Soundcore, Anker’s audio brand, is pushing into the high-end with Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds—using a new “Thus” chip and delivering what the reviewer calls the best in-call noise canceling they’ve heard. The two models match in most core specs
The moment a call becomes unrecognizable is usually the moment you regret buying “smart” earbuds. But in the testing for Soundcore’s new Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max, the reviewer says the opposite happened: even chaos outside the call didn’t seem to matter.
They describe one call where their “very enthusiastic” son sang and yelled while jumping up and down in front of them—and the person on the other end “heard none of it.” In another test. arborists fed tree branches into a wood chipper right outside an open apartment window. and the caller “had no idea.” The reviewer also used a friend—another audio reviewer they call regularly to test call clarity—who consistently said the Liberty 5 Pro sounded the most natural. while the AirPods Pro 3 sounded muddy and more compressed. despite the reviewer switching without telling him which earbuds were worn.
That’s the story thread running through Soundcore’s move into tougher competition. The Liberty 5 Pro line uses Anker’s new Thus chip, which has more processing power than previous Soundcore earbuds. The company says the extra horsepower is aimed at competing with chips found in Apple. Sony. and Bose products. and the reviewer’s takeaway is clear: the best in-call noise canceling they’ve heard in any earbuds.
Soundcore’s ambition shows up in the price, too. The Liberty 4 Pro—previously the highest-priced Soundcore earbuds (not counting sleep buds)—cost $150. The Liberty 5 Pro is $170, while the Liberty 5 Pro Max is $230, landing right near AirPods Pro 3 territory. But within the Liberty 5 Pro family, the hardware story is almost too neat.
The Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds are exactly the same in the areas that typically separate tiers: the same chip, 9.2mm drivers, microphone array, ANC performance, sound profile, battery life, IP55 rating, and overall features. The only difference is the case.
That case difference is where the two models split in ways that matter day-to-day. The $170 Liberty 5 Pro case includes an angled 0.96-inch TFT screen on the front. The screen can change settings such as ANC, sound profiles, speak-to-chat, and Dolby head tracking. Since the same adjustments can be done in the Soundcore app. the reviewer frames it as mostly preference—whether you want to use the case screen or rely on your phone.
The $230 Liberty 5 Pro Max case steps things up with a 1.78-inch AMOLED screen on its sliding top. Beyond repeating everything the smaller case can do—plus adjusting brightness and changing wallpaper—the Max adds a feature that doesn’t exist on the regular Liberty 5 Pro: a microphone and an AI note-taking app. Audio can be recorded directly to the case, which includes 357MB of storage. From there, it’s transferred to the phone, where the Soundcore app generates a transcription and summary. The reviewer says it requires a Soundcore account. and in their testing the transcription was “very accurate. ” including differentiating between different speakers and capturing what they said.
They add that this recording doesn’t require the headphones to be in. which could be useful for recurring needs like classes or meetings. In the Soundcore app. the file can be edited. or exported as audio in MP3 format. with the transcript and summary available as .txt. Markdown. .docx. or PDF. But beyond that larger-screen note feature, the reviewer says there’s no other major reason to pay the extra $60.
Outside of calls and recording, the earbuds still come with trade-offs. Out of the box, the Liberty 5 sound profile is described as bassy, with vocals—especially male vocals—sounding muddy. Snare hits are said to sound dull, and high-end detail lacks sparkle. Fixing it requires tuning: there’s a sound-clip customization questionnaire that offers seven examples to adjust the earbuds to your preferences. plus an 8-band EQ for those who want more control.
The reviewer says their customized tuning solved their initial issues. Lower mids were cleaned up, high mids were boosted, and the whole sound opened up. They cite how Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” guitar shimmers more. piano octaves gain clarity. and the voice doesn’t get swallowed by the lower guitar register when it descends at the end of the chorus line.
Noise canceling performance, at least in the reviewer’s testing, lands close to Apple’s top model. The Liberty 5 Pro’s adaptive noise canceling is described as comparable to the AirPods Pro 3. and the reviewer points out that it’s achieved for $80 less. They also note that the Liberty 5 Pro lets in a small amount more midrange than the AirPods. calling the difference “very small.”.
For long sessions, they say the low-end drones are handled well—something the reviewer frames as useful for long flights.
Then there’s voice control, which adds a functional wrinkle. The Liberty 5 Pro buds have a voice-control mode that responds quickly. but the reviewer says it’s not consistent when there’s conversation around you. In one test. while their wife was on a Zoom call in the same room. switching between noise cancellation modes required speaking uncomfortably loudly.
The reviewer also flags something practical: there’s no wake word needed. Instead, the earbuds are listening for 11 different possible phrases, including “Play Music,” “Volume Up,” “Reject Call,” and “Transparency Mode.”
All of these features circle back to the one thing the reviewer seems most surprised by. They write that the exceptional call quality caught them off guard—and that, for people who mainly use earbuds for calls, the Liberty 5 Pro series is the best option.
Even with the higher entry price. the reviewer’s bottom line is straightforward: for $170. the Liberty 5 Pro delivers the same ANC performance. the same customized sound behavior after tuning. and the same “incredible call quality” as the Max. Unless the AI recording and transcription on the Liberty 5 Pro Max case is something you’ll use regularly. they suggest there’s no reason to spend the extra $60.
The hardware also comes with an extra audio convenience: the Liberty 5 Pro supports LDAC for high-res audio from devices that use the codec.
In the end. Soundcore is asking buyers to choose not just between models. but between ecosystems—because the reviewer notes the Liberty 5 Pro will be an excellent option if you’re not especially concerned with staying in Apple’s. Google’s. or Samsung’s ecosystems. For anyone shopping specifically for calls. the pitch is harder to ignore: the reviewer says they haven’t heard earbuds handle ambient noise on calls this well—ever.
Soundcore Anker Liberty 5 Pro Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds call quality noise canceling AI note taking transcription LDAC ANC IP55