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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want all-day noise cancelling earbuds with seriously heavy bass and a charging case that doubles as a phone stand, choose Anker Soundcore P40i; if you need lightweight on-ear headphones with bigger drivers and a longer single-charge battery for gaming — including headphones for Xbox — choose Black Emblem X3. Both lean into deep bass, but they do it in completely different shapes, and that shape matters more than any spec sheet line.
• Anker Soundcore P40i — biggest strength: 11mm composite drivers with BassUp technology, adaptive ANC, and a 60-hour total battery via a case that also works as a phone stand.
• Anker Soundcore P40i — biggest trade-off: They're in-ear buds, so the bass is delivered through your ear canal. That's punchy, but it's a different physical feeling than a headphone driver pushing air against your ear.
• Black Emblem X3 — biggest strength: 40mm dynamic drivers in a 120g on-ear frame with 55 hours of playtime on a single charge and Bluetooth 5.3 for phones, laptops and consoles.
• Black Emblem X3 — biggest trade-off: On-ear pads sit against your ear rather than around it, and the 200ms latency figure means this isn't a low-latency gaming-first design.
• Who each pick is for: pick the P40i if you want pocketable buds with active noise cancelling and app-style flexibility; pick the X3 if you want a lightweight over-the-head feel and one long battery number.
The P40i is built around two ideas: bass you can feel and a case that does more than hold the buds. The 11mm composite drivers are paired with BassUp, which the spec sheet describes as real-time bass enhancement. In practice that means the low end is being pushed continuously rather than only on tracks that already have it. If your playlist is bass-forward — hip-hop, electronic, modern pop — that's the tuning working in your favour.
Battery is the other headline. You get 12 hours on a single charge and up to 60 hours total with the case, and the case has an 800mAh battery of its own. For most people that's a charge that lasts weeks, not days. The case also folds out as a phone stand so you can prop your phone up for video without holding it, which is a genuinely useful touch if you watch a lot of content on a phone.
Where the P40i fits best is commuting, working, calls and travel where you want something small. Adaptive ANC adjusts to surrounding noise, and six mics plus an AI algorithm handle voice pickup, so it's a credible option for calls and video chat. It's IPX5 rated, so sweat and light rain aren't a problem. Touch controls handle volume and playback, and Bluetooth 5.3 gives you a 10-metre range.
Who should skip it? Anyone who dislikes in-ear fit, or who wants the sensation of a full-size driver sitting on their head. There's no headphone jack, and the earbuds sit inside your ear — that's a fit preference, not a flaw, but it's the reason a lot of people go the other way on this comparison. In my opinion the P40i is the better pick for someone who wants one small thing that covers noise cancelling, calls and heavy bass all at once.
The X3 goes the opposite direction: it's a lightweight on-ear headphone rather than a set of buds. The custom-tuned 40mm dynamic drivers are the biggest single number in this comparison, and the spec sheet frames them around deep bass with crisp highs — Hi-Fi tuning aimed at hip-hop, rock and lossless tracks. A 40mm driver moving air against your ear is simply a different experience than an 11mm driver inside it, and that's the core reason someone picks this side.
The battery figure is the standout: 55 hours on a single charge, with USB-C quick charge when you do run it down. That's one number, no case involved, no maths about how many recharges are left. For long flights, long workdays or forgetting to charge for a week, that's a real advantage.
At 120g with an adjustable headband and memory foam pads, the design is aimed at all-day wear without pressure. Adaptive ANC adjusts to your environment, which the spec sheet frames around airplane noise, café chatter and gym noise. Bluetooth 5.3 handles connections to phones, laptops and game consoles, and there's a built-in mic for calls.
Two things to weigh honestly. First, on-ear means the pads rest against your ear rather than enclosing it, so isolation depends on the ANC doing the work. Second, the listed audio latency is 200ms — noticeably higher than a dedicated low-latency gaming mode would be. If you're considering this for Xbox, it's a fine casual option for game audio and chat through the mic, but I wouldn't call it a competitive shooter pick. Controls are button-based rather than touch, which some people genuinely prefer because there's no accidental skipping.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for bass you feel through your ear canal → Anker Soundcore P40i (11mm drivers plus BassUp).
• Best for bass from a bigger driver → Black Emblem X3 (40mm dynamic drivers).
• Best for total battery with a case → Anker Soundcore P40i, up to 60 hours including the case.
• Best for travel and commuting → Both qualify, but the P40i packs smaller; the X3's adaptive ANC is framed around airplane and café noise.
• Best for calls → Anker Soundcore P40i, with six mics and an AI algorithm for voice pickup.
• Best for all-day wear comfort → Black Emblem X3, at 120g with memory foam pads and an adjustable headband.
• Best for gaming and consoles → Black Emblem X3 connects to game consoles over Bluetooth 5.3, though its 200ms latency suits casual play more than competitive play.
• Best for sweat and light rain → Anker Soundcore P40i, which carries an IPX5 rating.
If I were buying one of these for myself, I'd take the Anker Soundcore P40i. The combination of adaptive ANC, BassUp-tuned 11mm drivers, six mics, IPX5 and a case that charges to 60 hours and doubles as a phone stand covers more of my day than a single pair of on-ears does — and for Xbox, it's the more flexible companion to a controller-and-phone setup. I'd choose the Black Emblem X3 instead if I wanted a lightweight on-ear headphone with a 40mm driver and one enormous 55-hour battery number, and I'd accept that it's a casual gaming companion rather than a latency-focused one. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one variable that can flip this either way.
Deep bass refers to the low-frequency end of the audio range — roughly the bottom of the 20Hz to 20,000Hz span both of these products cover. It's the rumble and thump you feel on kick drums and sub-bass lines. Both products are tuned toward it: the P40i through 11mm composite drivers with BassUp, and the X3 through 40mm dynamic drivers.
The general Bluetooth pairing routine applies to almost all wireless headphones, including these two: put the headphones into pairing mode, open your device's Bluetooth settings, select the headphones from the list, and confirm. The Black Emblem X3 uses Bluetooth 5.3 and the Anker Soundcore P40i uses Bluetooth 5.3 as well, both with a 10-metre range. If a first attempt fails, remove the old pairing entry and start again.
Same process again — pairing mode on the headphones, then select them in your phone, laptop or console's Bluetooth menu. What matters more here is the source device: the Black Emblem X3 lists compatibility with phones, laptops and game consoles, which is why it's the one I'd point at an Xbox setup. The P40i is the better fit if you're pairing to a phone and want ANC plus call mics in the same package.
For casual Xbox audio, yes — the Black Emblem X3 connects over Bluetooth 5.3 to game consoles and has a built-in mic for chat. Just go in knowing its listed latency is 200ms, which is fine for single-player and casual play but not ideal for fast competitive shooters. If you want a compact alternative for game audio and voice chat alongside your phone, the Anker Soundcore P40i with its six-mic array is the more call-focused of the two.
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