Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds boost battery life but ditch heart rate tracking

Over two-and-a-half years after the last version was released, Anker’s Soundcore audio brand is updating its budget wireless earbuds with the new Liberty 5. Launching next week for $129.99 – cheaper than the Liberty 4 that debuted at $149.99 – the earbuds will feature improved active noise cancellation, longer battery life, and Dolby Audio support. But in-ear heart rate tracking, one of the more notable features of the Liberty 4, is not being carried forward to the new model.

Although Anker hasn’t formally announced the Soundcore Liberty 5 yet, or added them to its online store, they’re already available through Anker’s AliExpress storefront, and can be preordered through Best Buy Canada.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 feature a similar design to previous models with a stem that can be pinched as a shortcut for functions like playback control, and a case that can be charged over USB-C or on a wireless charger. Battery life is slightly improved with up to eight hours of playback with ANC turned on, or up to up to 12 hours with it off. That can be extended to up to 48 hours with ANC off using the Liberty 5’s charging case. When the buds are completely dead, Anker says a 10 minute charge will provide up to five hours of use.

Sound is delivered by 9.2-millimeter flexible wool paper diaphragms while “dual bass-enhancing tubes” in each earbud are designed to increase airflow and amplify lower frequencies. The Liberty 5 use Anker’s adaptive ANC 3.0 algorithm which the company says recalibrates every 0.3 seconds to adapt to changes in noises in your environment. Compared to the previous model, Anker says the Liberty 5 are twice as effective at reducing the sounds of voices when ANC is active.

Using Bluetooth 5.4, the new Liberty 5 support the LDAC, AAC, and SBC codecs, but still not aptX. For fans of spatial audio, support for Dolby Audio will help simulate a 3D “cinematic listening experience,” but you can expect battery life to take a significant hit while using that feature.

Five different sizes of eartips are now included to help you find a comfortable fit that also passively blocks out unwanted noise, while IP55 dust and water resistance will protect the earbuds from sweat, rain, and splashes, but not a complete dunking.