When it comes to premium wireless earbuds these days, most brands focus on improving sound quality, ANC or battery life.
The soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max tries to do all of that while also adding something you don’t usually see on earbuds: a massive touchscreen built directly into the charging case.
At PHP 12,995, these earbuds clearly sit in the premium segment and after spending some time with them, it’s obvious that soundcore wants the Liberty 5 Pro Max to feel like more than just another pair of earbuds.
Between the large AMOLED display, AI-powered features, adaptive ANC and transcription tools, this feels more like a tiny smart device that just happens to play music too.
Design and Smart Case
The first thing you’ll immediately notice about the Liberty 5 Pro Max is the charging case. The 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen covers almost the entire top portion, making it look more like a mini gadget than a typical earbuds case.
In practice, it’s actually pretty convenient. I mostly found myself using it for adjusting ANC settings and quick controls without needing to pull out my phone every time.
At the same time, it does feel a little over the top for a pair of earbuds, but that’s also part of what makes it interesting. It’s one of those features that initially feels unnecessary until you start using it regularly.
The interface itself is fairly easy to learn. Swiping up to unlock the screen can feel slightly inconsistent at first since it doesn’t always register perfectly in one go. But, after some time, it becomes easier to get used to. Once you’re familiar with the controls, navigating the interface becomes fairly simple.
What’s nice is that you can use the earbuds without relying heavily on the app. Basic controls and adjustments can already be done directly from the case itself.
However, users who want to maximize the AI-powered features like note-taking and transcription will still need the companion app.
As for comfort, the earbuds themselves are lightweight and fit very snugly in the ears. Because of how secure they feel, I never really worried about them falling out while walking around or using them outdoors.
That snug fit also helps a lot with immersion and passive noise isolation. Once both earbuds are in, you mostly hear your music instead of the world around you.
That said, comfort can still vary depending on the user. In my experience, there was still some ear fatigue during longer listening sessions. It wasn’t unbearable, but it’s something worth noting if you plan to wear them for several hours straight, especially if you have small ears like me.
Sound Quality
The Liberty 5 Pro Max delivers a sound signature that’s enjoyable for everyday listening. The earbuds get fairly loud, the bass has a deep and satisfying punch and the mids still sound natural enough for vocals, podcasts and casual music listening.
This isn’t the kind of tuning that feels overly analytical or studio-focused. Instead, it leans more toward being fun, immersive and easy to enjoy for long listening sessions.
The snug fit of the earbuds also helps create a more isolated listening experience, making your music feel more immersive overall.
What really stood out to me, though, was the ANC performance. The noise cancellation is genuinely impressive and easily one of the strongest parts of the experience. Whether it was electric fans, nearby conversations, outdoor noise or general environmental distractions, the earbuds did a very convincing job of reducing outside sound.
There were even moments where people around me noticed how effective the noise cancellation was while I was using the earbuds outdoors. Combined with the secure fit, the Liberty 5 Pro Max creates a surprisingly isolated listening bubble that makes it very easy to focus on your music, videos or calls.
The soundcore app also gives users multiple sound presets depending on their preferred listening style. These include soundcore Signature, Clear Vocals, Powerful Bass, Balanced for Pure Enjoyment, and Calm and Soothing. It’s a nice addition for users who want quick sound adjustments without manually tweaking EQ settings.
During testing, I used the Liberty 5 Pro Max with tracks like ‘I Really Want to Stay at Your House’ by Rosa Walton and Hallie Coggins, ‘Blue World’ by Nerissa Ravencroft, and Janine Berdin’s Wish 107.5 performance of ‘What If I Miss You for the Rest of My Life’.
‘I Really Want to Stay at Your House’ sounded particularly immersive on the earbuds thanks to its layered synths and deeper bass lines. The Liberty 5 Pro Max gave the track enough punch without making it feel muddy while still keeping the vocals clear throughout.
With ‘Blue World’, the earbuds leaned more into creating a relaxed listening experience, especially when using the Calm and Soothing preset. Vocals sounded clean and natural and the snug fit combined with the ANC helped make the song feel more intimate by reducing outside distractions.
Meanwhile, the Wish 107.5 version of ‘What If I Miss You for the Rest of My Life’ highlighted the earbuds’ ability to handle vocal-focused performances fairly well. Janine Berdin’s vocals came through clearly without sounding too sharp and the mids stayed natural enough to keep the emotional tone of the performance intact.
Call quality was also reliable during my use. People were able to hear me clearly outdoors and the environmental noise cancellation for calls seemed to do a good job of minimizing background distractions.
Apps and AI Features
The AI-focused features are easily among the most unique parts of the Liberty 5 Pro Max.
I tried the AI note-taking feature and it’s honestly more capable than I initially expected. The earbuds can record conversations and generate transcripts in several formats including summaries by speaker, chapter-based summaries, debriefs, meeting minutes, discussions, reports, class notes, seminars and conversations.
There are even templates for more professional use cases like legal advice, therapy notes, sales records, and progress notes.
The system can also generate summaries automatically after processing the recording. It does take a few minutes for the AI features to finish processing, but for the most part, the results were surprisingly accurate. You can even edit the transcript afterward if needed which makes the feature feel more practical instead of just being a gimmick.
One thing worth noting, though, is that these AI-powered features rely heavily on the companion app and cloud-based processing. Features like AI Note-Taker, transcription, summaries, translation and the Anka assistant all require recordings to be uploaded through the app before processing.
The Anka smart voice control also adds another layer of convenience, allowing you to access certain functions hands-free through voice commands. It feels like a natural extension of the earbuds’ smart ecosystem especially when paired with the case’s touchscreen and AI features. It makes quick adjustments a bit more seamless without constantly reaching for your phone or the case.
Users are also given a free Starter pack that includes 300 minutes of transcription per month. For casual users, that may already be enough but users who plan to regularly use the earbuds for meetings, interviews, lectures or long recordings may eventually need to subscribe for additional transcription minutes.
Battery
Battery life on the Liberty 5 Pro Max is solid overall considering the amount of features packed into the earbuds.
soundcore rates them for up to 12 hours on the earbuds and up to 50 hours total with the case when ANC is turned off. With ANC enabled, the rating drops to around 6.5 hours on the earbuds and up to 28 hours total with the charging case.
Given the large AMOLED display and AI-powered features included here, the battery performance still feels respectable overall. The fast charging support is also convenient with the brand claiming that a quick 5-minute charge can already provide up to 4 hours of playback and it’s accurate to say the least.
Conclusion
The soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max feels like soundcore asked themselves how many features they could possibly fit into a pair of earbuds and then decided to actually do it.
The large touchscreen case still feels somewhat excessive but at the same time, it’s also one of the most interesting things about the product.
Pair that with genuinely strong ANC, enjoyable sound quality, reliable call performance with surprisingly useful AI transcription features and the Liberty 5 Pro Max ends up feeling more practical than expected.
These may not necessarily be the earbuds for hardcore audiophiles chasing ultra-technical sound. But for everyday users who want strong noise cancellation, immersive listening, smart features and a futuristic experience, the Liberty 5 Pro Max offers something genuinely different from most earbuds currently on the market.
At PHP 12,995, the Liberty 5 Pro Max can admittedly feel a bit pricey especially for users who may not fully take advantage of the AI-powered features and smart case functionality. A large part of what you’re paying for here is the overall experience and extra features rather than just pure sound quality alone.
What We Like:
- Excellent ANC performance
- Plenty of sound presets that are customizable
- Useful AI note-taking and transcription features
- Good battery life overall
What We Didn’t Like:
- The smart case may feel over the top for some users
- Ear fatigue can happen during longer listening sessions
- Some advanced features still rely heavily on the companion app
- Free transcription allowance is limited to 300 minutes monthly unless you subscribe
soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max specs:
1.78-inch AMOLED Screen on case
9.2mm wool-paper diaphragm drivers
Hi-Fi sound with wool-paper diaphragms
Adaptive ANC 4.0
Bluetooth 6.1
AI recording, transcription, and summary features
8 microphones + 2 VPUs with AI large model for calls
ANC playtime: 6.5 hours (earbuds), up to 28 hours with charging case
5-minute charge for up to 4 hours playback
IP55 water resistance
Multipoint connection support
HearID 5.0 + AI sound enhancement
20 built-in commands
Anker Thus™ AI chip
In-ear design
5.5g per earbud (without case)
Midnight Black, Titanium Gold