Anker Soundcore Q45

The Anker Soundcore Q45 is a lightweight, over-ear Bluetooth headphone released in 2023, aimed squarely at budget-conscious listeners who want active noise cancellation without spending a fortune. The headset features a foldable design in a modest matte finish, making it reasonably portable for commuting or travel. Build quality feels acceptable for the price point, though the predominantly plastic construction gives it a somewhat inexpensive feel in hand compared to rivals from Sony or Bose.

On the performance side, the Q45 delivers a bass-heavy sound signature that some casual listeners will enjoy, but audiophiles will find the mid-range muddied and the overall tuning lacking refinement. The active noise cancellation is functional but falls noticeably short of class leaders, handling steady ambient hum reasonably well while struggling with irregular or higher-frequency sounds. Battery life is a genuine highlight, rated at up to 50 hours, which outpaces many competitors in this segment.

Scoring just 3.6 out of 10, the Q45 struggles to justify itself in an increasingly competitive market. While the long battery life and foldable design are welcome, the underwhelming noise cancellation, average sound quality, and plasticky build make it difficult to recommend when better alternatives exist at a similar or only slightly higher price.

The Anker Soundcore Q45 is a entry-level headphone that earns a VersusMatrix overall score of 75/100, placing it in the strong tier of the headphones category for 2026. Priced around $79, it competes most directly with other entry-level headphones where buyers weigh raw specifications against everyday usability.

Where the Anker Soundcore Q45 stands out most clearly is performance (100/100) and design and build (100/100). On paper it ships with a 4,000mAh battery — the kind of hardware combination that defines its tier. In daily use these strengths translate to a headphone that holds up well under the workloads buyers in this price band typically demand.

The trade-offs sit primarily in display (37/100) and battery (39/100). Buyers for whom those dimensions are deal-breakers should compare against pricier alternatives in the leaderboard — but for the majority of buyers in this price band, the trade-off is acceptable given the strengths above.

The Anker Soundcore Q45 is a solid pick for buyers shopping the $67-$91 headphone market. For a head-to-head against the closest alternatives, browse the headphones leaderboard and use the on-site comparison tool — the Anker Soundcore Q45 is included in the default ranking when sorted by overall score.