After four solid generations before them, Soundcore Liberty 5 wireless noise-canceling earbuds are compact audio powerhouses. My Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review finds they challenge premium noise-canceling earbuds like AirPods Pro 2 for about half the price. In fact, Liberty 5’s price ($130) went down from Liberty 4’s starting price by $20.
While Apple, Sony and Bose dominate the high-end market, Soundcore steadily refined their Liberty series to deliver impressive sound quality without the premium price tag. During my testing, the earbuds demonstrated remarkable performance in a variety of ways, along with a limitation or two.
Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review
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
The wireless earbuds 2025 landscape is certainly competitive, but upon Soundcore Liberty 5’s release on May 7, their combination of sophisticated adaptive noise cancellation, Dolby Audio and exceptional battery life seemed to make them worth considering. Additionally, Soundcore comfort and fit innovations address common pain points many users experience with competing models.
But can these budget-friendly earbuds can truly compete with the audio giants? Let’s dive into what makes the Liberty 5 special and see whether they deliver genuine value.
Table of contents: Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review
- Build quality and design
- Color options and case features
- IP55 rating and durability
- Feature set: What makes them stand out
- Real-world performance: Testing insights
- The bottom line: Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review
Build quality and design
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
The physical design of the Soundcore Liberty 5 showcases Anker’s focus on both aesthetics and functionality. Taking a closer look at what makes these earbuds stand out from a design perspective reveals thoughtful engineering choices throughout.
Liberty 5 features a familiar stem-style design similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro but with its own distinct character. These earbuds weigh just 4.6 grams each without the case, making them exceptionally lightweight for extended wear.
And unlike touch-sensitive models that often register accidental commands, the Liberty 5 employs pinch controls on the stem (pinch and pinch-and-hold). That’s a more precise and deliberate interaction method that prevents unintended activations during adjustments.
Another impressive aspect is ear tip variety — six different ear tip sizes, significantly more than the industry standard three or four options. This variety ensures almost anyone can find their perfect fit regardless of ear canal size. Furthermore, despite their featherlight construction, the earbuds maintain a secure fit that works well even during vigorous exercise.
The wool-paper 9.2mm diaphragm drivers represent a thoughtful material choice that balances acoustic performance with structural integrity. Moreover, users who enjoy the AirPods Pro fit will likely feel right at home with these earbuds.
Color options and case features
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Breaking away from the one-color approach Apple fans know so well, Liberty 5 comes in four color options: black, white, blue and pink. The case design features a smooth sliding mechanism rather than the typical flip-top design, allowing for convenient one-handed operation.
However, Liberty 5 dispenses with Liberty 4’s battery reading on a case display. So it trades a feature for a more compact size. The charging case measures a pocket-friendly 2.3in x 2.3in x 1.1in inches and weighs only 51.7g with the earbuds inside. Instead of the screen, Soundcore opted for a cleaner approach with a subtle LED light strip that indicates charging status and connectivity.
IP55 rating and durability
Liberty 5 earbuds boast an IP55 rating, representing a significant durability upgrade over previous iterations. This certification means they’re protected against both dust ingress and water jets from any direction.
This enhanced durability makes them especially suitable for fitness enthusiasts. The earbuds can easily handle sweat during intense workouts and even survive running in the rain. Additionally, the dust protection component of the rating means they’ll withstand beach environments or dusty outdoor settings without internal damage.
Consequently, the Liberty 5 offers substantially better environmental protection than many competitors in this price range, particularly those with only IPX4 ratings that lack dust resistance entirely.
Feature set: What makes them stand out
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Beyond their elegant design, Liberty 5 earbuds pack impressive technology that sets them apart from competitors in the mid-range market.
Adaptive ANC 3.0 and Transparency Modes
The Liberty 5 showcases Soundcore’s most advanced noise cancelation system yet. The Adaptive ANC 3.0 continuously recalibrates three times per second to match your environment. This intelligent system delivers twice the voice reduction compared to previous Liberty models, with a measured 6.5 dB improvement specifically in the human voice frequency range (300Hz-3kHz). I’d say it’s noticeably better.
Users can select from five different ANC strength levels or specialized transportation modes for airplanes and cars. So these buds really provide sophisticated ANC.
Alongside powerful noise cancelation, Transparency mode uses dual microphones on each earbud to deliver remarkably natural ambient sound. Unlike other earbuds, this mode allows you to hear your surroundings almost as clearly as if you weren’t wearing earbuds at all. I found it impressive at letting in voices and sounds that max ANC utterly smothered.
Dolby Audio modes: Music, Movie, Podcast
A major feature of Liberty 5 sound quality is the inclusion of three specialized Dolby Audio modes. Music Mode enhances stereo imaging and detail for a more immersive listening experience. Movie Mode creates theater-like surround sound that brings cinematic content to life. Meanwhile, Podcast Mode optimizes voice clarity, making it perfect for spoken content.
The sound quality of Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds is excellent. It gives major brands a run for their money. It doesn’t top AirPods Pro 2, but if your wallet hurts when you think about AirPods Pro 2, you should buy Liberty 5.
Custom EQ, HearID and Preference Test
The Soundcore app offers extensive sound customization options. Users can fine-tune audio with an eight-band equalizer or choose from 22 genre-based presets. Typically, Soundcore’s signature setting works well with most musical genres. The innovative HearID 4.0 technology assesses your hearing profile, comparing it to your age group’s average.
For those unsure about EQ settings, the app’s Preference Test suggests personalized sound profiles based on your selections.
Low-latency Game Mode and Safe Volume
For gaming enthusiasts, the dedicated low-latency mode reduces audio lag for more responsive gameplay and precise audio cues. However, this mode cannot run simultaneously with LDAC or Dolby Audio.
Further, Liberty 5 includes a Safe Volume limiter feature to help protect your hearing (if you turn it on), following research recommendations to keep audio below 85dB to prevent hearing damage.
Real-world performance: Testing insights
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
After thoroughly testing the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds for a week or so, their real-world performance reveals both strengths and limitations.
Comfort and fit during workouts
In practical terms, the Liberty 5 earbuds excel as workout companions. Weighing so little, the earbuds stay firmly in place during exercise. I found they barely loosened when I shook my head for that express purpose, so sweat running freely during a bike ride didn’t much bother them. That’s thank in part to the IP55 water-resistance rating.
Battery test: 7 hours+ with ANC on
I found that Liberty 5 delivered a little over 7 hours of continuous playback with ANC enabled. That falls a bit short of Soundcore’s 8-hour claim, but it’s still impressive for all-day use.
And the fast-charging capability is genuinely practical — placing the earbuds in the case for just 10 minutes provided about 5 hours of additional playback.
Bluetooth 5.4 and Multipoint Connection
Liberty 5 earbuds implement Bluetooth 5.4 technology with support for SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs. Multipoint connectivity functioned reliably, allowing simultaneous connection to two devices even with LDAC enabled.
The 10-meter Bluetooth range maintained stable connections without audio dropouts as I walked away from the source device.
Microphone quality in noisy environments
Perhaps most impressive is the six-microphone array coupled with AI noise cancelation. Voice calls remained remarkably clear in different situations. The system effectively isolated voices while actively suppressing background noise. That makes Liberty 5 particularly suitable for those who frequently take calls while walking outdoors, for example.
The bottom line: Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Overall, my impression is that Liberty 5 earbuds manage to deliver at least 80% of the premium experience at roughly 40% of typical flagship price points. They prove themselves worthy contenders in the highly competitive wireless earbud market.
Liberty 5’s strengths clearly shine through their impressive adaptive noise cancelation, 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.
The price-to-performance ratio makes these earbuds particularly compelling. At $130, Liberty 5 proves that outstanding wireless earbuds no longer require emptying your wallet of $250 or more.
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
★★★★★
Soundcore provided Cult of Mac with review units for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
