Anker's New Liberty 5 Pro Series Earbuds Are All-Around Great, but Do One Thing Incredibly Well
Key takeaways
- Aside from their color options, the buds themselves are identical across both models.
- Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2026
- While they come in different color options, the buds are the same for both models and have identical performance.
When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance. Read more on: How we test Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro $170 at Amazon Pros Comfortable, secure fit with different-sized eartips and fins included Very good sound with much improved noise-canceling performance Great voice-calling performance Robust feature set Small touchscreen built into case Built-in voice commands Cons Earbuds are a little beefy and stick out of your ears more than some lower-profile buds Charging case is a little heavy Touchscreen is a tad small 9 / 10 Score Cnet Score CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance. Read more on: How we test Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max $230 at Amazon Pros Comfortable, secure fit with different-sized eartips and fins included Very good sound with much improved noise-canceling performance Great voice-calling performance Robust feature set An AMOLED touchscreen is built into the case along with a microphone Case doubles as AI notetaker Built-in voice commands Cons Somewhat pricey Earbuds are a little beefy and stick out of your ears more than some lower-profile buds Case is a little heavy (it's heavier than the Liberty 5 Pro's case) Table of Contents Anker's New Liberty 5 Pro Series Earbuds Are All-Around Great, but Do One Thing Incredibly Well Anker Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max Design Anker Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max features Improved noise-canceling performance Anker Liberty 5 Pro, Pro Max sound quality Outstanding voice-calling performance Anker Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max final thoughts 2026 Over the years, Anker Soundcore audio products have attracted a loyal following largely because they are good lower-cost alternatives to pricier offerings from premium brands like Apple, Bose and Sony. That said, I've felt Anker's earbuds have been a little disappointing the last few generations as they've failed to progress in a significant way and maybe even regressed in some cases. That's finally changed with its new Liberty 5 Pro ($170) and flagship Liberty 5 Pro Max ($230) earbuds, both of which are powered by a new AI chip developed by Anker. Not only does that new chip improve performance across the board, but the buds' voice-calling performance is truly top-notch.
Aside from their color options, the buds themselves are identical across both models. However, they have different charging cases. While both the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max have a touchscreen built into their cases, the Max's 1.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen is larger than the standard Pro's, and its case doubles as a voice recorder (AI Notetaker) with a built-in microphone. Not everybody needs that extra feature, and the case for the Max is slightly bigger and heavier, too, so I've awarded a CNET Editors' Choice to the more affordable Liberty 5 Pro. But the Liberty 5 Pro Max is also recommendable.
Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2026