I still remember a few years ago when Apple killed the headphone jack. It was for the iPhone 7 and I thought it was absolutely ludicrous. But wireless headphones, earphones and earpods got to the point where I’ve admitted it’s time to kill the headphone jack altogether, even though the latest Samsung phones actually haven’t.
Anyway, the guys over at Soundcore were kind enough to send over a pair of Liberty Air earpods for me to test out and despite the number of audio options I have right now, they’ve quick become a personal favourite.
Who is Soundcore?
You may or may not have heard of Soundcore. There’s a bigger chance you’ve heard of their parent company, Anker. I’m a massive fan of these guys because they never let up on quality. Their cables are brilliant, their speakers are whopper and they even have the Nebula brand, responsible for making one of my favourite gadgets in the world; the Nebula Capsule Projector.
Their also after creating what I personally believe could be the future of personal electronics charging.
Soundcore, like everything Anker does, has set out to create incredible audio products without the incredible prices you often see on the high street.
So, now that you know who Soundcore is, let’s look at the Liberty Air.
Design Inspired By Apple AirPods
You don’t have to look too hard to find out what inspired the design of the Libery Air.
The Liberty Air have clearly been designed to mimic Apple AirPods, except of course they’re black, not white.
Again, I was critical of the AirPods when they launched because they just looked like a pair of regular Apple earphones with the cable cut off. I thought they just looked silly to be honest. Every now and then I eat humble pie, and this is one of those times. The Liberty Air earbuds are one of the most comfortable pairs of earbuds I’ve worn. They remain light, but secure meaning they’re great regardless of whether you’re in the gym, walking around town or sitting in the office.
Also falling under the design heading is the clever touch controls build into each earbud. I don’t think they are totally intuitive, but with a couple of days used, you’ll soon be a pro when it comes to the touch controls.
A double tap on the right earbud will pause or play music and also answer or end a call, should one be incoming. A tap and hold will skip onto the next song while doing the same on the left bud will skip back a track. Double tapping on the left will activate your smart personal assistant of choice.
The clever thing about the touch controls is having call controls on the right. If you want to wear just one earbud in, it has to be the right one but this does mean the buds double as a handsfree kit.
Liberty Air Audio Review
It’s funny. Twelve months ago, I said I wanted to start reviewing audio products more even though I really don’t consider myself to be much of an audiophile. In that twelve months, I’ve tested out Sony wireless buds and been terribly disappointed, been blown away by Bose QC 35 II, knocked for six with the quality of E’nod Audio Buds and am also working on reviewing a few pairs of Jabra audio products. Basically, I’ve finally played with enough audio products to know what’s good and what’s tripe.
From a noise cancelling point of view, the Liberty Air earbuds don’t offer a massive amount of suppression. The flip side of this is that they pack a huge punch in the audio side of things which means the audio experience is brilliant. Brilliant to the point where people shouting at you in the office can go completely missed, ending with them throwing things at you to get your attention. Based on a true story.
The only other thing worth mentioning here is the connectivity quality. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, you’ll experience little or no connectivity issues. Sure, if you’re an Apple user you won’t get the fantastic connection that you get with Apple AirPods, but seriously, this is as close as you get without the sillit price.
Buds Battery
There’s a par for the course when it comes to wireless earbuds. You get about three hours continuous use and a charging case which has an additional three charge cycles. In a review, coming soon, I’ll let you know how Jabra goes beyond the expected, but Soundcore goes even further.
On a single charge, the Liberty Air earbuds will give you five hours continuous use and the battery pack gives another twenty hours. For me, I’ve yet to be caught without power because the slightly longer battery life and bigger charge pack means there’s more time for me to remember to charge everything. Honestly, it makes a big difference.
Liberty Air: The Verdict
So first of all, they looked a little silly but to be honest, the Liberty Air are incredibly comfortable. The audio quality is brilliant and connectivity is incredible regardless of your device type. Everything about the Liberty Air seems to strike a chord. One thing I’ve omitted so far is the price.
At just €120 and €50 less than Apple AirPods, the Liberty Air are the perfect AirPods alternative. They also come in both black and white, just in case Apple white isn’t your thing.
If the price of AirPods is just too much and you want something which arguably delivers a better audio experience, give the Soundcore Liberty Air a try.
