These new Anker earbuds are hands-down the best for calling I've ever used, and the sound and fit are excellent just make sure you buy the right pair

Date:
Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro tick all my boxes, with a few stand-out features that even earned my mom's approval, too.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Soundcor e Liberty 5 Pro: Two-minute review Anker 's Soundcore sub-brand may not have
a reputation for releasing the best earbuds that everyone raves about, but they tend to be solid pieces of kit. We gave the Soundcore Liberty 5 (yes, take care, because that's not these and there's also a Pro Max to swerve in favor of these) a 3.5-star score, and that tends to be par for the course. Until now, that is.

With the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, there's been a change: it really feels like the brand is coming into its own, and it knows what buyers really want. These are incredibly feature-stuffed headphones, with an app that'll boggle your mind given how many tools it offers. And they're all useful too: the ANC is very good, the listening test is handy and the array of array of little
extras is impressive. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Particularly special is the quiet calling feature, so people you're speaking to on the phone can't hear what's going on around you. I hear many brands boast about their buds quiet call quality, with algorithms and microphones designed to wipe background sound from your voice in calls. Most of the time its bluff and bluster, but the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are the real deal.

I know this because, part-way through the review process, my mother called me while I was in a busy coffee shop. I apologized for the pop music being blasted over the speakers I could barely hear myself think for Outkasts Hey Ya! and she asked me what music I was talking about. Shed have had no idea I was in a noisy space, had it not been for my telling her. If two thumbs up from my mom isnt a glowing endorsement of tech, I dont know what is.

I'd be remiss not to mention the Soundcore's fit too. The buds are nice and lightweight, with a ridge to help them lock in your ear. I never had any fit problems with them, and they stayed in place during runs and workouts.

What about the sound? The buds offer warm, bass-heavy music that'll please people who like thumping heavy rhythms. The audio quality won't endear the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro to audiophiles (do wireless earbuds at this level
ever excite audiophiles?) but nevertheless it isn't at all bad. Sound quality may not be the highlight of these buds, but I still enjoyed listening to them during my testing. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
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My main gripes with the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro bypass the earpieces and
their talents and really only concern the case. It has a small touchscreen strip, but it doesn't do enough to justify its existence (nor is it
responsive enough for that). And the case is bigger than it should be as a result; I would've loved to see it lose the strip and shrink a little.

At least it's not the Liberty 5 Pro Max, with a giant case and big touchscreen. I tested that too, and you can read more about it later, but
it's decidedly more of a professional-targeted device. Most buyers looking
for some great earbuds would do better with these Pro-only earbuds: they're cheaper and you're only missing a few features ones I think you may not use anyway. Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro (Black) at Amazon for 149.99 Soundcore
Liberty 5 Pro review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future) Released on May 21, 2026 They sell for $169.99 / 149.99 (about AU$300) Sitting between Liberty 5, and Liberty 5 Pro Max The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro were announced alongside a slew of other Anker products at the brands annual Anker Day, on May 21, 2026.

You can pick them up for $169.99 / 149.99 (about AU$300), so unlike many of the brands other pairs of earbuds, theyve crept over the line: these arent budget buds, rather solidly mid-range ones. For a little context, the non-Pro model launched for $129 / 99 / AU$169, but went on sale a year prior, so have seen some discounts.

They launched alongside the Liberty 5 Pro Max, which sell for a fair bit
more: $229.99 / 199.99 (roughly AU$400). Well get into these a little later; its best to treat them as a Pro model to the Liberty 5 Pro (despite that
being a little confusing), with a few extra tools for professionals, but no major advantage. Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

9.2mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

6.5 hours (buds), 28 hours (case)

Weight

7g (buds), 70g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

IP55 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Features (Image credit: Future) Impressive noise cancellation and clear calling Middling battery life, at 6.5 hours Absolutely loads of features via app In the introduction to this
review, I already waxed lyrical about the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro's quiet
call tools. Suffice to say, it's just as impressive as it was when you read about it a few minutes ago: a real stand-out feature of the buds.

Quiet calls is one of the many benefits brought from the use of Ankers Thus chip, with the brands decision to home-brew its own internals, and thus get
to design its software and hardware in tandem, paying dividends.

Another example is noise cancellation, as the Liberty 5 Pro has some of the best Ive used in a set of earbuds at its price point. It is able to eradicate the low, rumbling background hum of life, and drastically reduce louder
sounds too it even took a big chunk out of my coffee shops streaming of Hey Ya!.

In theory, battery life is another department that should benefit from Thus, and Anker puts the listening time per bud, with ANC on, at 6.5 hours. From my own testing, thats an optimistic figure my own listening time was a little south of that mark. The same is true with the overall case battery life,
which Anker states as 28 hours. Dont get me wrong: the battery life here is fine, but its nothing to write home about either. (Image credit: Future) If that sounds like a nice little haul of features already, just wait until you download the Soundcore app. If my editor didnt think this section was too
long already, just wait until we list what else you get with the buds.

This has all the basics: the ability to change between noise cancelling
modes, customizable touch controls, Dolby Atmos, EQ presets, multi-point connection, fit tests, find-my earbuds, and an eight-band custom equalizer.

But you get a whole lot more: there's a listening test for custom EQ, a load of ambient soundscapes and listening modes, and even a built-in chat-bot called Anka which can give you suggestions for settings to change. There's a lot going on.

If anything, the app's a little confusingly laid out. If you select your earbuds, where most apps would put all the settings, you can only see a few. To find more, you need to press a little Settings cog which is easy to miss. And for many more options, you have to back out all the way to the main menu. Features score: 4.5/5 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Design (Image credit: Future) Kidney bean-shaped bud with tip and fin Reliable in-ear fit Touchscreen-toting case is a little bulky Anker has opted for a kidney bean-shaped look for the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds; they bring to mind Samsung s bean buds, but with a tip that you can use to put them in your ear. You can pick them up in blue, pink, white or black, and the buds and case
come in the same hue.

Each earbud weighs 7g, is made of a solid-feeling plastic, and the other design feature of note is a little wing at the top to keep them locked in
your ear. To be clear, the fit is much better than those older Samsung buds. That little wing works magically, and I took them to the gym and on countless runs without any inkling of them falling out.

The buds are IP55 protected, which means theyre protected from dust and low-pressure water jets (like rain or sweat) but arent suitable for swimming. You get touch controls on each bud, but you need to tap multiple times to achieve anything, and I found them unreliable for multi-tap commands. (Image credit: Future) Now onto the case; the 0.96-inch display on the front isnt as much as selling point here as the Pro Maxs larger one is, but its not as much of a gimmick as to put off people who arent interested.

It sort of makes the case look like a very small '90s alarm clock. You can
use its screen to quickly check the charge of the buds and enabled certain features; I found it pretty unresponsive and gave up using it for music control quite quickly, but perhaps a more patient user could persevere. I can see the quick access to EQ presets being pretty handy for certain people.

Due to its touchscreen, the Liberty 5 Pro's case is a little larger than most rivals', even if at 70g it's not unduly heavy. I found it a little on the large side to slip into my pocket; not perfect for people who like a tiny case. The sliding mechanism to reveal the buds felt quick and easy, but I'm curious about how long it'd lasting in the long term. Even over several weeks of using the buds, the sliding plane started to feel a little wobbly. Design score: 4/5 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future) Using 45mm drivers Music is muffled, and tinny EQ doesn't help Anker has put 9.2mm drivers in the Liberty 5 Pro Max, which I'm inclined to believe are the same pieces of kit that it used in the non-Pro buds. As with those other models, these aren't audiophile earbuds the sound is way too warm for that and instead they give the people what they want.

That's to say, they're bass-heavy and energetic buds, focused more on snappy lower frequencies and tender higher ones than an objectively natural, integrated hi-fi sound. Given how commonly this kind of sound profile is used in affordable and mid-range buds, I'm inclined to say it's popular, and Soundcore's done a great job hitting that target.

If you like lower-end clout in your sound, you'll be happy here. Any genre I tried, from rock to pop to dance, fared well. It was even solid for listening to genres that don't revel in excess bass, like classical, acoustic and jazz.

Bass injection is clearly the name of the game here, but for the most part, trebles and mids are just as forceful, offering an enjoyable amount of
detail. Shane Smith & the Saints' Coast has a lovely delicate timbre in the acoustic guitar which you often miss, and some lovely harmonies in Last Sunrise In The Wasteland by At The End Of Times, Nothing came to the fore. (Image credit: Future) I'm not going to claim that these buds are perfect. At lower volumes, the Liberty 5 Pro lose trebles and mids at a disproportionate rate.

But the real 'problem' will likely come from the sound being divisive. The Liberty 5 Pro's bassy sound might not please everyone. It's right on the border of 'too much', sometimes offering a lovely thumping sound, but occasionally stepping over the line.

In songs like Gabriel Kelley's You Kill Me , bass guitar can overstep its
role as an accompanying instrument, and step to the fore in a way that throws the song out of whack. At other times, it can just override some of the more sensitive instruments. More so than in most earbuds I test, you're going to have to get familiar with the EQ presets, and use them depending on which genre you prefer to listen to.

If that wasn't a problem for audiophiles, perhaps the relative lack of Bluetooth codec support is. You're getting Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification, but seemingly no bone thrown for LDAC, aptX or anything similar. Sound quality: 4/5 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: how about the Pro Max? (Image credit: Future) Pro Max cost a little more Sound quality and battery life are identical Pro Max has larger case, one or two extra tools Beyond being an absolute mouthful to say (or, in this case, write), the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max are very similar earbuds to the Pro. So much so, that instead of writing an entire separate review on them, I decided to give them a section of the Pro review. And why not the other way around? That's because the Pros are, in my opinion, the best buds for most people.

The Pro Max earbuds are exactly the same as the Pro's, in terms of design, sound quality, battery life and feature set (mainly). The Max comes in thanks to two additional features: you can use the case to record audio and provide quick transcripts, and for instant voice translation.

They're solid features, all right, but with more limited appeal. I can see them being handy for business users, but not so much for the average buyer.

Your other upgrade here is in the carry case: its display now takes up the entire top of the buds, and it offers loads more features. You can add a custom wallpaper, and use it for various tools, settings and modes, including (but not limited to) the aforementioned extra features.

Again, useful additions, but at the cost of an even larger carry case. It wasn't comfortable to keep in my pocket, that's for sure.

I'm not disputing that the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max are better earbuds.
But for most people, I don't think they're enough to justify the extra cost. Only consider these if you'll really use Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review:
Value (Image credit: Future) Too expensive to be consumer cans Value for
money if you need transmitter The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are reasonably priced, but you get what you pay for. Theres nothing wrong with that, but a good discount would tip these into the amazing value for money camp.

The noise cancellation, sound quality and feature set are all really good for the price but there are loads of other rivals at around the same price point that all offer suites that are good for the price. I've tested a few earbuds for even less, that impress me just as much.

At least the Anker Liberty Pro are better value money than the Pro Max. Youre paying more money, and getting a very similar product. For business users maybe, but I cant see myself recommending them to most people, when the Pro
is right there. Value: 3.5/5 Should I buy the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro? Swipe to scroll horizontally Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Is there anything these buds can't do? The clear calling is a real stand-out, but don't forget the ANC and equalizer.

4.5/5

Design

The earbuds have a unique look and sit firmly in the ears. The case is a little large, with an unresponsive touch screen and some durability concerns.

4/5

Sound quality Row 2 - Cell 1

4/5

Value

They're great buds, for a fair price, but a discount would make them absolute must-buys.

3.5/5 Buy them if You want solid ANC The Liberty 5 Pro are great at silencing unwanted background noise. They're not the best I've ever tried, but at this price, they're hard to say no to. You need a secure fit The unique design of the Liberty 5 Pro, and their fin, mean they're reliable to stay in place when you're exercising. Dont buy them if You need a svelte carry case We see some wired earbuds nowadays that come with incredibly tiny carry cases. The Soundcore... ain't those. If you want something pocketable, look away. You want a fully-featured touchscreen If you want earbuds with a touchscreen that'll let you do it all, the Pro might not scratch that itch. Instead, the Pro Max are better for you. Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Also consider
Want to see what other earbuds your money can get you? Here are some alternatives for roughly the same price. Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

Technics EAH-AZ80

Drivers

9.2mm

Unspecified

10mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

6.5 hours (buds), 28 hours (case)

4 hours (buds), 20 hours (case)

7 hours (buds), 25 hours (case)

Weight

7g (buds), 70g (case)

4.3g (buds), 32.3g (case)

7g (buds), 50g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP55

NA

IPX4 Apple AirPods 4 with ANC If you have an iPhone, these are some of the go-to buds at the price. They may not have in-ear tips, and the battery
life's not amazing, but they have plenty of audio features. Read our full AirPods 4 with ANC review Technics EAH-AZ80 Yes, they're quite a bit older, but they're still some of our favorite wireless earbuds in that they offer triple device connectivity, excellent sound quality, and they're much cheaper now then when they first launched. Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review How I tested the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Tested for three weeks Paired with Android phone for variety of tasks Also used alongside Pro Max I used the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro for three weeks before writing this review. I tested them alongside the Pro Max model.

During the testing process, the earbuds were connected to my Android smartphone. I used them for streaming Spotify Lossless music as well as Tidal and Apple Music, playing various games, streaming videos, conducting voice calls and going on video chats.

That listening went on at home, while at the gym, during runs, and on walks around my neighborhood. For certain areas, like ANC and sound quality, I have reference tests I conduct which lets me compare various earbuds.

I've reviewed earbuds and headphones for TechRadar for many years, including previous Anker products like the Space 2 over-ears earlier this year. First reviewed in June 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro: Price Comparison 149.99 View 149.99 View 149.99 View 149.99 View 149.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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