Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Clean, well-balanced audio
- Good energetic noise-cancelling
- Highly customizable controls
- Excellent worth for the worth
Cons
- Fiddly controls
- Capable of two concurrently related units, however higher with just one
- Occasional name drop when switching to those buds
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro has its quirks, however if you happen to can overlook them, you’ll get nice audio and good energetic noise-canceling for significantly lower than top-tier rivals.
Price When Reviewed
$169.99
Best Prices Today: Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro
$129.99
Free
Top-shelf earbuds include top-shelf pricing—and typically you simply can’t spend that a lot. But even at practically half the worth of dearer rivals, Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro doesn’t really feel like a step down. At least, not on the subject of sound high quality. In truth its audio chops are so robust that even with its foibles, these buds are a compelling contender.
Note: This assessment is a part of our best wireless earbuds roundup. Go there may be to be taught extra about competing merchandise, what to search for in wi-fi earbuds, and shopping for suggestions.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Specs
- MSRP: $169.99
- Colors: Midnight Black, Frost White, Dusk Purple, Fog Gray
- Supported audio codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- Water-resistance ranking: IPX4
- Bluetooth model: 5.2 (10m / 33ft vary)
- Charging: USB-C
- Warranty: One 12 months
- Release date: August 2021
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Design, match, and controls
Alaina Yee / IDG
With a modern oval form and shiny end, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro provides an understated, compact profile that is available in 4 colours (black, white, gentle purple, and blue-gray) and appears nice out of the field. Its carrying case additionally has a streamlined form and end, although the structure for dropping within the buds can really feel counterintuitive. Other manufacturers are extra simple.
The earbuds have a extremely customizable match—not solely do you get 4 ear tip sizes, however 4 wing sizes as effectively. (The latter guarantee a safer match of the buds in your outer ear.) These equipment combine and match simply, although getting the wings on and off may be fiddly. My mixture ended up being the second-smallest ear suggestions and wings; usually I’m a medium for ear suggestions with most manufacturers.
Configuring the touch-based controls can also be very versatile. You can assign instructions for music playback, skipping tracks, and extra to single, double, and triple faucets, in addition to a two-second press. Consistency of the controls is rather less spectacular, although—instructions don’t all the time execute even when the faucet(s) are acknowledged. The Liberty 3 Pro can also be extraordinarily delicate to single faucets. For some folks, this weak point might be a deal killer, although you may largely keep away from them by way of controls in Windows or in your cellphone.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Sound
These buds carry out extremely effectively for his or her value. You get very clear, well-balanced audio for music, films, and calls. Details are clear and outlined, with simply the correct amount of crispness. For stability, the bass provides heat and depth with out being too heavy or overpowering. The default sound profile isn’t as impartial as different buds, however I appreciated the fullness you get out of the field. And you may nonetheless alter to your style within the app by way of a customized EQ profile, or Anker’s HearID function, which creates a personalised sound profile based mostly on listening to checks. (Your mileage will fluctuate with HearID—I discovered myself preferring the default profile, however I’ve additionally but to discover a type of this expertise that works for me.)
For calls, the Liberty 3 Pro had been on par with high quality buds. Other name individuals will know you’re utilizing earbuds (the sound is a bit skinny and picks up some room echo), however you’ll nonetheless sound clear, if barely on the quieter facet in comparison with rivals.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Noise canceling and quantity
Alaina Yee / IDG
In indoor conditions, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro’s energetic noise-canceling blocks a palpable quantity of background noise. With music enjoying, most reasonably loud chatter or TV applications will get drowned out. When outdoor, the Liberty 3 Pro didn’t block as a lot street noise as rival buds with stronger ANC—the cacophony of a busy San Francisco road throughout commute hour was diminished by a tough 40 %.
The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro additionally doesn’t get as loud as different buds. In Windows, Android, and iOS, I typically needed to preserve these within the 40 to 60 % vary, and about 50 % on common. More premium buds had been often nearer to the mid-30s to 40s relying on time of day. (For context, I’ve extra delicate ears and like decrease volumes.) And as already talked about, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro additionally sounds quiet when utilizing it as a microphone for calls.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Battery life
Anker estimates as much as eight hours of battery life for the Liberty 3 Pro from a single cost, relying on quantity stage. At roughly 45 to 50 % quantity on both PC or cell, the buds lasted between 5.5 to 6 hours for steady music and video playback.
You’ll get one other two to a few full costs from the case, for a most whole of 32 hours by Anker’s depend. In the actual world, I bought nearer to 24, which was nonetheless lots earlier than having to cost the entire set once more.
One foible I personally discovered exasperating: Dropping the earbuds into the case all the time was reverse of what I anticipated. It took not less than a few weeks of normal use earlier than my mind might get the orientation appropriate on the primary attempt.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: Pairing and app
Alaina Yee / IDG
You can join the Liberty 3 Pro to as much as two units directly, although just one can play at a time. If the buds are paired with extra units, you have to first disconnect an energetic system earlier than switching to a unique one. (The simplest way to do that is thru the Soundcore+ app.)
Anker’s implementation of this function has a draw back, sadly—being related to 2 units concurrently (in my testing, a PC and an iPhone) typically launched hiccups in music or different steady sound if the second system had incoming audio. You’ll have a smoother expertise with just one system related at a time.
Another quirk associated to connection: Occasionally when in the midst of a cellphone name on an Android cellphone, pulling the Liberty 3 Pro buds out of their case would disconnect the decision I used to be on, moderately than rolling over to the earbuds.
To tweak your earbuds and get essentially the most from them, you have to use the companion Soundcore app—it’s the one solution to customise controls and EQ settings, in addition to flip off options like put on detection, which mechanically pauses audio if you happen to take a bud out of your ear. Navigating by way of the interface is easy and simple.
Final ideas
You’ll pay $100 much less for the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro than top-tier rivals just like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, however the Liberty 3 Pro doesn’t sound cheaper. If you may tolerate the quirks of those buds, they’re ideally suited for folks looking for nice audio and good energetic noise-canceling on a finances.