In the ear, on the ear, over the ear: Soundcore wants to be everywhere
Soundcore is launching five new headphone models at IFA 2026 – including hearing aids for the first time. The common feature: the 'Thus' AI chip.
Anker subsidiary Soundcore has brought a total of five new headphone models in various versions to IFA 2026. In addition to classic over-ears and in-ears, the Chinese company is once again showcasing open-ear models and – for the first time – hearing aids. The heart of all these devices is the AI chip "Thus," manufactured in-house by Soundcore.
AI chip "Thus" is designed to isolate voices and suppress noise
The in-house AI chip "Thus" serves as the central commonality of the new Soundcore products. The core of this chip is a process called compute-in-memory. Instead of sending data back and forth between memory and processor, Thus performs calculations directly in the NOR flash memory. This allows voice commands to assistants to be processed locally. Calculations for voice isolation during calls and noise cancelling are also intended to take place directly there.
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AeroClip 2 (Pro): Soundcore on the ear
The Soundcore AeroClip 2 succeed their predecessors from spring 2026. The ear canal remains free; they are worn more like an ear clip. The open-ear models are also equipped with the Thus chip, which is designed to recognize your own voice during voice commands or phone calls and distinguish it from other noise. If you have Whisper mode activated, even speaking quietly is sufficient. This is practical, for example, when you are on the train and don't want to be one of those people who let everyone know what is going on in your private life.
Soundcore claims that the second generation of Aeroclips will not cause pressure points for "99 percent of all listeners." To achieve this, the manufacturer evaluated over 2,000 ear profiles. The Aeroclip 2 are equipped with a 12-millimeter driver and LDAC codec support. In addition, spoken language can be translated in real time via an app. The battery life is eight hours in the buds and up to 33 hours with the case. Ten minutes of charging provides four hours of runtime. You can also charge the case wirelessly.
Soundcore will launch the Pro version of the headphones next January. While they will be technically similar, there is an additional feature: with a tap of your finger, you can start a recording, speak into the headphones, and it will be transcribed on the device. Up to eight hours of audio material can be saved this way. However, prices and the launch date have not yet been set.
Liberty Buds 2: Soundcore in the ear
For in-ear use, Soundcore is launching the Liberty Buds 2. With these, the manufacturer aims to target the mid-range segment, while it has launched the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max in the premium segment. Soundcore has installed eight sensors for voice recognition, including beamforming for phone calls. This is intended to make your voice even clearer to the person on the other end.
For music listening, there is a driver diaphragm with a 9.2-millimeter diameter made of wool paper. The Liberty Buds 2 support the energy-efficient Bluetooth 6.1 standard. As a result, the battery lasts seven hours with ANC activated, and twelve hours without. With the case, this adds up to 27 hours and 46 hours, respectively. The Liberty Buds 2 will be available from September 22; the price is still open.
Space 2 Pro: Soundcore over the ear
The Soundcore Space 2 Pro also launches on September 22. For 199 Swiss francs or euros, the over-ear model, also equipped with "Thus," will hit the market. Six microphones are at work here to isolate your voice for phone calls. Even "more complex" background noises are to be filtered out, such as spontaneous loud noises like a train pulling in.
A total of eight microphones are responsible for classic ANC – these use "Thus" to scan the environment for noise at up to 384 kilohertz and continuously adjust the ANC level. Meanwhile, Soundcore uses a 35-millimeter-wide diaphragm for music listening. This allows you to put together your own favorite profile using a hearing test. The battery lasts 30 hours with ANC and up to 60 hours without. The Space 2 Pro also supports Bluetooth 6.1.
Soundcore Sleep 4: Fighting the sofa banishment
Soundcore already dedicated itself to the snoring problem last year. Sleep is once again a topic this year. On one hand, with a mobile sleep lab, which colleague Lorenz took a look at. On the other hand, with a new generation of headphones, the Sleep Earbuds 4. For 249 Swiss francs or euros, the Sleep Earbuds 4 suppress the frequencies of 200 and 800 Hertz, which are particularly disruptive to sleep, by three to five decibels more. Traffic, air conditioning, or voices from the next room should be less problematic.
The AI system also detects snoring sounds and masks them with adjusted sounds. For the flat design – after all, you are supposed to be able to sleep on them – over 10,000 ears were measured. Speaking of sleep: when you fall asleep, the headphones switch from content transmitted via Bluetooth to locally stored content. So the old-school MP3 file is back. Also cool: the chip still ensures that fire alarms and other warning tones can still reach your ear.
The Pro version of the Sleep Earbuds 4 will follow in January. This will feature a display in the case and various other sleep functions, about which Soundcore is still remaining silent.
RIC hearing aids help to keep focus
The RIC hearing aid from Soundcore sits directly behind the ear and directs sound through a narrow, transparent tube directly into the ear cup. The built-in "Thus" chip uses four integrated microphones to ensure that, via beamforming, exactly the voice of the person speaking reaches the wearer's ear. All other noises in a room or the environment are intended to fade into the background. One battery charge lasts up to 12 hours, and the included charging case provides two additional charges – for a total of up to 36 hours of runtime. You can get two more hours if you have the case plugged in for five minutes. Soundcore will announce exactly when the RIC hearing aids will arrive and how much they will cost at a later date.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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