Soundcore P40i: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-19
Summary
The P40i’s most reported problems are weak noise cancelling, sub-par call microphones and a fit that runs loose, on top of a bass-heavy out-of-box tuning the app EQ fixes. Keeping it running costs nothing: there is no subscription, and the case, five ear-tip pairs and cable are included, with a Qi pad as the only optional extra. It is a good buy around $60 at US retailers, fair up to the $79.99 Soundcore list figure, and weak above $80.
Common problems and fixes
- Weak noise cancelling — the most consistent expert criticism: RTINGS measured about -8.81 dB of overall isolation, only about -1.25 dB in the bass, and calls the ANC “nowhere near as effective” as Soundcore’s own Space A40 or Liberty 4 NC [2]. No fix exists; owners who need real noise cancelling pick a different model.
- Thin, distorted call quality — RTINGS rates the six-microphone system 5.6/10 and describes voices as thin and distorted, though background-noise suppression is decent [2]. No fix is reported.
- One earbud stops cancelling — Mezha found the ANC occasionally misses noise in one earbud until you toggle it off and on [3]; toggling ANC is the workaround.
- Bass-heavy, harsh default tuning — the Soundcore Signature profile runs about +8.9 dB in the bass and about +4.7 dB in the treble, with a boomy low end and piercing sibilance [2]; the app EQ, presets and HearID are what fix it.
- Case chemical smell — the RTINGS test unit’s case had a pungent and unpleasant chemical smell when opened [2]; no fix and no failure rate are reported.
Parts and consumables
- Earbud and case battery — sealed true-wireless design; the battery is not user-replaceable and there are no user-serviceable parts [2][3].
Yearly running cost
Recurring spend is effectively $0: there is no subscription, and the earbuds, charging case, five ear-tip pairs and cable are all included in the box [1][2][3]. The only optional extra is a Qi wireless charger, which is not included [2]. A precise yearly dollar figure is not supported, because the inputs give no price for replacement ear tips.
When it is a good buy
This exact model has been seen at US retailers around $60, below its $79.99 Soundcore list figure [1][4].
Newegg (Anker Official Store listing) has listed it at $59.99, with additional promo codes seen in search-result text [4]. Soundcore US lists it at $79.99 with a promotional code advertised for $35 off at the time of check [1]. Best Buy carries the exact P40i, standalone and in a bundle with a 20 W USB-C charger [5]. All figures were checked 2026-10-09.
Value bands from the inputs: at or below about $60 it is good value, because ANC, a 12 h/60 h battery, IPX5, multipoint, app EQ and a Qi case are rarely combined this cheaply [1][3][4]. From $60 to $80 it is fair only if you specifically value battery, the phone-stand case and app depth, because the ANC and mic weaknesses matter more as price rises [2]. Above about $80 it is weak [2].
RTINGS explicitly recommends the Space A40 or Liberty 4 NC instead when noise cancelling is the priority [2].