If you love the idea of wireless earbuds for your runs and walks, you’re likely intrigued by Apple’s AirPods. They’re stylish, they have great sound quality and they’re truly wireless. There’s a lot to love about them, except for that tremendous price tag. Coming in at around $160, the AirPods are seriously expensive for being small earbuds that don’t do a great job of blocking out other sounds.
That’s where high-quality alternatives come into play. Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Air come in at the low price of $80, making them literally half the price of Apple’s offering. However, are you getting half the value when you go with Anker, or do the Soundcore Liberty Air earbuds live up to their “Airpod Killer” nickname?
Sound Quality
Of course, one of the first considerations when you’re looking at a pair of earphones is the sound quality. Thankfully, the Soundcore Liberty Air earbuds aren’t lacking on that front. The drivers, though small, pack a ton of punch. The bass levels are rich and smooth, not booming by any stretch but powerful in their own way. Mid-tones sound even and clean, and the higher register is audible even on loud, highly-compressed songs.
One of the biggest strengths of the sound quality of the Soundcore earbuds is that they sport a rubber ear tips, creating a seal with the inside of your ear. This not only helps them stay put when you’re running or jogging, but it also helps them to block out outside sounds and makes the listening experience more encompassing. This is a marked improvement over the AirPods, which don’t do a great job keeping sound out.
Design
If you’re not a huge fan of the “hair dryer” design of the AirPods, you’re likely going to like the look of the Soundcore Liberty Air earphones. They sport a shorter, flat tail, as opposed to the long, cylindrical tail of the AirPods. The back of both earbud is actually totally flat, making these discreet and stylish earbuds. As we mentioned earlier, they sport rubber ear tips that allow them to make a seal with your ear. Not everyone loves this earbud design, but if you do, these are great.
They fit snugly in their charging case, which offers an excellent storage solution while also providing up to an extra three charges. Since each charge lasts around five hours, this means you’ll likely get a solid twenty hours if the earbuds and the charging case are both totally topped off before you leave the house. That’s a lot of juice for these little earbuds, making them a great companion for a commute or a long plane ride.
Minor Quibbles
On the negative side, if you don’t like the rubber ear tips, then you really don’t like them. They’re integral to the sound quality of these earbuds, as getting a good seal is how they deliver their sound. If you can’t get a good seal due to the shape of your ears, then you’re going to find these to be absolutely worthless earphones.
Another small quibble is the charging case: it uses Micro USB instead of USB-C, making it a bit outdated in that regard. It also means the case charges a bit more slowly than it would if it used a more modern power cable.
Bottom Line
That all being said, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air earphones are a great deal at $80. If you’re in the market for good true-wireless earbuds, then these are a great pickup. The only real concerns are the ear tip design and the somewhat-dated charging case. All-in-all, these earbuds are close to deserving their nickname of “AirPod Killers”.
