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This year, Soundcore brings both subtle improvements and awe-inspiring upgrades that every pair of earbuds on the market should be replicating. And I don’t say that lightly. While still not market-leading, they’ve even improved their weakest point: active noise-canceling strength.
Overall, I’ve been completely floored by what Soundcore has been able to accomplish, so let’s get to it, and I’ll tell you why the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max are more than just an upgrade over the 5; they’re a “must-have.”
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Categories |
Liberty 5 Pro |
Liberty 5 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
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Conectivity |
Bluetooth® 6.1, Multipoint support for up to 3 devices |
Bluetooth® 6.1, Multipoint support for up to 3 devices |
|
Case |
0.96 TFT Touch screen |
1.78″ AMOLED screen, Screen wallpaper, AI recording/transcriptions/face-to-face translations |
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Drive units |
9.2mm Wool-Paper Diaphragm Drivers |
9.2mm Wool-Paper Diaphragm Drivers |
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Codec support |
SBC, AAC, LDAC |
SBC, AAC, LDAC |
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Dolby Atmos support |
Yes |
Yes |
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Battery life |
Up to 6.5 hours (ANC on), 28 hours with case Up to 4 hours, 17 hours all features on |
Up to 6.5 hours (ANC on), 28 hours with case Up to 4 hours, 17 hours all features on |
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Charging |
Wireless & USB-C, 1 hr for earbuds, 3 hrs for case + earbuds full charge; 5 mins charging for up to 4 hrs playtime |
Wireless & USB-C, 1 hr for earbuds, 3 hrs for case + earbuds full charge; 5 mins charging for up to 4 hrs playtime |
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Durability |
IP55 |
IP55 |
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App support |
Android, iOS |
Android, iOS |
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Audio tuning |
8-band EQ (app), HearID 5.0 for personalized sound |
8-band EQ (app), HearID 5.0 for personalized sound |
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Microphone |
8 mics + 2 VPU + AI Large Model |
8 mics + 2 VPU + AI Large Model |
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Colors |
Midnight Black, Pearl White, Pearl Blue, Rose Gold |
Titanium Gold, Midnight Black |
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro vs Pro Max: Visual differences
I started my review period with the pricier, new Liberty 5 Pro Max, but I’ve been using both Pro models interchangeably. Both new cases’ lids slide up like the Liberty 5, and now they have external “smart displays.” Though the dimensions of both new Pro models are similar, the Pro Max is taller and brighter, thanks to its 1.78-inch AMOLED smart display (the Pro’s is .96 inches).
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Both displays are responsive and easy to read in direct sunlight. The Pro Max allows you to upload wallpaper, both stills and animations, which display on the screen when it’s awake. Using the case, swiping left or right lets you control ANC modes, EQ, and playback. Swiping up from the bottom gives you access to all the apps, and swiping down from the top brings up quick-access shortcuts for various settings. All of that without pulling out your phone.
The only downside is that while the case is pocketable for a 6 ’ 215lb man like me (it fits in my pants coin pocket), it will be large for others with smaller frames when you compare it to the Pixel Buds or Galaxy Buds 3 Pro cases (see comparison in the gallery above).
This year, the new Liberty 5 Pro models have been redesigned so they’re no longer stem-style earbuds; instead, they have an earbud with a “surfboard” sitting over the backside. And, like some surfboards, the new models have rear fins which come in three different sizes, including the one already installed.
The fins, along with plenty of eartip options, made it easy to get the right fit. And it’s a locked-in fit that feels as secure as my favorite gym earbuds, the Powerbeats Fit!
When placing the earbuds in my ears, the idea is to twist slightly to get the earfins to lock in. Not doing that, they have a looser fit, but they still feel quite secure, and that’s how I’ve worn them most of the time. For the gym, I just twist and lock in, and they’re great!
Generally, I hate the fit of oval-shaped eartips and have not found them comfortable across quite a few earbuds I’ve tested over the years, but with the Liberty 5 Pro models, they feel just right.
Mind-blowing, record-setting call quality
According to Soundcore, the new Liberty 5 Pro models earned a Guinness World Records title for the clarity of their calls, and after my testing, I believe them! The most fascinating aspect of my time with the Pro and Pro Max has been the call quality enabled by the new Anker Thus AI audio chip embedded in the earbuds.
One day during my 45-minute commute home, I gave my friend a call using an iPhone 16 Pro Max with the Liberty 5 Pro connected. He’s a broadcast engineer who intimately knows the ins and outs of audio and video.
We chatted the entire time I was driving, and when I made it home, I asked him where he thought I was calling him from. He told me it sounded like I was in a quiet room and my voice sounded great.
I recorded myself talking using the Voice Recorder app on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra while playing 80dB of airplane cabin and urban traffic noise. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone when I played that audio back because not only was there not even the slightest hint that 80dB of noise was literally blasting in my face from less than two feet away, My voice was still clear, though very slightly muddy, but it didn’t sound like I was underwater, and there were no dropouts from the AI being overwhelmed.
While recording, I intentionally stopped talking to see how the new Anker Thus AI chip handled background noise when I was silent, and the audio waveform was completely flat (as pictured above), detecting no sound despite 80dB of noise!
These are easily the best earbuds I’ve used for phone calls in years. Jabra was my previous champ, along with AirPods, Technics AZ100, and a couple others, but nothing has come close to achieving exactly what Anker Soundcore has.
The Anker Thus AI chip powers some very useful features and upgrades
The Anker Thus AI chip enables more than just what I believe to be market-leading call quality. The Pro Max’s case is Bluetooth-enabled and connects directly to your phone, letting you use it as a microphone and speaker for translating conversations. I used this functionality a few times, and it works well.
The AI Note Taker feature is really good! It works much like Otter AI or Zoom call transcription, in that it recognizes individual speakers and does so well (see image below). The only time it gets confused about who is speaking is when people speak over each other.
The Anker Thus chip also enables highly responsive voice commands that control many functions without an internet connection, like Sony and Samsung’s flagship earbuds (see above). The only thing I found a bit hit-or-miss was voice chat with the Soundcore personal assistant, Anka.
You can chat with it and ask it to do things, but I found more complex “asks” to be a bit less reliable than the excellent offline voice commands.
The rest of the experience: The highs and lows
Listening to the chaotic Jazz romp “Moanin’” performed by Charles Mingus and crew, the Liberty 5 Pro Max did an admirable job of not turning the most chaotic moments of the song into a pot of mashed potatoes, handling the chaotic mix better than the venerable Sony WF-1000XM6.
The only area lacking was the high frequencies in the pop and hip-hop genres. Listening to Jamiroquai’s “Starchild,” his vocals are clear, and while definitely not buried in the mix, highs feel a bit subdued.
Top-end smoothness is a treat when listening to various genres of rock music. System of a Down’s “Toxicity” is delightful, and nothing ever came across even remotely sibilant.
You’re definitely getting popular, low-end-emphasized tuning out of both Pros, but thanks to features like HearID and their excellent choice of sound EQ’ing options, you really can effectively tune the audio frequencies to your liking.
ANC is also noticeably improved. Mid-range noise, like voices in the background, and higher-frequency sounds, like the clank of weight plates in the gym, are noticeably softened compared to the Liberty 5. With the improved ANC activated, LDAC HiRes enabled, and AI functionality, I still found myself getting around 6 hours of battery with the ‘buds.
The only place I found noise controls lacking at this price point was in the ability to quickly attenuate unexpected loud noises, such as dropping a weight or a pan, while in Transparency mode. My Powerbeats Fit immediately mutes unexpected loud noises, but the Liberty 5 Pro doesn’t respond fast enough.
A noteworthy upgrade
While the ANC is improved but not a market leader, the microphones absolutely are now, and that begs the question: Liberty 5 Pro Max or Sony WF-1000XM6? Market-leading active noise canceling or market-leading call quality?
For most people, the audio quality when listening to music or movies is close enough that it isn’t a major point of contention between the two, but it’s very easy to recommend the Liberty 5 Pro series to you because they’re that good, and they’re roughly $100 cheaper than Sony’s flagship. In this economy, that means a lot!
Soundcore
Liberty 5 Pro Max
Record-setting silence and smarts!
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max sounds great, has much improved ANC over even the Liberty 5, and does some neat things like Face-to-Face translation using its case as a speaker and microphone. A great pair of earbuds for people on the go!
Record-setting silence!
Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro comes with record-setting background noise cancelling for calls, smart offline voice controls and so many more AI-enhanced features, thanks to the new Anker Thus AI Chip. If you don’t need the AI note-taking of the Pro model, this is the one to take a look at and it’s easy to recommend.
