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At the end of last year, Anker released an updated flagship TWS headset, the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro. Now, I finally have the opportunity to test this model. Is it a bit late? Maybe. But these earbuds caught my attention back then and remain just as intriguing now. Plus, with sales still going strong, I believe another review won’t hurt. So, let’s dive in.
Features and specifications of Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro
Let’s start with the specs, key features, and standout aspects of this headset. There are quite a few interesting details worth noting.
- Headphone type: in-ear, closed acoustic design
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Profiles: A2DP 1.3.2, AVRCP 1.6.2, GAVDP 1.3, HFP 1.7.2
- Codec support: SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Built-in digital crossover
- Certification: Hi-Res Audio Wireless
- Drivers: 2 pcs per earphone – dynamic coxial: 10.5 mm main and 4.6 mm tweeter with titanium coating
- Frequency: 14-40 kHz
- Impedance: 15Ω
- Sensitivity: 126.7 dB
- Microphones: 3 pcs. for each earbud, noise canceling during conversations
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): yes, uses 6 microphones + barometric pressure sensor, real-time intelligent noise cancellation with parameter updates every 0.3 seconds, 10 levels, sound transparency mode
- Port for charging: USB Type-C
- Wireless charging: yes (Qi standard)
- Headphone autonomy at 50% volume: from 10 hours
- Full autonomy: 40 hours
- Fast charging: 5 minutes for 4 hours of music playback
- Water protection: IPX5
- Additional features: dual parallel connection, touch control, proximity sensor and auto-pause, built-in display, touch panel on the case, mobile app for headphone setup and firmware updates
Positioning and price
Without a doubt, the specifications make it clear that the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro is a flagship pair of earbuds, focusing on audio quality and voice communication. On the brand’s official international website, they are priced at $130. However, during major sales on AliExpress, some color variants can be found for as low as $92. For those looking to get a high-end TWS headset at a reduced price, this might be a good opportunity to consider.
What’s in the package?
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro headphones come in a solid box in a box format with a hinged lid held in place by a magnetic lock.
Inside the box, there’s a multi-layered packaging design that includes a quick start guide, the earbuds in their charging case, a user manual, a charging cable, and five additional sets of silicone ear tips—on top of the ones already installed. The package is fairly standard, though the inclusion of two extra pairs of ear tips is a nice touch.
Read also: Anker Soundcore P40i TWS Headphones Review
Design, materials, build quality
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro case comes in two main variations. The first version features a semi-transparent lid, allowing users to see the internal display, while the second has an opaque matte lid for a more understated look.
For testing, I have the second variant with an opaque matte lid in two colors—black and blue. These are the versions officially available in Ukraine, along with a matte white option. There is also supposedly a green version with the same matte opaque lid, but I haven’t come across it for sale anywhere.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro case features a unique design—a flattened box with a sliding lid. The earbuds are positioned inside in a horizontal layout. As a result, the overall size of the case is not particularly compact.
The case is entirely made of plastic with a matte exterior finish. Inside, it features a glossy surface and a built-in LED display that activates only when the lid is fully opened. Despite some misleading renders showing the display active with the lid partially open, this cannot be replicated in real use.
On the front, there is a touch-sensitive panel that responds to gestures, but it is limited to controlling the ambient sound settings—from transparency mode through normal operation to full noise cancellation—offering a total of 10 adjustment levels.
On the back, there’s a USB-C port and a white LED indicator. The LED blinks while charging and turns off when the case is fully charged.
The bottom of the case is flat, and underneath it is a module for wireless charging the earbuds.
As for the impressions, the black case looks quite simple, to be honest. The blue case is also matte, but with a metallic coating, which makes it appear more solid and premium. However, the lighter color visually enlarges the already large dimensions of the case. Honestly, for me, the case is overall the main and probably the only downside of the earbuds. It feels a bit clunky and outdated in design, in my opinion. While the construction does have some advantages and is quite convenient, more on that in the next section.
Let’s move on to the earbuds themselves. They feature a classic design with a stem. The outer part of the stem is metallic, while the rest of the earbud is glossy. The sound guide nozzle ends with a perforated metal mesh. On the front edge of the stem, there is a touch panel that recognizes taps and gestures for controlling the earbuds’ functions.
Overall, the build quality of the product is high, with no significant complaints. However, due to the design characteristics, the lid has a noticeable play, both when open and closed.
Read also: OPPO Enco Air3 Pro Review: Mid-budget TWS Earbuds with Premium Sound
Comfort of use
Overall, despite its relatively large size, the case is convenient to carry even in the pockets of tight-fitting pants, as it is quite flat and doesn’t stick out too much. It is also easy to take the earbuds in and out of the case, as there is a convenient area to grab.
However, in the dark, it’s not immediately obvious which way the case is oriented when you pick it up. You have to rotate it a bit to feel the USB port and the touch panel, in order to figure out which direction to slide the lid.
In theory, it is possible to use the headphones with one hand, but it’s not easy and requires practice to perfect the movements. Therefore, it’s still better to take the headphones in and out of the case with two hands. Additionally, you need to be careful not to accidentally touch the touch panel on the case, as this could disrupt the ambient sound settings.
When it comes to using the earbuds, I personally find them very comfortable. They stay securely in my ears and don’t fall out, though it’s important to choose the right size of ear tips. There are no painful sensations either, as the earbud size is relatively small and the shape is ergonomically designed, so they don’t put pressure on the outer ear. Overall, I can comfortably wear them for most of the day. However, this is a very individual matter, and my ears are “trained” from constant testing. So, I can’t guarantee the same experience for everyone and, as always, recommend trying any earbuds in-store before purchasing or basing your decision on personal experience.
Headphone control
I’ll remind you again that the touch panel on the case only works when the lid is fully open. By default, it controls the ANC function. In general, it’s quite convenient – you put the earbuds in your ears and can immediately adjust the transparency or noise cancellation level based on your environment and usage scenario. The mobile app also allows you to enable some additional features for the touch panel.
As for the touch controls on the earbuds, it’s all fairly standard – single, double, and triple taps, holds, and swipe gestures up and down. The touch pad is on the side, like the AirPods Pro or Huawei FreeBuds Pro. It seems to be convenient and reliable, with accidental actions being almost impossible. You can also customize the sensor actions through the mobile app, so let’s take a look at the earbud software.
Read also: SOUNDPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ TWS Earbuds Review: Hi-Res for $90
Soundcore mobile app
The proprietary app is available for both Android and iOS, and it’s well-made and highly functional.
On the main screen of the mobile app, you can adjust the key features of the earbuds: set the level of the Ambient Sound effect, activate the “airplane mode,” which uses data from the barometric pressure sensor for noise cancellation, and enable wind noise reduction if you frequently use the earbuds outdoors.
The app settings include the following noteworthy features:
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Easy Chat: The music volume automatically decreases when you speak, while the volume of your conversation partner’s voice is amplified. This allows you to talk without pausing the music playback.
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Wearing Detection: Proximity sensor functions that automatically pause playback when you remove an earbud and resume it when you put the earbud back in.
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Adaptive Sound Leakage Compensation: Compensates for sound loss caused by leakage, increasing the volume or adjusting frequencies in real-time based on changing external conditions and the loss of ear tip seal.
- Safe Volume: Limits the maximum music volume to a certain level.
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Prompt Tone: Enables or disables service tones when switching modes or when the battery charge is critically low.
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Sound Mode: Allows you to choose the LDAC codec mode for prioritizing either sound quality or connection reliability.
- Dual Connections: Enables simultaneous connection to multiple devices.
- Fit Test: Tests the seal of the ear tips for proper fit.
- Charging Case Setting: Activates additional touch panel features on the case, such as Spatial Audio, atmospheric pressure compensation for ANC, earbud search, and remote camera control through the case.
- Auto Power Off: A timer to automatically turn off the earbuds if they are inactive for a certain period.
- Find Device: Helps locate the earbuds or case. The case includes a built-in sound element that emits a loud beep, which also triggers the earbuds to beep periodically, increasing the chances of finding a lost item, especially in quiet environments.
- Update Firmware: Allows updating the firmware for both the earbuds and the case.
You can learn more about all the features of the Soundcore mobile app by checking out the screenshot gallery below:
The second tab is dedicated to sound. It’s pretty standard: you can activate spatial audio (only with the AAC codec), choose from several pre-set equalizer options, create a custom one, or take a hearing test to generate a personalized sound profile. Personally, I prefer the last option the most for sound customization.
The third tab allows you to customize the earbud controls and modify the actions for taps or gestures on the touch panels.
Read also: TOZO Golden X1 review: cool hybrid TWS earbuds for music lovers
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro sound
When it comes to testing sound quality, there are a few nuances to consider. The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro perform excellently with the improved AAC codec or even the standard SBC codec. However, to fully unlock the potential of these earbuds, you’ll need to use the LDAC codec, and consequently, have music content in an uncompressed format for playback. For instance, if you have an iPhone, I don’t see a real reason to purchase the Liberty 4 Pro, although they will still work fine.
Also, if you’re satisfied with the quality of YouTube Music, I’m not sure it’s worth enabling LDAC, as the difference from AAC might be there, but it’s likely minimal—on the level of an error margin. You can try it, but I think it will mostly affect the battery life of the earbuds. By the way, LDAC was initially unavailable out of the box, but it became available after a firmware update via the mobile app.
If you really want the best sound quality but don’t want to build a local collection of high-quality music in large files or give up the benefits of streaming services, there is a solution. You can use services that stream in lossless quality, such as Deezer or Tidal. I prefer the latter because I like the interface, library content, and the personalized recommendations it offers. The client app needs to be installed and updated via a file (or through APKPure) because it’s not available on Google Play. You can pay for the subscription through PayPal, and once your card is linked, payments will be automatically deducted regularly without any issues.
If you manage to overcome all the challenges mentioned above, you’ll be able to enjoy the truly high-quality sound of the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro (or other wireless earbuds with LDAC support). In reality, these earbuds offer a very balanced and natural sound. I have a dozen different in-ear models on my desk (since this is my favorite format) and a lot of experience with various models across different price ranges, so I have plenty to compare them to. The Liberty 4 Pro fall short only compared to my favorite 6-driver monitor earbuds, the Kiwi Ears Quintet. In terms of sound signature, they can be compared to models from Noble Audio, which are more than twice as expensive.
The Soundcore earbuds deliver truly flagship-level sound with an impressive level of detail for TWS. What surprised me was that the high-frequency driver is dynamic, not armature, although it has a titanium coating. Despite this, the high frequencies are very clear and detailed. The bass and sub-bass are also well-handled. Overall, even the most complex musical compositions (I listen to heavy rock in various forms) don’t get muddled, with instruments clearly separated and vocal parts standing out well against the background music.
It’s worth noting the wide range of sound adjustments available, both in terms of frequency and volume. To enhance the spatial sound, I use Dolby Atmos on my smartphone (Galaxy S23 Ultra) and have enabled support in Tidal’s settings. Keep in mind that the active noise cancellation function adds more low-end frequencies to the sound, so it’s best to adjust the sound settings in the mode you’ll use the earbuds in most often. Also, it’s worth paying attention to the hearing test feature. Personally, I find the sound ideal when using the personalized profile. However, you can also try the pre-made presets in the app or manually adjust the equalizer settings.
Read also: Review of SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro: Lightweight and Stylish Open-Ear Clip-On Earbuds
Microphones and headset function
The six-microphone system in the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro works excellently. The microphones are used both for voice communication and to enable the Ambient Sound function, which provides sound transparency and active noise cancellation. At the minimum level, the microphones amplify background sounds, allowing the headphones to essentially function as a hearing aid, with the ability to adjust the strength of the effect.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test how the barometric pressure sensor works because it requires being on a passenger plane, which is not possible at the moment. Hopefully, the use of this sensor does indeed provide the effect the manufacturer claims, and I have no reason to doubt the engineers at Anker.
Voice transmission is of high quality, even in noisy environments. For example, I tested them while standing inside a shopping mall, and my conversation partner mentioned that they couldn’t hear any background noise at all (even though there were, in fact, ambient sounds). The voice was clear and crisp. In general, this is quite typical for the current flagship TWS market. None of my contacts have ever complained about voice transmission quality during phone calls or voice chats, meaning the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro is equipped with high-quality microphones and features advanced noise cancellation during calls.
Read also: Noble Audio FoKus Mystique TWS Earbuds Review: Half a Kingdom for Quality Sound
Connections and delays
The connection quality of the earbuds is excellent within the standard range of 10-15 meters. Even more so, the sound transmission doesn’t cut out when passing through several concrete walls in an urban apartment. Outside or in public places, where there are many radio frequency interferences, I also never noticed any connection issues. Overall, the lack of connection problems is now a typical feature in wireless equipment that supports Bluetooth 5 and higher.
The earbuds don’t have a separate low-latency mode, but when watching videos on YouTube, everything is clear – no noticeable delays. There are also no issues in games. It seems that the low-latency function is enabled by default on the Liberty 4 Pro and doesn’t require additional settings.
Also worth noting is the dual connection mode. For example, you can simultaneously connect the earbuds to both a smartphone and a laptop, and it will automatically switch between the two sources for audio playback or communication via the microphones.
Importantly, the connection on the smartphone remains via the high-quality LDAC codec. I emphasize this because many competing headphones switch to the standard SBC codec when in dual connection mode.
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro battery life
The continuous battery life of the headphones varies significantly depending on the usage mode. Maximum battery life is achieved when using the standard SBC codec, with slightly less runtime when using AAC. In high-quality sound mode with LDAC, the headphones will deplete the battery more quickly. Activating the transparency mode or ANC will also reduce battery life.
Good news: even in the maximum power consumption mode (LDAC with sound quality priority and ANC at full strength), the overall battery life of the headphones is quite decent—around 6 hours. In real-world usage, you can avoid using maximum noise cancellation (for example, indoors), switch to a balanced LDAC mode, and achieve up to 8 hours of use. Switching off the lossless codec boosts the battery life of the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro to 10 hours or more, which is impressive for a compact TWS headset.
It’s also worth mentioning the very fast charging of the headphones. Just 5 minutes of charging in the case adds about 30% of battery life, which is enough for 3-4 hours of music playback. Of course, the wireless charging capability of the case is convenient, stylish, and modern. The included case provides 3 full charges for the headphones, so the maximum total battery life of the set is around 40 hours.
Read also: Kiwi Ears Quintet Headphones Review: Symphony of Balanced Sound
Conclusions
Overall, I was very impressed with the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro headphones. Especially considering their price, which, even at the standard rate without discounts, is slightly lower than similar TWS models from more well-known brands like Sony, JBL, or Huawei, while offering comparable functionality. These headphones are almost ideal for everyday use in terms of sound quality, battery life, and voice communication. The user experience is very comfortable.
Overall, my main complaints are mostly about the case, which feels a bit too large by today’s standards and somewhat awkward in design. However, these shortcomings are balanced out by the added functionality (display, touch panel, fast charging, wireless charging), so they don’t significantly affect real-world use. For example, I got used to them over time, and by the end of the review, they no longer seemed as problematic as they did at the start.
Advantages
- Sound quality on par with entry-level audiophile headphones
- Excellent microphone system: high quality voice transmission, sound transparency and noise reduction
- Display and touch panel on the case allow you to quickly adjust the level of noise canceling effect
- Touch control system of the headphones – clear, understandable, predictable
- Comfortable use of the headphones
- High quality connection, dual connection
- High autonomy, fast charging, wireless charging
Drawbacks
- Quite a large case
- The design and finish of the case does not reach the flagship level in my subjective opinion
- It is difficult to understand which way to open the lid by touch
- There are random gestures on the touch panel of the case and there is an undesirable change in the level of the Ambient Sound effect
Can I recommend the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro for purchase? Definitely yes! Especially if you manage to get them at a discounted price during a sale. Overall, it’s a very high-quality and functional product that’s a pleasure to use every day.
Where to buy
