Soundcore Space 2 Review: The Smart Budget ANC Buy

By Editorial Team | April 2026

The Soundcore Space 2 is the sensible choice if you want noise-cancelling headphones that do the commute, the office, and the long-haul flight without wrecking your budget. It wins on battery life, comfort, and features for the money. The catch is simple: you are not getting Bose-level silence or clean, crisp call quality.

Our pick: Soundcore Space 2

Soundcore Space 2 — £129.99

At 7.9/10, this is the pair for people who want one set of over-ear headphones that can disappear into daily life. The battery is the standout: up to 50 hours with ANC on, 70 hours with ANC off, and a 5-minute top-up gets you 4 hours back. That matters more than marketing fluff because it means you can forget the charger for most of the week and still be fine.

Why it works:

• The 4-stage low-frequency ANC takes the edge off trains, planes, and office hum well enough to make them genuinely useful for travel and focus.
• The 261g build, memory foam ear cushions, and wearing detection make them easy to leave on for hours without that slow clamp-induced headache.
• LDAC, Bluetooth 6.1 with dual connection, and 40mm drivers give you more flexibility and better sound quality than most headphones around this price.

The honest trade-off: the ANC is good, not elite, and voice calls can sound a little muffled when you need them to be sharp. If calls are a major part of your day, look higher up the ladder.

Buy the Soundcore Space 2 here.

Best upgrade: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — around £449

This is the move if you care most about silence. Bose is still the safer bet for frequent flyers, noisy open-plan offices, and anyone who wants ANC that feels like it actively erases the room rather than just softening it.

Worth it if: you travel often, hate engine noise, and are willing to pay for the best comfort-and-ANC combo in the class.

Best budget pick: Sony WH-CH720N

Sony WH-CH720N — around £99

The Sony WH-CH720N is the cheaper buy that gets the basics right: light weight, decent ANC, and a big-name app ecosystem. You give up the Space 2’s battery bragging rights and some of its feature density, but you save enough to make the compromise obvious.

Worth it if: you want solid wireless ANC headphones for occasional commuting and do not care about extras like LDAC or the longest battery life.

How we chose

For over-ear ANC headphones, the real questions are comfort, battery life, noise cancelling, and call quality. We used the product data here and cross-checked current competing models and recent reviews from outlets including SoundGuys, What Hi-Fi?, PCMag, and Trusted Reviews to anchor the comparison in real products buyers can actually order.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Soundcore Space 2 good for flying?
Yes. The ANC and long battery life make it a strong travel pick, especially at this price.

Is it worth £129.99?
Yes, if you want feature-rich ANC headphones without paying Sony or Bose money. If you care most about top-tier noise cancelling, spend more.

How good are the calls?
Fine, not fantastic. The microphones are serviceable, but they can sound a bit thin and muffled compared with pricier rivals.

Should you worry about charging often?
No. The battery life is one of the best things about it, and the fast charge is genuinely useful.