Soundcore AeroFit 2 Review: Open Ear Headphones Deliver Solid Sound and Performance in the Right Setting

Soundcore AeroFit 2

Specifications

Headphones Weight	3 ounces
Dimensions	2.24 x 1.54 x 0.56 inches
Battery Life	10 hours
Charging Time	Wired charging time: 1.7 hours to fully charge the charging case, 2.2 hours to fully charge the charging case and the earbuds. Wireless charging time: 2.6 hours to fully charge the charging case and the earbuds.
Charger capacity	42 hours
Bluetooth Version	5.4
Sensitivity	127.5 dB
Frequency Response	20 KHz
Impedance	16 ohm

What we like

Lightweight Design and Build Quality

The Soundcore AeroFit 2 headphones come in four colors (black, white, blue or green) with a matching clamshell case that feels solid and premium. The case has a single USB-C charging port, a recessed reset button on the outside, and an LED and fitted charging port for the buds. The buds themselves are mounted on adjustable rubber fittings with a rubber tip designed for a comfortable fit.

The buds themselves are capsule-shaped and loop around the ear, with a single speaker producing the sound. Overall, the headphones feel lightweight and fit securely, even when engaging in heavy physical activity like jogging or exercising. They are also dust, sweat and splash-resistant (IP55), making them excellent for the gym or hot days at the beach.

Multipoint Connectivity

Switching connections between devices easily is a huge convenience, particularly when you have both your laptop and phone in use. The Soundcore Aerofit 2 supports simultaneous connections to two devices and switches between them with a tap. While this is becoming a standard feature on wireless headphones, it’s welcome to see on this model.

Long Battery Life

The 10-hour battery life is great for a full day on the go, and the case provides an additional 42 hours before needing a charge itself, using the included USB-C cable or wireless charging pad. This battery life is possible because the headphones do not have active noise canceling, a tradeoff that comes with plusses and minuses. Implementing Bluetooth 5.4 also helps with power drain.

Solid Audio Quality

The Aerofit 2 headphones offer superior sound quality for common applications like listening to podcasts or videos. AI-enhanced filters make phone calls crisp and clear, and the four beam-forming microphones let you talk in natural tones, even in noisy environments. If your use case scenario is taking calls on the go, these headphones are an excellent choice.

They also provide flat, natural sound reproduction for music and movies if you are listening in an open, outdoor environment. They provide a good soundstage and separation for a variety of genres of music. I could hear the pop and twang of every instrument on Laura Cantrell’s country-bluegrass song “Early Years,” as well as the subtle lilt in her voice. A live recording of John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” conveyed the club’s intimacy and atmosphere along with the horn sound’s thickness.  Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” beat and bass presented with authority and presence, while the lyrics came through clearly.

I wouldn’t call the Aerofit 2 “audiophile” quality as they don’t bring any extra excitement or detail to the music, but they provide substantial high-fidelity reproduction for their class of headphones.

Versatile App

The Aerofit 2 headphones use the same Soundcore app as its other wireless products, making it convenient if you already own or use other products like their Sleepbuds. The iOS/Android app is mature and well-designed, with a clear UX and easy access to features. It allows you to customize the tap control features of the headphones, manage firmware installation, and tailor the music with preset or customizable EQ settings. 

The app also features a “gaming mode” with lower latency and more responsiveness so players can hear footsteps and other audio clues for better gameplay.

What could be improved

Substandard in noisy environments

The Aerofit 2 headphones are best in outdoor situations or relatively quiet environments where the spaciousness of the open-ear design operates at maximum effect. But if you are in a noisy coffee shop, a gym with music playing, a subway car, an airplane or anywhere with ambient noise, those advantages are completely lost. The maximum volume setting is insufficient to compensate for ambient noise, and there is no noise cancellation feature.

This is perhaps a generic complaint about open-ear headphones more than a specific shortcoming of this model, but the fact remains that earbuds are versatile in just about all settings, especially if you get ones that are comfortable and sweat-resistant, whereas the open-ear models are only useful in situations they are optimized for. If you are looking for one set of headphones to work well in every scenario, these are not it.

Limited range of adjustable fit

The Aerofit 2 headphones feature an adjustable rubber tube that curls around the ear and has a range of motion on the speakers to change the angle, but I could never get quite the right angle to achieve the best sound quality. It was especially frustrating because I could manually place the headphones properly but couldn’t get it to stay in that position within the range of motion provided by the loop curl. I don’t think this is something that requires a great deal more engineering to get right, but it is something the designers should look at on the next product version.

Relatively large case

The rectangular clamshell case is only 2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches long, which is not excessive, but it feels bulky compared to the tiny vessels used for most earbuds. The size is necessary to accommodate the loop fitting, so again, this may be a generic issue with this kind of device rather than with the Aerofit 2. Still, if space is at a premium in your pocket or handbag, these take up a little more real estate.

Soundcore AeroFit 2: The bottom line

At a list price of $99.99, the Soundcore Aerofit 2 open-ear headphones represent a fair value for money. With attractive design and quality, they deliver on their promises of comfort, battery life, overall sound quality, and exceptional clarity on phone calls. The biggest question for customers: “How badly do you need the features that open-ear headphones deliver?” If you want headphones that put you in your own world with your music, podcasts and games, these are not for you. But if you can afford a pair of headphones specifically for outdoor and exercise, these are an excellent option.

Soundcore provided the AeroFit 2 for review. Images courtesy of Soundcore unless otherwise noted.

Serious Insights is an Amazon Affiliate. Clicking on an Amazon link may result in a payment to Serious Insights.

For more serious insights on hardware and accessories, click here.