Budget earbuds -- by which we mean earbuds under R2,000 -- are everywhere. Sometimes you get what you pay for. In this instance, you get more than you pay for, particularly in the noise cancelling arena. We'd happily pack these for a short plane trip or while waiting in line somewhere especially noisy. The fit is great and the audio doesn't do a shabby job either.
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Design
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Audio
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Features
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Value
The folks at Stuff swap headphones faster than a certain subset can lob their keys into a punch bowl. This listening instability means we swing through loads of them in a short period. It also means we know a good pair when we see it. Or, at least, have them on either side of our heads. Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 NC in-ear buds are a good pair and we’re not just saying that because these are our latest partners.
There’s a lot to be impressed by here. The fit and finish belies the price and the noise cancelling tech definitely does too. The audio doesn’t quite reach these heights but it’s close enough that you’ll want to consider these before dropping twice the price on something else.
The Core of the issue
Anker’s Soundcore range has previously been a bit hit and miss for Stuff, especially in the budget category, but a couple of years makes a serious difference in tech. The design of the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC isn’t especially novel but the fit has seen considerable improvement over the last set of stem-wielding in-ears we tried from Anker. They nestle inside the ear in just the right way to all but disappear — which is also what background noise will do. More on that in a second.
The buds are… well, buds. The build quality is notable. They’re lightweight at under six grams per bud but they don’t feel like they’ll crush under pressure. This carries over to the case, which is one of the better efforts we’ve seen in any set of in-ears in a while.
There’s a fair weight and bulk to the case that translates over to the hinge, which snaps closed without any hint of wobble. The LED button that pops the lid open also functions as an actual button, setting up pairing with a long press.
This goes rather neatly with the other almost premium features of the Liberty 4 NCs — the touch controls along both stems are welcome, there’s an IPx4 rating so you can sweat on them without worry, and the case will charge wirelessly and via the USB-C port. Not bad for buds that occupy the R1,700 to R2,000 price bracket.
Key performance indicators
The real star of this concert is the Liberty 4 NC’s noise cancelling. The company’s promo material claims that it blocks “up to 98.5%” of external noise and we’re more or less convinced there. Sure, you’ll get better noise cancelling from other (more expensive) devices but the silence produced by the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC buds is almost eerie.
Turning on active noise cancelling results in almost total silence. Less ANC produces a low-level hiss but here there is only a smooth emptiness and the very edges of spoken words. Pop on your favourite playlist and you might as well be on an orbiting satellite. Nothing reaches you unless it’s combined with physical contact like a whack on the shoulder.
The Liberty 4 NC buds offer audio in keeping with the rest of this reasonably-priced package. It’s almost universally great, though a touch heavy on the bass in some of the default EQ settings. Audio maintains clarity through most genres and, while you can get better budget audio, these are good enough that we wonder how Anker manages to justify the price of the Soundcore Liberty 4 buds. Must be the presence of 360° audio jacking up the cost in those buds because there’s not a whole lot of room for improvement in other areas.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC verdict
We’ve barely touched on the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC’s battery up till now. That’s because it was so far from being an issue that we almost forgot about it. There’s an advertised 10 hours in a charge and a total of 50 hours with the case taken into account and that sounds about right to us. We couldn’t kill them on any single work day and the case certainly has the bulk needed to provide the legs Anker’s advertising here. So are the Liberty 4 NC’s the perfect in-ears?
Well… no. But they’re a serious value proposition for anyone with designs on excellent audio and features with less than two grand in their pocket. It’s possible to get better performance, better noise cancelling, and better battery life from your in-ears. It’s probably not possible to get all three at this price point. Or, if it is, we just haven’t had a chance to give those headphones a spin just yet. That time will come, in that case. For now, consider these.