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Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC wishlist: All the features I want to see
Published onJanuary 29, 2025
It’s easy to get swept away by the glamor of big brands like Apple, Sony, and Bose. After all, we see their commercials everywhere we go and they collectively manufacture some of the best earbuds on the market. However, those willing to stray off the beaten track may have already stumbled upon the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. These earbuds are some of our favorites at the office and come packed with a comprehensive list of high-end features. They also cost significantly less than the competition and champion an OS-agnostic design for Android and iOS users. Given their popularity among price-savvy consumers, it is little wonder fans are excited about the next-gen Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC.
To many peoples’ dismay, the company has not announced any details regarding its highly anticipated flagship earbuds. While we wait for confirmation, here are all the features I want to see in the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC.
A more robust IP rating
Gym enthusiasts and those prone to working up a sweat reap the greatest rewards from purchasing workout-friendly earbuds. These typically wear a robust IP rating to protect against water splashes and small solid particles. Some of the best in town like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 ($229.99 at Amazon) sport an IP68 build. This accommodates complete submersion in up to 3 meters of water for up to 30 minutes and is completely dust-tight. The case is also IP54-rated to protect against omnidirectional water splashes and dust.
Like many true wireless earbuds, Anker’s Liberty 4 NC wear an IPX4 water-resistant exterior. While this is fine for strolls in drizzly weather and gentle workouts at the gym, it does little to appease climbers and those in harsher climates. Unlike Jabra’s top-end workout buds, the Liberty 4 NC case does not enjoy an IP rating. Subsequently, fans must stow the charging case away from moisture and dust to prevent damage. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC would benefit from a more robust IP rating and an IP-protected charging case.
An improved design
Noise canceling technology requires a robust seal to work optimally. As such, the best noise canceling earbuds on the market ship with differently-sized ear tips to attain a secure fit. They also sit further inside the ear canal and, unlike open-ear buds, wear an occluding form factor. The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 ($279.99 at Amazon) are the best ANC earbuds we have tested and quell ambient noise by over 85%. This is largely thanks to their silicone-wrapped ovoid nozzles, anatomically pleasing earbud design, and powerful ANC system.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC have impressive noise canceling that dampens ambient noise by as much as 38dB. Unfortunately, the earbuds don’t sit far enough inside the ear canal to isolate against incidental high-pitched noises like passing chatter. The AirPods Pro-style design provides average comfort, but you wouldn’t want to wear these earbuds for more than two hours. The charging case is also chunky, making it difficult to store in trouser pockets. Anker should implement an improved design with the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC.
A flatter frequency response
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Our music tastes and listening habits often dictate the sound profile we most enjoy. For example, bass heads and EDM fans gain the most from headphones with plentiful bass and sub-bass reproduction. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a shining example, boosting low-end frequencies by a staggering 20dB. Counterwise, podcast enthusiasts and those who listen to music with wide dynamic ranges will likely prefer earbuds with a flat frequency response. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 follow our target curve closely and are revered for their superior sound quality.
Don’t get me wrong — the Liberty 4 NC have excellent default sound quality. Specifically, our testing revealed they enjoy an overall MDAQS score of 4.9, securing them as some of the best-sounding earbuds on the market. However, the over-emphasized low-end below 200Hz can make vocals sound comparatively quiet in the mix. Similarly, the 10dB boost around 5.8kHz can become grating when listening to tracks with lots of high-frequency content. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC should own a flatter frequency response that can be adjusted with sensible EQ presets (see below).
Less bassy EQ presets
Headphone companion apps come bundled with handy features. However, equalizers are by far the most important customization tool for tinkerers. These allow music fans to hone their sound or select from presets to complement their media on the fly. For example, the JBL Tour Pro 3 uses the JBL Headphones app and provides a 10-band custom EQ and several equalizer presets. These include Jazz, Vocal, Bass, and Studio, each owning a frequency curve tailored to their specific use case.
Anker’s Liberty 4 NC offers a whopping 22 EQ presets that can be accessed via the Soundcore app. These include Spoken Word, Flat, Bass Boost, and Treble Boost. Unfortunately, each one over-emphasizes bass and sub-bass frequencies. For example, the Spoken Word preset boosts sub-bass frequencies by over 8dB, while the Flat EQ boosts the lows by nearly 11dB. This seems like a missed opportunity and does little to appease listeners who prefer a less bass-heavy mix. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC will need less bassy EQ presets to appeal to a wider audience.
Better microphone quality
Whether for work or casual chats with friends, earbuds are increasingly important for taking calls on the move. Better still, they can block out distracting environmental noise so the receiver can hear you more clearly on the other end of the line. To achieve this, companies employ sophisticated microphone arrays and noise reduction algorithms. The Sony WF-1000XM5 ($298 at Amazon) are a prime example and use dual feedback mesh-covered microphones to deliver low-frequency noise monitoring and wind noise reduction.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC enjoy decent call quality, particularly for lower-pitched voices. They also reduce ambient street noise, wind, and general office chatter fairly well, although keystrokes may overwhelm your speech. Unfortunately, the earbuds are less well-suited for those with higher-pitched voices. In ideal conditions, the resolution doesn’t impress either and fails to stand tall against the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC will need better microphone quality and noise rejection algorithms to compete with the best earbuds for calls.
What would you like to see Anker bring to the Soundcore Liberty 5 NC?
Will there be an Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC?
Anker remains committed to its earbuds category. For example, the latest Liberty 4 Pro were released on October 3rd, 2024, and bring many flagship features. These include excellent sound quality, decent noise canceling, and a smart charging case. The last uses a small display to control earbud parameters like ANC and transparency modes, spatial audio, finding the earbuds, and taking a photo with your phone.
Unfortunately, Anker has provided no details of the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC. However, the company usually refreshes its earbuds every year. Based on Anker’s previous release schedule, the Liberty 5 NC will likely launch later this year.
- Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro — August 12, 2021
- Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 True Wireless — October 7, 2022
- Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — June 20, 2023
As shown above, the Liberty 3 Pro came to market on August 12, 2021. Their successor, the Liberty 4 True Wireless, launched one year and two months afterward on October 7, 2022. The upgraded Liberty 4 NC launched eight months later on June 20, 2023. By that metric, we should expect the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC to hit shelves in Spring 2025. However, with no official confirmation from Anker, we must wait for concrete details.
Should you wait for the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC?
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are some of the best budget wireless earbuds that money can buy. Fans can grab them from the company’s website or major retailers including Amazon and Best Buy. However, with the upgraded Liberty 5 NC potentially around the corner, it may be worth holding off a few months.
Price-conscious consumers wanting the best bang for their buck should purchase the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99 at Amazon.) While their design does not sit deep enough to form superior isolation, the earbuds enjoy decent noise canceling for the price. Sound quality is also excellent and many people will enjoy the over-emphasized bass response. Battery life lasts a staggering nine hours and 53 minutes with ANC enabled, and fast charging yields four hours of listening time from a 10-minute top-up. The case supports wireless charging with a Qi pad and supplies 50 hours of extra playtime. Fans can connect with Bluetooth 5.3 over the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs, and there’s a gaming mode to optimize against latency. The Soundcore app is comprehensive and delivers a Fit Test, 22 EQ presets, an 8-band custom EQ, Adaptive Noise Canceling, and many more flagship features.
Those who desire the best earbuds in Anker’s arsenal should nab the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro ($129.99 at Amazon.) An upgrade to the Liberty 4 NC, the earbuds quell low-frequency drones like airplane engines by approximately 30dB. The transparency mode is also excellent, and the maximum setting amplifies external noise louder than with the earbuds not inserted. Most people will enjoy how the Liberty 4 Pro sound, and they emphasize bass less than the Liberty 4 NC. The Soundcore app delivers the same handy features for the Liberty 4 Pro as for the Liberty 4 NC, albeit with poor-quality spatial audio. The main attraction of Anker’s newest buds is their smart charging case. This adorns a small display that controls many of the earbuds’ best features including ANC, spatial audio, and Find My. Battery life lasts nearly six hours with ANC switched on and the case yields 30 hours of additional charge.
Workout enthusiasts and loyal Android fans willing to search the market will likely enjoy the Jabra Elite 4 ($79 at Amazon.) These earbuds sport a robust IP55 water- and dust-resistant rating and support the aptX Bluetooth codec. The last is superior to SBC and profits 352kbps, 48kHz/16-bit LPCM audio sampling. The earbuds fit more securely than the Liberty 4 NC and ship with three ear tip sizes to achieve a robust fit. The sound quality is pleasing out of the box and closely follows our target preference curve. Unfortunately, the Elite 4’s noise canceling does just an average job of attenuating distracting frequencies below 800Hz. Battery life fairs better, with the earbuds awarding over five hours on a single charge. Similarly, a 10-minute top-up provides one hour of listening time. The Sound+ app handles the earbuds’ best features including a five-band custom EQ, Personalized ANC, and control customizations.
City dwellers and audio tinkerers looking for reliable noise canceling buds should consider the Anker Soundcore Space A40 ($79 at Amazon.) These buds excel at dampening low-frequency drones like car engines below 110Hz. They also enjoy decent sound quality with bass and treble under-emphasized compared to most of the competition. If this isn’t to your liking, the Soundcore app provides many pre-made sound profiles and an 8-band custom EQ. The buds are IPX4-rated to protect against sweaty workouts and come packaged with five ear tips to attain a comfortable fit. You can connect to the Space A40 with Bluetooth 5.2 over the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs. The buds also support Bluetooth Multipoint and provide nearly eight hours of listening time with ANC enabled. A 10-minute top-up yields four hours of juice, and the USB-C powered case profits four additional charge cycles.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 NC FAQs
Yes, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are some of the best wireless earbuds money can buy. In particular, their affordable price tag and comprehensive list of high-end features elevate them above much of the competition.
Your Soundcore earbuds may sound quiet for several reasons. Though it may seem obvious, check your device volume is turned up first. If so, check the device driver is clear of debris and that you have installed the correctly sized ear tips. If the problem persists, you can reset your Soundcore earbuds. To do so, place both earbuds in the charging case with the lid open. After, hold the power button for 10 seconds until the LED flashes 3 times. Wait until you see one light flash fast and the other slowly. On your device, navigate to Settings > Connected devices and switch on Bluetooth. Select Pair new device and tap your Soundcore earbuds from the list of Available devices.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC launched on June 20, 2023.
It takes 1.5 hours to charge the earbuds fully and 3 hours to fully charge the case from empty via the USB-C cable.