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At a glance
| Our rating | 4.4 / 5 |
| Price tier | Mid-range ($129–149) |
| Best for | Anyone who wants premium-feeling earbuds without paying premium prices |
| Skip if | You need absolute best-in-class ANC or a charging case that fits in tight jeans |
| ANC | Adaptive, three modes |
| Battery (buds, ANC on) | Approx. 7 hours |
| Codec support | LDAC, AAC, SBC |
Verdict
The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro punch well above their price tag. They’re not quite Sony WF-1000XM5 quiet and the case is bigger than AirPods Pro 2’s, but the sound profile is genuinely enjoyable out of the box, the LDAC support is rare at this price, and the multipoint Bluetooth is reliable. If you want "feels premium" without paying $250+, this is the pair we’d recommend.
Who these are for
- Anyone replacing aging earbuds and wanting an obvious upgrade for under $150.
- Android users who specifically want LDAC for high-resolution audio.
- People who switch between a laptop and a phone all day and need reliable multipoint.
Who should skip
- If best-in-class noise cancellation is non-negotiable for plane travel, save up for the Sony WF-1000XM5.
- If you have small ears — the Liberty 4 Pro buds are larger than AirPods Pro 2 and can feel intrusive.
- If pocket size matters: the case is noticeably chunkier than AirPods Pro 2’s.
How we tested
[YOUR TESTING NOTES — Use this section to describe the conditions you tested in. Suggested: total hours of use, what you listened to (specific tracks help), what calls you took, where you wore them (gym, commute, café), how they compared in real use to a pair you already own. 3–5 sentences minimum.]
Sound quality
The default tuning leans slightly warm with elevated bass — flattering for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. Soundcore’s app lets you adjust EQ, and the HearID feature creates a custom profile based on a brief listening test. With LDAC over Android, detail retrieval is better than you’d expect at this price, though still a half-step below the Sony or Sennheiser flagships.
Active noise cancellation
Adaptive ANC adjusts based on your environment. In our testing [YOUR TESTING NOTES — be specific about environments], it handled consistent low-frequency drone well but struggled more with sudden voices nearby — typical of mid-range ANC. Transparency mode is natural enough that you can hold a brief conversation without removing them.
Call quality
The mic array is good for the price. In quiet rooms you sound clear; in moderate background noise the noise reduction is aggressive but intelligible. It’s not as good as the Sony WF-1000XM5 mic, but it’s notably better than AirPods 3.
Battery and charging
Anker rates 7 hours with ANC on; we found that broadly accurate in mixed-use sessions. The case delivers about three full recharges, taking total runtime to around 30 hours. The case supports USB-C and Qi wireless charging.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Sound quality genuinely competes with $200+ earbuds
- LDAC codec support — rare at this price
- Reliable multipoint Bluetooth across phone and laptop
- USB-C and Qi wireless charging in the case
Cons
- ANC is good, not best-in-class
- Case is chunkier than AirPods Pro 2’s
- Buds may feel large for smaller ears
- Soundcore app is functional but visually busy
How they compare
| Model | Price | ANC | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro | $129–149 | Good | Best value, Android users |
| Sony WF-1000XM5 | $299 | Best in class | Pure ANC priority |
| Apple AirPods Pro 2 | $249 | Very good | iPhone users |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds | $299 | Excellent | Maximum comfort |
FAQs
Are these worth getting over the AirPods Pro 2 if I have an iPhone?
Only if budget matters. The Liberty 4 Pro sound better than people expect, but AirPods Pro 2 are tighter-integrated with iOS — instant device switching, Find My support, hands-free Siri. If you can stretch to AirPods, do.
Do they work as well on iPhone as Android?
They pair and function fully on iPhone, but you lose LDAC (iPhone doesn’t support it). On Android, the LDAC codec is the main reason to choose these over AirPods.
Final verdict
The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro are the easiest mid-range earbud recommendation we can make right now. They aren’t perfect, but for half the price of the flagships you get 85% of the experience — and on Android with LDAC, you can argue closer to 90%. Get them.
Check current price: Buy on Amazon → /go/anker-soundcore-liberty-4-pro (replace with your ThirstyAffiliates cloaked link).