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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want serious noise cancelling, 40-hour battery life and a wired Hi-Res option, choose Anker Soundcore; if you need open-ear comfort for small ears, glasses or long hair — plus a pair of detachable earrings as a style bonus — choose Zunate Earbuds.
• Anker Soundcore — biggest strength: Hybrid active noise cancelling with four built-in mics, 40 hours of ANC playtime, dual-device Bluetooth and a 3.5 mm AUX mode that unlocks Hi-Res certified audio.
• Anker Soundcore — biggest trade-off: These are full over-ear headphones weighing 9.12 ounces, and ANC only works over Bluetooth — it switches off in wired mode. They are not a discreet, pocketable pair.
• Zunate Earbuds — biggest strength: A genuinely unusual design: open-ear buds that rest gently on the ear at just 4.5 g each, with detachable earrings included as a wearable accessory.
• Zunate Earbuds — biggest trade-off: No noise cancelling at all, a 4–8 hour playtime per charge and a shorter 10 m Bluetooth range. They leak sound in and out by design.
• Who each pick is for: Pick Anker Soundcore if you commute, fly or work in noisy spaces and want to disappear into your music. Pick Zunate Earbuds if you want light, non-sealing earbuds that stay put with glasses or long hair — and you like the jewellery twist.
The Soundcore Q20i is built around one idea: shutting the world out. Four microphones work together in Bluetooth mode to filter background noise, whether that's a packed office, a train carriage or a busy street. If your day is full of noise you didn't ask for, this is the kind of design that directly addresses it. Just know the limitation up front — ANC is a Bluetooth-only feature and it pauses automatically in wired mode.
Battery is the second pillar. You get up to 40 hours with ANC on, and the fast top-up is genuinely useful: five minutes plugged in via USB-C returns roughly four hours of listening. A full charge takes about two hours. For anyone who forgets to charge until the last minute, that maths matters more than a spec sheet headline.
Then there's flexibility. BassUp pushes deep, punchy bass and crisp highs wirelessly, and plugging in the included AUX cable unlocks Hi-Res certified audio with a 20 Hz–40,000 Hz frequency range and 16 ohm impedance. Dual connections let you stay linked to a laptop and a phone at once, with audio hopping automatically to whichever device needs you. The Soundcore app adds EQ presets, custom tuning, ANC/Normal/Transparency switching and built-in white noise. Transparency mode blends announcements, colleagues and street noise back in without removing the headphones.
Who should buy it: commuters, remote workers, frequent flyers and anyone who wants one pair to cover work calls, playlists and travel. Who should skip it: people who want something tiny and invisible, anyone who refuses to wear over-ears, and shoppers who mostly listen wired — because that's exactly when you lose ANC.
The Zunate Earbuds go the opposite direction. Instead of sealing you off, they rest gently on your ear without blocking the canal. That open fit is the whole point: sound feels airy and natural rather than pressurised, and it's tuned for clear vocals and smooth balance — which suits podcasts, calls and background playlists far more than bass-heavy listening.
The comfort story is the strongest part of the design. At 4.5 g per bud, they're built for a secure fit that stays in place with small ears, long hair or glasses, with no slipping and no pinching. Materials are ABS, silicone and Ti wire, and each earbud carries its own built-in 100 mAh lithium-ion battery. Playback lands between 4 and 8 hours depending on volume, with a 10 m transmission range. There's no headphone jack and no noise cancelling — by design, not by omission.
The detachable earrings are the detail that makes these stand out. They turn the earbuds into a wearable accessory, and the set arrives with a pair of earbuds, the earrings, a case/cover, a charging cable and a manual. That makes them an easy gift for birthdays or holidays, especially for someone who wants tech that doesn't look like tech.
Who should buy it: small-eared listeners, glasses wearers, people with long hair, casual sports and work users, and gift shoppers. Who should skip it: anyone who needs to block out a noisy commute, wants long battery life between charges, or expects deep, isolated bass.
• Best for noise cancelling → Anker Soundcore. Four mics and hybrid ANC versus none on the Zunate.
• Best for battery life → Anker Soundcore. Up to 40 hours with ANC on, plus a 5-minute top-up for about 4 hours, against 4–8 hours on the Zunate.
• Best for all-day comfort and small ears → Zunate Earbuds. 4.5 g per bud, open-ear, explicitly designed not to slip with glasses or long hair.
• Best for sound quality and wired listening → Anker Soundcore. Hi-Res certified audio over AUX, BassUp, and a 20 Hz–40,000 Hz range with app EQ.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Zunate Earbuds. The open fit keeps you connected to traffic, colleagues and announcements without any mode switching.
• Best for calls and podcasts in quiet settings → Zunate Earbuds. Vocals-first tuning and an unpressurised fit suit long listening sessions.
• Best for switching between laptop and phone → Anker Soundcore. Dual-device Bluetooth with automatic audio handover.
• Best as a gift → Zunate Earbuds. The detachable earrings and complete accessory set make them feel personal rather than generic.
• Best single pair for travel and commuting → Anker Soundcore. Over-ear isolation, long battery and a carry-friendly cable set win on a plane or train.
In my opinion, the Anker Soundcore Q20i is the safer buy for most people, because it solves the two problems that annoy listeners most: noise and charging. Hybrid ANC, 40 hours with ANC on and a 5-minute top-up cover commuting, flights and office days without fuss, and the AUX mode plus app EQ give you room to tune the sound to taste.
I'd only steer you to the Zunate Earbuds if comfort and style genuinely outrank isolation for you — small ears, glasses, long hair, gentle workouts, or a gift where the detachable earrings are the whole charm. They're a niche product done thoughtfully, not a competitor on noise cancelling.
FAQ
Anker Soundcore, clearly. It uses four built-in mics for hybrid active noise cancelling in Bluetooth mode. Zunate Earbuds list no noise control at all and use an open, non-sealing fit that lets sound in.
Anker Soundcore offers up to 40 hours with ANC on and about 4 hours from a 5-minute charge. Zunate Earbuds run 4–8 hours per charge from 100 mAh batteries in each earbud.
That's exactly their design brief. At 4.5 g each they rest on the ear instead of inside the canal, and the fit is aimed at small ears, long hair and glasses without slipping or pinching.
Think carefully. Anker Soundcore adds Hi-Res certified audio over AUX, but ANC switches off in wired mode. Zunate Earbuds have no jack at all, so they're Bluetooth-only. Whatever you choose, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since pricing shifts and this page doesn't quote figures.
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