Soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones - Velvet Black

I was in the hunt for some 'fairly decent' in-ear headphones. I had always had pretty so-so, cheap-and-nasty pairs which (you get what you pay for) seemed to suffer from poor bluetooth connectivity, average build quality (especially cases) and so on.
My daughter has some Apple AirPods, which admittedly are pretty good - but you're certainly paying a premium for them.
My target price range was the $150 or so mark, and there are numerous offerings/brands providing models in this space.
I was also after noise cancellation.
After reading multiple reviews, there were certainly a number of favourable ones for the Anker Liberty 4 NC. Although mo...view more I was in the hunt for some 'fairly decent' in-ear headphones. I had always had pretty so-so, cheap-and-nasty pairs which (you get what you pay for) seemed to suffer from poor bluetooth connectivity, average build quality (especially cases) and so on.
My daughter has some Apple AirPods, which admittedly are pretty good - but you're certainly paying a premium for them.
My target price range was the $150 or so mark, and there are numerous offerings/brands providing models in this space.
I was also after noise cancellation.
After reading multiple reviews, there were certainly a number of favourable ones for the Anker Liberty 4 NC. Although most of them did recognise the price/performance trade-off for something with this sort of price tag.
I am very impressed with the sound. The EQ in the associated soundcore App certainly gave me enough control to get the sound I was after. For me the presets weren't really up to par - but the custom sliders across the frequency bands did a good job.
The App also includes a "HearID" auto-tuning function - which provides an alternative way of EQ setting. It does this by playing multiple frequency sounds at different volumes and asking if you can hear them (very much like a normal hearing test). Based on your responses, the App tunes the output sound. I was impressed by the result - it provided an EQ setting very much in line with my preferences.
Also included is a 3-D Surround Sound function - but not really a fan of the result.
Control is by customisable settings on each ear bud - 1x, 2x, and 3x taps. There's defaults set (pause, FF/Rew), but all are customisable via the app.
The unit comes with a variety of different sized 'cushions' which can be fitted to the buds to (reasonably) match the size of your earhole. Definitely needed to try these out to achieve the best NC result.
Battery life so far is very good. Admittedly, I don't wear them for hours and hours on end - so probably not hitting them as hard as some might on this front.
The case feels a bit 'chunky' compared to others I have come across - but I've quickly adapted. I like the magnetic 'grab' that ensures that when you place each bud close to its 'slot', there's an assuring 'pull' and click sound to let you know they are firmly in their charging position.
USB-C connector on the case is a nice to see as well. Build quality of the case feels pretty robust too.
A couple of reviews I read also mentioned finger marks showing on the case. I have been pleasantly surprised on this front - not perfect, but certainly acceptable.
Bided my time until they were at a discounted price - seems you don't have to wait that long these days for sales to come around.
Overall, for that sort of investment, I am very pleased with the product.
Recommend - worth a look.

These earbuds offer fantastic sound quality for their price. The bass is powerful, yet the overall sound is more balanced compared to other budget models. They fit snugly in my ears, though after a few hours of use, they can become a bit slippery, requiring a quick wipe to prevent them from slipping out (I generally struggle with stem-type earbuds, including AirPods Pro, so this isn't unique to this model).

The battery life is outstanding and easily lasts through my entire shift. The ANC is highly effective, blocking out most ambient noise. While the transparency mode is only average, it has improved slightly following a recent firmware up...view more These earbuds offer fantastic sound quality for their price. The bass is powerful, yet the overall sound is more balanced compared to other budget models. They fit snugly in my ears, though after a few hours of use, they can become a bit slippery, requiring a quick wipe to prevent them from slipping out (I generally struggle with stem-type earbuds, including AirPods Pro, so this isn't unique to this model).

The battery life is outstanding and easily lasts through my entire shift. The ANC is highly effective, blocking out most ambient noise. While the transparency mode is only average, it has improved slightly following a recent firmware update. Call quality is decent—people on the other end can hear me clearly during calls.

The earbuds support multipoint connectivity, which works well with two devices, but switching to a third can be a bit tricky. I prefer Jabra’s implementation, where it automatically forgets the oldest paired device when connecting to a third. The companion app offers plenty of customization options, which is a nice bonus.

Overall, I highly recommend these earbuds to anyone seeking great sound quality, solid features, and affordability in one package.

Service BY PBTech was great. No problems there.

The device is sleek looking and fits my ears well. It has an app for both Android and iOS which is well designed and easy to use. You can even dual connect and have the app on two devices and carry your personal settings between them and change them easily.

The dual connection is seamless. Sound is good. I like some bass and these were acceptable without being too much. Noise cancelation works very well for the price however in low noise environments you will hear a hissing noise. This can be mitigated with manual noise cancel settings. The transparency mode is acceptable but not the best. I...view more Service BY PBTech was great. No problems there.

The device is sleek looking and fits my ears well. It has an app for both Android and iOS which is well designed and easy to use. You can even dual connect and have the app on two devices and carry your personal settings between them and change them easily.

The dual connection is seamless. Sound is good. I like some bass and these were acceptable without being too much. Noise cancelation works very well for the price however in low noise environments you will hear a hissing noise. This can be mitigated with manual noise cancel settings. The transparency mode is acceptable but not the best. It works in a quiet environment but not if you're playing any sort of music above one or two in volume. The touch controls work OK. Mistouched from time to time. Battery lasted a good while.

The downside is the case is giving me constant problems. The whole reason for lower rating is the case. When I finish using the ear buds I would expect them to disconnect and turn off when I put them in the case. They don't...the case has a mind of its own as to when they disconnect and I have found myself with ear buds still connected and playing music in the case! Getting them to disconnect is something I have yet to master and it seems random. I have tried every technique to get them to meet however I haven't found one. I find it doesn't like disconnecting straight away and I must remove an ear bud from my ear, wait 10 seconds, open the case and see if it will accept the ear bud. If not I must close the case and try again. I would not buy again if this is normal.

In the mean time I will contact Soundcore to see if a firmware update can fix this.