I’m a 43-year-old guy with decent hearing, no major loss, just some natural decline with age, and I use earbuds daily for running, working out, housework, calls, and the occasional moment of peace from the chaos of parenting. I previously used the Soundcore P3 earbuds, which I really liked, but I lost one of them and needed a replacement. After some research, I landed on the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro, and I’m genuinely impressed with how much of an upgrade these are across the board.
Sound and Noise Cancellation
The sound quality is fantastic. Music and podcasts come through loud, crisp, and full of detail. Bass is strong but not overwhelming, and vocals are clear and clean. Whether I’m zoning out during a treadmill run or catching up on a podcast while folding laundry, I never have to crank the volume just to hear what’s going on.
The adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) is a huge highlight. It automatically adjusts to your environment, and you can also manually choose from ten levels of noise cancellation in the app or case. I’ve set it up so I use:
– Passthrough mode for outdoor runs (so I can still hear traffic),
– Full ANC for the gym or treadmill,
– And sometimes just to block out the kids and grab a little quiet.
– The transitions between modes are smooth, and the app makes it easy to switch.
Fit and Comfort
Right out of the box, the default tips fit well, but Anker includes five extra sizes, which is a nice touch. The earbuds have stayed in place securely during my runs and gym sessions, no slipping or loosening at all. They’re also surprisingly comfortable even for extended wear. No ear fatigue after hours of use.
Controls and Customization
The physical buttons are one of my favorite features. My old P3s used touch controls, and I was always accidentally changing songs or adjusting volume with a brush of my hand. These mechanical buttons are much more precise, no more accidental skips mid-run. I customized the controls using the Soundcore app:
– Long press: Switch between passthrough and full ANC
– Single tap: Volume up (right) / Volume down (left)
– Double tap: Play/pause
– Triple tap: Next (right) / Previous track (left)
Everything is responsive, and I love that I can tailor it exactly to how I use the earbuds.
App Integration
The Soundcore app adds a lot of functionality. Besides ANC and button customization, I ran the sound test (HearID) to personalize the audio to my hearing. It made a subtle but noticeable difference in clarity and balance. The app also lets you check battery levels, change EQ settings, and get firmware updates.
Call Quality
I made a call while doing dishes, with water running in the background, and my wife said she couldn’t hear the water at all. I could hear her clearly, too. The six-mic setup with AI noise reduction clearly works, these are some of the best call-quality earbuds I’ve used.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is solid. I used them for about 4 hours straight, 2 hours of full ANC on the treadmill and 2 hours of housework, and they only dropped from 100% to 35%. That's impressive considering ANC was on the entire time.
The fast charging is also a win. A quick 10-minute top-up gives me plenty of use time. The case has a digital readout showing the battery percentage, which is way more useful than trying to guess from a blinking light.
Maybe I'm old, and this feature is standard, but when I take one of the earbuds, it pauses what I'm listening to, then when I put it back, it starts again. I thought that was a cool feature.
What’s in the Box
Inside the package:
– The earbuds and charging case (USB-A to USB-C)
– Five extra sets of tips for different ear sizes
– A USB-A to USB-C cable
– An instruction manual
Drawbacks
The charging case is a little larger than I’m used to. It’s still pocketable, but definitely bulkier than the P3’s case.
The sliding mechanism on the case lid takes a little getting used to. It’s secure, but feels different than the usual flip-top design.
While I prefer the physical buttons to touch controls, I do wonder how well they’ll hold up long term with repeated use. So far, though, they’re working great.
The charging cable they include is very short. It’s fine if you’re plugging into a laptop, but less convenient if your outlet is lower on the wall or further away.
Final Verdict
If you're someone who’s active, listens to music and podcasts daily, takes calls on the go, and values sound quality, noise cancellation, and control customization, these are a fantastic choice. They’re a definite step up from the P3s and hold their own against higher-end earbuds at a much more reasonable price.
Would highly recommend, especially if you're looking for earbuds that can keep up with both your workouts and your everyday life.
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