I loved traveling with these clever folding headphones

When a company launches a set of headphones that cleverly fold up into a small, compact shape and boast active noise cancellation (ANC), they seem ideal for travel.

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro tick both those boxes. So when I received a pair to try out, I decided to take them with me on a trip to see how they fare.

Headphone specification

Here’s what you need to know about the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro before we get into my experience: The over-ear headphones come in two colors — Jet Black and White Cream — and are equipped with 40mm drivers and a limited set of Bluetooth codecs. (That’d be AAC, SBC, and LDAC.) The 700mAh battery should return 40 hours’ use with ANC, and a fast-charge system means just five minutes plugged in will give eight hours’ use.

Six microphones and some AI wizardry improves the ANC over the Soundcore Space One headphones, with Anker promising the Adaptive ANC will cancel out a wider range of noise when you’re moving around. Four of the microphones handle calls. Where the Space One Pro stand out is in the design and the compact shape, enabled by a clever new five-segment headband and rotating cups.

Twist the cups round, turn one in the opposite direction, then squeeze the whole thing together, and the Space One Pro forms a surprisingly minimal donut-type shape. It comes with a pouch for storage, but you can also buy an Apple AirPods Max-style carry case if you want. Folded up, the Space One Pro are very convenient, and they don’t unravel themselves either, ensuring they always remain compact in your bag even if you don’t use the pouch.

Great size for travel

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro easily went in my backpack for my trip to IFA 2024 in Berlin. I had no intention of checking any bags for the flight, so making the best use of the space I had was important. They never felt cumbersome or like additional unwanted weight. And even when I wondered if I’d have the chance to use them, they could stay in my bag rather than in the hotel room. They are certainly very convenient.

I used the ANC before I left, on the flight, and at various times after arrival. I’ve found it effective, but my personal preference is for a thick blanket of ANC, dampening audible irritations around me to the greatest extent. The Space One Pro don’t quite manage this when I was listening to podcasts, delivering a softer effect minimizing the sound of the aircraft’s engines, but not the sound of conversation around me in a cafe and the hotel bar as much as I’d like.

I didn’t notice any unpleasant pressure wearing them, but they can get quite hot. Even out walking in evening summer temperatures in the U.K. saw them get very sweaty, so I don’t think they’ll be suitable for serious exercise. General use indoors sitting down, I felt my ears get a little hotter than with my usual Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones. That said, the padding on the headband is thick and soft, making them otherwise very comfortable for long listening sessions. I also like the physical buttons rather than touch controls, making it fast and easy to start or stop playback, or adjust the ANC.

How do they sound?

In addition to various presets, you can adjust the equalizer (EQ) in the Soundcore app. But to get the best tailored sound from the Space One Pro I’d suggest running the HearID Sound check. After listening to a series of test sounds, the app creates a custom EQ setting suited to your ears and hearing. I found it made a significant and positive difference to the Space One Pro’s sound.

Listening to Le Sserafim’s recently released Crazy EP with its strong EDM bias, the Space One Pro’s heavy bass response was immediately noticeable and plenty enough for me, despite it being tweaked down for my HearID custom setting already. You better really like bass if you decide to use the Soundcore Signature setting. There’s not much subtlety to the Space One Pro’s default sound, and vocals can get lost in the bass until you spend time playing with the equalizer.

I’ve been using the Space One Pro before launch and have also encountered a few problems with the dual device connection, where notifications on my Apple MacBook Air M1 sometimes stopped playback from my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (but not the other way around), and there were also issues with getting the sound to play at all from my laptop. It’s possible fixes for these problems, and tweaks to the signature sound I feel is too aggressive, will come in a software update.

When can you get the Soundcore Space One Pro?

The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are available to buy in the U.S. and other regions starting September 5 and cost $200. They are a convenient set of over-ear headphones with a clever design that does make them great for travel, while the ANC performs well in loud environments. A customizable EQ lessens the pain of limited codec support, but the software and reliability may benefit from a software update. I have enjoyed using the Space One Pro and am pleased I brought them on my trip. They are entering a crowded space though, and you can see the many other headphones we recommend here.