Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review: The Smartest Earbuds Case Yet

Earbuds with a screen on the case sound like a gimmick right up until you stop reaching for your phone. That's the trick Soundcore has pulled off with the Liberty 5 Pro Max, a $229 flagship that pairs the best noise cancellation I've experienced on any earbuds with a 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen that runs the whole show.

I've spent the past three weeks testing the Titanium-Gold pair, and there's also an AI Note-Taker built into the case, world-record call quality, and a subscription lurking in the fine print. Let's get into it.

Design and fit

Soundcore has ditched the stem this time around. The buds are a curved oval shape, closer to something Bose would make than an AirPod, and if you're coming from bean or stem designs the fit takes a little getting used to.

Stick with it, because once they're in, they're in. Multiple ear tip sizes and ear fins are in the box, and I had no trouble dialing in a secure, workout-friendly fit that stayed put. The buds carry an IP55 rating, so sweat and rain aren't a concern.

Sound quality

Audio is excellent overall, with one caveat. The default tuning leans bass-heavy, and out of the box the low end sounds a bit muddy.

The fix is in the Soundcore app. Run the HearID hearing test or spend a couple of minutes with the EQ and the mud clears up nicely. Bass fans may be happy as-is; everyone else should plan on a quick tweak.

LDAC hi-res audio is here for compatible Android phones, though enabling it limits you to two paired devices instead of the usual three. Dolby Audio with head tracking is on board too, and it's one of several features worth toggling thoughtfully, for reasons we'll get to in the battery section.

Noise cancellation

This is the headline for me. Soundcore's Adaptive ANC 4.0 is probably the best noise cancellation I've experienced on a pair of earbuds, full stop.

My torture test was the London Underground, which is about as hostile an environment as consumer audio gets. The Liberty 5 Pro Max turned the screech and rumble into something close to silence, and it adapts on the fly as your surroundings change. If ANC is the reason you're shopping, these belong on your shortlist.

One quirk worth knowing: Easy Chat, the mode that ducks your audio when you start speaking, doesn't always trigger reliably. Not a deal-breaker, just don't count on it mid-conversation.

Call quality

Soundcore is waving a Guinness World Record around for call clarity, and for once the marketing matches the experience. The setup combines an AI chip, eight microphones, and two voice processing units, and the result is that background noise gets stripped out so your voice comes through perfectly.

I've taken calls in properly noisy conditions and nobody on the other end could tell. If you spend a big chunk of your day on calls, this alone justifies a hard look.

The touchscreen case

The 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen on the case is the feature I expected to shrug at and ended up using constantly. Instead of fiddling with the buds or digging your phone out of your pocket, everything happens on the case.

Switching audio modes, changing listening modes, checking battery levels for the buds and the case itself, controlling media playback, it's all a swipe away. The interface works like a tiny smartwatch, and you can even set custom wallpapers if that's your thing.

The trade-off is case battery. Plan on charging the case more often than you would a screenless rival.

AI Note-Taker

The Pro Max's party trick is the AI Note-Taker. Double-tap the button on the back of the case and it records in-person conversations, meetings, or lectures through the case's built-in mic, then transcribes and summarizes them in the Soundcore app with key points and action items.

Be clear about what this is, though. It records in-room audio only, so it won't capture your video calls or online meetings, and the transcription happens in the app after the recording transfers from the case. This isn't a self-contained recorder that does everything on-device.

In practice, I'd call it a nice tool to have on the fly rather than one you should rely on as your primary note-taking setup. Handy for catching the odd briefing, not quite a replacement for a dedicated recorder or transcription service. Mostly because of the next paragraph.

You get 120 free transcription minutes per month for 24 months, which is enough for casual use, but heavy users are looking at $15.99 per month for the Pro tier or $239.99 per year for Unlimited. Yes, the unlimited plan costs more per year than the earbuds and even the Pro tier is a tad pricey.

Battery life

Battery life is decent but varies a lot depending on how you use these, and noise cancellation is the biggest variable. In my testing the buds managed just over 6 hours per charge with ANC on, close to Soundcore's 6.5-hour rating, with the case adding about three full charges for around 28 hours total. Switch ANC off and Soundcore claims up to 12 hours per charge, nearly double.

Stack the heavy features, though, and the numbers slide. With AI voice control, Smart Voice Control, and Dolby Audio all engaged, I was seeing closer to 6 hours per charge. Fast charging softens the blow, with 5 minutes in the case good for about 4 hours of playback.

What we like

• Best-in-class noise cancellation
• Excellent audio overall, though bass fans may want to tweak the settings
• Clear, sharp microphones with record-setting call quality
• The touchscreen case is actually useful
• Comfortable, secure fit
• Three-device multipoint connectivity

What we don't like

• Pricey at $229
• Battery life takes a real hit with ANC and heavy features enabled
• AI Note-Taker is a handy tool to have
• Subscription required past 120 minutes of transcription per month

Verdict

Those on a budget should look at cheaper alternatives, including Soundcore's own Liberty 5 Pro, which packs the same buds and call quality into a simpler case for $169. If you don't need the AI Note-Taker or the touchscreen, that's the better value.

But if you value noise canceling, call quality, and the convenience of controlling everything from the case, the Liberty 5 Pro Max are the bomb, even at $229. They're a slam dunk for business professionals who live in meetings and calls, and if Apple's AirPods aren't your bag, this is the next best thing with a few tricks Apple doesn't have.