Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review: Feature-Packed Wireless Earbuds

Wireless earbuds are no longer content with just playing music. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 now track heart rates and handle real-time translation, Nothing has baked ChatGPT into its latest buds, and researchers are even exploring models with built-in cameras. It’s a race to pack more utility into a tiny form factor, and Soundcore, Anker’s audio sub-brand, is charging hard into that competition.

The $229 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max is designed from the ground up to be more than just a pair of earbuds. Much more. The name borrows from Apple’s “Pro Max” branding, and the ambition matches the moniker. These buds promise not only solid audio but also AI-powered transcription and translation, all anchored by a charging case that features a 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen.

That screen is the first thing you will notice, and unlike many gimmicky displays on earbud cases, this one actually works well. It is bright, responsive, and supports four-directional swiping that feels intuitive. You can control noise cancellation, EQ settings, device connections, and access the core transcription and translation features without ever pulling out your phone. There is even a remote camera shutter button on the case, which works with a slight delay. The case is larger than average, so if you prefer a slim pocket profile, this might be a dealbreaker. But the trade-off is a self-contained control hub that keeps you out of your phone’s notification vortex.

The transcription feature is one of the strongest selling points. You can activate it by double-tapping a button on the back of the case, which uses the built-in microphones to listen. The screen shows a simple interface with pause, flag, and end buttons. In testing, recording a YouTube lecture and real-life conversations produced highly accurate transcripts. The Soundcore app lets you listen back and breaks audio into digestible chunks. There is also an “intelligent summary” feature that provides an overview, though it takes a moment to generate. For students, journalists, or anyone in frequent meetings, this is a genuinely useful tool.

Translation is more ambitious but comes with caveats. Unlike some competitors that require a phone for the entire process, Soundcore uses the case as a speaker and microphone. You speak into your phone with the app open, and the case plays the translated phrase aloud. The person holding the case can then press a microphone button to respond, with the translation playing in your earbuds or on your phone. It is not real-time; you press a button, speak, and wait. The microphone can sometimes cut off if you pause, and the process feels a bit stilted compared to using Google Translate directly. However, it is functional and supports dozens of languages, including English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. There is also a one-way “real-time” mode that translates a speaker directly into your earbuds, though you still experience a short delay. Overall, transcription outshines translation here, but both features are solid executions for those who need them.

Of course, these are still wireless earbuds, and sound quality matters. The Liberty 5 Pro Max deliver good, but not great, audio. Tracks like Steely Dan’s “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” sound clear with a decent soundstage, and electronic music like Daft Punk’s “Da Funk” has punchy bass and balanced synths. However, the soundstage feels more cramped compared to top-tier competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. The HearID personalized EQ in the Soundcore app helps by tuning frequencies to your hearing, which made a noticeable difference in clarity, but it didn’t push the overall quality into “excellent” territory.

Where these earbuds truly excel is active noise cancellation (ANC) . The new Thus chip from Anker handles both ANC and environmental noise cancellation (ENC) for calls. In a test simulating subway noise with a Bluetooth speaker, the Liberty 5 Pro Max blocked almost everything at 70% volume. A phone call made in the same noisy environment received a perfect 10/10 rating from the listener, who had no idea there was background noise. The tight, comfortable fit also contributes to the excellent passive isolation.

The sheer volume of features can be overwhelming. Inside the app, you will find adaptive ANC, conversation awareness (which pauses music when you speak), transparency mode, Dolby Audio, multiple EQ presets, and an AI Sound Enhancement feature that actually cleans up low-quality audio from podcasts or recordings. There is also an Anker-branded chatbot called Anka, which feels unnecessary. One standout is the voice command system that works without a wake word. Commands like “next track” or “stop music” are executed almost instantly, thanks to the low-latency Thus chip.

Battery life is solid but not class-leading. You get about 6.5 hours with ANC on, and the case holds roughly 22 hours of additional charge. Using the screen frequently will drain the case faster than standard models.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max are ambitious, feature-packed earbuds that hit most of their marks. The ANC and call quality are top-tier, the transcription tool is genuinely useful, and the screen makes controlling everything feel seamless. The sound is good but not audiophile-grade, and the translation feature, while functional, doesn’t outperform a simple phone app. If your priorities are excellent noise cancellation, reliable transcription, and a screen-based control system, these are an easy recommendation. For pure audio purists or those who prefer a minimalist experience, the feature overload might feel like too much. But for the right user, the Liberty 5 Pro Max delivers a lot of value in a single, screen-clad package.