Soundcore dropped two new earbuds on Anker Day May 21.
The Liberty 5 Pro and the Liberty 5 Pro Max. Both are built around a new chip called THUS AI. It handles mic performance, voice commands, live translation, and even note-taking. The claim? Crisp calls in noisy rooms.
They launched immediately. I’ve lived with them for a few days. Here is the messy reality.
The Specs (and the price)
First up: the Liberty 5 Pro.
It costs $169.99.
The paper numbers are decent:
- Battery life is 6.5 hours with noise cancellation on (28 total with case) or 12 hours with it off (50 total)
- Active noise cancellation includes five manual levels plus adaptive mode
- Eight microphones and two bone conduction sensors
- Bluetooth 6.1 connection
- Connect to three devices at once
- IP55 water resistance
- Colors include blue, white, black, pink
First impressions: The mics are the star
Call quality is usually a joke on budget earbuds. Soundcore seems aware of this.
I FaceTimed a friend recently. Someone walked into the room behind me. They said hello loudly.
My friend didn’t hear it. Not even a whisper.
She heard me perfectly, though. Meanwhile, my housemates were arguing over the TV nearby. The person on the other end of my call had no idea there was chaos around me.
“Whisper clear” isn’t just marketing copy. The bone conduction sensors pick up jaw vibrations to isolate your voice.
It works.
Noise cancellation and comfort
I nearly flinched when a coworker walked up to me at 40% volume.
I hadn’t noticed her. She’d been standing there for 30 seconds. The adaptive noise cancellation is aggressive. For the price tag? That’s a strong showing.
The fit reminds me of the Bose QuietComfort series. Those earbuds set the bar for comfort. Soundcore matches that seal and stability so far. I wore them for two-hour blocks without ear fatigue. No slipping. Just silence.
The charging case is where it gets weird.
There is a tiny 0.96-inch touchscreen on it.
You can tweak EQ settings, switch noise cancellation profiles, and pair Bluetooth devices without opening the phone app. It’s actually useful. I just wonder how durable that glass screen is when tossed into a gym bag.
Liberty 5 Pro Max: Same ear, bigger screen
The Liberty 5 Pro Max hits at $229.99.
Inside? Mostly the same. Same battery stats, same Bluetooth 6.1, same eight-mic array, same IP55 rating. Same physical earbud shape too.
So what did you pay extra for?
- Colors: Titanium-gold and black instead of the four Pro colors.
- A significantly larger case.
- AI Note-taking features.
The AI feature is surprisingly good
The Pro Max case has a 1.78-inch AMOLED screen that takes up the entire lid. It does everything the small screen does plus it runs the AI note-taker.
It records meetings.
The companion app then generates transcripts. It identifies different speakers. It can even summarize the chat for you. You tap a button during recording to mark key moments which highlights in the transcript.
It feels like a productivity hack for journalists.
There’s a catch though. You might hit limits on transcription minutes. The “Pro version” implies a paywall or higher tier for unlimited use. And it begs the question: why not just use a voice memo app?
Because this organizes it automatically. But is it worth $60 more over the standard Pro? That is an open question.
A minor glitch
I found one issue with the Max buds.
The left earbud clicked softly. Barely noticeable during music. Loud enough to hear when sitting in silence.
It feels like a software glitch. I am waiting on a firmware update.
Where to buy
If you want either pair, you can order them today.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro is available at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and the Soundcore site for $169.
