Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro True Wireless Earbuds

I’m not the type to write reviews, I merely read them and make a decision to buy or not to buy. In fact, this is my first ever review since buying online for well over 10 years.

These earbuds are good, very good – albeit, I’ve only been using them for a few days. In the past I have owned Apple Airpods, Sony 1000xm3’s, and Sennheiser hd-25’s (for live DJing).

These Liberty Air 2’s are a direct replacement to Apple Airpods in my opinion. I DJ’d in the past and I am quite particular when it comes to sound and technology – if that adds any weight to my opinion.

Voice calls are crystal clear on them, and the EQ of the earbuds for music can be altered in the Soundcore app (all the usual Bass Booster, Vocal Booster options are available, as well as custom EQ if you so wish).

My previous Sony 1000xm3’s did have really good sound, but were uncomfortable when wearing even for short periods and certainly for long periods (such as plane journeys). The Anker Soundcore’s have a light and airy feel in ear, similar to Apple Airpods, so I dont expect them to be uncomfortable when wearing for long periods (still to be truly tested).My major issue with the Sony 1000xm3’s was that they would fall out even when walking briskly in the street, nevermind running on a treadmill or the outdoors. The Anker Soundcores don’t fall out when exercising.

For 69.99 (Nov 2021) – these earbuds are a great purchase.

Dont normally write many reviews on anything unless I find them to be realy, really good! And yes therse are very good! More than happy with sound, ANC and comforrt – first rate buds at a really good price point!

Nice set of headphones for the price. Some difficulty with the initial pairing after I updated. Noise cancelling great in certain circumstances (commuting/transport/outside) which is what is advertised. With the earpiece options, I found a good fit for running/exercise. Overall very happy.

3 days after purchase, a fault occurred where the left earphone developed what can only be described as a windy noise in the ear when noise cancellation or transparency mode was used. I reset the headphones twice with still the same fault. Surprising as I own a lot of Anker products and they are normally really good.

Upon chatting with amazon, my choice was a refund and re-order, or they would contact the seller to see if they could be replaced. H O W E V E R, i COULD re-order at a 25 price increase!!! they couldn’t replace them or do anything about the price increase. the whole discussion over chat with typical offshore call centre who have no power to actually do anything except apologise.

the whole experience with Amazon was frustrating.

That being said, when they initially worked, they were pretty good, and a very good range of silicone attachments as i have odd-shaped ear canals, just a shame they fell apart soo quickly, not something i expect from Anker which has been a decent brand in the past.

UPDATE:. After contacting Anker regarding such a steep increase and failure after a few days the service was AMAZING. I received an immediate response apologising for the issue with an offer to resolve the situation straight away with a free replacement pair. Which obviously made my day as I wanted a replacement in the first place and not a refund.

My takeaway is that Amazon service is dropping, however Anker is awesome and would totally recommend their products and service.

These are the first wireless buds that I genuinely don’t regret buying, I think they’re great, the noise cancelling is cool but I’d say the buds could be could be a little louder without the noise cancelling, but I guess that’s the poi

I bought these earbuds a good few months ago when my old wired Soundmagic E10 buds gave up due to frayed wires. Those lasted from 2012 to early 2021, and were… Well, magic! As far as sound quality goes, that’s what these buds are compared to. It’d be unfair to compair them to a set of true headphones, for example.

So. These earbuds. First and foremost, no, you won’t look weird wearing them. They actually look pretty discreet and like they’re meant to be there. Mine are a dark grey, too.

Fitting – easy. They give you loads of “tips” to try on, just find what fits best. The app can test the “seal quality” too, but go with what’s comfortable for you. Loads of choice. On the subject of fitting, I don’t go running, so I can’t tell you how they’d hang on. When walking or doing anything physical though, they just stay put and feel well rooted. I rarely need to adjust them, and when I do, I find it’s pointless – they were secure in the first place.

Connectivity – simple, easy, and solid. I do get random cut-outs on my phone, but that’s heavily modified and running a beta custom OS. A reboot solves it for a few days, so it’s a glitch on the phone. My tablet is stock, and these are solid – even ten metres away. It’s unbelievable. They’ve got a more stable connection than my Logitech G933s to my PS4.

Battery life. You charge the box, and it charges the buds up when not in use. Everything is extremely lightweight. I do a lot of walking, and use these for up to 90 minutes at a time. I’ve had the box go without charge for a week, and it charged back up in half an hour. The battery life is absolutely phenomenal.

Sound quality. That’s the essential part. Now, this is a mixed bag for me, and you might find things a bit different. I have hearing issues, plus partial deafness in my left ear, extending only to bass frequencies. Anything that muddles sound means I find it really grating, and I can’t hear lyrics. It’s just noise.

These earphones excel. When you take them out the box and seat them in your ears, there’s a few seconds while they boot up, then glorious silence. They just shut the world out. Fire up a high-quality stream or source, and you’ve got a tight, rich soundstage. The “HearID” setup is great, but I did tweak it further – the app is great for that – but if they’d add the ability to tweak individual channels and/or psychoacoustic systems, that’d be cracking for those whose ears aren’t working quite right!

You’ll have no problem getting what you want from these earbuds, they’re rich across the range. I do find they’re a bit harsh at the treble end, and not as clear and “spacey” as the Soundmagic E10s, but it’s nothing uncomfortable. I’m just splitting hairs here.

Other matters – no more wires. Honestly, I didn’t think anything of wires until I got these. I wouldn’t go back… In fact, even though I have a perfectly serviceable set of these earbuds, I’d consider splashing out on the very best version right now in addition to this pair. One set for home used with my tablet, the better pair for general use. That’s how damn good these are.

I bought these at 129, and I see they’re presently 99. I don’t have any regrets buying them at the price I paid – they’re quality, and worth every penny.

When I ordered these earbuds I was not expecting them to be as good as they are, given the price. [I bought them when they were discounted].
They come well packaged in an attractive box, and the instructions are easy to follow. On downloading the app on my iPhone I was surprised how user friendly it is and the number of features, including a ‘fit test’ that checks your buds provide a properly sealed fit in your ears, based on the large number of different sized buds included (8 pairs). There’s also an automatic customized set up which tailors the sound to your own hearing, and customizable noise cancelling (ANC) that allows you to choose what sort of noise it filters out. When I first used the ANC I thought it was not very effective, being used to Bose ANC. But I had not realised I was in a quiet room. When I tested it a second time in heavy traffic it worked very well. The sound quality is top notch if the buds are sealed and fit well, and according to other reviews I’ve read, as good as or even slightly better than Apple Earpod Pros [Cnet].
Battery life seems reasonable with the option to charge the charging case wirelessly. The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pros don’t have multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to more easily switch between devices, but apart from that they are feature rich.
Making and receiving calls works effortlessly, and the sound quality, according to those on the other end of the call, was far superior to other (cheaper) wireless earbuds I had been using previously. There are 6 microphones, 3 in each bud, in different locations. I also noticed that Siri was able to better understand me, especially in more challenging locations with background noise.
Overall, highly recommended.

After 2 days research and much sucking of teeth, I ordered the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro via Amazon Prime and they were delivered within 24 hours.
The unit comes in a quality box with all the required items. The quick start guide is very easy to follow.
I have an iPhone 11 and the supplied corded ear phones do not fit my ears as they continually fall out if I move.
The first thing to do was download and register on the Soundcore App. It tells you instantly that the buds need a firmware update which took about 5 minutes to download and install the 1mb file. No sooner had this been installed that they were asking to connect to the phone which was snag-less. I have also connected them to my iPad and Dell laptop without any drama.
The App has very easy features to follow and use. I like the “HearID” function where you get a hearing evaluation to personalise the buds to your ears hearing loss. It is like the audio gram test that you take for a medical. I’m 59 so it no surprise that some of the audio range was dulled.
The box has 9 sets of interchangeable tips so that when you start the Apps “Tip Fit Test” you can see which set gives you the best ear seal. I ended up with the L+ in both ears. It did help by trimming my ear hair after not getting a good seal notification and they are very comfy.
The Active Noise Cancellation feature has 3 settings: Off, Transparency and Noise cancellation. You can toggle thru these either using the App or on the buds touch function. These touch functions are programmable via the App which is very useful.
Sound quality is better than my sons Apple AirPods and the battery life is double.
The little charging and travel case is small and handy. The 3 led lights on the outside and indicate charge level and sync. I like the auto connect when you place the buds in the case assuring you that the charging connection is made. The little led on each buds also flashed to confirm connection.
Other features that are useful: remove one bud to speak to someone or listen fully and the music stops. Put it back in and it starts playing again; the ability to change the Ambient Sound mode from Transport, Indoor, Outdoor, or Custom. You can sit in a noisy area and play with the settings to see which is the most effective. In full Noise Cancel mode with no music playing you can cut out most noises. All you hear is a slight hiss and not as obtrusive as the Bose QC series. It is so affective that you can hear your breathing more that outside sounds.
I used the buds all day in full ANR mode using podcasts and music and they were still not needing a charge and my inner ear was not irritated by the presence of the tips.
I travel a lot on aircraft and have a set of over ear ANR headphones but after a 7 hour and 14 hour flight the ears are tired of being pressed on. I doubt these Soundcore units will be able to beat the over the ear pure Noise Cancellation without anything playing but I’ll report back on it. The litmus test will be “can that screaming baby still be heard on your 14 hour flight”?
I have also used them to answer and make telephone calls and can report that they work superbly.
In summary, for 90, I’m happy with them as they easily beat my son’s double the cost Apple AirPods for fit, sound quality, ANR, functionality and personalisation.
Update 29 Jul 2021: After a few days of ownership and customising the touch controls to my requirements, I was getting perturbed that I couldn’t get a good seal during the “Tip Test” even when using the largest of the 9 tips. I could occasionally get one side to seal but never the right and they did not feel that secure when in the ear. So, I contacted Anker via the apps “contact us” and after a few confirmation of purchase emails, they sent me a set of larger tips in white. As soon as I put them in I could feel a proper ear seal and the Tip Test saw both indicating a Good Seal. I then did another “Hear ID” and the sound, which I was already happy with, is now amazing!
My Daughter has the Sony WF1000XM3s and these Anker buds have a better all round sound.
Hope this review helps you make an informed decision.

After 2 days research and much sucking of teeth, I ordered the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro via Amazon Prime and they were delivered within 24 hours.
The unit comes in a quality box with all the required items. The quick start guide is very easy to follow.
I have an iPhone 11 and the supplied corded ear phones do not fit my ears as they continually fall out if I move.
The first thing to do was download and register on the Soundcore App. It tells you instantly that the buds need a firmware update which took about 5 minutes to download and install the 1mb file. No sooner had this been installed that they were asking to connect to the phone which was snag-less. I have also connected them to my iPad and Dell laptop without any drama.
The App has very easy features to follow and use. I like the “HearID” function where you get a hearing evaluation to personalise the buds to your ears hearing loss. It is like the audio gram test that you take for a medical. I’m 59 so it no surprise that some of the audio range was dulled.
The box has 9 sets of interchangeable tips so that when you start the Apps “Tip Fit Test” you can see which set gives you the best ear seal. I ended up with the L+ in both ears. It did help by trimming my ear hair after not getting a good seal notification and they are very comfy.
The Active Noise Cancellation feature has 3 settings: Off, Transparency and Noise cancellation. You can toggle thru these either using the App or on the buds touch function. These touch functions are programmable via the App which is very useful.
Sound quality is better than my sons Apple AirPods and the battery life is double.
The little charging and travel case is small and handy. The 3 led lights on the outside and indicate charge level and sync. I like the auto connect when you place the buds in the case assuring you that the charging connection is made. The little led on each buds also flashed to confirm connection.
Other features that are useful: remove one bud to speak to someone or listen fully and the music stops. Put it back in and it starts playing again; the ability to change the Ambient Sound mode from Transport, Indoor, Outdoor, or Custom. You can sit in a noisy area and play with the settings to see which is the most effective. In full Noise Cancel mode with no music playing you can cut out most noises. All you hear is a slight hiss and not as obtrusive as the Bose QC series. It is so affective that you can hear your breathing more that outside sounds.
I used the buds all day in full ANR mode using podcasts and music and they were still not needing a charge and my inner ear was not irritated by the presence of the tips.
I travel a lot on aircraft and have a set of over ear ANR headphones but after a 7 hour and 14 hour flight the ears are tired of being pressed on. I doubt these Soundcore units will be able to beat the over the ear pure Noise Cancellation without anything playing but I’ll report back on it. The litmus test will be “can that screaming baby still be heard on your 14 hour flight”?
I have also used them to answer and make telephone calls and can report that they work superbly.
In summary, for 90, I’m happy with them as they easily beat my son’s double the cost Apple AirPods for fit, sound quality, ANR, functionality and personalisation.
Update 29 Jul 2021: After a few days of ownership and customising the touch controls to my requirements, I was getting perturbed that I couldn’t get a good seal during the “Tip Test” even when using the largest of the 9 tips. I could occasionally get one side to seal but never the right and they did not feel that secure when in the ear. So, I contacted Anker via the apps “contact us” and after a few confirmation of purchase emails, they sent me a set of larger tips in white. As soon as I put them in I could feel a proper ear seal and the Tip Test saw both indicating a Good Seal. I then did another “Hear ID” and the sound, which I was already happy with, is now amazing!
My Daughter has the Sony WF1000XM3s and these Anker buds have a better all round sound.
Hope this review helps you make an informed decision.

These are excellent earbuds.

I purchased them after watching a review by Paul Hibbert on YouTube (very entertaining, do go watch him) instead of forking out twice as much for AirPods Pro (which I’m sure I’d love as well).

The sound quality is excellent, the functionality (using the app) is great, and they connect really fast with my iPhone, probably quicker than my original AirPods. The wireless charging case is brilliant, it’s just a shame it doesn’t quite fit in that little pocket on jeans.

My only other criticism is that as they don’t have the H1 chip from Apple, they don’t auto-switch between Apple devices like the AirPods Pro would. As I use a lot of devices that would have been ace but definitely not a deal breaker as everything else about them is spot on.

Oh, do make sure you switch out the tips to find the right size for you, that makes a huge difference to the comfort and also the sound and noise cancellation. I think this is something that is easily overlooked with this type of headphone and it’s made me revisit several others I have and adjust them to match the size I’m using on these too.

Great job Soundcore (Anker), just don’t make a third gen, otherwise I’ll need to buy those too!

It was amazing, i would love to have it but my ear didn’t fet it , i haven’t got any complain about it. It’s my ear problem, I’ll recommend all customer can get it without hesitation. It’s really really good Air Pod.

Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room – active noise cancellation. If ANC is your main reason for buying a pair wireless buds, go grab a pair of Sony WF-1000xm3’s. IMHO they are the gold standard in this area. Still nowhere near as good as full size headphones, but the best you’ll get in small form factor buds.
The ANC on the Soundcores is best described as ‘decent’ or ‘adequate’. Whilst out walking, they did a decent job of reducing traffic noise and I imagine would cope pretty well with planes, trains, etc. Indoors didn’t fare as well. Background noises such as TVs and voices, whilst dulled slightly, were still very noticeable. Like I said, decent, but nowhere near as capable as the Sony’s.
As for transparency mode, where the object is to bring outside noise into your ears, I found that although it worked, it sounded unnatural and a bit weird.

What I do have to say though, is that the Soundcores do a lot of things really well. Basically a lot of bang for your buck. I’ll try to summarise this below:

SOUND

The sound is surprisingly good for a set of sub 100 buds. They use the SBC and AAC codecs, so no aptX here. That’s mean no support for high res music files or low latency functionality. Watching stuff from Netflix and YouTube, I didn’t see any noticeable lag but I doubt they could be used for serious gaming without the aptX support.
Listening to local Flac files on my phone and streaming from Tidal, the sound was clear and refined, with good separation. Lows and mids were well defined, but highs tended to sound a bit restrained and I occasionally encountered some sibilance – that’s not unsurprising at this price point. I did enjoy the overall presentation, which I would describe as ‘lively’. If bass is your thing, these earphones aren’t for you. The sound can be tailored to your liking using the supporting Soundcore app – I’ll cover that in the next paragraph as it really deserves it’s own section.

SOUNDCORE APP

The supporting app is simply outstanding. It allows you to configure the controls on the touch sensors, features a whole range of preset sound settings, and the star of the show for me – HearID. It’s basically a test that plays back different frequencies into each ear and, based on your responses, creates a sound signature tailored to your hearing. I’ve played around with the various presets and the fully customisable EQ settings and I always go back to my own HearID settings, which absolutely nailed it as far as I’m concerned. These sound as good as more expensive earbuds I have such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds + and RHA TrueConnect.

DESIGN AND BUILD

Top quality. The case is small enough to fit in your pocket and the matte finish doesn’t attract fingerprints. I love how the lid of the case slides open and closed. You get a really satisfying click and it feels very robust. If I dropped the case, I would have no worries about anything breaking. The buds are light, but still feel well made and just look amazing.

COMFORT AND FIT

As I said the buds themselves are very light. There is a total of NINE different pairs of silicon tips – 8 in the box and the pair that come attached to the buds. This should allow you to get a decent seal, which does help with the ANC. The stems on the buds are longer than most but didn’t cause any issues. For a while I actually forgot I was wearing them, and didn’t notice any fatigue until around 3 hours in – very impressive.

CONNECTIVITY AND CALLS

Very easy to pair using the supporting app. It’s Bluetooth 5.0 here, so connectivity is strong and I haven’t noticed any dropouts as yet. Took a couple of calls and the sound was clear and the callers had no trouble hearing me ok.

I have found that over the last week, these have become my go-to earphones. They don’t particularly excel at any one thing, they just do a very good all round job. They are fun and easy to use and look amazing. And the supporting app is the icing on the cake – easy to use and so many features.

99 feels like a bit of a steal if I’m perfectly honest.

Great sound from these ear pods, with both a rich and deep base and a lovely warm sound. The ear pods trigger as soon as you open the box and can detect when they are in your ear. Flexible gesture controls. Supports wireless charging. Recommended.

I dont normally write reviews for products but just felt that I ought to so as there are so many conflicting reviews about these products – and I had trouble debating when buying. At present and in the past between me and the other half we have owned, airpods, airpods pro, beats pro, plantronics voyager and jabra elite 65. I use these headphones for 2 things:

> Making Calls in Noisy Environments – to be honest the Soundcore is better than the airpods pro at back ground noise reduction for the other caller and way better than the jabra and beats. The plantronics is in fact better at this but you could expect that as it has a microphone on a boom but the downside of the Plantronics is that its just in one ear so in noisy environments the caller can hear me well but I cant really hear them and spent time with a hand over the over ear to cut out the noise around me. Soundcore is fine for calls in the car and pretty noisy environments such as factories. Soundcore does best at cutting out constant noise but adapts to cut out new background noise.

> Listening to Music – I use these headphones less for music but the sound quality is way better than I expected and to be honest is about as good as it gets. I would put the sound better than the airpods pro and prob about even or only slightly behind the beats pro (which are clamshell over ear headphones so have a natural advantage for sound).

Overall I was surprised and didnt think these headphones would have performed this well – but then I guess technology like in so many of these things moves on relatively quickly in a few years. I bought them on the clear understanding that I could return them at my pure choice and was surprised on the upside particularly about the clarity of calls in noisy environments so have kept them. I would say on balance they are slightly better than the airpods pro and clearly half the price so that’s a bonus.

So I bought this based on price and other reviews (press and websites). Overall I am satisifed. The pods are good quality and the sound is good. Set up is easy enough and the app which you can download is helpful here. the pods can connect to one device at a time, and switching has to be done by disconnecting and reconnecting manually.

Main reason for losing a star is that the touch controls are not that responsive: the “landing zone” on the pods appears quite small so it can be difficult to land a fingertip on the right place on the pods, and most often I just use the controls on my ipad/phone/computer to stop/start playback.

The app is quite good and has the necessary functions to be able to change the ANC, sound profiles, and what the touch/tap controls will do. It also has a nice feature that will customise the sound profile according to a process that runs you through a “hearing test” for each ear in turn.

Fit is nice, and the box comes with no less than 9 pairs of silicone ear-buds in various sizes to allow you to get the correct fit. They are comfortable in my ears and don’t feel too heavy.

I use these indoors when I am working, and they do the job well. The supplied case is good: a sliding cover rather than a flip-lid. A little larger than other makes but it sits unobtrusively on my desk and connects to a USB port via a shortish (50cm or so) USB-C cable.

Let me start by saying I have acute sensitivity to certain sounds and also live in a block of flats with noisy neighbours.had a few problems with the “fit” of these buds as the silicone ones provided didn’t feel secure. Contacted Michelle at soundcore support and she’s been incredibly helpful. If you use the soundcore app to connect with your buds you can do a “fit” test which will tell you if you have a good “seal” or not. Every human ear is unique so play around with the provided tips to suit your ears,you might need one medium tip in one ear and a large one in the other ear,once they feel comfortable do a “fit test”. I noticed a review mentioned a “hissing” sound which I don’t notice as I have tinnitus so find it really helps cancel out. Now I’ve spent some time adjusting tips and settings the buds are impressive for the price. If I could use buying a smart TV as an analogy I’d assume most consumers would adjust the TV settings to suit their personal preferences,these buds are no different.
Once size doesn’t fit all so play around with them until they work for you.
2 negatives I have are that the buds don’t connect to my phone as easily as other devices I own and I like to wear my buds in bed to listen to audio books or music to help me sleep and the bulbous design makes them uncomfortable to sleep in(I’m a “side” sleeper)

Doesn’t stick out your ear! Looks like a regular headphone, just without the wire.
Sound is excellent
Build quality is excelle

OK, first of all, I am a fan of Anker products, they represent, in my opinion, good value for money and a quality product backed by decent customer service and warranties (fortunately I have never had to use the warranty on the numerous products I have).
I purchased these headphones as a alternative to the elite brand white ones that are almost double the price and whilst I cannot give you a direct comparison as I do not have a set of those, I have compared these to my other wired and wireless headphones I have. All I can say is I am extremely impressed, the sound quality is great in normal mode which I used at home. The SoundCore app allows you to customize the sound and personally preferred the bass boast setting as I did find them a little on the bright side.
I tested them outside today whilst on my daily walk, utilizing the ANC settings, I could not believe the difference. The drone from local factories was completely removed, noise from passing cars reduced dramatically, leaving clear, crisp sound with plenty of bass, simply amazing, I used the active mode.
I was concerned that the headphones would fall out of my ears, but even shaking my head from side to side I they stayed in place and did not lose connection.
All I can say get some, you won’t be disappointed.
More detail.
The headphones once paired required a firmware update, that took a while, as someone else mentioned, just under 10 minutes to completion.

If you are looking for high quality earbuds with noise cancellation and wireless charging that is affordable then look no further, the sound quality is very good with clear, crisp and loud.

There is also Soundcore app which you then gives you access to the customisation that is supported on the earbuds bud such as the hearID which tests your ears and adjusts the sounds each earbud for the optimal sound, and they is also a fit tip test which assists you is choosing to correct silicone tips used with the earbud.

Marking calls with the earbuds are clear and the 6 mics which the earbud have provide clear pickup of you voice.

Intro:
I have numerously contemplated purchasing the well-known APP’s (AirPod Pro) brand but certainly couldn’t justify spending upwards of 200 regardless of how brand loyal I can be. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make a comparison based on both. But I consider that as a benefit as I can review this product as a stand-alone one.

I spent at least a full day researching before finally committing to purchasing, taking advice from numerous independent articles and YouTube reviews as guidance as I have no experience or used any of Anker’s products. They all claimed this particular model was far superior to the AirPods Pro model offering all of the same features, but at half the price, I finally was convinced to try. And If I didn’t like them, then I could return.

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Setup:
The supplied manual is relatively simple to understand, even for the most technophobes. You can download the Soundcore app on both the App Store/Play, allowing you to update firmware and fine-tune your individual needs. HearID, setup only takes a few minutes to complete and overall improves the quality rather than just out the box. Of course, there is also the ability to fine-tune further the EQ and two transparency modes and three of Active Noise Cancellation (transport mode, outdoor mode, and indoor mode.)

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Design:
In general, I struggle to get most buds/earphones to seat comfortably and securely in both ears; even natural movements can usually dislodge, often needing readjustment. Like many people, my left ear is slightly different from my right. There are nine sets included, which I highly appreciate as opposed to the basic S/M/L options. I found the M size fitted well, although the M+ surprisingly provide me with an even more perfect seal and comfort, so it is worth trying a few of the in-between attachments to double-check.
In all honesty, they are remarkably lightweight to the point of feeling a little cheap in hand, although they don’t look at all cheap. The matte pebble sliding case also isn’t the smallest. By that, I mean it won’t fit in the coin pocket on most jeans. I also thought it would be a fingerprint magnet due to being plastic, more so matte that is notoriously common. Of course, there are still the occasional marks here and there, but nowhere near as bad as I was initially expecting. The case interior itself is magnetic; roughly place the earpieces, and the magnets do the rest. In terms of presentation, they have nailed it as it does give that overall “premium” feel, and I wouldn’t be embarrassed to gift. On a side note, the case is unbelievably smooth; I have found it sliding from my hands-on occasions. Hopefully, third parties will make silicon cases for that well needed added grip if Anker doesn’t already have plans to do so.

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Sound:
I am by no means an expert in critiquing sound quality, and after all, this is generally subjective. As just an average Joe and my uneducated ears, even though they are relatively small in size, they sure pack a punch; noise cancellation is impressive, maybe more so as I haven’t used this feature in any wireless earphones. Of course, it’s not going to block out nuclear war. Still, it gives the ability to listen to lower volume levels without disruption, whilst transparency does enable you to be more aware of your surroundings (full/vocal). In comparison, the differences between both are subtle but work well in different scenarios. The transport ANC selection eases vehicle noise, such as the engine’s humming and the tracks clacking. I have used this option on my train commutes, and it did precisely lower the tones if not remove them entirely. It did feel a little strange. I cannot say the bass is fantastic, purely as this means differently to each person and with so many EQ customisations available, it’s hard to state it is precisely that. However, I’m happy with my current profile selection. I would describe MY settings as deep hit gentle punch without overwhelming with a variety of genres.
I also connected them to my smart tv, purely as Bluetooth generally tends to not be fully in sync and can sometimes noticeably lag with visuals that often go unrecognised with only audio. I tested using two popular video streaming services alongside YouTube. The result, clean crisp and consistent vocals throughout. But the main benefit I couldn’t detect any noticeable abnormalities in real-time synchronisation alongside the visual. I’ve had other wireless earphones that were not very good at doing, so being 2-3 seconds off wasn’t very pleasant or enjoyable to use. So I can see myself reaching for these regularly to watch movies. There are 22 available preset EQ’s shown in the video attached, and some make a massive difference, others pretty subtle. My favourite at the moment is lounge. Though the personalised HearID massively improves overall sound, this is determined by the 2-3 minute individual hearing test. So I tend to switch between both of these depending on the genre.

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The App:

I am currently using the Soundcore IOS App, standing at just over 129MB (100MB on Android), so not a tremendous amount of storage is required. But so far, it’s relatively easy to navigate the menus and settings to your preference that you cannot without and also show both earphones current real-time battery bar status. It is worth downloading to get the very best out of the earphones and features. Without it. They are pretty basic function-wise.

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Additional Features:

* Each earpiece can be independently worn. I do this occasionally, even with other earphones, as I’m not fully aware of the volume I speak. After all, no one likes when anyone is unnecessarily raising their voice or feel as though they are shouting. Depending on the transparency mode selected, it isn’t an issue as you are somewhat more conscious of your volume. It’s just habit for me. Doing so also does further boost my battery life significantly but at the sacrifice of some of the touch features. If you wish to, you need to alter them within the app, which I don’t tend to do as it’s a bit of a farce adjusting back and forth.

* Earbuds fast charge (USB–C Wired): 10 minutes got me slightly over the 2-hour mark of audio-only playback, which in its self is massively impressive. I let them almost drain to 5% in total to reach full capacity in 1.5hrs. I used the iOS battery widget to view percentage, as this isn’t available within the app. The case itself takes close to two hours to recharge fully.

* Customisable user touch controls to set preferences for play/pause, next track/previous and volume increase/decrease, and ANC/transparency modes, all within the app.

* The IPX4 isn’t the highest of ratings, but unless you plan to swim or submerge, they are more than sufficient to withstand the usual rain, sweat and small splashes.

* Once the case is slid open, they connect pretty much instantaneously; keeping your devices Bluetooth connection active is required for this. Turning off and on is still possible within your device settings, but it’s just more convenient—it is just a matter of preference.

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Negatives:

* a necessary update was available as of 17.01 “fixing bugs” from 3.07 to 3.11. Though this doesn’t state what bugs exactly, the update took around 10 minutes to complete painfully slow at a file size of only 1.67MB.

* A minor point to me but maybe a significant issue for others is choosing between volume controls/ANC mode or voice assistant alone, not both. I hope that this could be expanded in future firmware updates, giving more user control as double-tap and 2-second hold are the only two available options. Hopefully, This would then allow eventually being completely handsfree.

* I’ve generally never been one for using earphones to take calls. But due to current climates, I have used alongside zoom calls within a reasonably quiet environment, and they hold up respectfully well. However, using it, lets say in a more realistic outdoor scenario with traffic, then clarity does suffer even with six onboard microphones between the two earpieces. Isn’t a full deal-breaker for me as they are predominantly for music use. But if you’re looking to makes calls with absolute crystal clarity, then be mindful that it may not stack up too nicely depending on the environment. In these cases, I have used whilst commuting and have had feedback that it is relatively flat and somewhat monotone. However, I can hear them perfectly fine and with clarity.

* No, muti-connect. Means you cannot connect to an additional device without first disconnecting to a device you are currently using. Not a massive issue for me as I tend to use the majority of the time via smartphone. But could be annoying to those that want an instant connection to multiple devices effortlessly.

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In Conclusion:

All-around, do I regret not parting with an additional 100 to purchasing a brand that I am most loyal to? So far, I am more than happy with them and glad I took that risk and advice for what is essentially the same thing feature-wise. I’d bank on if you are a novice like myself or a fully pledged audiophile, then I’m sure you’d be pretty impressed also, down to the extensive customisations available. A very well deserved four and fully converted Anker fan.

I appreciate having owned and used them for a few days. However, if anything else significant, whether positive or critical, needs to be brought to attention, I will update it periodically.

Hopefully, you have found this somewhat helpful I have tried to include as much as possible of my time and use.

Update:
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As of the end of January, a new firmware update is available from 3.11 to 03.54. This introduced “Tip Fit Test” within the app. Having tried this test with my current M+ tip, this stated it was a “Good Seal” in both ears. I was curious and tried another tip in my right ear that I already knew wasn’t going to be the best fit or comfortable to use (large and Small) both showing as “Bad Seal” I also tried the M used prior. This stated, “good seal” again. It’s just a matter of preference to what feels ultimately more comfortable.
So the feature does seem to work well.
The update was less than 2MB, but as mentioned above in the negative section, this was also painfully slow to complete.

Just received my new blue Liberty Air 2 Pro earbuds this afternoon. They arrived well packaged with power already available in the case and the buds themselves. They were easy to pair, just slide the case open with the headphones in situ. I’m not sure if that’s the correct way, but it worked for me. And I already had the soundcore app on my phone from various other soundcore speakers I own. So the app found them easily once I had paired them with my phone and enables tweeks to the equaliser and NC settings. There were no firmware updates from new. I always check that 1st. So on putting them in my ears with the ready attached silicon cup, they were a good fit and very comfortable. You get another 8 sets of cups of varying sizes in the box, as well as a USB C cable. So firstly with no music on, I started flicking through the NC options via the app. I had absolutely no idea what’s going on. With Noise cancellation active, you get an extra 4 mode’s depending on your location and the frequencies of the annoying sounds. Transport, Indoor, outdoor or custom…the later being adjustable by a volume type knob on the screen which filters different frequencies manually. And honestly, I couldn’t tell any difference between them at 1st. In fact, with NC on, I could barely tell any difference. I wasn’t even sure if it was working. Which is a shame as I had high hopes from the press releases. However, it does work! I’ve had to update this review before it’s release to public Amazon. It turns out I just wasn’t listening with enough background noise around me. I have just played music via my Echo and then tried the NC features. U can really notice the frequencies these cut out as u cycle through the modes. Then you have Transparency mode, which kinda lets you hear the outside world a bit clearer. There are 2 modes for this- everything or voices only. And finally Normal. I compared them to my Sony WF-1000xm3’s and its not a massive difference. In a quiet room, the Sony’s feel like they are cancelling alot more sound as u get the cabin pressure feel. But once there is background noise, these cancel out the frequencies brilliantly and almost as well I’d say, but without the cabin pressure feeling when the room is already quiet. The Sony’s also do an amazing job of noise cancellation and they are only 144 in Costco, which makes them a whopping 14 more than these. Although at the moment you can get 30 off these with a voucher code. However, for sound quality….. These are brilliant. Again, compared to the Sony buds, they are as good if not slightly better & clearer in my opinion. The bass is really clear yet solid, and the mids and highs are great too. It’s easy to tweak the equaliser within the app to your preferred sound, or there are quite a few presets there too. I didn’t count them but they all make noticeable difference to the sound. No matter what the setting or the volume, these never distorted and they go plenty loud enough for anyone who’s not already half deaf. They have similar touch controls to the Sony’s too, which you can also customise in the app. And these seem responsive and reliable. I haven’t yet used them during a phone call, so I can’t comment on the quality of the 6 mics. Also although the case is pretty plasticity and cheap feeling, it does support wireless charging which is useful as well as battery level indicator lights.
So to sum up, if you want an excellent sounding and comfortable pair of earbuds, then you should definitely consider these. I’m sure they’ll be on offer many many times through Amazon . These are brilliant for 100(30 code). Or if you’re a name snob, I’d recommend you consider a trip to Costco with an extra 14 for some of the Sony’s. Although I don’t think the Sony’s are half as comfortable as these soundcores. The Sony actually give me ear fatigue after prolonged wear, and they don’t feel as secure as these Air 2’s either. I think these would be a much safer bet for jogging or anything more active than a walk. I will continue to use these daily to see how they battery life goes. Well recommended.

Not sure if I got a faulty pair or it is the unit and app.
When I used the app I experienced crackling/ interference in the background – it was low level ie I was listening to some quiet music but it was noticeable. I tested with two completely separate devices and in different locations it was a screen or light issue = (same low level noice). When I didn’t use the app it seemed ok – but there is no point having these without the ap – you need the eq and Noise cancelling options. Also beware adding the devise in the app is fiddly (and I have other product so its not the first time). I. The reason Im not giving it one star is the sound quality with the eq options was pretty good and so was the noise cancelling features. But the crackling (maybe a fault) and the niggly install. Not at this price point. Touch controls not so good at the moment – maybe they will upgrade that later.
Finally – historically Im a big Anker fan – got soundcore 2, boost, soundcore mini 3 and Soundcore Motion+ great products. Just think Im going to sit this one out for a while and see what more reviews say – I am returning and will stick with my Tao and Bose earphones.
Hope you have better luck.

Update. Anker Got in contact and sent me another pair to try. Here is what I sent them:
1. I still have the low level noise – its much lower on this pair with the updated app and firm ware but it is there.
2. The sound quality is good but not amazing and the Noise cancelling is average – I prefer to listen to music with noice cancelling switched off.
2. The case is fragile especially the lid -if that breaks – Im potentially left without pairing. ie the headphones are dependent on a cheap case that I feel is fragile in design,
3. You need the app = which is a problem if you want to use it with a pc or mac or other devises you can not use the app.
4. The voice microphone is not great and I wanted to use that with my desktop (see 3. no app) for teams and zoom calls.
5. It wont pair with multiple devises.

Great support from Anker and Im buying their other products (the Anker Boom is amazing) but these earphones – I remain unconvinced. I wont use them.

Update 2 Oct 2021
There have been many firmware updates and I occasionally test them again they are now a lot better now – I still dont use them very often but I will concede they are better in terms of noise cancelling background sound I dont hear it. Also the price has dropped. I have therefore updated my score to a 3. I think they are ok for the money but not exceptional value.

8th October 2021
I just enable LDAC and was surprised by the increased detail when streaming lossless music. Even when streaming compressed files it really made a difference. Im upgrading from a 3 to a 4 star review. Still a few issues – case, price. Note: to my knowledge – LDAC does not work on Apple devices.

Not sure if I got a faulty pair or it is the unit and app.
When I used the app I experienced crackling/ interference in the background – it was low level ie I was listening to some quiet music but it was noticeable. I tested with two completely separate devices and in different locations it was a screen or light issue = (same low level noice). When I didn’t use the app it seemed ok – but there is no point having these without the ap – you need the eq and Noise cancelling options. Also beware adding the devise in the app is fiddly (and I have other product so its not the first time). I. The reason Im not giving it one star is the sound quality with the eq options was pretty good and so was the noise cancelling features. But the crackling (maybe a fault) and the niggly install. Not at this price point. Touch controls not so good at the moment – maybe they will upgrade that later.
Finally – historically Im a big Anker fan – got soundcore 2, boost, soundcore mini 3 and Soundcore Motion+ great products. Just think Im going to sit this one out for a while and see what more reviews say – I am returning and will stick with my Tao and Bose earphones.
Hope you have better luck.

Update. Anker Got in contact and sent me another pair to try. Here is what I sent them:
1. I still have the low level noise – its much lower on this pair with the updated app and firm ware but it is there.
2. The sound quality is good but not amazing and the Noise cancelling is average – I prefer to listen to music with noice cancelling switched off.
2. The case is fragile especially the lid -if that breaks – Im potentially left without pairing. ie the headphones are dependent on a cheap case that I feel is fragile in design,
3. You need the app = which is a problem if you want to use it with a pc or mac or other devises you can not use the app.
4. The voice microphone is not great and I wanted to use that with my desktop (see 3. no app) for teams and zoom calls.
5. It wont pair with multiple devises.

Great support from Anker and Im buying their other products (the Anker Boom is amazing) but these earphones – I remain unconvinced. I wont use them.

Update 2 Oct 2021
There have been many firmware updates and I occasionally test them again they are now a lot better now – I still dont use them very often but I will concede they are better in terms of noise cancelling background sound I dont hear it. Also the price has dropped. I have therefore updated my score to a 3. I think they are ok for the money but not exceptional value.

8th October 2021
I just enable LDAC and was surprised by the increased detail when streaming lossless music. Even when streaming compressed files it really made a difference. Im upgrading from a 3 to a 4 star review. Still a few issues – case, price. Note: to my knowledge – LDAC does not work on Apple devices.