Previously we talked about how the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC compares to the Liberty 4 and Space A40. But this time we’re going to benchmark them against some competitors like the Earfun Air Pro 3, which is currently one of the most popular earbuds out there under $100. And in the premium range we have the AirPods Pro 2.
That being said, both the Liberty 4 NC and the Air Pro 3 don’t sound as clean, or as complete as the AirPods Pro 2, whether in quiet or noisy conditions.
Hence, in terms of mic pickup, I will rate these at
1st Place - AirPods Pro 2
2nd place - Liberty 4 NC
3rd place - Air Pro 3
Listen to the samples here.
(I compared their call quality using the same background noise used in the noise canceling test, and some wind noise coming from a fan.)
Transparency Mode
What about Transparency mode? Well, the AirPods Pro 2 has the best transparency, not just among these. It has the best transparency, period. The Earfun Air Pro 3 takes second place to the AirPods, and the Liberty 4 NC takes 3rd place. It’s quite usable in a pinch, but, in my opinion, it’s just not as transparent or as clean as the others.
And now, the sound quality.
Sound quality
Compared to the Earfun, the Liberty 4 NC is a bit more relaxed in the bass region, and the Earfun has bigger curves and spikes in specific parts of the treble range that gives it a brighter tone compared to the Liberty 4 NC.
Some of you may prefer that, but I don’t. I feel that it sounds too sibilant for anything from listening to music or podcasts. I do prefer the more relaxed tonality of the 4 NC, which makes for a less fatiguing listen.
What I do prefer about the Air Pro 3 though, is, number 1, the fit. It just sits in my ears far better. Maybe it’s the size of the buds, but they just feel more snug. Multipoint pairing is also more stable on the Air Pro 3, with no problems switching audio. The 4 NC does have a bit of trouble with multipoint pairing. Sometimes, the audio doesn’t come through when switching devices.
Also the Air Pro 3 supports the latest LC3 codec. To put it simply, with compatible phones it streams audio as good as what we’re getting now but, over lower latency with lower power consumption. And it could potentially support Auracast in future if Earfun decides to bring that to the Air Pro 3. It’s revolutionary, and if you want to know what Auracast does, watch this video below.
But back to the Liberty 4 NC. Overall the main reason I will choose the Soundcore is its ANC. I can’t think of another pair of buds in the budget range with similar ANC performance, great app, and have decent mic quality. So if those factors are the important to you, you should definitely look at the Liberty 4 NC.
