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The true wireless earbuds market is fiercely competitive. With established heavyweights like Sony and Bose, the behemoth Apple, and a slew of new entrants, making a mark is no small feat. Yet, this is precisely what Soundcore could achieve with earbuds like the Liberty 5.
Originating from within Anker—a specialist in batteries and chargers and the parent company of brands like Eufy (home automation) and Nebula (projectors)—Soundcore has inherited considerable technical expertise and industrial capability. The brand not only keeps pace but innovates, incorporating complex technologies such as dual drivers in its Liberty 4 Pro, a feature usually reserved for high-end models.
Thus, there’s every reason to pay close attention to the new Liberty 5, which, on paper, seem to tick all the boxes.
Soundcore Liberty 5Technical Specifications
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Soundcore Liberty 5
9/10
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This review was conducted using earbuds provided by Soundcore.
Soundcore Liberty 5A Time-Tested Design
At first glance, the Soundcore Liberty 5 won’t surprise anyone. They feature the popular stem earbud design, here with a relatively short and unobtrusive stem. This classicism is a deliberate choice, aimed at efficiency and comfort. The material of choice is plastic, as expected in this price range, but it is of very high quality. The units are finished with a matte treatment, pleasant to the touch and resistant to fingerprint marks. The assembly is absolutely flawless, with no gaps or unsightly seams. It’s clean, neat, and solid.
Nothing creaks under pressure, and both the earbuds and the case appear built to withstand daily wear and tear. The case itself is a model of compactness. It fits into a jeans pocket without bulging. Its sliding cover adds a nice touch of originality. It opens with one hand, revealing two magnetically secured earbuds. There’s no risk of them falling out at the slightest jolt. Inside, a small discreet button allows for forced Bluetooth pairing, a thoughtful feature.
Ergonomics Designed for Extended Listening Sessions
Once the right tips are selected from the wide array provided, the Liberty 5 fit into the ear canal with surprising ease. They are light, create no unpleasant pressure, and are easy to forget after a few minutes. They can be worn for hours without any discomfort, whether you’re at the office or during a workout session. Each earbud features a long black grille that houses the microphones for noise cancellation and calls.
However, not everything is perfect in terms of interaction. The Liberty 5 features a pinch control on the stem, similar to AirPods. While the intent is commendable, the execution could be improved. Indeed, the stem needs to be pinched too hard, and the haptic feedback is barely perceptible. Unlike the AirPods Pro where the volume can be adjusted by sliding, here you must pinch three times to lower or raise the volume. This is somewhat annoying and clearly an area for improvement in the next generation.
Additionally, the earbuds are rated IPX5, meaning they are resistant to water splashes and sweat. Thus, you can use them without worry in light rain or during your most intense workouts. In my case, they stayed perfectly in place during an hour-long run in over 30-degree heat and despite significant sweating.
Soundcore Liberty 5The Mystery of the “Wool Paper”
Soundcore is coy about the exact diameter of the dynamic drivers used in its Liberty 5. The brand only mentions a rather intriguing material: their diaphragms are supposedly made of “wool paper.” Behind this poetic name likely lies a clever technical approach. The thin membrane that vibrates to produce sound must be both rigid to avoid deformation and light to react quickly. The most probable hypothesis is that it’s a composite: a core of polymer or lightweight metal for rigidity, covered with a thin layer of textile fibers that Soundcore calls “wool paper.”
The role of these fibers is to dampen parasitic micro-vibrations and resonances that can make the sound imprecise and harsh. This technical choice likely explains the overall smoothness of the sound reproduction (more on that later).
The system is powered by a modern chip that not only manages Bluetooth connectivity but also handles audio signal processing (DSP). This DSP is responsible for active noise cancellation, equalization, and Dolby Audio spatialization.
Soundcore Liberty 5An App That Transforms the Experience
While the Liberty 5 are perfectly usable right out of the box, it would be a shame to miss out on the accompanying Soundcore app. It’s a model of clarity and functional richness. The interface is polished, navigation is intuitive, and you never feel overwhelmed by a plethora of options.
Dolby Audio as a Compelling Feature
The flagship feature is undoubtedly the integration of Spatial Audio with Dolby certification. This is a rarity at this price point. Unlike some gimmicky implementations, Soundcore’s is surprisingly accurate and well-controlled. The most interesting aspect is that you don’t need a Dolby Atmos-encoded source to benefit from it. The algorithm processes any stereo signal to subtly widen the soundstage.
Three modes are available: “Music,” “Cinema,” and “Custom Podcast.” The Music mode offers better instrument separation and opens up the listening experience, while the Cinema mode enhances immersion and clarity of dialogue. The result isn’t as spectacular and precise as with the AirPods 4, but it adds a subtle and appreciable depth and breadth to the listening experience.
Tailored Sound
The app also offers a process for customizing the sound signature to the user’s hearing abilities, as well as a preference mode, which plays five musical excerpts with two sound profiles (A and B) and asks you to choose your favorite. This is a fun and well-executed feature, although I found the default sound profile to be perfectly balanced.
Comprehensive and Stable Connectivity
The Liberty 5 support a full range of codecs. Beyond the traditional SBC and AAC, they also support Sony’s LDAC, which allows for higher bitrate Bluetooth transmission with compatible devices. While the difference to the ear remains subtle, this is a mark of quality and durability. The connection is also a model of stability, with a good range of about ten meters, even through a thin partition.
The latency is negligible in video games and while watching movies, the sound/image synchronization is perfect. Additionally, multipoint connection is supported, allowing the earbuds to be connected to two devices simultaneously.
Soundcore Liberty 5Effective Active Noise Cancellation
The ANC technology used is touted as new, with more frequent analysis of ambient noises. In transportation, the low rumble of the engine is drastically reduced. In an open office, noises from ventilation and distant conversations are well suppressed.
Higher-pitched and sudden noises (like a horn or a ringtone) still get through, but their intensity is sufficiently reduced to allow for comfortable listening at a moderate volume. It’s a noise reduction for comfort, not a silence bubble, but the results are indeed very satisfying.
Soundcore Liberty 5A Generous and Well-Controlled Sound Signature
When it comes to sound, the Liberty 5 do not disappoint. Soundcore has chosen a “physiological” sound signature. In practice, this means that the bass and treble are slightly emphasized to create a very dynamic, warm, and flattering sound. The low frequencies are deep and generous, with excellent extension into the sub-bass. They add weight and impact to percussion without ever becoming muddy or overpowering. The control is evident.
The midrange, which carries the voices and most instruments, is treated with softness and precision. Voices are clear, well embodied, and are not drowned out by the rest of the spectrum. The treble, in response to the bass, is bright and detailed, bringing air and clarity to the overall sound. This coloration is intentional, but it is done with skill, and the sound remains overall very soft and pleasant, even at high volumes and over long periods.
Most of the time, I activated the Dolby mode, always with excellent results in terms of sound element separation and immersion. The Liberty 5 are engaging earbuds that are enjoyable to listen to at low volumes for hours on end, as well as at very high intensities. The amplification holds up, the drivers too, and it’s a lot of fun to blast music, beyond what’s reasonable because the Liberty 5 can play very, very loudly.
A Curve That Alarms the Eyes but Pleases the Ears
The frequency response curve is tumultuous but clear: a significant boost in the bass, a presence bump in the low-midrange around the voices (300-400 Hz), a second one (2 kHz) to bring a lot of clarity—without aggression!—and then a peak of brilliance in the extreme high end. It’s anything but neutral, but devilishly effective and engaging.
The dynamic behavior of the Liberty 5 is also excellent, with a very good ability to impact in the bass and well-controlled and marked level differences. The soundstage is wide, immersive, with sound planes appropriately staggered.
On Poor Poor Pitiful Me, Linda Ronstadt’s crystalline voice is beautifully highlighted, with chiseled acoustic guitars and a simple but effective bass line that anchors the track. Switching to Levitating by Dua Lipa, the ideal playground for these earbuds, where the synthetic bass is powerful and physical, while the artist’s voice remains perfectly intelligible in a dense production. Faced with the raw production of Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash, the Liberty 5 maintain the punk energy of the guitar riff without making it shriek. Finally, Dragula by Rob Zombie serves as an excellent test for dynamics and organization: even at high volumes, the sound remains clean, the saturated guitar and martial drums are reproduced with thrilling power.
Soundcore Liberty 5Clear and Reliable Calls
The call quality is another strong point. Thanks to the six microphones and noise reduction algorithms, your voice is captured clearly and intelligibly for the person on the other end, even in a moderately noisy environment like a busy street.
Sometimes there is a slight “pumping” effect when the software works to isolate the voice from background noise, but nothing that hinders the conversation. It’s a completely reliable communication tool.
Soundcore Liberty 5Marathon-Grade Endurance
The brand claims up to 12 hours of listening on a single charge (without ANC) and a total of 48 hours with the three full charges provided by the case. In practice, our tests confirm these excellent figures. With active noise cancellation always on and listening volume at 50% via the LDAC codec, we measured a very solid battery life of 10 hours and 30 minutes. This is a top-tier performance, surpassing much of the competition, including models that are much more expensive.
Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.