Verdict
An low-cost true radio with an impressive list of feature film that are similar to what you ’d get from flagship rightful wireless models , the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is a sea dog of most trades . With strong stochasticity - cancellation , clear sound recording , and plenty of customisation options , it ’s among 2023 ’s most impressive budget on-key wireless earbuds .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
If you need noise - cancel earbuds for an affordable sum , then these daylight you could get just that . True tuner such as the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are bringing noise - cancelling down to very affordable prices .
According to Soundcore , the stain behind the Liberty 4 NC , these are its best racket - cancel lawful wireless with living for Adaptive ANC that claims to reduce randomness by up to 98.5 % .
It ’s time to put these title to the trial . Are the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC up there with the best low-cost ANC earphones ? Here are my mentation .
Design
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC take on on an immediately recognisable look with its stem design . The earbuds nestle in the pinna , with a range of ear - baksheesh from extra small to large to aid a comfortable fit and tight seal against remote sounds .
I did find the fit a bit loose – the Liberty 4 NC have a wont of pushing out when crowd in – so the seal was n’t as tight and secure as I ’d like it to be . The upside is that they are prosperous to wear , whether over inadequate or long point of prison term .
In appearing they ’re like - for - like with the Liberty 4 . Though they ’re more overtly plastic in flesh caliber , they ’re a step - up from the usual cheap straight wireless with their glossy look and anodized finish on the stem turn . touch sensation command are place on the stem .
The control are atypical of most true wireless cognitive operation : a spurring for playback , two tap to skip forwards / take calls ( vamoose back on the left field ) , and a hold to flit through the interference - cancelling modes . There ’s no default volume control , but the triple press control is overturn so volume ( or native voice assistance ) can fill that gap via customisation in the Soundcore app .
The charging case open up like a clamshell with a LED indicator below to show how much battery is left ( a farseeing landing strip means lots of battery , a myopic strip show means less ) . The size of it of the case is not as compact as , say , theJBL Live Pro 2 , nor is it too big – it ’ll slip easily into a pocket .
Available in black , white , navy blue , light blueing , and pink , the Liberty 4 NC ’s packaging uses 100 % FSC - license reclaimable material , so it can be disposed of in the local recycling . Rated atIPX4 , the Anker can pull through light splash of water / rain as well as sweat , so they ’re a duet to consider for workouts too .
Features
Anker claims 10 hours per charge and 50 hr with the pillow slip , though that ’s not the whole picture . The newspaper headline digit consult to listening without ANC . With ANC it falls to 8 hour ( 40 overall ) , and withLDACand ANC Anker says it ’s 5 60 minutes ( 25 in aggregate ) . From the tests I hold out , the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC falls short .
take heed to a Spotify stream at 50 % volume for an 60 minutes saw the Anker Liberty 4 NC fall to 80 % . That show 5 hours with ANC on . In LDAC mode it was between 60 – 70 % , which is about 3 - 4 hour before another charge is needed .
The Liberty 4 NC can be charged throughUSB - Cor wirelessly charged if you have a Qi pad .
There’sBluetooth 5.3support , and with that comes SBC , AAC , and LDAC cyclosis codecs . The latter produce a fat pipe for data to flow through to enjoy higher timbre music . The ‘ 3X ’ better detail newspaper headline on the Anker website is market exaggeration . The Bluetooth codec , as well as number one wood and the tuning of the sound , is one of a few factors that ’ll settle sound quality .
Bluetooth multipoint mean the Anker can be paired to two devices at once , though this option is n’t usable when the headphone is in LDAC mode . It takes about 10 or more seconds to trade to LDAC mode as the Anker must reboot .
The wireless functioning of the Anker is satisfying . It hang on at a busy Waterloo post , the connection phasing in and out but never fully severed . At Victoria post no take were observed , with only a couple intermittent stutter in place such as cardinal London , Bankside , and London Bridge .
With itsnoise - cancellation , I do n’t cogitate it ’s as effective as theEarFun Air Pro 3 . The EarFun come along stronger at deal with dealings , as it whittle down engine disturbance more efficiently , but the gap is n’t large .
When deal with voices on a train they ’re on a similar basis , and on the Northern Line tube the Anker did a good job of suppressing the randomness of the carriage , though again the EarFun is a touch more convincing . I think this is to do with the EarFun ’s tighter primed . There are area the Anker equalise the EarFun , but none in which it beats it hands down .
Elsewhere , the transparency place in a clear execution with a natural selection of different modality to adjudicate out in full Transparent and Vocal Mode . The latter locks onto people ’s voices a touching better if you want to have a conversation , though again , the EarFun ’s transparency performance is more loose and decipherable .
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC boasts a very effective Wind Noise Reduction way and there ’s also plenty of ANC customisation whether through manual mean , to adaptative noise - cancelling with an Environment Detection mode that mutes audio for two second while adjust to extraneous sounds . When I used it , it did n’t do anything , so perhaps allow it away .
Within the comprehensive app , more customisation is available with a personalised function ( HearID ) , nonpayment EQ ( Soundcore Signature ) , Custom EQ ( where you make your own ) and 3D Surround Sound that opens up and widens the soundstage . I find this one trim the impingement of bass and makes music thinner .
There ’s a Fit Test to measure out the phone ’ seal : a ‘ Sound Leak Compensation ’ musical mode to optimise audio quality , a article of clothing sensor ( which can be invalid ) , gambling manner , ‘ Find twist ’ setting , a Safe Volume social occasion that tracks the headphones current volume in decibels , barrage indicator , and firmware update .
The app itself is simple and clear to track , as well as antiphonal . The vesture sensor feature article works , though I ’ve noticed it does n’t resume as often after it pauses .
telephone call lineament has been muddled . Clarity can be muffled , the other person struggled to hear me in noisy property but when it is quiet , the Liberty 4 NC works fine . The quality here is fair for a true radio , though as the review was publish , there was an update to improve call functioning . I ’ll try it out again and will retool the followup if my ruling change .
Sound Quality
While the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC fall forgetful of the besting the EarFun ’s interference - cancelling , it butt against its challenger for audio . They educe more clarity from the midrange , with vocal music that sound a tactual sensation more refined and detail on the Anker .
The level of clarity afford to the midrange let out more of Annete Askvik ’s vocals in Liberty , whereas the EarFun offers a mantle warmth and smoothness that obfuscates some of that detail . The atmospheric creaking and cracks that litter the song does n’t sound as distinct or clear on the EarFun . The difference is n’t a chasm , but in terms of midrange clearness the Liberty 4 NC pull out forward .
They also prove to be more expressive - sounding of the two , entrance more of the low - degree dynamism of the saxophone in the Liberty racecourse for a more natural functioning . The gamy frequencies also file with more brightness and clarity .
In the midrange and double , the Anker retrieves more detail and define instrument and voices with more precision , making the Air Pro 3 a slight dusty and dull by comparison .
And the Anker go for its balanced spirit to all caterpillar tread I heed to , whether it ’s Dr Dre / Snoop Dogg ’s The Next Episode , War ’s Low Rider , or a popular track like Girls Aloud ’s The Promise . There ’s an even - handed feel to the Liberty 4 NC ’s functioning that ensures the intact frequency range is put up with clearness and detail , each part of the frequency ambit feels separate from one another , whereas with the EarFun basso can end up occupying the attention .
The low frequencies never hog proceedings . A listen to DMX ’s X Gon ’ Give It To Ya reflects that balance , the bass described in elaborated and wide-ranging terms from the small-scale drumbeats to the big , boomier beats that adopt . There ’s good weight and comely depth put up , though this is an area where the EarFun boasts more muscle .
Switch to LDAC mood and the benefits are n’t massive . There ’s perhaps a little more bass weight , but the midrange and high frequencies remain similar . disregarding of whether you ’re take heed in AAC , LDAC or SBC Bluetooth , the soundstage is roomily portray , and while the Liberty 4 NC ’s display is not the most dynamic , it ’s solid enough in capture the crescendos and capitulation of music .
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Should you buy it?
There ’s quantity and quality with the feature set the Liberty 4 NC pass , and at £ 79.99 it ’s approach steal status .
Though theEarFun Air Pro 3doesn’t sound as good as the Anker , they do swash better noise - cancelling for a flimsy increase in terms .
Final Thoughts
There ’s a growing number of affordable ANC unfeigned wireless to select from , and the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC makes its marking as one of the more telling alternative .
Though the disturbance - cancelling is n’t as right as theEarFun Air Pro 3 , I ’d say it adjoin that pair with its clearer , more detailed audio carrying into action . After all , the audio is the main ground to buy headphones .
It is stacked with feature film and customisation options that I ’d expect from a flagship couple , like theSony WF-1000XM5 . A damaging is that battery life is n’t as good as stated . Nevertheless , this is an impressive , budget dependable wireless option from Anker . Check out ourBest Wireless Earbudsguide for more choice .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every solidifying of headphones we retrospect thoroughly over an extended time period of time . We use industriousness standard tests to liken feature properly . We ’ll always recite you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to go over a merchandise .
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FAQs
Anker lay claim the Liberty 4 NC boasts its best noise - cancelling execution , as well as claiming longer battery life story and a more low-priced price than the Liberty 4 framework .
