5 days ago
I test earbuds for a living — and these are some of the best on a budget
We've all been there. You've misplaced your earbuds. I've done this more times than I would care to admit. I am always leaving them in a random bag after a day out, or at the office on my desk, or just forgetting when I put them all together.
In such cases I usually reach for my wired earbuds in a pinch, but since testing some of the best cheap wireless earbuds on the market, I think I have a better solution.
Having a spare pair of budget buds on hands to get you through the day while you look for your favorite pair. Enter the Soundcore Liberty 5.
The Souncore Liberty 5 earbuds may be budget but they know how to pack a punch. They look sleek and have a companion app that enhances the sound and ANC capabilities even further. While it doesn't compete with class-leaders like Bose or Sony, tweaking the EQ in app will solve most sound issues.
Despite being only $129 at Amazon U.S. and £99 at Amazon U.K., the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds have an impressive sound profile that only improves when using the custom EQ settings in the Soundcore app.
It also helps that the app is awesome. In the same way I have tested a whole host of headphones and earbuds, I have also become well acquainted with their companion apps — and I have to admit, the Soundcore app is my favorite.
Incredibly user friendly and totally effective, the app makes the listening experience so much better. It allowed me to achieve the best results from the ANC of the buds (which is epic by the way) so I could stay in the zone with my music.
You can save $20 by picking up two pairs of the Soundcore Liberty 5 wireless earbuds. Ideal for gifting a fellow music lover, or just having two pairs for yourself and picking a color based on your outfit that day.
With budget buds, I have come to expect basic design. It's just part of the trade off for a good deal. But with the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds, the design is sleek and has the interesting addition of squeeze controls.
The squeeze controls stumped me at first but essentially there are two small buttons that squeeze together rather than touch controls.
The case is also kind of fun to use as it slides open unlike the flip up design I am used to with earbuds. The buds themselves also feel premium despite the price point and are a similar shape to the best Airpods.
Sound quality in the mids and bass of the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds is pretty great and with the Dolby Audio and you are able to get the most out of complex songs.
For budget buds they pack one heck of a punch, and you can find out more about what they are capable of by reading my full Soundcore Liberty 5 review.
