As a Cult of Mac review writer and a proud owner of Apple’s top-notch AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, I often compare other wireless noise-canceling earbuds to them. AirPods Pro 2 are hard to beat, but some third-party alternatives that cost less come pretty close — like Soundcore Liberty 5. Right now you can get the Anker subsidiary’s flagship buds on sale for $129 $104, markedly less than this week’s Amazon discount on AirPods Pro 2, $249 $169.
Score Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds deal: 20% off — much less than AirPods Pro 2
In my 5-star review of Soundcore’s Liberty 5 wireless noise-canceling earbuds, I compared them favorably to AirPods Pro 2. And when Liberty 5 came out in early May 2025, they actually went down in price by $20 from Liberty 4’s initial cost. Being the fifth generation of of the line has it’s benefits, as the buds have ironed out shortcomings and become more and more refined.
As I noted, my overall impression is that Liberty 5 earbuds manage to deliver at least 80% of the premium experience at roughly 40% of typical flagship price point. They prove themselves worthy contenders in the highly competitive wireless earbud market, even among loftier buds.
Great ANC, sound customization and more
Liberty 5’s strengths clearly shine through their impressive adaptive noise cancellation, extensive sound customization options and remarkable microphone quality. Furthermore, their lightweight design coupled with six different ear tip sizes ensures exceptional comfort for most users. Though the battery life falls a little short of advertised claims, seven hours with ANC activated still outperforms many competitors.
Sound quality, the most critically important aspect of any audio device, stands surprisingly close to premium alternatives. While audiophiles might detect minor differences in distortion handling compared to flagship models, the average listener will likely find the Liberty 5 experience very similar to more expensive options.
In short, Soundcore Liberty 5 make a great, less expensive alternative to AirPods Pro 2 and other premium buds. I wear them to the gym pretty often, and I find they stay in my ears better than Apple’s top buds during exercise, too.
Anker's updated Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds feature stronger voice reduction, real-time adaptive noise cancellation, fast charging, Dolby Audio, 6-microphone AI clear calls and long battery life. And they're $20 cheaper than Liberty 4.
- List price dropped $20 from Liberty 4
- Real-time adaptive noise-canceling
- Dolby Audio modes
- Lacks Liberty 4 case's battery indicator
Buy from: Amazon
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
