Launched slightly over a month ago, the R60i NC is Soundcore’s latest offering in the TWS earphone space. During that time, I allowed the buds to settle in as my daily driver.
The product line has always had a special emphasis on reducing noise and allowing for better audio enjoyment. But noise reduction is only a portion of the equation. Being the newest entry in the product line, the brand boasts improved sound quality, which it is able to live up to.
What Am I Looking At?
As mentioned above, the Soundcore R60i NC features particularly strong active noise cancelling (ANC) capabilities, able to reduce noise by up to 52dB. Soundcore has also outfitted these buds with a 50ms Low Latency Game Mode for movies and gaming, reducing the lag between audio and video. Additionally, it boasts 11mm titanium-coated drivers for deeper bass.
What sets these buds apart from the competition, however, is that they are among the cheapest TWS buds with LDAC codec support. Despite all this, the buds— both the audio equipment and the cradle — have a modest external appearance that can be quite deceiving. They are available in four colours: black, white, light blue, and pink.
What’s Good About It?
The R60i NC has possibly the most potent ANC I have ever used. They are so strong that these buds can easily drown out airplane noise and Philippine traffic. Meanwhile, the Passthrough mode works well, as it allows me to hold conversations with the buds still on, though only at lower volumes.
First-time setup is pretty easy and was good to go right out of the box. For phones specifically, this spares me the hassle of downloading a third-party app, which is a massive plus in my books.
If you download the app, you’ll find a variety of features and sound profiles that help you hone in on your desired sound. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the app has a preference test that can help create your ideal sound profile. In my opinion, it’s just okay, as it has a tendency to give my music a lot more bass than necessary.
Speaking of sound, the R60i NC’s 11mm titanium-coated drivers accomplish what they’re meant to do: adding more punch to the bass. Though the buds have a strong emphasis on bass, they’re still more than capable of handling highs and mids. In Talking Heads’ live performance of Psycho Killer, you can hear the pluck and strum of the guitar amidst the skull-rattling drums.
Another example of this would be Who We Are by Hozier, where the buds can easily handle the strong, thumping lows of the song without muddying up the vocals—especially when he’s hitting the high notes. It’s worth noting that I do not feel any pain or discomfort from the playback when he’s belting out those high notes.
The vocals are surprisingly clear and warm enough that you can still feel the emotion each song conveys. I can hear the optimism in Brighter Days by Ronan Keating, the vulnerability and melancholy in Marble Arch by Erin LeCount, and the loss in Permanent by David Cook.
As for battery life, the buds live up to their promised 10 hours of playback and 50 hours with the included case. In my testing, I was able to get about a week’s worth of use before needing to recharge the device. It’s worth mentioning, however, that the buds’ battery life drops from 10 hours to six if you have ANC and LDAC modes enabled. Soundcore never mentioned how long it takes for the buds and their cradle to reach a full charge, but I found the sweet spot to be somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour.
What’s The Catch?
While the performance of the R60i NC is decent in terms of audio playback, it drops the ball during calls. For some reason, the audio volume drops to half even though I have the slider maxed out. The microphone seems to have the same issue, with my colleagues noting that my audio sounded “weak and muffled”. I’ve tried searching for the cause of the issue on both my phone and laptop in hopes of fixing it, but to no avail.
Speaking of volume, I noticed a significant delay whenever I try to adjust audio playback. For a second or two, there are no changes, but the next thing I know, the volume is either completely gone or at full blast. This problem was consistent across various phones, laptops, and tablets, and I haven’t been able to pinpoint why.
On that note, the R60i NC displayed a few connectivity issues during my testing. There were instances when I could quickly connect and switch between devices, but there were also moments when it wouldn’t connect to any of them at all until I disconnected everything. Additionally, the connection would drop intermittently during playback.
Should I Buy It?
If you’re looking for affordable audio gear with great overall performance, the R60i NC is a no-brainer choice. At RM189, these buds exceed expectations with strong ANC, long battery life, and surprisingly dynamic sound. Of course, they still have boosted bass, which is typical of cheaper models and can be either a pro or a con, depending on your taste.
They’re not perfect, though. Lower call volume and an unstable dual connection are real pains. But if you can overlook these issues, then by all means, give these buds a go.
Photography by Kiran P. Ganesan.
