Soundcore A20i review – Great new value-buy budget TWS with touch controls

Rounding up Soundcore’s debut into Malaysian markets is the budget Soundcore A20i. Featuring touch controls, AI assisted microphones and more for below RM100, the A20i TWS offers plenty of value for its price but does it deliver in terms of audio performance? Find out in our full review of the Soundcore A20i below.

Going for the more rounded dot look, the A20i comes in black, purple and white while fitting almost completely into the ear. Like other Soundcore products we’ve reviewed so far, it goes for an understated look with just the Soundcore logo in the center of each earpiece. Like the R50i, the A20i also has touch controls on top of the Soundcore logo and comes with silicone earbuds.

The Soundcore A20i

The Soundcore A20i case is compact and easy to carry about

However, unlike the R50i, the A20i goes for a significantly more compact case design. So, while it’s still made of plastic, has a USB Type C port for charging and an attached knitted lanyard, the case definitely fits better and is more portable. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that battery life on the case is significantly lower as it should be able to last 28 hours with the case and 9 hours with each earpiece.

Installation and pairing are still done via the Soundcore app and while it did take a few more times to pair than before, once you install the app, take out the earpieces and search for them, installation is fast and easy. As before, you can use the app to turn on the Gaming Mode, BassUp or try any of the 22 preset equalizer modes. There’s also the Find Device feature, but again, it’s very difficult to hear the alert unless your ear is really close. 

There’s a knitted lanyard attached for easy carrying

Design is rather understated with touch controls on the Soundcore logo

The A20i earpieces do feel slightly heavier and larger while jutting out of the ear somewhat, but they’re quite secure. They didn’t fall out no matter how much headbanging we did, and thanks to their IPX5 water resistance rating, you can probably sweat it out with them on most fitness workouts with ease.

Thankfully, audio performance for the A20i was significantly better with a more pronounced Bass. BassUp was also more significantly noticeable, with crystal clear audio and clear separation between each instrument. Touch controls were also responsive and customizable. 

The deep fit design isn’t for everyone, but does provide better noise isolation

Perhaps due to the deeper fit, the natural noise isolation for the A20i is also better despite there not being any ANC or Active Noise Cancellation. It also means that you definitely have to remove one to hear any outside noise, as a tap to pause playback won’t be enough to hear someone talking right next to you.

As usual, wireless connectivity is super stable and strong even on the outskirts of the 10 meter range. Battery life is also as good as advertised but you’ll still need 2 hours to get the case back to 100% though. With Gaming mode on we got almost lag free response with just a bit of lag once in a while. 

You can turn on Gaming Mode or customize controls in the Soundcore App

Perhaps it was just a subjective feeling but when recording audio, there was just a bit more background noise for the A20i. Nonetheless, call quality is fairly clear and satisfying for the most part with none of the usual crackling or static you’d tend to associate with TWS priced below RM100. 

Overall, the Soundcore A20i are very good value TWS with a rich bass that many listeners will enjoy. In addition, it has fairly responsive touch controls which isn’t a feature you’d normally see for an RM99 TWS. It’s great that it also has fairly long lasting battery life but the deep fit design may not be for everyone. 

What do you think? Is there a contender that can match the Soundcore A20i in terms of cost versus value? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and as always, stay tuned to TechNave.com

Tech Specs and Features

Here are the tech specs and features for the Soundcore A20i:

• 6mm drivers
• Bluetooth 5.3
• 10m range
• 10 Hz (min) – 20 kHz (max) frequency range
• Features touch controls, IPX5 water resistance, 22 preset EQ modes, Gaming Mode
• Supports USB Type C
• 28 hour battery life (with Case)
• 9 hour battery life (earpieces)
• 2 hours charging time
• Available in Black, Purple and White

Pros and Cons

Pros: Affordable. Responsive Touch Controls. Rich Bass.

Cons: Deep dot design. Juts out a bit.

Summary: Very good value TWS with touch controls for below RM100.