Anker, known for its line of iPhone accessories, has a brand called "Soundcore" to sell audio accessories like earbuds. In our latest YouTube video, we checked out the new Soundcore Spirit Dot 2 wire-free earbuds, which are much more affordable than most other wire-free options at $79.
Watch on YouTubeThe Spirit Dot 2 earbuds look similar to many other wire-free earbuds on the market with a stemless design, silicone tips that fit in the ears, and small AirWings to keep them secure in the ears. Tips in five sizes ship with the Spirit Dot 2 to make sure everyone can find the best fit possible, with XS, S, M, L, and XL tips to choose from.
The fit is similar to the fit of headphones like the Samsung Galaxy Buds, Jabra Elite, Pixel Buds, and other wire-free earbuds with silicone tips and an in-ear design. When first inserting the earbuds into the ear, you may need to do some adjusting to get them situated properly for the best seal.
We've found that putting them in the ear and giving them a little twist gives us the most secure fit. Comfort is subjective and will vary for everyone based on ear size and shape, but we found the Spirit Dot 2 to be a bit more uncomfortable than competing products, causing ear fatigue to set in sooner.
For $79, the Spirit Dot 2 earbuds offer impressive sound, especially when it comes to bass levels. The earbuds are described as offering "thumping bass," a claim that seems to be accurate. In fact, there may be too much focus on the lows, overpowering the mids and highs at times and offering a somewhat unbalanced sound profile. Like fit, though, sound preference is subjective so some may prefer the heavy bass. Unfortunately there's no option in the Soundcore app for adjusting the sound.
The Spirit Dot 2 earbuds support gesture controls. Double tapping on the right earbud will play/pause the music, and double tapping on the left earbud will skip to the next track. A long press on either earbud can bring up Siri if you're using an iPhone. Setup and pairing isn't as simple as something like the AirPods and will require standard Bluetooth device setup in the Settings app of an iPhone.
On a single charge, the Spirit Dot 2 earbuds offer up to five and a half hours of playback time, and the included charging case adds 16 hours of additional playback. The little oblong case charges over USB-C, has LEDs that indicate charge level, and has a quick charge feature that provides an hour of playback time with a 10 minute charge.
Anker's Soundcore brand designed the Spirit Dot 2 earbuds to be water resistant, and they have an IPX7 water resistance rating. That's fairly high for earbuds, and means they're able to hold up to immersion in water up to a meter in depth for 30 minutes. The earbuds are advertised as having "SweatGuard technology" with an advanced sealing process and coating technology that protects them from moisture.
All in all, for $79, the Soundcore Spirit Dot 2 earbuds are an affordable wire-free earbud option. They're not as good as the AirPods or AirPods Pro when it comes to comfort or functionality like pairing and device swapping, but they sound decent and offer a ton of bass for those who prefer that kind of sound profile.
Update June 12: Anker's Spirit Dot 2 earphones are now available at Amazon.
