One month later 🤔 Soundcore Liberty 5 vs Liberty 4 NC vs 4 Pro | Review

Summary

In this detailed review of the Soundcore Liberty 5, the reviewer compares it to the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro, highlighting the recent firmware update. The Liberty 5 offers improvements in mic pickup, battery life, IP55 resistance, and Dolby-enhanced spatial audio. While it delivers strong transparency mode and good sound quality, it falls short in bass response compared to the Liberty 4NC and the 4 Pro's superior clarity. The review covers call quality, noise cancelling performance, and controls, ultimately recommending the Liberty 5 for its compact size, better transparency, and overall practicality.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Liberty 5 comes with Bluetooth 5.4, longer battery life, and improved IP55 dust and water resistance compared to previous models.
• 😀 Dolby branding on the Liberty 5 indicates involvement in spatial audio optimization, offering an enhanced audio experience.
• 😀 In mic pickup tests, the Liberty 5 outperforms the Liberty 4 Pro and 4NC in clarity, though background noise reduction is not significantly improved.
• 😀 The Liberty 5 has better noise cancellation in higher frequencies compared to the Liberty 4 Pro, but it lacks the bass noise cancellation of the 4NC.
• 😀 The Liberty 5’s transparency mode is notably clearer, with more natural voice reproduction, making it superior to both the Liberty 4 Pro and 4NC.
• 😀 Sound quality on the Liberty 5 is bass-heavy and flatter in the mids, providing a slightly different listening experience compared to the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro.
• 😀 While the Liberty 5 sounds bassier, the Liberty 4NC delivers more bass detail and vibrance in vocals and soundstage.
• 😀 The Liberty 4 Pro provides better separation of tracks and cleaner sound but lacks the bass depth and warmth found in the Liberty 4NC.
• 😀 All three models (Liberty 5, Liberty 4 Pro, and Liberty 4NC) can be customized via EQ settings and preset modes to adjust the sound profile to personal preference.
• 😀 The Liberty 5 features a **HearID** calibration bug, making the sound in **HearID mode** 20% louder than in standard mode, which doesn't happen with the 4NC or 4 Pro.
• 😀 The Liberty 5 is a good balance of improved transparency, call quality, and portability, while the Liberty 4 Pro remains the feature-rich option with head tracking and more advanced controls.

Q & A

What are the key improvements of the Soundcore Liberty 5 compared to the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

The Liberty 5 features Bluetooth 5.4, longer battery endurance, better IP55 dust and water resistance, and Dolby-tuned spatial audio, which the Liberty 4 Pro lacks. These upgrades make the Liberty 5 more advanced compared to its predecessors.

How does the microphone pickup performance of the Liberty 5 compare to the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

The Liberty 5 provides a more natural-sounding voice pickup, with less robotic or bloated tones compared to the Liberty 4 Pro and 4NC. However, its background noise reduction isn't significantly better, and it ranks at a 'B' in noisy conditions.

How does the Liberty 5's active noise cancelling compare to the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

The Liberty 5 performs similarly to the Liberty 4 Pro in general noise cancelling, with slightly better cancellation above 150 Hz. However, the Liberty 4NC still has superior bass frequency noise cancellation.

What improvements does the Liberty 5 offer in transparency mode compared to the Liberty 4 Pro and 4NC?

The Liberty 5 has the clearest transparency mode, offering more natural sounding voice clarity compared to the muffled voice quality in the 4 Pro and 4NC, making it more useful for verbal exchanges and general awareness.

How does the sound quality of the Liberty 5 differ from the Liberty 4NC and Liberty 4 Pro?

The Liberty 5 has a more bass-heavy sound and flatter mids, which emphasizes vocal detail. However, the Liberty 4NC delivers more bass detail and vibrance in vocals, while the Liberty 4 Pro offers better track separation and overall clarity.

Does the Liberty 5 have customizable sound options like the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

Yes, the Liberty 5, like the other models, offers customizable EQ presets, a graphic EQ, and HearID calibration. However, there is an issue with the HearID mode where it is louder than the standard setting, a bug that needs fixing.

How does the Liberty 5 compare to the Liberty 4 Pro in terms of features?

The Liberty 4 Pro remains the flagship model with features like head tracking for spatial audio, adjustable transparency, swipe controls for volume, and a screen on the case. The Liberty 5 lacks some of these advanced features but compensates with a better transparency mode and a more pocketable case.

What are the unique advantages of the Liberty 5 over the Liberty 4NC?

The Liberty 5 offers a more compact and easier-to-pocket case, better transparency mode, and slightly improved call quality. It also features side tone, which enhances natural speech during phone calls.

Should I choose the Liberty 5 over the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

If you prioritize a clearer transparency mode, better portability, and side tone during calls, the Liberty 5 could be the better option. However, if superior noise cancelling and bass detail are more important, the Liberty 4NC or 4 Pro may be a better fit.

Does the Liberty 5 represent a significant upgrade over the Liberty 4NC and 4 Pro?

The Liberty 5 is not a generational leap but rather an incremental improvement, akin to a 'Liberty 4.5'. It offers better transparency, call quality, and a more compact design, but in some areas, like bass and noise cancellation, it doesn't drastically outperform the Liberty 4NC or 4 Pro.