If you like listening to music and spend any amount of time commuting via bus, MRT, or jeepney, then you know that “noise cancelling” is one of those features that feels like a necessity. There are plenty of buds out there that claim to have this feature, but not all of them will perform at the level you prefer, especially the budget ones. The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro is an exception, though. It provides effective and adaptive active noise cancellation and extra useful features without breaking the bank.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro doesn’t feel like a toy. It’s a mix of matte and glossy finishes with a metallic paint job that actually feels premium in the hand. It comes in four colors: Black, White, Blue, and Pink. The slide-out cover is a satisfying touch, but the real conversation starter is the built-in screen, as it is not something you’ll see on most TWS earbuds, including the more expensive ones.
I’d go ahead and say that this isn’t just a gimmick. The screen doesn’t just give you information about your battery level; it allows you to tweak your audio settings and access features without having to dig through your bag for your phone to open the app. I think it’s a genuine quality-of-life upgrade.
Once you actually get them in your ears, the “Anker Thus AI” chip and 8-mic system really get to work. The Adaptive ANC 4.0 doesn’t create a total vacuum of silence, but you’ll easily notice the huge difference as it effectively turns vehicle noise, city noise, and loud conversations into a distant hum. The Easy Chat feature is very handy; it can detect if you’re engaged in a conversation and will automatically lower the playback volume and enhance human voices, so you don’t have to pause the music or remove your earbuds.
As for the sound, these lean more toward the bass. If you like your music to have that “thump” in your chest during a gym session, you’re going to love these. The highs can be a bit sibilant, but you can adjust the listening experience inside the app via the Soundcore HearID feature. From here, you can also activate Dolby Atmos or AI Sound Enhancement, which improves low-quality audio or compressed tracks. You can also create your own sound effects tailored to your preference and run a Fit Test to make sure you’re using the right eartip size.
Speaking of eartips, they are good quality and comfortable, with just the right amount of firmness to make sure they don’t fall off. The earbuds have IP55 dust and water resistance, so there are no worries if you have to take them for a run on a rainy day. The connection is also strong thanks to Bluetooth 6.1 with support for multi-device connection. Battery life is also great, offering 6.5 hours with ANC on. For comparison, most buds can only do 4 hours. With the charging case, you’ll get a total of 28 hours of noise-cancelled sound.
At the end of the day, the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro is for the person who wants 90% of the experience of a more expensive pair of earbuds but only wants to pay a fraction of the cost. It’s built for your daily grind, as it is durable enough for noisy (and sweaty) commutes and smart enough to handle the chaos of the city. At under PHP 10K, I think it’s at the sweet spot between affordability, quality, and features.
