Soundcore Liberty 5 Noise-cancelling Earbuds
WIth evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes from model to model it’s getting trickier to find something to say about Soundcore earbuds. They are among the best I’ve tested, as much because they sound great as because they’re normally a good deal cheaper, with no noticeable lack of quality, than some of the fancier buds that have crossed my desk.
One thing I can say about the Soundcore Liberty 5, though, is that somehow noise cancellation is even better. Despite being very, very similar in appearance to the Liberty 4 Pro I tested last – and, indeed, used as my primary earbuds for months – they feel like an all-round upgrade.
Soundcore Liberty 5- a little chonky but my go-to earbuds.
While I was fond of the little display integrated into the Liberty 4 Pro charging case I found myself not using it as much as I’d thought. It’s clear that the display adds weight and bulk, since the Liberty 5 case is considerably smaller and much more pocket-friendly. It’s still chunky – comically so compared to the cheaper AirPods – but what’s a little bulge in my jeans among friends? While this is technically a loss of a feature, smaller is better.
Noise cancellation in the Liberty 4 is markedly better in ways I find difficult to describe. It seems to slowly zero in on the noise profile and gradually increase in intensity until background noise – such as a fan or air conditioner – is completely removed. If you’re prone to discomfort from noise cancelling features you wont find any solace here, though. I, thankfully, am not.
What I am is unable to wear two earbuds, and in typical fashion Liberty 5 still requires a connection to both earbuds in order to access settings such as noise cancellation mode, wind reduction, sound effects, HearID and “Gaming Mode.” I am certainly not the only person frequently wearing a single earbud. But since I’m incapable of wearing two, these weird software warts are frustrating at best and outright offensive at worst. I’m sure I’ve banged this drum in every review I’ve written about every earbud I’ve tested, and I’ve yet to see anything approaching a fix. It is, perhaps, a technology limitation that requires a holistic approach to hardware and software design in order to overcome. Fortunately I need only open the earbud case to establish a connection to the second earbud, though I’d rather not have to.
The controls are – okay – by and large I don’t use them, instead turning to my phone to adjust volume, answer calls and change music tracks. They are activated by squeezing the stem of an earbud, with overrides for one, two, three and long press making them complicated. You can assign any action to either the left or right bud, which is at least some consolation for those of us who can only wear one. You can also assign “None”, so making a single press the thing you want to use and assigning “None” to everything else is probably a reasonable approach. A recent firmware update has added a pressure sensitivity adjustment option with Firmest, Medium and Softest options. Admittedly I have trouble activating the press even with Softest selected.
A single earbud, you can just make out the groove for the touch/squeeze sensor.
As far as sound quality is concerned, I can’t discern any difference between these and the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro. Even before HearID calibration they have crisp, discernable high frequencies (symbols, mostly), punchy base and clear mids. At least as long as you’ve got a comfortable and consistent fit- the presence of bass is almost exactly proportion to how far you shove them into your ear. This makes a lot of sense but plays to something I’ve been struggling with throughout my adventures with earbuds- sometimes they’re just too uncomfortable to wear… at all. The same applies to over-ear headphones, of course, especially in hot weather, but I’ve found that persistent earbud use (and, honestly, I mean falling asleep with one in basically every single night, and wearing them in the shower..) can cause me some discomfort that I’ve yet to find a solution for.
I suppose it’s a testament to the battery life of the Liberty 5 that I basically wear them all night, usually with noise-cancelling on, and find the single earbud (usually fallen down by the side of the bed, or maybe placed conscientiously on my bedside table or still gripped within my hand like I’m some kind of cursed pirate remains) still connected to my phone. Suffice to say I’ve had no issues with longevity and plug the case in periodically on my desk (I have a little Soundcore USB-A to C cable which came with one pair of buds or another that I use to charge everything) to top them up.
The case isn’t fancy, but the square shape is quite confusing- find which way the top slides without looking challenge!
As I noticed with previous Soundcore earbuds, the square shape of the case is not conducive to quickly opening them. While the lid has an elegant slide mechanism that pops satisfyingly open and shut with a single swipe (and is doable one-handed), you have to pay careful attention to the Soundcore logo to get the case the right way up. Being pathologically incautious and inattentive doesn’t help me much here, and I often struggle to open the box, fighting against the little bit of give that the lid has in each direction until I get the right one. This same problem would no-doubt frustrate users who can’t just look at the case. C’mon Soundcore, can we get a little thumb detent, grip or something that makes it really obvious which way up these should go?
Overall Soundcore’s Liberty 5 are a great evolution from their predecessors and my go-to earbuds for hours and hours of use every single day. If Soundcore could fix the requirement for both earbuds to be connected for everything but updates (I mean, you need to update both, right?) and add some kind of detent to make it obvious which way the case opens (and make it just a smidge smaller!) then I’d call these perfect.
You can pick up the Soundcore Liberty 5 from Soundcore’s own website currently on sale for £99.