Today we are reviewing Soundcore’s Liberty 4 in-ear earbuds by Anker. We were so excited to receive this package and try out these new buds. We’ve been using these buds for about two weeks, and here are some things we’ve noticed:
Presentation [4/5]- One of the reasons we were so excited to receive this package was the presentation! The box has a very sleek design with a magnetic close. Once you open the box, there is a clean layout of the key features including Heart Rate Tracking, Wellness, and Workout, but also three different sizes of ear tip attachments, in addition to the one already on the buds. The box also had a slideout drawer for the instruction manual and the charging cord. Overall, it was very aesthetically pleasing.
Design [4/5]- Being used to Apple AirPods and Google Pixel Buds, the design of the Liberty 4 earbuds was fascinating. The buds are kept in a small square case that slides up, revealing a lit-up backdrop containing two black buds. A bar also lights up at the bottom of the case to tell you the charge levels. The charging port is placed on the outside top of the case to charge the case itself, and the buds charge while sitting inside like most other wireless earbuds. When you take the buds out, you can see they easily find their way back home with extremely sensitive magnetic docking stations for each bud. That was one thing that we noticed was quite nice. Using other buds, it’s possible to sometimes mix up the right side for each bud, even when they are magnetic. But this case is even stronger.
Comfortability [5/5]- Comfortability is undoubtedly where the buds ranked higher on our list. The buds sit in your ear, just as any bud does, but it comes with a total of four interchangeable ear tip attachments. You can be the Goldilocks of wireless earbuds and find the fit that is ‘juuuust right!’
Convenience [1/5]- In terms of convenience, this is where the Liberty 4’s fell short. We used these buds for about a week straight in the gym. The buds are designed explicitly with a heart rate sensor, and marketed towards wellness, so a gym setting we thought would be perfect for these. That was until we found a song on a playlist we needed to skip. The instructions mention tap controls to pause, play, fast forward, etc. Unfortunately, we could never get those controls to work. At all.
Audio Quality [2/5]- For audio quality, we expected average quality. And for the most part, that is what we got. The buds promise Spatial Audio and HearID Sound 2.0 for personalized listening, but we have yet to pick up on any of that. We did experience some static in our buds while we were on calls. It did not say anything about any noise-canceling features, but it did feel like, at some points, the sounds around us were muted and, at times, normal volume.
Connectivity [5/5]- For connectivity, we have to give it a full 5/5! Using Google Pixel Buds, we’ve constantly had connectivity issues, but the Liberty 4’s soared above the rest. As soon as we tried to pair the buds to our phone, they connected via Bluetooth instantly.
Price- The Liberty 4’s are currently available on Soundcore’s website for $149. This is right in the middle of other buds pricing, with Google’s Pixel Buds A-Series at $99 and Apple’s 3rd Generation Air Pods at $169+.
Long Story Short- Overall, the buds were good, but not great. For the $149 price tag, you are getting buds that work, with great design but lacking in convenience.