The new Soundcore Sleep A30 – Sleep earbuds that actually make a difference.
If you’re around new parents, you’ll know that sleep dominates the conversation. We will talk you to death about it. How much sleep the baby’s getting. How much sleep we’re not. How we curse ourselves for not appreciating the freedom to sleep before we relinquished that privilege.
The baby is supposed to make up for this. Mine is 10 months old and I’m not convinced. Sleep deprivation is no joke. A few nights ago I fell asleep bent into the crib at 2am, head upside down, hand automatically patting the baby. I snorted myself awake, jerked upright, and immediately almost fell over as the blood that had pooled in my brain went rushing south. I think a few vital brain cells went with it.
However, being a parent means resorting to any and all tips, tools and tricks in order to maximise the opportunity for sleep.
That is, of course, where Soundcore’s Sleep Earbuds come in.
Get your ‘bad mum’ judgement ready, because I’m about to share a secret. I often sleep through the night, and never hear my baby cry. Note I didn’t say he wasn’t crying – just that I, for those few hours, am able to completely relax in silence. How? (Full disclosure, it's firstly because my husband usually takes night duty. An unsung hero). And secondly, because I can literally block out the world.)
Full disclosure: I wanted to review Soundcore’s earlier Sleep Earbuds (The A20) for the whole year I used them, but that review wouldn’t have been as positive. I mean, they’re certainly good enough that I stuck with them, but I had so many minor gripes that the overall experience wasn’t ideal.
However, the exciting thing is – every single one of the things I considered a negative in the Sleep A20? Soundcore fixed it in the Sleep A30. So, I am so happy to be writing this right now!
Let’s open the box!
What you get:
- Soundcore Sleep Earbuds A30 charging case
- Soundcore Sleep Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation
- Three Pairs of Silicone Ear Wings in three sizes (s,m,l)
- Four Pairs Silicone Ear Tips in four sizes (xs,s,m,l)
- Three Pairs of Memory Foam Ear Tips in three sizes (s.m,l)
- Quick Start Guide
- USB-C Charging Cable
The new Sleep A30 are the third generation of dedicated sleep earbuds from Soundcore. From day one, they improved the experience over older products like the Bose SleepBuds by offering both ‘local mode’ with pre-loaded sleep sounds managed via the Soundcore app, and regular old Bluetooth, so you can stream whatever you need to get to sleep from whatever source takes your fancy. Rain sounds? White noise? Podcasts? Your fav Spotify playlist? All sorted.
I have used each generation – Sleep A10, Sleep A20, and now Sleep A30 – and they have all been indispensible sleep aids. The biggest headline upgrade to the Sleep A30 is the addition of Active Noise Cancellation. Sleep A10 and Sleep A20 make do with ‘noise masking’ and an isolating fit to block the sounds that commonly disturb sleep. A30 takes this to the next level with real ANC, and the difference is tangible. But that’s not the only upgrade – Sleep A30 have been redesigned top-to-bottom for the better.
Let’s start with the case.
No exageration, this thing is so beautiful to me. The shape, texture, colour, weight… and it fits perfectly in the palm of my hand.
This case is markedly different to the A20. Many of the changes seem geared to improve the experience of using the buds in the dark, which would be smart, considering when and where they’re likely to be used.
The shape – round but flat-bottomed – and its slightly grippy texture make it a lot less likely to slip out of your hand in the dark.
It has more heft – not heavy, but not a flying saucer like A20.
There are two colourways – Moonlit White, available now, and Mist Green, launching in NZ later in 2025. I was lucky to get a Green test unit, it's a lovely subtle palette.
On top of the case is a raised bar (replacing a previously impossible-to-find dot) that catches the thumb in a pleasing way. One push horizontally accesses the buds. The case slides smoothly open with a satisfying *snick*.
The first thing you’ll notice inside, especially if you’ve used the A10 or A20, is the lights behind the buds. Amazing! I can see them in the dark! The unique shape of the buds used to frustrate the heck out of me in the night when trying to click them in for charging. The lights really are a game changer for usability.
And the top feature? The charging case monitors and analyzes ambient sounds – like snoring partners - while the earbuds constantly optimize the masking audio, keeping you undisturbed throughout the night.
It’s important to note that using the case and buds in this way will drain the battery more quickly. Soundcore’s stated times for battery life appear to be based on using the buds in ‘Local Mode’ only.
I’m that user – I downloaded a rain track from the app to the Buds and basically disconnected them from my phone.
I get 12+ battery hours per charge, charging doesn’t take long and I do it every day – they just go back in the case when I wake up. I only charge the case itself maybe once every couple of weeks.
It would have been good to see Wireless Charging built in. Maybe an option for future iterations.
The Buds
I used silicone tips in the A20s, so I wanted to dive straight into trying the Memory Foam. As premium true wireless earbuds get better and better, manufacturers have focused on passive isolation (simply blocking out sound with physics – like earplugs), so brands like Sony and Apple have moved to memory foam to improve the noise blocking. Now that it’s available in sleep earbuds, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes for side sleeping. It is sightly more soft and malleable, so it doesn’t feel hard if my cheek is pressed into the pillow.
You get a bunch of different tips and wings in the box in a variety of sizes, so you can go nuts personalising the experience to your unique ear shape. I take the smallest sizes – small ears can rest easy.
The buds are low profile and comfortable for me to use for the duration of the battery. They magnet to each other and to the case, which is very helpful on the occasion one falls out and gets lost in the bed.
Which leads us to...
The Software
The accompanying app does everything you need and more. Soundcore’s app is one of the most robust and feature-packed you’ll find today.
For example, Soundcore includes a “Find my” tool, for hunting that bud hidden in the bed. Invaluable.
Setting up the Buds through the app is quick and smooth, and here is where you select their Default Mode. As I said, I keep mine in Local Mode. I downloaded my chosen soundscape to the buds and then disconnected them from Bluetooth. They’re like tiny MP3 players that fit in your ears. I don’t use them for anything other than sleep, so this suits me.
However, you can keep an open Bluetooth connection and stream whatever audio you like. This uses more battery – as does setting the case to automatically adapt the Buds to surrounding noise.
As mentioned, the Sleep A20 did not have Active Noise Cancellation, and the A30 does.
Not only that, it’s adaptive. The case’s Snore Detection features automatically adjust to compensate for outside noises.
I personally didn’t benefit from this feature. The fluctuating white noise proved just as annoying and disruptive as the snoring itself. And truthfully – I do actually need to be able to hear my baby, if and when his calls escalate. But for those who want to block out the maximum amount of noise while sleeping, the Sleep A30 is the clear winner – and like the previous generations, it has a built-in alarm to make sure you do wake up when you want to.
Verdict
To recap: You get a much better, more accessible design. You get much greater passive isolation and comfort. You get many small software annoyances smoothed over. And you get real active noise cancellation to block out more of the world.
I don’t think there’s anything more vital to quality of life than a good night’s sleep.
Silence (or white noise) is golden. The Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds can create that bubble for you - thereby being the key to getting more of the good stuff.
Given all that, I reckon they're worth more than their weight in that gold.
