Soundcore is a relatively new audio company, but they’ve managed to now become one of the most popular brands for budget earbuds. The P2 Mini and subsequently released A20i are two such products. The P2 Mini has become very popular since its release, and emphasizes bass and power with compact portability. The newer A20i is quickly on the rise, and emphasizes versatility and performance at a bare minimum price.
How does the A20i actually compare to the P2 Mini though? Is one decidedly better than the other? I have fully reviewed both of these products and will answer those questions here.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Side by Side
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Specs and Features
| Spec | A20i | P2 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| release date | Apr 2023 | Jul 2021 |
| price-tier ⓘbudget: around $30 or less value: around $30-$60 performance: around $60-$100 premium: around $100-$200 elite: more than $200 |
budget | budget |
| design style | 6mm single dynamic driver | 10mm single dynamic driver |
| earbuds battery life | 9h | 9h |
| total + case battery life | 28h | 36h |
| weatherproofing | IPX5 | IPX5 |
| onboard controls | touch based | touch based |
| wireless charging | no | no |
| active noise cancellation | no | no |
| transparency mode | no | no |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| EQ app compatibility | yes (pre-sets only) | no |
| Multipoint 2+ device support | no | no |
| warranty | 18 months | 18 months |
Besides the obvious difference in stemmed vs non-stemmed design, the A20i and P2 Mini have a few notable differences. The A20i has a smaller 6mm driver which, in my opinion, is optimal for all around performance, and the P2 Mini has a larger 10mm driver which, if well designed, lends to more powerful bass.
The A20i also has a few features which the Life P2 Mini does not. The A20i is compatible with the Soundcore app which allows you to customize the controls, choose between numerous EQ pre-sets, and toggle an optional gaming mode. Despite the Life P2 Mini having the slightly older Bluetooth version, it still has significantly more total battery life with the case.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Fit and Comfort
The Life P2 Mini has better fit and comfort than the A20i does. I had zero seal breaking issues with the Life P2 Mini no matter how I moved any part of my head around, but the A20i is prone to seal breakage and significant bass suck out if I smiled wide enough.
A lot of this is due to the tips that the A20i comes with being not that great, which is curious because most other Soundcore earbuds come with decent tips, including the Life P2 Mini. I actually tried swapping the Life P2 Mini tips onto the A20i, and they did fit a little more comfortably, but the seal breaking bass suck out was still there, albeit a little less so.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Isolation
The natural isolation of the A20i, somewhat interestingly, is noticeably better than that of the Life P2 Mini. The contoured and non-stemmed design typically lends itself better to physically blocking out external noise, and the A20i sits a little deeper and more firmly than the Life P2 Mini does, so despite the Life P2 Mini having a better fit with no seal breaking issues, it still has noticeably worse isolation than the A20i does, and overall not that great natural isolation.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Controls
The A20i has better controls and usability than the Life P2 Mini does. The touch controls of the A20i were easier to execute and more reliable, whereas the Life P2 Mini controls are quite finnicky and I had a fair amount of “misses” while using them.
The A20i also plays distinct tones for each of the touch commands so that you know if what you intended went through or not, and the Life P2 Mini does not have that feature.
Neither the Life P2 Mini nor A20i comes with onboard volume control by default, but with the A20i you can customize the controls with the Soundcore app and have the option to add volume control in, and you cannot do that with the Life P2 Mini.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Charging Case
The Life P2 Mini case and lid hinge feels a little more sturdy and less plasticky than the A20i case does, but I’d say they’re both decent enough for budget earbuds. The A20i does also come with the hook and lanyard if that’s something that appeals to you.
Soundcore A20i vs Life P2 Mini Sound Quality
Preliminary note: this page explains how I evaluate the sound quality of headphones and earbuds.
The A20i has noticeably better sound quality than the Life P2 Mini does. Both of their tuning out of the box is not that great – which has been an issue with Soundcore’s recent releases – but at least with the A20i you can choose between 22 EQ pre-sets in the Soundcore app, and with the best pre-set (in my opinion at least) the A20i sound is definitely passable and decent for the budget price-point. The Life P2 Mini, on the other hand, has subpar sound quality that has specific issues on top of that, which you can read more about in my full review of it linked below.
Final Verdict: Is the Soundcore A20i or Life P2 Mini Better?
The Soundcore A20i is the pretty clear better choice in my opinion – Its noticeably better sound quality, usability, and isolation outweighs the slightly better fit and battery life of the Life P2 Mini. The Life P2 Mini also has specific sound issues that are significant enough to be a deal breaker in my opinion. Not to mention you can’t control volume with the Life P2 Mini while you can with the A20i.
Get the A20i wireless earbuds on Amazon (affiliate link)
Get the Life P2 Mini wireless earbuds on Amazon (affiliate link)
Relevant Articles
• Full A20i review
• Full Life P2 Mini review
• Is Soundcore a good audio brand?
• The best budget true wireless earbuds (under $30)
