Soundcore Liberty 5 in-ear headphones in the test: Finally really good ANC for €75

With Hi-Res sound, Dolby 3D audio, longer battery life and ANC in the third generation, the Soundcore Liberty 5 is intended to replace its successful predecessor.

As a reminder: The previous model, Soundcore Liberty 4 (test report), impressed us with a strong overall package at a fair price and still stands out from the crowd in the mid-range with features such as spatial audio and heart rate measurement. The only complaints were the weak battery life and the mediocre ANC. In the test, we’ll take a look at whether the Soundcore Liberty 5 can improve this and what special features are on board.

Visually, little has changed with the Liberty 5. They once again have the classic in-ear look with a tapered pin that is used for click control. The design language appears slightly futuristic with lots of curves, shiny plastic and few details. The Soundcore lettering on the outside of the pen has been removed, the brand logo remains. The compact charging case again keeps the colors true to the in-ears, but with a matt finish. You can choose from black, white, blue and pink.

The first clear improvement can be seen in terms of wearing comfort: this was already good in the predecessor. Soundcore now includes six instead of four attachments in different sizes and reduces the weight of the earbuds from 6 to 5 grams. This means that the in-ears are even lighter and firmer in the ears – even intensive sports are possible. There is also dust and water protection according to IP55. So outdoor sports in heavy rain are not a problem.

Thanks to Google Fast Pair, the Soundcore Liberty 5 can be easily connected to Android smartphones. Alternatively, manual coupling also works. The click control on the earbuds is pleasantly simple and is intuitive after a short period of getting used to it. If you like, you can adjust the operation using the companion app. This is well structured and offers access to all features. The only drawback: with the predecessor, the Soundcore account was optional to unlock features such as heart rate measurement – now it is mandatory.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 rely on Bluetooth 5.4 including Multipoint for connecting to two devices at the same time. Codecs available include SBC, AAC and LDAC, a Hi-Res version for compatible Android devices. Practical: With the predecessor you still had to decide between Multipoint and LDAC, now both work in parallel.

There is also wearing detection, HearID sound test, gaming mode for lower latency and a fit test. Dolby 3D audio now replaces spatial audio. The sound image can be easily customized using the 8-band equalizer. However, we find the 22 sound presets to be too much of a good thing, especially since there are hardly any differences. Less would have been more here.

Ideally, according to the manufacturer, the Soundcore Liberty 5 last up to 12 hours without ANC – three hours more than its predecessor. With the charging case you can get up to 48 hours at medium volume. With ANC, the running times are reduced to 8 or 32 hours. These values ​​correspond to our testing experience. If you listen loudly and activate Dolby 3D audio and the Hi-Res codec, you have to expect a significantly shorter runtime: In ANC mode, it stops after around five and a half hours. Nevertheless, the previously criticized running time has clearly improved.

If the battery is empty, it can be fully charged in around two hours using the included USB-C cable. Thanks to fast charging, 10 minutes is enough for around 5 hours of playtime without ANC. Wireless charging is also supported, but takes significantly longer.

In the supreme discipline of sound, the Liberty 5 perform similarly to its predecessor: in the standard settings, the 9.2 mm drivers with a wool paper membrane don’t quite suit our taste. The highs are a bit too present and the bass is too reserved. This can be easily adjusted using the 22 sound presets or – better yet – the 8-band equalizer. LDAC codec and Dolby 3D audio are also fun.

Little has changed in terms of voice quality. Soundcore continues to use six microphones and offers AI noise cancellation during phone calls. A mode to reduce wind noise is also on board. Overall, calls are good and understandable. But for longer conversations, we prefer to use our smartphone straight away.

Pleasing: Something has changed in the ANC performance. Soundcore now offers its third generation of adaptive noise cancellation. The result: While the predecessor clearly struggled with high-pitched sounds such as clinking dishes or voices, these now move noticeably into the distance. Other high-end models work more effectively, but often cost twice as much or more. At a price under 100 euros there is nothing to complain about.

We like the further development of the transparency mode just as much: the strong background noise and the unpleasantly humming voice are largely a thing of the past. Ambient noises are passed through in a natural way, and your own voice is only slightly muffled in your ears when you speak.

With an RRP of 99.99 euros, the Soundcore Liberty 5 are in the mid-range segment of ANC headphones. At the time of testing, all four color variants (black, white, blue, pink) are available from 74 euros (Amazon).

Soundcore does a good job with the Liberty 5 and offers enough improvements compared to its predecessor. Spatial audio and heart rate measurement are no longer available. There is Dolby 3D audio and clear advances in battery life and ANC performance – a decent upgrade that makes a change justifiable.

But the Liberty 5 are also a clear recommendation in other ways. Such a strong overall package for around 75 euros is something special. All that’s missing for an absolutely perfect throw is the sound fine-tuning. Hopefully Soundcore will surprise us with the successor.