A company that I never thought I’d be looking at for audio is Anker. This is more so as they been known for being a mobile accessories company for the longest. Supplying you with USB cables and such. But their Soundcore brand continues to make strides in the headphones department. Here we are presented with the top tier truly wireless earbuds in their portfolio called Soundcore Liberty Pro 2.
Style
They come in a matte black grayish slide case that is reminiscent of the Sony WF-SP700N case but not as flimsy. Also using it over the past couple months it still feels as firm as the first day I opened the box. Anker’s audio brand and insignia are on the sliding lid while 3 LED lights are on the bottom half of the case. There is a button on the back and next to that is a Type C charging port. I’m always delighted to see that on headphone cases. You will be surprised how many more well-known audio companies are still utilizing microUSB.
Earbuds fit in and out of the case without much issue. I still haven’t mastered the best way of taking them out the case though lol. But once getting them out and in your ears, you notice how snug they are. They use ear tips to stay secure so no worries about falling out the ear.
Each earbud has the Soundcore label on it and a button on the top. Liberty Pro 2 stick out slightly for button access. Surprisingly they opted out using touch panels, but it’s always been a hit or miss with them on truly wireless earbuds. The button placement on top is great compared to where some put on the side and have the possibility of pushing earbuds more in the ears.
Included with the Anker Soundcore Liberty Pro 2 and Charging Slide Case is a USB-C cable and various eartips.
Feature / Sound
It doesn’t look like much, but Anker has put a decent amount of options in these Liberty Pro 2s. As mentioned earlier they opted for buttons rather than touch panels, but the buttons are customizable.
There is Double Tap which you can set for volume, play controls or voice assistant. I tend to use it for play controls. Double tap on the Left to go back and on the Right to go forward. You can also Hold either button to activate one of the mentioned options too. These choices can be selected on the Soundcore app.
Via the app you can check battery life and mess with EQ settings. There are 22(yes 22) different options but if that doesn’t work for you, they have Hear ID. This is becoming common in headphones and let you “tune” to your listening, so you get the best performance.
So out of the box using the Soundcore Signature profile the Liberty Pro 2s sound impressive. Vocals are crisp and they have just the right amount of bass. Of course, adding my personal “Hear ID” profile takes them to another level for me. Playing Busta Rhymes iconic “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” is the thumping rhythmic classic I remember. Soundcore has created what they call Astria Coaxial Acoustic Architecture (ACCA). It combines a 11mm driver and a Knowles balanced armature which in audio layman terms means there is a strong dedication to precision of sound in these earbuds.
Experience
Over the past couple months using the Liberty Pro 2s they have become one of my favorite earbuds for the year. They don’t have ANC, but they have such a seal they tend to block out a good deal of outside noise. Battery life has been good and feel it fits the advertised 32hrs of playtime. This is of course getting 8 hours on the earbuds and additional 3 more charges off the case. Since this is using Type C you will get Quick charging which lets you get 2hrs of life off a 10min juice up. Also, the case has QI charging, so I have been able to throw it on my Nomad Base Station and a Defense Vertical Duo charging dock.
They are utilizing Qualcomm AptX and Bluetooth 5.0 to give you a seamless connection whether I used it w/ my iPhone 11 Pro or the OnePlus 7 Pro which is my daily smartphone. Soon as you pop them out the case, they are pairing up with my phone which equals a full-on pleasant experience. Audio syncs with video viewing so no lags will be seen here.
Verdict
While Anker dropped a sleuth of earbuds for this Fall season, the Liberty Pro 2 deserves to be at the top of their lineup. I really couldn’t find much to dislike about these earbuds. Unimaginable sound quality, comfortability and stellar battery life lead the way. Being in the under $200 club coming in $149.99 they are worth trying out if you are the market for a good balance of sound and features in truly wireless.
