Review · Earbuds ANC
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
The Liberty 5 Pro is the earbud to buy if you want flagship-class calls and noise cancelling without Sony or Bose prices: it's Wirecutter's top earbud pick, and it brings LDAC, Bluetooth 6.1, multipoint for up to three devices, and IP55 for $169.99 list. The catch is battery: Soundcore rates it for 6.5 hours with ANC, short of the 8 hours on Sony's WF-1000XM6 and AirPods Pro 3.
Our take
The short version
Soundcore's Liberty 5 Pro (model D1203) is Wirecutter's top earbud pick, and it's built around calls and noise cancelling. Soundcore pairs Adaptive ANC 4.0 with its Anker Thus AI audio chip and says the Liberty 5 Pro holds a Guinness World Records certification for speech quality in an objective test of true-wireless earbuds. That's Soundcore's claim rather than an independent review, but calls are clearly what this model is built for. It also has 9.2 mm wool-paper drivers, LDAC, Bluetooth 6.1, multipoint for up to three devices, HearID 5.0 sound personalization, IP55, and a charging case with a built-in screen.
List is $169.99, which puts it about $90 above the ~$79.99 Liberty 5 and roughly level with AirPods Pro 3 (~$179). During Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days on October 6, 2026, Prime members saw it at $135.99. For a non-Apple earbud with this feature list, that's why it shares our top value score of 5. SoundGuys' video review (embedded below) covers it alongside the pricier Liberty 5 Pro Max, which we don't review.
The trade-offs are battery and platform. Soundcore rates 6.5 hours with ANC in standard mode and 28 hours with the case, dropping to 2.5 and 10.5 hours with every feature on; a 5-minute charge adds 4 hours. That's less per charge than the cheaper Liberty 5 (8 hours with ANC). LDAC is an Android feature, since iPhones use AAC, so iPhone owners should weigh AirPods Pro 3 at a similar price.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Wirecutter's top earbud pick
- Call-focused design that Soundcore backs with a Guinness World Records certification
- Adaptive ANC 4.0, LDAC, and Bluetooth 6.1
- Multipoint for up to three devices
- IP55 and 5.5 g per bud; a 5-minute charge gives 4 h
Trade-offs
- 6.5 h with ANC trails the Sony WF-1000XM6 and AirPods Pro 3 (8 h each)
- Rated battery drops to 2.5 h with every feature on
- IP55, below the IP57 on AirPods Pro 3
- LDAC does nothing for iPhone owners
Who it's for
Buy it if…
- Remote workers who take calls on earbuds and switch between laptop, phone, and tablet
- Android owners who want LDAC and strong ANC without paying ~$258 for Sony
- Liberty 5 owners who want better calls and noise cancelling
Skip it if…
- iPhone owners who want Apple's extras: AirPods Pro 3 cost about the same and are IP57
- Long-haul flyers: the Sony WF-1000XM6 is rated for 8 h with ANC
- Tight budgets: the Liberty 5 is ~$79.99 with LDAC and IP55
Spec sheet
Liberty 5 Pro specs
| Battery | 6.5 h with ANC, 28 h with the case (2.5 h / 10.5 h with every feature on); 5 min charge = 4 h |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Yes (Adaptive ANC 4.0) |
| Weight | 5.5 g per bud |
| Drivers | 9.2 mm wool-paper |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth | 6.1 |
| Multipoint | Yes (up to 3 devices) |
| Water resistance | IP55 |
| Wired / USB-C audio | No (true wireless) |
| Microphones | Not specified |
| App / EQ | HearID 5.0 personalized sound |
| Also notable | Anker Thus AI audio chip; charging case with a built-in screen |
From the manufacturer sources listed below. “Not specified” means those sources don't state it.
Watch
Liberty 5 Pro on video
Video by SoundGuys on YouTube. Their views are their own.
Cross-shop
Alternatives to consider
Soundcore Liberty 5
- Earbuds ANC (budget)
- ~$79.99
- 2025
- Any phone
Feature-packed budget earbuds with strong ANC for the money; plan to tame the bass with EQ.
Pros
- Pro: Strong ANC for the money, per reviewers
- Pro: LDAC, multipoint, and Bluetooth 5.4
- Pro: IP55 and a light 4.6 g per bud
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: Bass-heavy tuning needs EQ
- Trade-off: Fiddly stem controls
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Workouts
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Liberty 5Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Earbuds ANC
- ~$179
- Sep 2025
- iPhone
The default earbuds for iPhone owners, with ANC SoundGuys ranks among the best of any earbud.
Pros
- Pro: SoundGuys' best earbuds for iPhone
- Pro: ANC that SoundGuys measured among the best of any earbud
- Pro: Heart-rate sensing plus Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: No user EQ
- Trade-off: Built around the iPhone; MacRumors steers Android owners to the Sony
- Travel
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Calls
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Apple AirPods Pro 3Sony WF-1000XM6
- Earbuds ANC
- ~$258
- Feb 2026
- Android
SoundGuys' best earbuds overall, and the pick for Android owners who want LDAC and EQ.
Pros
- Pro: SoundGuys' best earbuds overall
- Pro: SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 support
- Pro: Multipoint plus 4 mics per bud for calls
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: Highest list price of the earbuds we cover
- Trade-off: No aptX
- Travel
- 5 out of 5
- Calls
- 5 out of 5
- Music
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Related guides and comparisons
Sources
Manufacturer specs
- Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro product page (opens in a new tab) — Drivers, ANC, codecs, Bluetooth, multipoint, IP rating, weight, battery, and HearID
- Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Amazon listing (official Soundcore store) — Battery ratings by ANC mode and the Guinness World Records certification note
Review consensus
- Wirecutter — Top earbud pick (2026)
- SoundGuys — Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max video review
Published reviews and manufacturer specs, researched October 5, 2026. We didn't test these headphones ourselves; judgments credited to an outlet are that outlet's.
Disclosure: Our picks are independent and editorial — a synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own lab measurements. Prices are approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026, not live quotes. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.