The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max look like twins at first glance, and in your ears, they essentially are.
The difference lies in the Pro Max’s larger touchscreen case and AI note-taking feature.
There are two kinds of upgrades in tech. The first changes how a product performs. The second changes how you live with it.
With Anker’s new Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max, the earbuds themselves stepped up massively from the Liberty 4, with solid improvements to noise cancelling, sound and call performance.
The Pro Max, however, leans hard into new features. Its biggest upgrades aren’t in the buds, but in the charging case, which now behaves like a tiny smartwatch for your ears and, unusually, a meeting recorder too.
Identical earbuds, different personalities
Both models use the same curved oval shape, a concha fin to keep the buds stable, five sizes of eartips, swipe controls, and an IP55 rating for sweat and dust resistance.
Anker also supplies different concha fins alongside different eartips, which is a small but great touch for comfort and overall usability.
Where they differ is the case.
The Liberty 5 Pro comes with a compact case featuring a narrow touchscreen strip on the front. It shows battery levels and lets you switch sound modes without reaching for your phone.
The Liberty 5 Pro Max replaces that with a full AMOLED touchscreen covering the entire lid, functioning like a smartwatch home screen. From there, you can manage sound modes, EQ presets, media playback, and settings such as brightness and Bluetooth.
The Max case is taller as a result, but it is still comfortably compact enough to fit in a pouch or pocket with ease.
Features are mostly the same… until you hit AI Note-Taker
In terms of earbud features, both are loaded. They share HearID 5.0 (a hearing-test-based EQ), an eight-band EQ with presets, Dolby Audio with head tracking, the Anka AI voice assistant, real-time translation, Easy Chat (automatically lowering music and switching to transparency when you start speaking), and Clear Calls for AI-powered background noise filtering on calls.
All of it runs on Anker’s powerful Thus chip, with on-device processing and no cloud dependency.
The Pro Max adds one exclusive feature though: AI Note-Taker. This is where the slight price jump justifies itself immensely.
The Pro Max case comes with its own built-in microphone and speaker. It pairs to your phone via Bluetooth independently of the earbuds. You start recording on the case touchscreen, can press a pairing button to flag important moments mid-recording, and when you’re done, the app generates a transcript and meeting notes automatically. During testing, transcription accuracy is definitely on par with industry-leading AI notetakers.
It also has a surprisingly practical side benefit: for face-to-face translation, the other person can speak into the case while you listen through your earbuds, with the translation delivered seamlessly.
This is a game-changer for international travel, eliminating potential language barriers one may have with other people and cultures.
Modern and flexible for the everyday
Both models run Bluetooth 6.1 and support SBC, AAC, and LDAC (the higher-resolution codec for compatible Android devices). They also support Google Fast Pair for quick Android setup. iPhone users are capped at AAC, which is standard for this category.
Multipoint is enabled by default and supports up to three simultaneous device connections, pretty handy if you juggle a work laptop, a personal phone, and a tablet.
The Pro Max adds one additional connection: the case itself pairs independently to support AI Note-Taker and translation.
Battery performance is the same across both models, with up to 12 hours with ANC off, or 6.5 hours with ANC on.
With the case, that becomes 50 hours total (ANC off) or 28 hours (ANC on). A five-minute charge delivers up to four hours of playback. Both charge via USB-C or Qi wireless charging.
ANC performance is exceptional. The Liberty 5 features enhanced adaptive active noise cancellation, and Anker claims it has doubled its performance from the Liberty 4. Even so, we managed full days without any noticeable ear pressure discomfort.
Your ears are your soundstage
Both earbuds share the same tuning, with strong bass, energetic punch, and an overall pleasing sound for listeners.
The Clear Vocals preset is a good starting point, but what takes these earbuds to the next level is HearID, where the Soundcore app can calibrate and tune a custom listening profile based on your personal preferences.
HearID 5.0 also features AI Sound Enhancement, which uses AI to enhance lower-quality audio sources. While subtle, it can dynamically improve your listening experience, especially if you’re streaming music in real time with a lacklustre connection.
For the purists, the Dolby Audio component turns your earbuds into a vibrant soundscape full of life, perfect for media consumption.
So… should you take it to the Max?
The Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max are, in essence, the same excellent earbuds wearing different lifestyles.
Both models are fantastic additions to anyone’s daily kit. The question is whether the Pro Max’s case upgrades and AI Note-Taker actually fit how you live.
The Pro is the obvious buy for most people: strong ANC, enjoyable sound, excellent battery, modern connectivity, and call quality that holds up. The Pro Max is not better in your ears; it’s better in your workflow. If you live in meetings, interviews, and multi-language conversations, the case becomes an indispensable tool.
Get the Liberty 5 Pro if: you want excellent performance at the lower price, you don’t need AI note-taking, and you’re happy with a simpler case.
Get the Liberty 5 Pro Max if: you regularly sit in meetings or conduct interviews and would actually use the AI Note-Taker, want full control from the case without touching your phone, and care about convenience.
If you would like to purchase a pair, you can check out these listings for Anker’s products on Shopee and Lazada.
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