Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 TWS headphones review: are they really better than the competition?

At the beginning of 2025, we reviewed TWS headphones Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro. Since then, the famous audio brand has already released another mid-range in-ear model called Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. The headphones have an active noise canceling function, Dolby Audio spatial sound, and a few other nice features. But one of the main bonuses, in my opinion, was the function of customizing the sound to the preferences of each user. We have already tested them for several weeks, and in the review below, as always, we will share our impressions, pleasant moments, shortcomings, and other nuances.

Technical specifications of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

Headphone type	In-channel
Connection type	Wireless, True Wireless
Emitters	9.2 mm, dynamic
Frequency range	20-40000 Hz
Resistance	17 ohms
Bluetooth version	Bluetooth 5.4
Support for codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC
Management	Pressure sensors
Multipoint support	Є
Volume control	Є
Microphones	Yes, 6 pieces
Noise reduction	YES, ANC
Protection against moisture	YES, IP55
Charging	USB Type-C, wireless charging, fast charging
Earbud battery	60 mAh
Case battery	580 mAh
Autonomy	Up to 12 hours, up to 48 hours with a case
Compatibility	Android, iOS, PC
Headphone weight	4.6 grams
Case weight	48 grams

Packaging and equipment

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 come in a small white box with a picture of the headphones themselves.

Inside we find the following set: headphones and charging case, documentation, USB-C cable, a set of five pairs of silicone ear cushions plus one pair already installed on the headphones. That is, we have an expanded set, because usually such sets have fewer sizes (S, M, L, or XL), and here we added XS, XXS, and XL. The same number of ear cushions was in the predecessor Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro.

Design and ergonomics of the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 have a square case with rounded corners and an unusual for this segment design of a sliding cover. Pressed with your thumb, it slides up, revealing the headphones themselves. The case is made of matte plastic.

There is a USB-C port for charging on the back.

On the top of the case we see the Anker Soundcore logo, and right under the lid there is a striped LED indicator. Its presence and user-friendliness can hardly be overestimated, but we’ll talk about it below.

Under the lid we see glossy plastic. Here are the headphones and the reset button.

Weighing 4.6 grams each, Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 headphones have a mostly classic form factor with long legs and a barrel-shaped body. The case material is half glossy and half matte. On the outside of the headphones we see a small brand logo, compensation holes, and three microphones. On the inside of the legs there are L and R inscriptions, as well as a pair of contacts for charging. Instead of a touch panel, side pressure sensors are used here, which are available in Apple Airpods.

The headphones are claimed to be IP55 protected. This means that they are not afraid of dust, moisture, rain, splashes, or sweat. That is, this model is suitable for outdoor activities, traveling, and sports.

The blue version of the headphones was reviewed by ITC.ua, but white, pink, and black versions are also available.

Features of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

The audio device is equipped with 9.2 mm dynamic drivers. Dual amplifiers for enhanced low frequencies are also announced. The frequency range of the novelty is 20 Hz — 40 kHz (Hi-Res Audio). The declared impedance is 17 Ohms.

There is support for Dolby Audio, Preference Test, and HearID 4.0. In the first case, the user has to pass a small test where he or she chooses the sound he or she likes best several times, and then the headphones offer new sound settings. In the second case, based on a slightly longer test, the device analyzes the user’s ears and their ability to hear certain frequencies. When it’s done, the system adjusts the sound to suit your hearing.

Connection, application and management

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 work via Bluetooth 5.4. When you open the lid of your smartphone, it automatically offers to connect to the headphones and make the first settings. That is, you do not need to go to the Bluetooth menu and connect the audio device there with your hands.

The strength and quality of the connection is good, it can penetrate two thick walls, but in this case it is better not to turn your back on the connected device, because sometimes there are freezes in the sound.

Also, the connection strength is reduced if the LDAC codec is used. In this case, it is better to be closer to the signal source, because the sound often glitches even through the wall. However, this is not a disadvantage of these headphones, but a general problem of LDAC when working with all audio devices that support it. At least with those that I tested. Probably, the sound quality is more important here than the connection quality, so the priority is given to the former.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 work with the proprietary Soundcore application. This is a modern, clear and convenient program that has only one drawback — the lack of Ukrainian language.

Through the app, you can monitor the battery status of the headphones and the case, switch between noise canceling modes, search for headphones, activate LDAC or game mode, use the built-in equalizer and ready-made presets, and more. The latter really change the character of the sound, but I still recommend using the aforementioned Preference Test or HearID 4.0 functions.

The app also updates the firmware of the headphones (there were two updates in two weeks of testing), there is a submenu with different types of white noise, support and detailed instructions for use. You can also see the settings for squeezing the headphones and change them if necessary.

The basic settings are as follows:
Single press of the left or right earbud — pause/play, answer call.
Double press the left or right earbud — next and previous track.
Long-press the left or right earbud — switch between noise cancellation modes.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 sound and microphone

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 — universal modern TWS headphones with sound for everyone. It can be said that the bass and treble are enhanced, but depending on the selected preset or individual tests, the sound really changes dramatically for the better.

For example, out of the box, I found the sound to be flat with a strong emphasis on bass, but I lacked the pressure and power that the middle provides. Yes, of course, I could hear good detail, thick and rich low frequencies, and amplified highs, but still the sound was not exactly my own. After passing the tests, the sound changed and became significantly better for me. The middle was added, as if the highs were slightly tightened, there was more volume, and so on.

By the way, it is the middle frequencies that this model lacks the most in the basic sound. It’s good that you can add them with the equalizer, presets, and available functions and tweak them, of course, as much as possible.

The versatility of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 makes them suitable for listening to all genres of music, especially with individual settings for everyone. I have listened to heavy rock and metal, dance music, Ukrainian pop, etc. But still, they are probably more suitable for rock music, dance genres, rap, hip-hop.

The quality of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 microphones is not bad. It is claimed to use artificial intelligence that «cleans» voice sound, amplifies it, and removes noise. In reality, the voice quality is really good, you can hardly feel the robotic quality, but the noise reduction is excellent.

Autonomous operation

Each Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 headphone has a built-in 60 mAh battery, and the case has a 580 mAh battery. It is claimed to last 12 hours on a single charge without active noise canceling and 48 hours with the charging case. If you activate the ANC mode, then the autonomy of the headphones themselves will drop to 8 hours, and the autonomy with the case to 32 hours. It takes up to 3 hours to fully charge the headphones with the case. But there is a fast charge that gives you 5 hours of music in 10 minutes. There is also wireless charging, which is very cool.

In reality, I used the headphones for two weeks for 2-4 hours with the best codec and at 50%+ volume. At the beginning of the third week, the case was completely discharged, and the headphones had another 40% of charge. That is, the battery life here is really great, even with active ANC.

Experience of using Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

I generally like Anker Soundcore audio devices. I am impressed by their style and simultaneous simplicity, manufacturability, adequate price and high-quality sound. The new Liberty 5 is no exception.

I liked the square design of the case and the sliding lid. But I had a problem with it — I had to memorize the position of the Soundcore logo to open the lid in the right place. It seems easy because there is an LED indicator at the bottom. But when you take the headphones in your hands, it doesn’t work and is practically invisible. At first, I couldn’t get it right, so I kept poking my fingers on the wrong side and often couldn’t immediately push the cover off.

It’s a good thing they made four different colors so that everyone, or at least the majority, will definitely like it. I like the blue one, and also the white one. I also note that there are no signs of use or dust on the case at all, but inside, where the glossy part is, you can see a lot of prints and dust.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 fit my ears perfectly. This is an in-ear model that will suit most users. And if something is wrong, the package includes six pairs of ear cushions of different sizes, so you are likely to find a size that suits you.

The headphones did not fall out while walking, playing sports, and passed the chewing test. Of course, sometimes they need to be adjusted, but overall they fit perfectly in my ears.

I’d like to mention the sensors that need to be pressed on the sides. There is no usual touch panel here. Of course, this takes some getting used to, unless you’ve switched from Airpods, where this has been around for a long time. Getting used to it is very fast, and the main thing is that there are no accidental presses, track switching, etc. It’s also cool that you can even adjust the pressure in the app.

I would like to note the presence of sensors that track the position of the headphones. This is a convenient thing that is usually only available in flagship models. That is, if you pull out any headphone, the music or YouTube video is paused. When you put it back in, the pause is removed.

The manufacturer also made the aforementioned narrow LED indicator on the front of the case useful. It provides information on the charge status of the case and headphones. When you open the case to put the headphones in and put the left one in first, for example, the left side of the indicator flashes white. This means that the headphone is charged normally. The same happens with the right one. And if the charge is low, it blinks red. The indicator also blinks red, but in the middle, if the battery in the case is low.

In my opinion, this is a very convenient little thing that improves the use of the headphones and the experience. It is details like this that make gadgets pleasant and useful for users, and also show that developers think about them.

Price and competitors

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 are sold at a price of 3265 hryvnias, but in most large networks the price tag of the headphones is 3999 hryvnias. In my opinion, the price is definitely adequate, but the model has many worthy competitors in this mid-range TWS headphone segment. However, it definitely doesn’t lag behind them, but rather the opposite.

If you want something a little more serious, but also from Anker, there are Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro with a price tag starting at UAH 4,750. Also pay attention to the new Realme Buds Air 7 Pro (price from UAH 3,280), and with them by Huawei FreeBuds 6i with a price tag starting at UAH 2588, OnePlus Buds 4 (price from UAH 3040), JBL Tune Beam 2 with a price tag starting at UAH 2570, OPPO Enco Air4 Pro (price from UAH 2219) and Sony WF-C710N with a price starting at UAH 3799.