I love soundcore’s Sleep A20 earbuds. So far, I’ve really only tried one feature, but it is the only one I need: low-frequency masking. It lets these comfortable sleep earbuds effectively block out the sound of snoring.
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soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds review: Effective against snoring
While they don't offer active noise cancellation, these sleep earbuds effectively block out annoying sounds that can keep you awake, including a partner's snoring.
- Comfortable, even for side sleepers
- Effective noise masking
- Sleep analytics
- Lots of customization options in soundcore app
- No wireless charging
- Case feels slightly flimsy
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep. Scientists already proved that it’s crucial for your mental and physical health, and the Sleep A20 earbuds track sleeping metrics, much like the Apple Watch does. The earbuds keeps tabs on how long you slept, plus how many times you rolled over during the night and what positions you slept in most.
But who needs raw data and a scientific study to know that sound sleep is important? One sleepless night spent tossing and turning, growing increasingly enraged by your partner’s snoring, delivers all the proof you need.
Unfortunately, my husband snores. We recently went on a trip to Italy and he did not bring his CPAP machine. I was very irritated with him because I was only getting about four hours of sleep a night due to his snoring. I was not having fun and suggested that the next place we stayed needed to have two bedrooms before I ended up killing him.
Then he handed me his pair of soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds, downloaded the soundcore app to my iPhone and paired the earbuds to it, and strongly suggested I try them out and let him go back to sleep.
So many sleep sounds … but only one I need
I was skeptical because I previously tried listening to different sleep soundscapes on my AirPods Pro. However, they never blocked out his snoring. Plus, the design made them uncomfortable to wear while resting my head on a pillow. That alone kept me awake.
Still, I was desperate and in a foreign country. The soundcore sleep earbuds offer lots of options for customizing your sleep sounds, including chestnuts like “forest stream” and “soothing rain,” much like the iPhone’s built-in Background Sounds. I looked at all the settings. When I saw the one for low-frequency masking, I decided to give it a try.
The noise generated by the low-frequency masking sounded like static with some crackles in it. At first, I thought I would find it irritating if I had to listen to it all night, but I actually found it relaxing. And, when cranked up to 100%, it totally masked my husband’s snoring. You can also use them to stream Bluetooth audio, but the low-frequency masking is all I want or need.
Even though they’re not noise-canceling earbuds per se, soundcore’s four-point noise-masking system effectively shields you from unwanted sounds. The various audio sleep settings do the rest — just pick one that masks your partner’s snoring sounds.
Comfortable sleep earbuds that mask your partner’s snoring
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
The low-profile sleep earbuds — which don’t protrude from your ear the way AirPods do — proved comfortable even when lying on my side. Plus, the sleep A20s come with various sizes of soft, silky ear tips (both breathable and sealed), as well as various ear wings that hold them comfortably in place. You can customize the fit to your ear in a jiffy.
While I haven’t tested this, soundcore says the sleep earbuds offer up to 14 hours of playback in Sleep mode. And with the included charging case, you can bump that up to 80 hours. One charge definitely gets me through the night.
The first time I tried the earbuds, which list for $149.99, I got a full night’s sleep. I didn’t hate him in the morning.
He doesn’t always wear his CPAP at home, either. So now, at the first sound of snoring, I put the soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds in and go to sleep. No more poking him to try to wake him up. No more murderous thoughts.
If you have a partner who snores, buy these affordable and effective sleep earbuds. They could save your relationship.
For Black Friday, they’re on sale for just $119.99 from both Amazon and soundcore. That’s much more affordable than hiring a divorce lawyer.
★★★★☆
Note: If you buy directly from soundcore during the company’s Cyber Monday sale, just be sure to clip the $30 coupon — and check the box to receive a free sleep mask (retail value $9.99).
While they don't offer active noise cancellation, these sleep earbuds effectively block out annoying sounds that can keep you awake, including a partner's snoring.
- Comfortable, even for side sleepers
- Effective noise masking
- Sleep analytics
- Lots of customization options in soundcore app
- No wireless charging
- Case feels slightly flimsy
soundcore provided Cult of Mac with a review unit of the Sleep A20 earbuds for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
