How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want an over-ear headphone that cancels noise with big 45 mm drivers and stays comfortable for hours at a desk or on a plane, choose commalta Active Noise Cancelling; if you need compact earbuds with adaptive noise cancelling, a charging case that doubles as a phone stand, and up to 45 hours of total playtime, choose Anker Soundcore P30i.
• commalta Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: over-ear design with 45 mm acoustic drivers, memory foam ear cushions, and up to 30 hours of playtime from a single charge.
• commalta Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: it's a full-size over-ear headphone, so it takes up more bag space than earbuds and there's no charging case to top it up on the move.
• Anker Soundcore P30i — biggest strength: adaptive ANC rated to reduce noise by up to 42 dB, plus a 2-in-1 case that doubles as a phone stand and 45 hours of total playtime.
• Anker Soundcore P30i — biggest trade-off: in-ear fit means you're relying on ear tips for both comfort and seal, and the bass-forward tuning won't suit everyone.
• Who each pick is for: commalta for home-office, flight and long-session listeners who prefer over-ear comfort; Soundcore P30i for commuters, travelers and phone-watchers who want pocketable earbuds.
The commalta Active Noise Cancelling is an over-ear Bluetooth headphone built around two ideas: noise cancelling and long-session comfort. The active noise cancellation is designed to push down the noise around you so you can keep your attention on what you're listening to — commalta specifically points to flights, the subway, cubicles, open offices and home offices as the places it's meant for. If your day involves a shared space or a commute with a constant low rumble, that's the scenario this headphone is aimed at.
The sound side leans on 45 mm acoustic drivers, which is a large driver for a wireless headphone. In practice, a driver that size is what gives you the "crisp highs, pretty mids and clear bass" character commalta describes, and it's the reason an over-ear like this tends to sound fuller than a small in-ear bud. There's also a built-in microphone for calls, so you can take a call without pulling out your phone, and the connection runs on Bluetooth 5.0.
Comfort is clearly the other half of the pitch. The ear cushions are memory foam, the headband adjusts, and the earcups are angled so they can swivel to your head shape — small details that matter a lot once you're three hours into a workday. Playtime is up to 30 hours from one charge, which covers several days of typical listening between top-ups. The enclosure is plastic, it's an over-ear fit, it weighs about 0.1 kg, and it's covered by a 1-year warranty.
Anker Soundcore P30i: Who It's For
The Anker Soundcore P30i is a pair of true wireless in-ear buds, and its headline trick is the case. The charging case has a back panel that folds out into a phone stand — Anker calls it a 2-in-1 case and phone stand. Open it, prop your phone on it, and you've got hands-free viewing for a show on a flight or a video at a café table. That's a genuinely unusual feature and it's the thing that separates the P30i from a sea of similar earbuds.
Noise cancelling is the other big selling point. Anker rates the active noise cancelling at up to 42 dB of reduction, and it's adaptive: the buds detect external sound and automatically pick a noise-cancelling level tuned to your ears. There's also a transparency mode for when you need to hear the world again — announcements, a barista calling your name, a colleague walking up behind you. Switching between the two is a tap away.
Sound is bass-first. The P30i uses 10 mm dynamic drivers with Anker's BassUp technology, and the frequency range is listed as 20–20 kHz with 16 ohm impedance. If you like punchy low end on hip-hop, electronic or action-heavy video, that tuning is aimed straight at you. If you prefer a neutral, flat presentation, the bass emphasis may not be your thing.
Battery life is where the P30i pulls ahead on paper: 10 hours from a single charge in the buds, extending to 45 hours total with the case. There's also a quick-charge claim — 10 minutes in the case gives roughly 2 hours of listening — which is the kind of thing that saves you when you're heading out the door and realize the buds are dead. The buds are IP54 rated, so sweat and light splashes aren't a problem, and they run Bluetooth 5.4. You get S/M/L ear tips with M pre-installed, a USB-C cable, touch controls, and an 18-month warranty.
Who should skip it? Anyone who dislikes things sitting inside their ears, or who wants the big, roomy presentation of an over-ear driver. In-ears are also more dependent on getting the right tip size for both comfort and noise cancelling to work properly — if none of the three sizes fit you well, the experience suffers.
• Best for all-day desk and flight comfort → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. Over-ear memory foam cushions, an adjustable headband and swiveling earcups are built for long sessions.
• Best for travel and commuting → Anker Soundcore P30i. Earbuds plus a case slip into a pocket, and the case doubles as a phone stand for in-flight viewing.
• Best for maximum total playtime → Anker Soundcore P30i. 10 hours per charge stretching to 45 hours with the case, versus 30 hours from a single charge on the commalta.
• Best for big-driver sound → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. 45 mm drivers give an over-ear presentation that's hard for a 10 mm in-ear to match in sheer scale.
• Best for bass-heavy listening → Anker Soundcore P30i. BassUp with 10 mm dynamic drivers is tuned for deep, punchy low end.
• Best for blocking out an open office → either, depending on fit. commalta targets cubicles and open offices with its ANC; the P30i's adaptive ANC is rated up to 42 dB of reduction.
• Best for hearing your surroundings on demand → Anker Soundcore P30i. Transparency mode is a one-tap switch; the commalta's noise control is listed as active noise cancellation.
• Best if you hate things in your ears → commalta Active Noise Cancelling. The over-ear fit avoids ear tips entirely.
For me, the deciding question is how and where you listen. If you're at a desk, on a plane, or in a shared office for hours at a time, I'd buy the commalta Active Noise Cancelling — the over-ear memory foam fit, the 45 mm drivers and the 30-hour single charge are exactly what long sessions need. If you're a commuter or a traveler who wants buds in your pocket, a case that props up your phone, and the longest total playtime here, I'd buy the Anker Soundcore P30i. Two different jobs, two different answers — pick the one that matches your day, not the spec sheet.
Anker publishes a figure — up to 42 dB of reduction — and adds adaptive tuning that adjusts to your ears, plus a transparency mode. commalta describes its ANC in use-case terms (flights, subway, open offices) without a dB figure. On paper the P30i gives you more specific noise-cancelling detail; real-world results depend on how well the ear tips seal.
The commalta is rated at up to 30 hours from a single charge. The P30i is rated at 10 hours in the buds, extending to 45 hours total with the charging case, and a 10-minute top-up is claimed to give about 2 hours.
Both have built-in microphones and media controls. The commalta emphasizes a built-in mic with stable connection on Bluetooth 5.0; the P30i runs Bluetooth 5.4 and supports single-earbud use, which is handy if you like taking calls with one bud in.
The P30i's 2-in-1 case doubles as a phone stand, so you can prop your phone up and watch hands-free — that's a real advantage for phone-first viewing. If you watch on a laptop or TV instead, the commalta's over-ear comfort and bigger drivers make more sense.
I don't quote prices here — they change often. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you decide; the page has a button for each.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.