The Soundcore V20i earbuds are considered to be one of the best budget open earbuds around from a notable international brand. They were launched in India in late 2024 at Rs 4,999 and are generally sold at a price in the region of Rs 4,000. But in recent times, these buds have been available for less than half that price, dipping as low as Rs 1,999 on various e-commerce portals. At that price, they are an open steal (pun intended) for those who want good quality earbuds that do not go inside their ears, for not too much money.
There are two kinds of open earbuds – those which come with prominent stems and hang from your earlobe, and those which have capsule-like buds that lie over your ear canal with hooks that go around your ear to keep them securely in place. The Soundcore V20i come with the latter design, which means they end up being on the large side when it comes to size. The capsule-shaped buds have a glossy finish and also are touch sensitive, and in a very interesting touch, the hooks that come attached to them (they cannot be removed) can actually be rotated a little to provide you with a more comfortable fit – you can choose from four adjustable positions.
The buds and their case are both on the larger side. (Express Photo)
It is a nice touch, which we really wish was available on all earbuds that come with hooks. Mind you, it does make them a little difficult to place back into their large, pill-shaped case (you have to rotate the hooks to their lowest point and then fit them into the magnetic points in the case).
The buds and their case are both on the larger side and while they can fit into trouser pockets, they will bulge a little. At 120 grams with their case, they are significantly heavier than your routine TWS (the AirPods weigh under 50 grams, just for comparison), but come with a soft finish that makes them comfortable to wear. As these buds do not go inside your ear, there is no need to fiddle with ear tip sizes – one size fits all ears. The hook keeps them firmly in place so there is no danger of them falling off, and they also come with touch controls on the buds and tiny RGB LEDs that can flash in different colours depending on the kind of audio being played on them. Those blinking lights will make the Soundcore V20i stand out (you can switch off the lights if you do not wish for attention), but otherwise these look like standard open earbuds with hooks on them, with a clean, elegant finish. The buds also come with IP55 resistance, which is a little on the basic side, but will see them comfortably survive workout sessions and the odd stroll in a light drizzle.
The hook keeps the buds firmly in place. (Express Photo)
Pairing the V20i with iPhone or Android devices is simple – you just need to press the logo area on the buds for three seconds, which will make the LEDs on the buds blink, showing they are in pairing mode. After this, all one has to do is choose the buds from the Bluetooth section of the Settings and one is good to go. The buds come with multi-point support so you can follow the same process to connect them to another device and switch between them. Soundcore also provides a very comprehensive Soundcore app to let you do more with the buds, and we strongly recommend installing it – it works with both iOS and Android.
Delivering decent sound and good call quality
The Soundcore V20i come with large 16 mm drivers, and they deliver some very impressive audio. Sound quality is often an issue with open earbuds as their very design – the ‘open’ness, so to speak – means that external sounds keep coming in, and the lack of a tight fit also generally reduces the level of bass. While the bass on the Soundcore V20i is not the greatest, it is certainly better than what we have heard on other open earphones below Rs 5,000. The Soundcore app also gives you access to an equaliser with more than a dozen presets, with Bass Booster and Volume Booster options as well as special settings for podcasts, classical music, lounge, piano, vocals and much more. It is a brilliant set up and once again, something we wish we could get from other brands, which tend to restrict us to 4-6 presets. And if you do not like any of these, you can go with the Soundcore Signature setting, which is the most balanced of them all.
Pairing the V20i with iPhone or Android devices is simple. (Express Photo)
In general, the buds deliver very clear audio, with the vocals getting prominence, and while bass is a little on the lower side, you can always pump it up using the app. You will not get the sort of thump and rumble that you get from in-ear buds but it will be energetic enough for runs and work outs. However, if you are a music purist or want to use them for immersive gaming or long, binge watching sessions, then their relative lack of bass and tendency to let external sounds in will get in the way. Of course, there is no ANC as with most open earbuds. Still, if you are a casual listener of music and podcasts, these are going to be excellent options, given their clarity and volume levels (those big drivers clearly help!).
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The buds also shine in the calls department – although they come with no ENC, the people we spoke to could hear us very clearly, and call quality was very good. Battery life is very good too – you get eight hours on the buds, and the case takes it to 32-35 hours. So you can get through most of a week on a single charge.
There is no ANC as with most open earbuds. (Express Photo)
The interface takes a little bit of getting used to, as you need to tap on the logo of the buds to carry out commands like take a call, move to the next track and so on. Sometimes the taps do not register and that can be a bit of an issue, but things get smoother as you get the hang of the system – just remember to adjust the buds using their sides, as touching the buds themselves can sometimes trigger commands accidentally. You can customise commands for the buds using the app and can even allot taps for increasing and decreasing volume which is a nice touch in our books. There is however, no way to invoke a virtual assistant from the buds themselves, which is a bit of a downer in the age of Gemini and Siri.
Terrific deal for those who need to stay connected to the outdoors
At their launch price of around Rs 4,000, the Soundcore V20i seemed a slightly expensive opposition for those on a tight budget. They also faced competition from feature packed budget TWS with ANC from the likes of OnePlus and Oppo. At Rs 1,999, they are pretty much a terrific deal for anyone who wants decent audio with an open fit – they are several levels above similar priced options from the likes of Noise and Boat. They come with an innovatively flexible design, have good audio quality, are great at handling calls and have decent battery life too. They are not for audio fanatics, but for the ones who spend their time in the great outdoors and cannot afford to ignore it or simply do not want to.
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