Two new sets of Soundcore flagship earbuds — Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max — introduce the company’s first product line built around a co-developed Thus AI chip, the Anker subsidiary said Thursday. Both models are available now, starting at $169.99 and $229.99 respectively. They’re compatible with Apple’s Find My network.
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max earbuds
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds rely on the Thus AI chip for amazing call clarity. Sound quality and fit excel, too.
The topline feature on both models is what Soundcore calls Whisper Clear calling. The system combines eight microphones with two bone conduction sensors — 10 sensors in total — alongside the Thus AI chip to isolate the speaker’s voice from ambient noise. The bone conduction sensors detect physical skull vibrations, helping the earbuds pick up the speaker’s voice even in quieter environments without requiring them to raise their volume.
And what’s more, Soundcore said the Liberty 5 Pro has earned a Guinness World Record for call clarity. Liberty 5 Pro Max shares identical earbud hardware and call performance.
Noise cancellation and personalized sound
Photo: Soundcore
Both earbuds feature Adaptive ANC 4.0. It processes audio data up to 384,000 times per second using an eight-microphone array. The system continuously adjusts noise cancellation in real time as conditions change. It targets everything from low-frequency engine rumble to mid-range office chatter. Soundcore claims the new generation delivers up to twice the noise cancellation depth compared to the Liberty 4 Pro.
For personalized listening, both models include HearID 5.0, which runs a hearing test and builds a custom EQ profile applied to every track. An AI Sound Enhancement system also works to rebuild audio detail lost during Bluetooth compression, aiming to restore up to 65% of the quality typically sacrificed in wireless audio.
Smart case with a touchscreen — and AI note-taking on the Max
Photo: Soundcore
Liberty 5 Pro ships with a charging case featuring a 0.96-inch TFT mini touchscreen. The higher-end Liberty 5 Pro Max steps that up significantly with a 1.78-inch AMOLED display and an AI Note-Taker feature. Users can start recording a meeting by double-tapping the case button. The Soundcore app then generates a transcript, identifies speakers and pulls out action items — all without needing to reach for an iPhone.
AI translation is available on both models, though the Max supports it through either the case or the earbuds.
Battery life, connectivity and Apple integration
Both models offer up to 6.5 hours of playback with ANC enabled, extending to 28 hours total with the case. Multipoint connectivity supports up to three simultaneous device connections — useful for anyone switching between an iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The earbuds also support Google Fast Pair, Bluetooth 6.1, and IP55 dust and water resistance. Apple users specifically benefit from Find My support, making it easy to locate a misplaced case or earbuds from within the Find My app.
Pricing and availability
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max rely on the Thus AI chip for crystal-clear calls, plus stellar sound quality. The wireless charging case includes a large touchscreen with AI note-taking capability.
Liberty 5 Pro is available now for $169.99 in four colors — blue, white, black and pink — from Soundcore.com or Amazon. The Liberty 5 Pro Max goes for $229.99 and comes in titanium-gold and black.
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.
