Soundcore earbuds have consistently offered great value for money, and now the Liberty 5 Pro has significantly enhanced call quality, setting a new standard.
Anker’s Soundcore brand, known for its budget-to-midrange products, is now targeting high-end competitors with the Liberty 5 Pro earbuds. The Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max utilize Anker’s advanced Thus chip, which enhances processing power, competing with Apple, Sony, and Bose. This upgrade delivers the best in-call noise cancellation experienced in any earbuds.
Previously, the priciest Soundcore earbuds were the $150 Liberty 4 Pro. Now, the Liberty 5 Pro is priced at $170, and the Liberty 5 Pro Max at $230, approaching AirPods Pro 3 territory. Typically, price variation within a product line signifies different designs, like the open-ear AirPods 4 with ANC versus the sealed AirPods Pro 3. However, the Liberty 5 Pro and Max earbuds are identical in design with the same chip, drivers, microphone array, ANC, sound profile, battery life, IP55 rating, and features. Only the case differs.
The 5 Pro case has a 0.96-inch TFT screen for adjusting settings like ANC and sound profiles, which can also be managed through the Soundcore app. The 5 Pro Max’s 1.78-inch AMOLED screen offers additional features, such as screen brightness adjustments, wallpaper changes, and a built-in microphone with an AI note-taking app. It records audio to the case (with 357MB storage) and allows transcription and summary generation via the Soundcore app, requiring an account.
The earbuds themselves resemble Bose Ultra Earbuds in appearance but offer a more comfortable fit. Unlike Bose’s bulkier design, the Liberty 5 is streamlined, ensuring a secure fit during active movements.
Straight out of the box, the Liberty 5’s sound profile emphasizes bass, making vocals — especially male — sound muddy. Snare sounds are dulled, and the high-end lacks sparkle. Adjusting the earbuds with a favorite sound clip tuning or an 8-band EQ improves the sound. This customization retains good bass response while refining the lower mids and boosting high mids, enhancing overall sound quality. Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” guitar and vocal elements shine, providing an enjoyable listening experience comparable to AirPods Pro 3, albeit with a bass-heavy profile.
The Liberty 5 Pro’s adaptive noise-canceling is akin to the AirPods Pro 3, yet $80 cheaper, offering excellent value. While the Liberty 5 Pro permits slightly more midrange noise than AirPods, it effectively manages low-end noise, ideal for long flights.
The Liberty 5 Pro series excels in voice call capabilities, its most outstanding feature. It adeptly handles ambient noise, allowing clear communication even amid disturbances.
Voice-control mode offers swift responses but struggles amid conversations. During a Zoom call with background chatter, adjusting noise cancellation required loud speech. The system listens for 11 commands, like “Play Music” and “Volume Up,” without a specific activation phrase, which may be unsettling.
For call clarity alone, the Liberty 5 Pro series marks a significant advancement. If call quality is a priority, these earbuds excel. Although the AI features of the Liberty 5 Pro Max case are intriguing, unless frequently used, the additional cost isn’t justified. Both models share ANC performance, sound profile, and call quality. While $170 is costlier compared to previous Soundcore earbuds, the improvements are worthwhile. For those not tied to Apple, Google, or Samsung ecosystems, the Liberty 5 Pro is a strong contender.
Photography by John Higgins / The Verge