Sound Quality

The Soundcore Liberty 4 continue to improve in the already great sound quality of the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro. The Liberty 4 earbuds feature a new ACAA 3.0 coaxial acoustic system that further pushes the bass and continues to enhance the mids and highs.

Will us regular, non-audiophiles users notice a huge difference between the Liberty 4 and the Liberty Air 2 Pro? Probably not. However, I believe everyone can appreciate what Soundcore is doing in tweaking the sound quality for the better year after year and releasing high quality sound for less than what the larger names charge.

Upon first listen, I was surprised that the bass wasn’t initially as strong as I expected (perhaps I’m spoiled by the strong-by-default bass of the Soundcore Sport X10). However, switching on the “Bass Booster” equalizer in the Soundcore app quickly resolved the bass for me, and I’m assuming that Soundcore has backed off on the bass a little by default to give users a choice of some bass or a lot of bass.

Whether you’re an audiophile or not, you’ll find a plethora of tweaks inside the Soundcore app, including many pre-built EQ customizations, the ability to create your own Custom EQ, Soundcore’s personalized HearID feature (which is based on your individual hearing profile), and the new 360° Immersive Spatial Audio.

The 360° Immersive Spatial Audio creates further separation in your music, creating a sort of “3D” effect. You can also switch on “head tracking” mode, available for both music and movie watching, that makes it seem as if the sound is always coming from the direction of your phone as you move your head around. It’s a cool effect and it initially tricked me into thinking I wasn’t wearing the headphones at all.

Active Noise Cancellation in the Liberty 4

One of the key features of the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro was the ability to switch on Active Noise Cancellation without affecting the sound quality of your music, which is something that happens with many other noise cancelling earbuds. Soundcore has successfully maintained that feature in the Liberty 4.

I used my white noise machines turned at almost maximum volume to simulate the sound of the airplane and the Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds automatically set the Active Noise Cancellation to “high” and effectively removed most of the noise. I could still hear a little bit of the sound, but I was still able to listen to music and podcasts at a much more comfortable volume. As is typical with earbuds this size, they’re not able to block as much noise as larger headphones that cover your entire year. However, given the size and portability of the Liberty 4 earbuds, they are an effective alternative to packing larger headphones and should be more than adequate for most travelers.

Like the Liberty 3 Pro earbuds, the Soundcore Liberty 4 have HearID ANC which only cranks up the levels of Active Noise Cancellation when it’s needed in noisy environments. In more quiet settings, the Active Noise Cancellation level is lowered to provide more comfortable prolong where by reducing the “ear pressure” effect. Using the Soundcore app, you can manually adjust the levels of Active Noise Cancellation if it is not high enough.

The Active Noise Cancellation is most effective against constant, low frequencies “hums” like airplanes and lawn mowers. It is less effective against higher frequencies such as television, blaring music, and yippee dogs, but still counteract the sound considerably. This isn’t an issue unique to the Liberty 4; many other truly wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation have similar results.

The Soundcore Liberty 4 also include “Transparency Mode” which allows you to hear what is going on around you without removing the earbuds. There are two modes: “full transparency” and “vocal”, which gives priority to the frequencies of human speech to allow it to come through clearer in noisy environments. This works well, but it’s not quite on the level as the Apple AirPods Pro, which seems to do a better job of making your surroundings sound more natural.

Design

Soundcore has shrunk the Liberty 4 even further thanks to their Astria Coaxial Acoustic Architecture v3.0. This results in a much smaller design compared to the Liberty Air 2 Pro earbuds.

Even the case is smaller, and it maintains the same, cool sliding door on top. When you slide the door open, the earbuds power on and start pairing with your phone. By the time you put them in your ear, they’re probably already paired to your phone.

Inside the case, you” find two white LEDs under the Liberty 4 earbuds that illuminates the ear tips. This looks very cool, and it makes it easier to grab the earbuds in the dark.

The earbuds themselves sport a shiny exterior with gold-colored ear tips, similar to the Liberty 3 Pro earbuds. I found the out-of-the-box “medium” fittings to be fine for me, but there are several other ear tips and wings to play around with if you do not find them comfortable at first. There is a “fit test” feature in the Soundcore app they can perform a sound test to make sure you’ve selected the correct tips for your ears.

Heart Rate Monitor on Liberty 4

The Soundcore Liberty 4 have a built-in heart rate monitor. It only works with the Soundcore app as there does not appear to be any integrations with Apple HealthKit or other 3rd-party services at this time.

You can use the Soundcore app to record an activity (like a run or a walk) and review it at the end. This feature was in beta at the time of this review and may be tweaked in the future.

Soundcore Liberty 4 Features

• Active Noise Cancellation: As noted earlier, the Liberty 4 earbuds include Active Noise Cancellation that can be controlled either within the Soundcore app, or configured as a touch button press on either earbud (be default, holding down either earbud for 2 seconds will cycle between Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes).
• Hear ID for Active Noise Cancellation: The Soundcore app can test the earbuds in a noisy environment and determine the best way to counteract the sounds around you by comparing the sound on the external mics and the internal mics. Hear ID also offers a “comfort mode” that will keep adjusting the level of noise cancellation to help reduce the feeling of air pressure.
• Transparency Mode: This feature allows you to hear what is going on around you without removing the earbuds. The Liberty 4 earbuds include both “fully transparent” and “vocal” modes, but unfortunately lack the “adaptive” Transparency Mode on the new Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation.
• LDAC: If you have a phone that supports the LDAC format (currently limited to certain Android phones), you can enjoy the high quality sound of this format on the Liberty 4.
• Auto-pause: When you remove either earbud, your music is automatically paused and it resumes when you put the earbud back in.

• Multi-point connection: You can pair the Soundcore Liberty 4 to 2 Bluetooth devices at the same time. I’ve tested this out by pairing the earbuds to my phone and my laptop and I was able to stream music from phone and the Liberty 4 earbuds automatically switched to my laptop when I had an incoming Teams call.
• Noise-cancelling microphones: The Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds have 6 microphones to help with noise cancelling during phone calls. In my sample calls, the microphones seem to perform very well, even in wind. You can listen to the mic test in my video review below.
• IPX4 water resistant rating: This rating means that the earbuds are resistant to splashing of water, but not for submersion in water. You’ll still want to wipe them down with a slightly damp cloth after a workout because sweat can be more corrosive than water.
• Customizable button presses: Like the AirPod Pros, the Liberty 4 earbuds are controlled by squeezing the stems. You can customize these controls in the Soundcore app.
• Single earbud use: You can use either earbud by itself which is convenient when you need to hear what’s going on with your other ear.

Battery and Charging

The Soundcore Liberty 4 can achieve up to 9 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation turned off (7 hours with it turned on). With the charging case, you can get up to 28 hours of non-ANC playback before you need to charge the case as well.

The charging case can be charged with a USB-C cable or a wireless Qi charger.

Video Review of the Soundcore Liberty 4

soundcore by Anker Liberty 4, Noise Cancelling Earbuds, True Wireless Earbuds with ACAA 3.0, Dual...

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Sound Quality

We saw a big leap forward in sound quality for Soundcore with the Liberty 2 Pro, thanks in part to their Astria Coaxial Acoustic Architecture (ACAA). This allows Soundcore to deliver a wider soundstage and greater detail in your music.

Soundcore has improved this even further in the 2nd generation of their ACAA that is included in the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds. This brings even more detail and less distortion in sound to push the sound quality even further.

How does this work in the real world? I’m not an audiophile, but I did listen carefully between the Liberty 2 Pro and Liberty 3 Pro and could notice a slightly stronger bass and more separation in the sound, but unless I was specifically listening for it, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. So I’m sure audiophiles will appreciate the new architecture and improved sound performance, but for the casual listener, you will likely be perfectly content with the Liberty 2 Pro.

At any rate, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds sound amazing, and the Soundcore app allows you to tweak the equalizer settings as you see fit. Soundcore Hear ID feature is also included with these earbuds, which will perform a sort of “hearing test” with you and adjust the sound quality to be fine-tuned to your ears.

While the earbuds performed very well, I did notice an occasional Bluetooth interruption, especially when near my router. This makes sense since WiFi and Bluetooth can use the same frequency, but it seemed to occur in areas where it did not occur on my Apple AirPods Pro.

Active Noise Cancellation in the Liberty 3 Pro

One of the biggest new features — and probably the main reason to upgrade from the Liberty 2 Pro — is the inclusion of Active Noise Cancellation in the Liberty 3 Pro earbuds. This allows you to block out the outside world and listen to your music and podcasts at a comfortable volume.

I tested this feature by turning up my white noise machine close to its max volume to help simulate the “hum” of an airplane. While it did not completely eliminate the sound of my white noise machine (and, to be fair, nor did my Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones), it reduced it by probably about 70-80% so that I could listen to my music without cranking up the volume to compensate. I found the performance to be similar to my Apple AirPods Pro. The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II headphones did a slightly better job an eliminating the sound, but they are much larger in size and fit over the whole ear. As a compact “on-the-go” option, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds do a great job with Active Noise Cancellation and can easily fit in your pocket.

Soundcore takes Active Noise Cancellation a step further by implementing their Hear ID technology to adjust the Active Noise Cancellation to your environment. Again, the Hear ID performs a sort of “hearing test” to gauge the sound outside of your ears against the sound making it into your ear canal, and suggests an Active Noise Cancellation mode to offset it.

Soundcore has included a “Transparency Mode” feature that allows you to hear what is going on around you without removing the earbuds. This works well, but it’s not quite as natural sounding when compared to my Apple AirPods Pro. However, I’m still able to have a conversation without needing to remove the earbuds.

Design

Thanks to Astria Coaxial Acoustic Architecture v2.0, Soundcore has reduced the size of the sound components by about 33%, resulting in an even more streamlined earbud. The Liberty 3 Pro earbuds are a little smaller than the Liberty 2 Pro and, in turn, the case is more compact as well.

I’m glad Soundcore kept the same “slide” design on the case. When you slide the door open, the earbuds power on and start pairing with your phone. By the time you put them in your ear, they’re probably already paired to your phone.

Inside the case, there are two white LEDs under the Liberty 3 Pro earbuds that create a cool lighting effect. This also makes it easier to grab the earbuds in the dark.

The earbuds themselves sport a shinier exterior with gold-colored ear tips. There is no “stem” on the earbuds which makes them a little more discreet than the Apple AirPods. I found the out-of-the-box fittings to be fine for me, but there are several other ear tips and wings to play around with if you do not find them comfortable at first.

Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Features

• Active Noise Cancellation: As noted earlier, the Liberty Pro 3 earbuds include Active Noise Cancellation that can be controlled either within the Soundcore app, or configured as a touch button press on either earbud (be default, holding down either earbud for 2 seconds will cycle between Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes).
• Hear ID for Active Noise Cancellation: The Soundcore app can test the earbuds in a noisy environment and determine the best way to counteract the sounds around you by comparing the sound on the external mics and the internal mics. Hear ID also offers a “comfort mode” that will keep adjusting the level of noise cancellation to help reduce the feeling of air pressure.
• Transparency Mode: This feature allows you to hear what is going on around you without removing the earbuds.
• LDAC: If you have a phone that supports the LDAC format (currently limited to certain Android phones), you can enjoy the high quality sound of this format on the Liberty 3 Pro.
• Auto-pause: When you remove either earbud, your music is automatically paused and it resumes when you put the earbud back in.

• Multi-point connection: You can pair the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro to 2 Bluetooth devices at the same time, which is handy if you’re using one device for music and a different device for calls.
• Noise-cancelling microphones: The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros now have 6 microphones (up from 4 on the Liberty 2 Pro) to help with noise cancelling during phone calls. In my sample calls, the microphones seem to perform very well. You can listen to a comparison in my video review below.
• IPX4 water resistant rating: This rating means that the earbuds are resistant to splashing of water, but not for submersion in water. You’ll still want to wipe them down with a slightly damp cloth after a workout because sweat can be more corrosive than water.
• Customizable button presses: While the earphones will always play/pause with a single tap of the small button located on each earbud, you can customize the double-tap and the 1-second hold to either adjust the volume, rewind/skip tracks, or summon your phone’s voice assistant. This can be configured in the Soundcore app but, unfortunately, the setting is not retained when pairing your earbuds to another phone.
• Single earbud use: You can use either earbud by itself which is convenient when you need to hear what’s going on with your other ear.

Battery and Charging

The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro can achieve up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation turned off. With the charging case, you can get up to 32 hours of playback before you need to charge the case as well.

The charging case can be charged with a USB-C cable or a wireless Qi charger.

Video Review of the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro

Soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds, True Wireless Earbuds with ACAA 2.0,...

Soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds, True Wireless Earbuds with ACAA 2.0,...

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Like the previous Soundcore Life headphones, the Soundcore Life Q35 have an over-the-ear design with large, comfortable ear-cups. They’re also available in a new blue color.

The Life Q35 headphones are mostly plastic, but there is a metal sheet in the padded headband that feels comfortable as it rests on top of my head.

The ear-cups are soft and I’ve found them comfortable when wearing them for extended periods of time. However, like many headphones in this style, there is little “breathability” for your ears and can result in the “ear sweats” over time.

Soundcore Life Q20 vs Q30 vs Q35

The Soundcore Life Q35 model is very similar to the Q30, however the Q35 add two new features:

• Auto-pause when the headphones are removed
• Sony LDAC support for CD-like sound quality

See the following comparison chart for more details.

Performance

The sound quality on the Soundcore Life Q35 headphones is similar to the Q20, but with stronger bass. And since you can customize the equalizer with the Soundcore app, the Q35 have a definite advantage over the Q20 in terms of sound quality.

Active Noise Cancellation can be enabled with a button press or through the Soundcore app, There are three modes to choose from to adapt to your environment: Transport, Indoor and Outdoor.

I was able to put them to the test as my neighbor was having some landscaping done while I was working from home. The Soundcore Life Q35 did a great job of drowning out the tractor noise. Noise Cancellation seems to work best if you’re playing music, even if it is a low volume.

Bluetooth range was also impressive, as I was able to walk around my house with my iPhone in a different room and I didn’t notice any blips until I got about 50 feet away indoors.

Soundcore Life Q35 vs Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II

While the Active Noise Cancellation on the Q35 is very good, it’s a hair lower than the level of noise cancellation available on the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II. However, it is still very effective and the Soundcore Life Q35 can save you some serious cash over the Bose brand.

Features

• Auto-Pause: There is a sensor in the right ear-cup that automatically pauses the music when you remove the headphones.
• Sony LDAC sound quality: This gives you CD-like sound quality via Bluetooth if you have a phone that also supports LDAC (which is limited to certain Android phones at the time of this review).
• Soundcore app compatibility: You can use the Soundcore app to customize the equalizer as well as select from 3 different modes of Active Noise Cancellation. The app can also be used for firmware updates.
• One tap transparency mode: You can lightly press on the right ear-cup for one second to quickly turn on transparency mode. This is useful for quick conversations.
• AUX cable with microphone: The included AUX cable has an inline microphone, which can help if you have trouble using Bluetooth with your computer.
• Hard case included: Many headphones no longer include a hard case, but the Soundcore Life Q35 includes a nice case (which has a diagram printed inside to show you how to properly fold the headphones for storage).

Battery Life

The Soundcore Life Q35s last up to 60 hours in “normal” mode and up to 40 hours with the Active Noise Cancellation feature turned on. The headphones use a USB-C port for recharging.

Video Review

Soundcore by Anker Life Q35 Multi Mode Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones...

Soundcore by Anker Life Q35 Multi Mode Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones...

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TaoTronics is continuing their line of truly wireless earbuds with the open-air “AirPod” design with their latest Bluetooth headphones: the SoundLiberty 80. These fit my ears well and allow me to hear things around me, such as my co-workers while at work or traffic while I’m outside. They do not “seal” to your ear canal like many earbuds.

The stem on the SoundLiberty 80 is longer and “point-ier” than you’ll find on the Apple AirPods, but the earbuds are still very lightweight and I often forget I’m wearing them. The stem of the SoundLiberty 80 earbuds features a metallic blue-to-green finish they give them a unique look.

Performance

Like the other earbuds in the TaoTronics SoundLiberty lineup, the SoundLiberty 80 have great sound quality which is just a hair under the quality of the Apple AirPods. However, since they cost way less than the Apple AirPods, most people won’t mind the small difference in sound quality. Mids and highs come through clear and bass is good, too. If your phone supports aptX technology, you’ll be happy to find that the SoundLiberty 80 supports it.

The Bluetooth connection has been stable for me, allowing me to leave my phone in one room while I walk into another room. And like most truly wireless earbuds, including the AirPods, there are occasional blips between the left and right earbuds. It is not very frequent and doesn’t distract from my enjoyment of the music.

Features

• Voice activation: This is the first time I’ve seen this feature in TaoTronics’ SoundLiberty earbuds. By saying “Hey TT,” you can activate the voice assistant on your phone. For example, when I say “Hey TT,” I hear the familiar Siri tone and can then give commands like “play music” or “turn the volume up”.
• aptX Codec Support: If your phone supports this high quality codec, you’ll happy to know that these earbuds support it as well. The earbuds also support the high quality AAC codec for iPhone users.
• Noise Cancellation for the Mics: This earbuds do not have Active Noise Cancellation for blocking outside noises when listening, but for phone calls, the microphones can help filter out background sounds and focus on your voice. These earbuds do not seem to specifically contain “cVc 8.0” technology, but whatever technology TaoTronics is using in these earbuds still seems to be effective in my tests
• IPX8 water resistance: These earbuds should survive immersion in water, but remember that the charging case should not be subjected to any liquids.
• Touch and swipe controls: The longer stem on the SoundLiberty 80 earbuds allows for several swipe gestures. You can swipe up and down on the right earbud to adjust the volume. You can fast-forward and rewind tracks by swiping up and down on the left earbud. You can play and pause your music by double-tapping on either earbud.
• Splash-proof: These earbuds don’t have a formal IP water-resistance rating, but the earbuds do have a nano-coating to help resist light splashes and sweat.
• Single earbud use: While not as seamless as with the Apple AirPods, you can leave one earbud in the charging case while listening on the other earbud.
• USB-C charging port: I’m happy to see that TaoTronics has ditched Micro USB in favor of the more modern USB-C standard.

Battery Life

The earbuds can last up to 4 hours before needing to be returned to the charging case. The charging case provides up to 4 additional charges, giving you almost a day’s worth (20 hours total) of listening time before the case needs to be recharged.

The case can be recharged with a USB-C cable, but does not support wireless Qi charging.

Wireless Earbuds TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds with AI Noise Canceling Mic,...

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The TaoTronics SoundLiberty 97 true wireless earbuds are smaller than many other earbuds of this style. They seal to the ear canal and passively block outside sounds. The earbuds are very lightweight, making them ideal for wearing for prolonged periods of time.

Performance

The TaoTronics SoundLiberty 97 have great sound quality, but they’re not quite up there with the Apple AirPods. However, at a fraction of the price, I think most people will be happy with the performance of the SoundLiberty 97 earbuds. Mids and highs come through clear and bass is good as these seal to your ear canal. As these are smaller than some similarly designed earbuds, you do need to make sure to push them far enough into your ear for the best sound quality. If your phone supports aptX technology, you’ll be happy to find that the SoundLiberty 97 support it for enhanced audio quality.

The Bluetooth connection was also very stable for me, allowing me to walk to another room in the house while my phone was in another. Like most truly wireless earbuds (AirPods included), there are occasional blips between the left and right earbuds, but it is very infrequent and doesn’t distract from my enjoyment of the music.

Features

• aptX Codec Support: If your phone supports this high quality codec, you’ll happy to know that these earbuds support it as well. The earbuds also support the high quality AAC codec for iPhone users.
• cVc 8.0 Noise Cancellation for the Mics: This earbuds do not have Active Noise Cancellation for blocking outside noises when listening, but for phone calls, the microphones can help filter out background sounds and focus on your voice thanks to the cVc 8.0 technology.
• Touch controls: You can play/pause your music by double-tapping either earbud. You can rewind and skip tracks by triple-tapping the left and right earbuds, respectively. You can also adjust the volume by single-tapping the right earbud to increase the volume, or by single-tapping the left earbud to decrease the volume.
• IPX8 water resistance: These earbuds should survive immersion in water, but remember that the charging case should not be subjected to any liquids.
• Single earbud use: While not as seamless as with the Apple AirPods, you can leave one earbud in the charging case and manually pair the active earbud to your phone. By default, your phone will pair to the left earbud, but you can manually pair the right earbud if you prefer.
• USB-C charging port: I’m happy to see that TaoTronics has ditched Micro USB in favor of the more modern USB-C standard.

Battery Life

The earbuds can last up to 9 hours before needing to be returned to the charging case. The charging case provides up to 3 additional charges, giving you more than a day’s worth (up to 29 hours total) of listening time before the case needs to be recharged.

The case can be recharged with a USB-C cable, but does not support wireless Qi charging.

Wireless Earbuds, TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones Soundliberty 97 True Wireless Earphones...

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The thing I like most about TaoTronics’ latest line of SoundLiberty earbuds are the fact that they have an “open air” design similar to the original AirPods. These fit my ears well and allow me to hear things around me, such as my co-workers while at work or traffic while I’m outside. They do not “seal” to your ear canal like many earbuds.

The stem on the SoundLiberty 95 is a little thicker than you’ll find on the Apple AirPods, but the earbuds are still very lightweight and I often forget I’m wearing them.

Performance

Like the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 92 and 88, the SoundLiberty 95 have great sound quality which is just a hair under the quality of the Apple AirPods. However, at a fraction of the price, I think most people will be more than satisfied with the performance of the SoundLiberty 95 earbuds.Mids and highs come through clear and bass is adequate. If your phone supports aptX technology, you’ll be happy to find that the SoundLiberty 95 support it.

The Bluetooth connection was also very stable for me, allowing me to walk to another room in the house while my phone was in another. Like most truly wireless earbuds (AirPods included), there are occasional blips between the left and right earbuds, but it is very infrequent and doesn’t distract from my enjoyment of the music.

Features

• aptX Codec Support: If your phone supports this high quality codec, you’ll happy to know that these earbuds support it as well. The earbuds also support the high quality AAC codec for iPhone users.
• cVc 8.0 Noise Cancellation for the Mics: This earbuds do not have Active Noise Cancellation for blocking outside noises when listening, but for phone calls, the microphones can help filter out background sounds and focus on your voice thanks to the cVc 8.0 technology. Below is a sample recording comparing the SoundLiberty 92 (with no noise cancellation) and SoundLiberty 95 (with noise cancellation). You can hear that the background sound of the fan is eliminated with the SoundLiberty 95.

• Touch controls: You can play/pause your music by double-tapping the right earbud. You can rewind and skip tracks by tripple-tapping the left and right earbuds, respectively. Unfortunately, the volume cannot be controlled by tapping the earbuds (you’ll need to use your phone’s volume controls).
• Splash-proof: These earbuds don’t have a formal IP water-resistance rating, but the earbuds do have a nano-coating to help resist light splashes and sweat.
• Single earbud use: While not as seamless as with the Apple AirPods, you can leave one earbud in the charging case and manually pair the active earbud to your phone. By default, your phone will pair to the left earbud, but you can manually pair the right earbud if you prefer.
• USB-C charging port: I’m happy to see that TaoTronics has ditched Micro USB in favor of the more modern USB-C standard.

Battery Life

The earbuds can last up to 7 hours before needing to be returned to the charging case. The charging case provides up to 3 additional charges, giving you more than a day’s worth (28 hours total) of listening time before the case needs to be recharged.

The case can be recharged with a USB-C cable, but does not support wireless Qi charging.

Wireless Earbuds TaoTronics SoundLiberty 95 True Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX Codec...

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Typically, headphones with active noise cancellation are the large, over-the-ear types that can take up a good bit of space in your carry-on. TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 are truly wireless earbuds that incorporate this technology at a fraction of the size.

From the outside, the SoundLiberty 94 earbuds look like many other truly wireless earbuds such as the EarFun Free and the Soundcore Liberty. The addition of the active noise cancellation technology has not seemed to increase the size of the earbuds. The earbuds fit comfortably inside my ears, but as these “seal” into your ear canal, I find they do fatigue my ears after an hour or so which is common for me with these types of earbuds.

The earbuds are all black with no physical buttons (touch sensors only). There are two other sizes of ear tips included in the packaging so you can be sure to get the ideal fit for your ears. There are no “wings” or stabilizers, so these earbuds are OK for gym workouts but may work themselves loose during more vigorous exercise such as running.

Performance

The sound quality of the earbuds is very good, with strong bass and great mids and highs. If you’re buying these earbuds on sound quality alone, you should not be disappointed.

The active noise cancellation works, but it is not quite as effective as the noise cancellation you would find on much more expensive headphones such as the Bose QuietComfort 35 or the Sony WH-1000XM4. However, the design of the earbuds themselves provides some passive noise cancellation as they seal to your ear canal and naturally block most sounds. The active noise cancellation feature further offsets the outside world, but it is most effective for more “constant” sounds such as the hum of an airplane or the whir of a mower. It is less effective for more “sharp” sounds such as someone yelling or a baby crying.

However, the active noise cancellation works well enough that you can listen to your music or your podcast at a more comfortable level without needing to turn up the volume to simply overcome the external sounds. And at a fraction of the size of most noise-canceling headphones, the SoundLiberty 94 earphones hardly take up any space in your bag.

I’ve been using these earbuds while on my riding mower and found the noise cancellation to be almost as effective as some of the over-the-ear headphones I have, such as the TaoTronic Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones.

Features

• Ambient Mode: One of my favorite features of these earbuds is “ambient mode,” which allows you to hear outside sounds without needing to remove the earbuds. This is not simply turning Active Noise Cancellation on and off: it actually uses the microphones on the earbuds to relay the sounds to you. Just a double-tap on the left earbud enables and disables this feature and allows you to answer a quick question from a coworker or hear an announcement over a PA system.
• Single Earbud Use: Like the AirPods, you can use both or just one SoundLiberty 94 earbud. You can use either the left earbud or the right earbuds by simply placing the unused earbud back in the charging case and closing the lid.
• Touch controls: You can tap on the earbuds to control the volume, answer calls, and skip tracks. I found that there is a bit of a delay between my tap and the unit responding, so I ended up tapping more times than I intended. What I really like about the touch controls is that a single tap adjust the volume, so if you touch them by accident, you’re only changing the volume slightly (and not skipping tracks).
• Water-resistant: These earbuds are not as water resistant as some of TaoTronics other earbuds geared towards sports and running. However, the SoundLiberty 94 earbuds are rated at an IPX5 level, meaning they can occasionally get wet up to the pressure of a light water jet, but they are not meant for submersion in water. I’ve been wearing them while mowing in the hot summer sun and my sweat has not appeared to cause any issues, but I am careful to wipe them with a damp cloth afterwards.

Bluetooth Range

The SoundLiberty 94 earphones feature Bluetooth 5.1 technology (which is backwards compatible with older Bluetooth versions, so don’t fret if your phone doesn’t have the latest version of Bluetooth). The SoundLiberty 94 earbuds will work up to 50 feet away from your phone line-of-sight, however I find I’m able to walk around most of home with only minor hiccups in the sound quality.

Battery Life

The earbuds themselves can last up to 8 hours with the Active Noise Cancellation feature turned off. The charging case can provide up to 3 additional charges, providing a total up to 32 hours of playback before you need to find a wall outlet to recharge the case.

The charging case can be recharged with USB-C, but does not feature wireless Qi charging.

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My favorite design feature of the SoundLiberty 88 is the same thing I like about the SoundLiberty 92: the earbuds do not “seal” to your ear canal, similar to the original Apple AirPods. This allows you to hear what is going on around you, making them ideal for running near traffic or even at the office when you need to know when a co-worker is trying to get your attention.

And while the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88 earbuds share a similar design to the AirPods, the stems are a little thicker (but don’t have the “notch” like the SoundLiberty 92). They SoundLiberty 88 earbuds are still very lightweight and I find them comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Performance

Like the SoundLiberty 92 earbuds, the SoundLiberty 88 earbuds don’t quite reach the sound quality levels of the Apple AirPods. Does that mean they sound bad? Not at all! Music is still very enjoyable on the SoundLiberty 88 headphones with great mids and highs.

Typically with these “open-air” earbuds, you miss out on a strong bass response that comes with the earbuds that “seal” into your ear canal. Accordingly, the SoundLiberty 88 earphones don’t have as much bass as some other earbuds and just a tad less bass than the SoundLiberty 92. You still get a decent bass response, just not quite as strong as the AirPods.

Features

• Single Earbud Use: Like the AirPods, you can use both or just one SoundLiberty 88 earbud. You can use either the left earbud or the right earbuds by simply placing the unused earbud back in the charging case and closing the lid.
• Ear Detection: Taking either earbud out of your ear automatically pauses the music (and automatically resumes the music when you place the earbud back in your ear).
• Touch controls: There are no physical buttons on the SoundLiberty 88 earbuds. Instead, each earbud has a touch sensor that allows you to quickly play and pause your music or adjust the volume.
• Water-resistant: The IPX8 rating on the earbuds means that they can be submerged in water temporarily, so they would be fine for sweaty runs and gym workouts. It’s still not a bad idea to wipe them down with a damp cloth afterward as sweat can be corrosive. It’s important to note that the charging case is not water-resistant.

Differences Between SoundLiberty 88 vs 92

The main difference between the SoundLiberty 88 and the SoundLiberty 92 is that the 88’s microphones have noise cancellation technology. This makes the SoundLiberty 88’s ideal for phone calls as it helps to filter out background noise such as fans running, conversations, etc. Please note that this is not the same as “Active Noise Cancellation” which prevents you from hearing outside sounds.

Below is a sample microphone recording between the SoundLiberty 92 and the 88. Notice that the recording of the 88 virtually eliminates the background hiss.

Battery Life

The earbuds themselves can last up to 5 hours. The charging case can provide 4 additional charges, providing a total up to 25 hours of playback before you need to find a wall outlet to recharge the case.

The charging case can be recharged with USB-C, but does not feature wireless Qi charging.

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The over-the-ear design of the SoundCore Life Q20 resembles a similar design as the Bose QuietComfort line of headphones, although at a slighter larger size.

The Life Q20 headphones are mostly plastic, but there is a metal sheet in the headband that neither makes the headphones too tight or too loose on my head. The headband also has some extra cushioning so they rest comfortably on the top of my head.

The ear-cups are soft and I’ve found them comfortable when wearing them for extended periods of time. However, like many headphones in this style, there is little “breathability” for your ears and can result in the “ear sweats” over time.

What’s new since the Soundcore Life 2 headphones?

If you’ve been following the Soundcore brand, you may notices the the Life Q20 closely resembles the Life 2. So what’s new?

The Soundcore Life Q20 now uses 4 microphones (compared to 2 microphones on the Life 2) for the Active Noise Cancellation system. On each ear cup, there is now a microphone on both the inside and the outside to help the system “hear” what the listener can hear and what the listener can’t hear to further improve the Active Noise Cancellation system’s effectiveness.

Performance

As is typical with Soundcore’s products, the sound quality on the Soundcore Life Q20 headphones is excellent. Bass is strong and mids and highs come through well.

Those who like extra bass can enable the “BassUP” feature by double-pressing the Play button on the right ear cup. However, I found the BassUP feature a little too muddy and overpowers the mids and highs. Even though I like bass, I’m actually happy with the performance when the BassUP feature is off.

One issue I’ve noticed with Active Noise Cancellation enabled is the fluctuation of volume on some songs. It does not seem to occur when Active Noise Cancellation is off, so I’m assuming it is part of the headphone’s system for canceling outside noises. The volume fluctuations are not huge, but I have noticed this on more than one occasion.

Bluetooth range was also impressive, as I was able to walk around my house with my iPhone in a different room and I didn’t notice any blips until I got about 50 feet away indoors.

Compared to the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II

The Soundcore Life Q20 is a contender against the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II. When comparing the Bose QC 35 vs the SoundCore Life Q20, keep the following in mind:

• The noise cancellation on the Soundcore Life Q20 is not quite as effective as the Bose QC 35 II. While the Life Q20 can filter out general “humms” (such as the sound of an airplane or the sound of an air conditioning unit), it’s not as effective against people talking, babies crying or doors slamming.
• The size of the Soundcore Life Q20s is slightly larger than the Bose QC 35.

Features

• Voice prompts: When powering on the headphones, a voice announces the current battery level. The voice also tells you the status of the Active Noise Cancellation system and BassUP settings as you change them. This is a nice change from many of Soundcore’s other products that typically use beeps and sounds that you need to decipher.
• Active Noise Cancellation turns off with power: Some headphones require that the Active Noise Cancellation feature be turned off separate from the power, which has resulted in me forgetting to turn it off and draining the battery. I like that the Active Noise Cancellation automatically turns off with the power.

Battery Life

The Soundcore Life Q20s last up to 60 hours in “normal” mode and up to 30 hours with the Active Noise Cancellation feature turned on. The Life Q20s can be used with a wired AUX connection while off with no battery charge required. The headphones use a Micro USB port for recharging (sorry, no USB-C).

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My favorite design feature of the SoundLiberty 92 is the fact that it does not “seal” to your ear canal, similar to the original Apple AirPods. This allows you to hear what is going on around you, making them ideal for running near traffic or even at the office when you need to know when a co-worker is trying to get your attention.

The TaoTronics SoundLiberty 92 earbuds share a similar design to the AirPods, although the “stems” on the SoundLiberty 92 are noticeably thicker. However, it does not seem to add to the weight of the SoundLiberty 92 earbuds as they are very lightweight and you’ll likely forget you’re even wearing them. I’ve found the SoundLiberty 92 earbuds to be very comfortable to wear for extended periods.

Performance

While the sound quality isn’t quite as good as the Apple AirPods, at a fraction of the price, I wouldn’t say the difference in sound quality justifies the price gap. Most people should be satisfied with the SoundLiberty 92 earbuds (and the extra cash in their pockets).

Typically with these “open-air” earbuds, you miss out on a strong bass response that comes with the earbuds that “seal” into your ear canal. However, with the SoundLiberty 92 earphones, you still get a decent bass response, just not quite as strong as the AirPods. Yet, it still a lot better than I’ve heard on some other earbuds that try to mimic the AirPods’ design.

Phone calls are not bad with these earbuds, but they will pick up external sounds as there are no noise-canceling microphones on the outside of the earbud (as is the case with the AirPods). So while phone calls are fine in a quiet environment, these earbuds would not be ideal for a noisy area.

Features

• Single Earbud Use: Like the AirPods, you can use both or just one SoundLiberty 92 earbud. You can use either the left earbud or the right earbuds by simply placing the unused earbud back in the charging case and closing the lid.
• Touch controls: You can tap on the earbuds to control the volume, answer calls, and skip tracks. I found that there is a bit of a delay between my tap and the unit responding, so I ended up tapping more times than I intended.
• Water-resistant: The IPX8 rating on the earbuds means that they can be submerged in water temporarily, so they would be fine for sweaty runs and gym workouts. It’s important to note that the charging case is not water-resistant.

Battery Life

The earbuds themselves can last up to 5 hours. The charging case can provide 5 additional charges, providing a total up to 30 hours of playback before you need to find a wall outlet to recharge the case.

The charging case can be recharged with USB-C, but does not feature wireless Qi charging.

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