Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro review: Powerful affordable ANC earbuds

TWS true wireless earphones - under $150

4.5 STARS - Good active noise cancellation, plenty of battery life, and an app full of useful functions. The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are great ANC wireless earbuds.

Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro specs:

  • Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec

  • IPX4 waterproof rating (light rain and splash resistant)

  • 6-7 hours listening on a full charge

  • Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3,5 times

  • Comes with 9 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable

  • $110-$130 on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores (regular price $130 - check for coupons or discounts)

Below this Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro review, you will find comparisons between the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+, Earfun Free Pro, and Oppo Enco W51.

Update July 14, 2021: Surprise: the new Soundcore Life P3 offers all the same features and a comparable engaging sound for 50 dollars less. The overall score for the Liberty Air 2 Pro has therefore been adjusted from 5 to 4.5 stars.

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Design, comfort and battery life

Like other Soundcore products, the presentation and build quality of the Liberty Air 2 Pro are impressive.

The charging case is a bit chunky and prone to fingerprints, but it's also sturdy and nice to play with - with a cover that slides open and closes easily. The case recharges via USB-C or wirelessly, and they can pop-up the earbuds 3,5 times before needing a recharge itself. They grant the earbuds up to 7 hours of battery life per charge: a good score and plenty of juice for commuting or a workday.

Like the earlier released Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro, the earbuds combine a rubber matte-black look with grey (or blue, dependent on which version you're buying) accents. They look fine, nothing special, with the reflection from the Soundcore logo as the only giveaway to a more expensive product.

What matters more is the inside of the earpieces. These are round, like so many other models such as the Oppo Enco W51 and the QCY T10. But: they appear to be bulkier than many rivals. The round bulb presses against your inner-ear and feels big in the beginning. Happily, the Air 2 Pro becomes comfortable after a while. Soundcore delivers nine sizes (!) of ear tips with this model, and it's recommended that you try them out to see if you can get a more comfortable seal.

The Soundcore Life Air 2 Pro is not the best choice for running and working out. The earpieces don't grant the tightest fit, and they're IPX4 waterproof, meaning they can only withstand light rain and sweat.


Connectivity and controls

The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro has great connectivity. They connect with your smartphone or laptop as soon as you've opened the case. The earbuds have a strong connection up to ten meters from your device and a stable Bluetooth signal even in areas crowded with wireless signals.

It's also possible to put a bud in the case to charge it while listening to the other, taking the charged bud out, and immediately continuing to listen in stereo. What's more, is that music automatically pauses when you take an earbud out. Happily, you can turn this off from the app.

What the app doesn't solve is the limited controls. The amount of touch controls on the Soundcore is disappointing.

  • Double-tap R to play/ pause

  • Double-tap L to skip to the next song

  • Hold L or R for 2 seconds to switch between noise cancelling, Ambient mode (if you opt for it), and normal mode

You can change the controls in the app, but you can't add touch commands. For example, you can add volume - or + controls or the voice assistant, but it always comes at the cost of another option. Because the commands are so limited, you'll always sacrifice some functions, and you won't get all desired controls on your earpieces.

The controls respond well to your touch, but the 2-second hold option could have activated quicker for more convenience.


Calling and watching movies

The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro is a solid choice for watching videos. It has good synchronization between audio and video on both Android and iPhone, including in the challenging YouTube-app. There is a noticeably delay in sound effects when you're playing games, as is the case on almost all wireless earbuds.

It's also perfectly doable to take a phone call with this Soundcore. Your voice could have been a little clearer, but it's still audible with enough volume, as surrounding noises and even mild wind noise are reduced greatly. The most challenging sounds are transferred into mild crackles under your voice, but calling with these is pleasant.

Unfortunately, the Liberty Air 2 Pro doesn't score very well in video calls, as your voice output is compressed and too soft in volume.


App support of Liberty Air 2 Pro

The free iPhone and Android app is where the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro separates itself from many other affordable wireless earbuds - it makes these earbuds feel like a more expensive offering. Options include:

  • Firmware updates for the earbuds

  • Activate or deactivate auto-pause by taking one of the earbuds out

  • Change the controls for the Double-tap command and Hold for 2 seconds-command; it's not possible to add extra control options

  • Switch between ANC, Ambient Mode, and Normal mode

  • Select different settings for ANC and Ambient mode settings

  • Tip Fit test: A test to see if you're using the right size of earbuds and are wearing the earbuds right

  • HearID test: do a hearing test and the Soundcore creates a custom sound equalizer for you

  • Choose from 22 equalizers

  • Create your own equalizer manually and save it, even across multiple devices with a Soundcore account

  • Read the manual

With the ANC, Ambient modes, and sound equalizers, the app has many options that certainly demand diving into. The earbuds save all the changes you make in the app - even when you're connecting the earbuds to another device later.

Homescreen

Change controls

Equalizers

Create your EQ

The free app looks good, works flawlessly, has an incredible amount of options (even though an update to add more touch controls would be nice) and even comes with iPhone and Android widgets to let you switch between ANC and Ambient mode easily. All this, and it doesn't require you to give too many permissions or create an account. Wonderful.


Test: ANC on Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro

ANC controls: You can switch between the ANC functions by holding the left or right earbud. Standard, you will switch from ANC on to ANC off, but you can also throw in an Ambient mode (to hear your surroundings better) from the app.

Switching is slow, as it requires touches of 2 seconds. Different beeps affirm the different effects. They sound much alike, but you'll get to know them. Moreover, you can also switch between ANC, Transparency mode and Normal from the app and even from the app widget!

ANC active noise cancelling quality: The ANC setting has different presents in the app, like transport, indoor, outdoor or a seemingly non-functional custom option. However: tried with a vast amount of ear tips and lots of situations, the different ANC settings seem to result in about the same level of noise cancelling.

The good news is: noise cancelling on the Liberty Air 2 Pro is actually good! Even without playing music, engine and traffic sounds are heavily reduced, and voices are way less audible. It's hands-down the best affordable wireless earphone to block sounds from your tv. Higher-pitched sounds still come through somewhat, and so do sudden higher sounds like claps. When you're in a video call or watching a video with these, your surroundings will be ruled out convincingly.

The three ANC profiles are pretty similar, Custom is hard to understand

Both Transparency modes don't work that well

Ambient/ Transparency mode quality: The Ambient mode should pass through sounds like traffic and voices for safety purposes. This setting, too, has two options. In reality, both options only work decent when you're listening to music on very low-volumes.

Wind noise reduction: Wind noise is audible when you're using ANC when you're walking or cycling, although it's not as bad as on some other ANC earphones. However, a lot of wind noise comes through in the Ambient mode, rendering it sometimes unbearable for cycling.

Competitors: The Oppo W51 shows less white noise when cancelling out noise, but it doesn’t reduce voices as well. The Soundcore performs better than the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94/ Tozo NC9 and the Edifier TWS NB2.

Verdict: Noise cancelling on the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro is among the best on earphones under $100. Don't expect too much from the Ambient mode.



Sound quality of Liberty 2 Air Pro: Full

The last thing Soundcore wants to do with the Liberty Air 2 Pro sound, is to offend anyone. It delivers a safe, steady sound that most average consumers will find pleasant - but one that doesn't stand out.

In the standard 'Soundcore Signature' from the app, the sound has boosted bass and limited treble. Higher-pitched male and female vocals often dissolve in other instruments; they're not louder than them, they're not more upfront or detailed. There's little sparkle in voices and little space in the music. Mid-instruments like guitars, piano, and cymbals sound either unnatural or recessed. On top, it's hard to precisely place details on your left or right - let alone around you - and especially in the lower frequencies, the music feels a bit cramped with the sub-bass, basslines, and lower-mid tones piled up.

So how is this tuned consumer-friendly? Well: it's laidback. The mid-bass provides even ballads with a satisfying bass thump, but it doesn't make everything about the bass. Music always sounds full, and it's smooth enough to disguise bad recordings. Unlike so many wireless earphones with more prominent upper-mids and more extended highs, you may never have to turn down the volume because a high-hat or vocal becomes too sharp, too bright. It's a distraction-free sound for long background-listening while you're at work.

Unless... you want it otherwise.

With the number of equalizers and the option to create your own equalizer, there's always an escape. The equalizer next to the signature sound, Acoustic, is a totally different beast. Activate it, and here it is: more space in the sound, more natural and individually elevated instruments, and more prominent, detailed vocals. And yes - a dip into harshness. If your workday consists of listening to Spotify-playlist like Peaceful Guitar or Piano, it's a no-brainer.

With the app, Soundcore has an answer for pretty much every genre. Although it takes puzzling and patience to find your sweet spot. Happily, you can't go overboard with the equalizers. Opened-up upper-mids may cause a subtle floor of white noise underneath the music, but it's hard to break the sound.

With all this being said, there's still another factor. The Liberty Air 2 Pro has noise-cancelling... and noise-cancelling earphones on a budget tend to deliver poorer sound quality than their non-cancelling siblings.

With a smooth-sailing approach out of the box and so many options to make music more engaging, it's hard to go wrong with the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro.


Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro comparisons


Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro vs Oppo W51

The Oppo W51 must be the ultimate counterpart to the Liberty Air 2 Pro. This sub-$100 wireless earphone has almost no options. It has 4,5 hours of battery life, minimal Android-only app-support... and limited controls too. Oppo's ANC has a softer white noise effect than the Soundcores, and it's even better in reducing background noise. The Soundcore blocks voices and the tv better, however. The Oppo is better at handling video calls, and its sound is just plain and simple: a warm sound with steady bass, upfront vocals, and well-represented mids. It's more open than the Soundcore, which in turn sounds fuller and smoother, and can be changed to your desire.




Liberty Air 2 Pro vs Earfun Free Pro

Bass and ANC? How about the $60 Earfun Free Pro? The Soundcore has stronger noise cancelling, and blocks background noise AND upfront and brighter sounds better. Ambient Mode works a bit better on the Earfun, however. The ear wings and higher waterproof rating also make it better suited for working out. Both have a strong thumping mid-bass, but the Earfun adds more mids and highs, making for a richer, more detailed sound - still without sounding harsh. The LA2P sounds fuller, with more body in the lower-mids. The Earfun doesn't have an app, but all the desired functions are right there on the earbuds. The Soundcore looks and feels like a more premium and durable product.

Liberty Air 2 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+

Don't need noise cancelling? The Samsung Galaxy Buds is a great alternative. Build quality is even better than on the Soundcore, it's fantastic for phone calls and video calls, and it can go an insane 11 hours on a single charge. While it lacks ANC, it does have a decent Ambient Mode that lets in more bright surrounding noises than the Soundcore. Sound-wise, the Samsung puts a lot more effort into the mids and upper-mids, which sound more prominent and detailed than the Soundcore. The Soundcore has a stronger bass-thump, thicker lower-mids, and an overall fuller and darker sound in the standard sound. Both have apps that bring extra equalizers to the table, but the Soundcore lets you completely tune the sound to your liking.


—> Check more TWS reviews and ratings!


Verdict

The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro is a premium product in every sense of the way, for a friendly price. It has fantastic app support, good active noise cancellation and a pleasant sound that can be changed to your desire. If only Soundcore didn't release the Soundcore Life P3 later on, with the same functionality for 50 dollars less…

4.5 stars - Great


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I bought the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro myself to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.

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