Surprises

An unexpected innovation in this context: a beta version of an instant translation feature is present. The interlocutor speaks in their language, and the headphones translate in real-time into yours. And vice versa for responding. The system is still imperfect and suffers from some glitches, but it could prove promising for travel. It’s certainly a clever distinguishing argument against an often conservative competition.

Connectivity Meets Expectations

The Bluetooth 5.4 chip ensures an approximate range of 10 meters and a remarkably stable connection, even in a crowded tram during peak hours. The multipoint feature intelligently manages two devices simultaneously: smartphone and laptop switch automatically according to activity without manual intervention.

Regarding audio codecs, the full range is available: LDAC for Android users, AAC for the iOS ecosystem, and SBC as a universal fallback option. The Hi-Res Audio label always looks good on the packaging, even though the acoustic constraints of the open-ear format seriously mitigate its practical interest. Clearly, there’s no discernible difference between listening in AAC (e.g., iPhone) and LDAC with an Android smartphone.

As for latency, there is a delay between sound and image in video games, which is traditional, but synchronization is perfect when watching a video.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2A Compelling V-Shaped Curve

Let’s not keep you in suspense any longer; the SoundCore AeroFit 2 performs well acoustically. The extension in the bass is limited, as is always the case with this type of headphones, and one must primarily settle for upper bass, but—surprisingly—the volume is quite convincing and provides a sufficiently punchy sound during sports activities. If you’re worried about weak headphones when you need music to push you further, these AeroFit 2 should satisfy you.

Objective analysis confirms what the ear perceives: a typical V-shaped response curve for sports-oriented headphones. Noticeable peak between 100 and 120 Hz in the upper bass area, significant dip between 500 Hz and 2 kHz, then a sharp rise above 3 kHz. In practical terms: punchy bass, clear highs, but voices are consistently relegated to the background.

The sub-bass below 60 Hz is absent, a normal physical limitation without acoustic isolation. The boost applied in the upper bass (80-200 Hz) cleverly creates the illusion of deeper bass than it actually is. It’s a smart strategy.

The intentionally scooped mids systematically push voices away from the sonic foreground, but avoid any harshness. The highs often shine a bit too much and are not ultra-precise.

In terms of soundstage, the breadth is very good, with a very marked stereo effect and impressive depth.

Listening Impressions

Blinding Lights by The Weeknd reveals the rhythmic potential of the AeroFit 2. The synth bass line pulses with surprising conviction for open headphones, and the crystalline highs bring out the characteristic synthetic textures of the track. The voice lacks body and presence but remains perfectly intelligible to accompany the effort.

No Time To Die by Billie Eilish exposes more of the format’s limitations. The orchestration loses breadth and depth, the intimate voice loses emotional density. However, the dramatic crescendos still maintain their impact thanks to a good reproduction of transients. A decent result, though not transcendent.

Ramble On by Led Zeppelin demonstrates the relative versatility of the rendering. The bass line rolls adequately, the drums hit with dynamism, but the whole lacks the corporeal depth that makes seventies rock charming. The cymbals sometimes come out too aggressively, and Robert Plant sounds distant compared to the original mix.

KARI by Big Baby Tape lacks the monstrous impact of its rhythmic line, but the performance remains energetic enough to convince.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2Decent Call Quality

The SoundCore AeroFit 2 allows for making phone calls under good conditions, at least in a quiet environment. Due to the lack of passive isolation, one inevitably hears everything happening around them.

Noises surrounding the user are filtered, with a noticeable pumping effect on the voice.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2Battery Life

Traditionally, we measure battery life at 50% volume, but for this type of headphones, whose efficiency is lower than that of in-ear models, a measurement at 70% volume seems more realistic because it requires pushing the volume higher to achieve a comparable intensity. The announced 10 hours by SoundCore are not quite met, as the AeroFit 2 give out after just over 9 hours. This is still excellent in absolute terms, and unless you’re into ultra-trail running, it’s likely that you’ll stop your sporting activity well before the headphones run out of battery.

The case is compatible with Qi wireless charging and allows for about three full charges of the headphones.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2Price and Availability

At 99 euros, the AeroFit 2 directly challenges an established but often more expensive competition. However, they surpass the majority of competitors in terms of sound balance. Even the SoundCore AeroClip 2 are a step below (very little bass). To gain a bit more sound precision, one might consider the Shokz OpenFit 2+, offered at 100 euros more.

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