Soundcore P25i

The Soundcore P25i gives you 10 hours of earbud battery life—the kind of endurance few budget buds can match. Unfortunately, the audio quality drags along at the bottom 28th percentile with a 39.9 music score, and our user sentiment ranking is literally the worst in its class. Find it for $25 and treat it as a disposable backup, but don't expect it to sound good.

The Soundcore by Anker P25i is a bit of a puzzle. On one hand, it's wildly popular—its social proof score sits in the 95th percentile thanks to over 5,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Best Buy. On the other hand, our aggregated user sentiment score lands at a grim 1st percentile, meaning owners report more frustrations than with almost any other true wireless bud we track. The spec sheet looks decent enough: 10mm drivers with 'big bass,' 10 hours of earbud life, IPX5 water resistance, and a companion app. But our test data reveals some rough edges that explain the mixed feelings.

Let's get straight to the numbers. Despite the 10mm dynamic driver, the P25i's sound quality lands in the bottom 28th percentile. Our music score is a weak 39.9 out of 100—that's one of the lowest we've seen. The bass is muddy and the highs lack detail, which undercuts the 'big bass' marketing. Connectivity is where things brighten up: Bluetooth 5.3 kept a rock-solid link in our tests, earning an 83rd percentile rank. Battery life is a genuine bright spot, too. You get 10 hours from the buds and another 30 from the case, putting it at the 83rd percentile, and the quick-charge feature (10 minutes for 2 hours) is clutch. Build quality surprised us—it's sturdy and the IPX5 rating means sweat and splashes won't kill it, landing at the 91st percentile. But comfort is just average (70th percentile), and the microphone performs at a middling 54th percentile. It'll handle a quiet call, but don't expect it to cut through street noise.

Pricing for the P25i is all over the place. We've seen it listed from $25 to an absurd $399 across different vendors—a $374 spread that makes no sense. The best deal we spotted is at Best Buy, where it consistently hovers around $25. At that dirt-cheap price, the long battery, app support, and decent build start to make sense. But our total score is just 53.8, so you're not getting much performance per dollar even at the low end. If you pay anything north of $30, you're overpaying, and you should absolutely run from any listing near that $399 mark.

When you stack the P25i against its peers, the audio weakness becomes a dealbreaker. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ adds active noise cancellation and a far richer sound signature for around $50—a small price jump for a massive upgrade. Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro costs significantly more but trounces the P25i in every performance category. Even the cheaper TOZO Crystal Pods deliver clearer audio, though the Soundcore's battery life edges them out. If call clarity matters, the Sony WF-C700N offers cleaner mics and ANC for a reasonable step up. Basically, the P25i only makes sense if battery life is your sole priority and you find it for pocket change.

Music lovers should look elsewhere. A 39.9 music score is simply too low; the EarFun Air Pro 4+ or even the TOZO Crystal Pods offer far better audio for not much more money. Anyone who takes frequent calls in noisy environments will also be disappointed by the microphone's struggle with background noise. And if you need earbuds that stay locked in during a run or gym session, the JBL Endurance Race 2 with its secure hook design is a smarter fitness pick.

Our data paints a blunt picture: the Soundcore P25i is a battery champion that fails where it counts. A 39.9 music score and a 28th percentile sound ranking are tough to ignore, and the user sentiment data puts it dead last among true wireless earbuds. Owners love the quick charging and the app, but many struggle with fit and nearly unusable microphones. If you absolutely need 10 hours of playback and can't spend more than $25, it's a passable beater—but I'd strongly recommend stretching your budget just a bit for the EarFun Air Pro 4+. That extra $25 will transform your daily listening experience.