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- Image of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, Courtesy of Soundcore

Liberty 5 Earbuds Reviewed: Anker’s Feature-Packed AirPods Alternative

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By Mollie Dominy | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 5:20 AM ET

Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds are here, priced at $129 and clearly gunning for the “AirPods alternative” crown. They’re stemmed, stacked with features, and come with a companion app that’s doing more heavy lifting than some flagship buds. But while the spec sheet reads like a dream, the real-world experience is more mixed. These buds are ambitious—but not everything lands.

Features: App Excellence, ANC Mediocrity

Let’s start with the good stuff. The Soundcore app is a beast. You get multipoint connectivity, customizable touch controls, a Find My Buds feature, and a low-latency gaming mode. There’s also a preference-based EQ test that builds a bespoke sound profile based on A/B comparisons. It’s slick, intuitive, and honestly better than what some premium brands offer.

The EQ options are deep: genre presets, bass boosters, eight-band manual control, and Dolby Audio modes for music, podcasts, and movies. You can tweak to your heart’s content—and it actually makes a difference.

ANC, though? Meh. It’s adjustable across five levels, with wind noise reduction and transparency calibration. But even at max strength, it won’t silence a busy street or a chatty office. It dulls the noise, sure, but don’t expect S-tier silence.

Features score: 4/5

Sound Quality: Bass-First, Tunable, and LDAC-Ready

Out of the box, the Liberty 5 leans hard into bass and treble. It’s exciting, but not exactly balanced. Vocals can get buried, and the midrange lacks finesse. Audiophiles will notice the lack of separation and nuance, especially in complex tracks.

But with LDAC enabled and some EQ tweaking, things improve. Dolby Audio adds width and immersion, though it can slightly blur detail. The tuning flexibility is a win—you can make these buds sound good, even if they don’t start that way.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Design: Stemmed, Slanted, and Slightly Clunky

Image of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, Courtesy of Soundcore

The Liberty 5 goes with a stemmed design that’s more plasticky than premium. They’re available in Black, White, Blue, and Apricot, which is nice, but the look still screams “budget AirPods.” The slanted stem adds a bit of edge, but it’s not enough to elevate the aesthetic.

The touch controls are a pinch-based system that’s… not great. They’re inconsistent, awkward, and make you feel like you’re trying to defuse a bomb every time you want to skip a track. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a gamble.

The sliding case, though? Chef’s kiss. It’s smooth, satisfying, and way better than the standard flip-top. The buds are lightweight and come with six ear tip sizes, so you’ll find a fit. IP55 waterproofing means they can handle sweat and light rain, but don’t go swimming with them.

Design score: 3/5

Battery Life: Solid on Paper, Slightly Suspect in Practice

Anker claims 8 hours with ANC on, 12 hours without, and up to 48 hours total with the case. Fast charging gives you 5 hours of playback from a 10-minute top-up. Qi wireless charging is also supported.

But real-world testing showed some battery drain—20% loss after one hour with ANC on. So, unless you’re listening at low volume with all extras off, expect slightly less than advertised.

Battery score: 3.5/5

Mic Quality: Six Mics, One Mild Letdown

Anker touts “crystal-clear” call quality thanks to six mics and AI noise suppression. Reality? Decent, but not stellar. Your voice comes through, but ambient noise creeps in. It’s fine for casual calls, but don’t expect podcast-grade clarity.

Mic score: 3.5/5

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 and Multipoint Magic

The Liberty 5 uses Bluetooth 5.4 with support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC. Multipoint works smoothly, and pairing is straightforward. No dropouts or weird latency issues in testing.

Connectivity score: 4.5/5

Value: Feature-Rich, But Facing Fierce Competition

At $129, the Liberty 5 pack a ton of features. But they’re up against heavy hitters like the Sony WF-C700N, Nothing Ear (a), and even the Liberty 4 Pro. And in some areas—like ANC and sound balance—they fall short.

If you already own the Liberty 4 Pro, skip the upgrade. If you’re shopping fresh and want customization over perfection, the Liberty 5 are worth a look—especially if they go on sale.

Value score: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Final Word

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 are a feature-packed, budget-friendly pair of earbuds that punch above their price in some areas and fumble in others. The app experience is top-tier, the sound is tunable and fun, and the battery life is mostly solid. But the ANC is average, the pinch controls are clunky, and the design won’t win any beauty contests.

If you want a customizable, affordable earbud with a deep feature set, the Liberty 5 delivers. Just don’t expect them to dethrone the big dogs.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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