Apple has strong competition with the new Soundcore Liberty 4 in-ear headphones.
I’ve used the AirPods Pro for years and was really surprised at what Soundcore (a subsidiary of Anker) has come up with with the Liberty 4.
Both headphones are at the forefront in terms of sound, but there are big differences in terms of functionality, battery life and setting options.
So much in advance: For me, the price-performance ratio of the Soundcore Liberty 4 is already unbeatable.
Sound quality
Sound quality is the most important factor when choosing headphones. The Soundcore Liberty 4 headphones from Anker are equipped with two dynamic drivers on each side, providing excellent, clear sound quality.
The bass is powerful without being too dominant, the highs and mids are well defined and present.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 sound very natural and transparent, especially in the mid-frequency range.
The headphones also offer good spatiality and allow the user to enjoy music in a wide stereo image.
Reference songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen or “Hotel California” by the Eagles come across very well on the Soundcore Liberty 4 and show the strengths of the headphones in terms of richness of detail and dynamics.
AirPods Pro weaker in bass
The Apple AirPods Pro also offer outstanding sound quality, which is characterized by very clear and precise playback.
The bass is powerful and precise without being too dominant and the highs and mids are clear and detailed.
The AirPods Pro also offer very good spatiality. In direct comparison, however, the bass performance is slightly weaker than that of the Liberty 4.
My test songs such as “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin or “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers come across impressively on the AirPods Pro and create a powerful stage without being intrusive.
Overall, both the Soundcore Liberty 4 and the Apple AirPods Pro offer excellent sound quality at a very high level.
Both headphones are suitable for playing all types of music and offer a broad frequency spectrum.
However, the Soundcore Liberty 4 have the advantage that they have a slightly more powerful bass and a more extensive equalizer with which the sound can be individually adjusted.
Noice canceling: Apple vs Soundcore
Both headphones offer so-called noise canceling. They use the integrated microphones to hear the sounds around you.
At the same time, a new, inaudible sound is generated that cancels out the disturbing noises.
This is done by combining the two sounds and canceling each other out.
This allows you to listen to music or concentrate on other things without being distracted by noise.
The noise suppression or noise canceling works excellently on both models.
The difference is enormous, especially with monotonous, muffled noises such as on an airplane. The intensity can be adjusted so that, for example, only speech sounds penetrate.
Fit of the in-ear headphones
The shape of the two in-ear headphones is almost identical, the AirPods Pro only have a slightly thinner bridge, but this only makes a visual difference.
In general, the fit is one of the most important criteria for in-ear headphones: if they are too loose, the sound is negatively affected and they can fall out during sport.
Both manufacturers supply different attachments for different ear sizes. The AirPods come with three different attachments, the Libertys even come with four different attachments.
I always had the problem with the Apple headphones that none of the attachments fit perfectly. The integrated fit measurement also always showed errors.
With the Liberty 4, I had the feeling for the first time that the headphones really fit perfectly and are very comfortable.
You should always try out the fit yourself, as it is extremely individual.
Control on the headphones
Both models have touch controls that allow you to control music playback and make calls directly on the headphones.
Volume control directly on the headphones is currently only possible with the 2nd generation AirPods and is a great feature when you don’t have your phone in your hand .
Switching the noise canceling function by touch or pressure is possible with both headphones.
Liberty 4 vs AirPods Pro: Apps
There is a big difference in the apps: The AirPods Pro are primarily intended for Apple devices, so the settings run directly in the iPhone, iPad or Mac without a separate app.
Unfortunately, there is no cross-app equalizer to adjust the sound for all applications. You can adjust the sound in the Spotify app, for example, but these settings logically do not apply to other apps such as YouTube or Apple Music.
As the Liberty 4 from Soundcore work with both Android and Apple devices, the functions are controlled via a separate app.
And these functions are extremely diverse: there are countless sound presets, individual optimizations and automatic sound adjustments.
If you test the sound presets, you will quickly find the perfect sound for your preferred style of music.
The app also allows you to customize various functions such as the touch controls or transparency mode.
Liberty 4 with heart rate measurement
The Soundcore app has even more to offer: The Liberty 4 have several health functions that make them an interesting companion for athletes and the health-conscious.
The headphones can use a special function to analyze the user’s head posture and suggest a better posture if necessary.
This is particularly practical for people who spend a lot of time sitting down and want to improve their posture.
In addition, the headphones can also measure the user’s heart rate, which is particularly practical if you want to optimize your training intensity.
The measured data can also be saved and analyzed in the Soundcore app to get a comprehensive picture of your health and fitness.
While the Apple AirPods Pro do not offer comparable health features, the Soundcore Liberty 4 are an excellent choice for users who value their health and fitness thanks to their additional features.
Charging case: Apple vs Soundcore
Both headphones are supplied with a charging case, which not only serves to charge the headphones, but also to protect them during transportation.
The cases of the Apple AirPods Pro and the Soundcore Liberty 4 have a wireless charging function that allows you to simply place the headphones on a Qi-certified charging station.
What I particularly like about the Libertys is that there is a large LED display on the front of the case to show the charge status.
The case is also illuminated from the inside by two additional LEDs. This not only looks great – the two LEDs can also flash and indicate different modes such as Bluetooth pairing.
The AirPods Pro case opens upwards via a hinge.
The lid of the Liberty 4 headphones can be slid backwards.
Even though the mechanisms are different, both cases are practical and can be opened and closed with one hand.
While the AirPods charging case is unfortunately still charged via a Lightning connector (as with the iPhone), the Liberty case can be charged with the widely used USC-C connectors.
Battery life
Battery life is another important factor when choosing in-ear headphones.
According to the manufacturer, the Soundcore Liberty 4 from Anker offer a total runtime of up to 28 hours (including recharging in the case), with the headphones themselves offering a playback time of up to 9 hours.
In reality, the runtime depends on many factors such as volume, ambient temperature and settings such as noise canceling.
According to Apple, the AirPods Pro offer a total runtime of up to 30 hours, although the headphones themselves only have a playback time of 5 hours.
However, they can be recharged within 5 minutes to achieve a full hour of playback time.
Conclusion: Liberty 4 vs AirPods Pro
To summarize, the Soundcore Liberty 4 headphones from Anker are a good alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro.
They are not only cheaper, but also offer more powerful bass and significantly more setting options.
Functions such as head posture analysis and heart rate measurement will not be needed by everyone, but they are an exciting add-on.
The perfect fit is individual, but Soundcore offers more options with four different attachments, which was the deciding factor for me.
There’s no question that the AirPods Pro sound great and are perfectly integrated into the Apple universe.
For example, the headphones can be quickly located via Apple’s own “Where Is?” tracking system and found again if they are lost.
Apparently, however, Apple has rested a little too long on its pole position and missed out on a few developments, which Soundcore is taking advantage of with the Liberty 4.
Lars Grudzinski has been working as a sound and lighting technician since the 90s, was a DJ for electronic music, has a large collection of vintage speakers, and has been working for various radio stations in Germany for 20 years. At home, he enjoys high-quality home theater products such as soundbars and projectors and has installed an extensive Sonos system in his own home.