Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Review

There are many different options on the market for those who want wireless headphones. However, if you want a product that is closer to the upper segment on the features side and more in the middle segment on the price side, Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC looks very noteworthy. This product, which has an average price of 3,500 TL, offers active noise cancellation, closed-end design, wireless charging box and similar features. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC review article includes what you need to know and comments about the fully wireless headphone model with active noise canceling.

Anker offers several color options for the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC series. The unit we received for testing is Cosmic Blue and looks very nice. The surface of the case is not very slippery, but it can be easily scratched. Luckily, at least in this color, the scratches don’t look too obvious. Other color options include Velvet Black, Pastel Blue, Light Blue and Bright White. Prices for each color option may vary.

When you open the cover of the sturdy and square-shaped case, you see stemmed headphones with ambient lighting inside. The AirPods Pro-style design makes these headphones easy to wear and ensures they fit very securely in the ear. Interestingly, although the Anker Soundcore Libery 4 NC has an IPX4 water resistance rating, it is not a headphone designed for athletic activities. The capacitive touchpad is located on the top of the headset, where the stem meets the round body. The controls rarely fail, and a nice low clicking sound is enabled by default to indicate a command has registered. You can even adjust whether you want this to sound in the Soundcore app.

There are four ear tips in the package, including the one that comes installed with the Soundcore Liberty 4 NCs. You can use the Ear Tip Fit Test in the Soundcore app to accurately determine which size you should choose. I didn’t have any problems with the tips that came installed. It fit my ears well and did not cause any movement even when moving. These ear tips range from approximately 10mm to 16mm. The ear box is thick and bulky, slightly larger than that of the AirPods Pro. Despite this, there is no problem in carrying it in your pocket.

One of the biggest strengths of the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is its comprehensive Soundcore application. To use this application, you must first register, but if you have an Amazon account, you can also log in using your account information. This app offers you Ear-tip fit testing, a full 22 EQ presets, and an eight-band equalizer.

Anker goes one step further with its noise canceling feature, offering users the option of Adaptive Noise Cancellation and a manual mode where you can adjust the strength on a scale. Although this feature does not quite meet the near-silent environmental conditions created by full-power ANC (Active noise canceling), it works well in environments such as offices. Although it may seem like there are too many options, the wind reduction option is very well thought out, preventing any annoying rustling from reaching your ears. If you don’t want to switch between modes, Adaptive mode automatically adjusts the ANC level based on your environment. Although it doesn’t seem much different than choosing a setting manually, it’s nice to have this smart feature added.

In addition, you can extensively reassign commands, try the game mode, use the Safe Volume monitor with which you can limit the sound output volume. Anker offers the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC with an up-to-date technology such as Bluetooth 5.3. Also available are LDAC, AAC, SBC decoders. LDAC support will be especially interesting for Android phone users. If you have a phone or other device with LDAC support, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23, which we generally use these headphones for, you can benefit from better quality and high-resolution audio support. In contrast, iPhones will use the AAC codec by default.

Pairing the headphones with different devices is quite simple, when you press and hold the button you will see when you open the cover, the headphones enter pairing mode. Once you connect with different devices, the connections are maintained permanently. Additionally, the Liberty 4 NC features multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, so you can connect with multiple devices simultaneously. However, in this case, you will have to give up the high-resolution audio codec, namely LDAC.

Anker states that the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC offers 10 hours of playback on a single charge. Thanks to the charging case, the total time is up to 50 hours. This means you can listen to 1000 songs or watch 30 movies without worrying about battery. Indeed, our practical experience shows that Anker’s long battery life predictions are not empty.

You can charge the headset using the USB-C port underneath. Since most phones now have USB-C ports, it will not be difficult to charge them with a cable that has USB-C on both ends, but the fact that a USB-C-USB-A cable comes out of the box may cause you to search for an additional one. On the other hand, the presence of wireless charging support is good news. You can charge it using Qi compatible wireless charging mats. It is also possible to charge it with Apple’s MagSafe chargers.

By the way, there is also fast charging support. You can reach up to 4 hours of listening time with just 10 minutes of charging via the USB-C port. Full charging takes approximately three hours.

It is stated that the noise canceling feature that gives Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC its name can suppress up to 98.5 percent of noise. This feature performs well overall, but it’s worth noting that the level of noise suppression from a busy street outside doesn’t reach the same level as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2s. Using adaptive mode can help you hear the sound of a conversation or an approaching vehicle while walking on the road. I listened to podcasts using the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC several times during walks between the office and home, and each time I was able to hear the audio content clearly despite ambient traffic noise. Transparency Mode is good for naturalness, using this mode while walking on the road will protect you from the dangers of outside traffic or other elements. This transparency mode will also work on trips or in an office environment where you need to hear announcements. On the other hand, Anker has also added active noise canceling settings specific to different types of travel to the Soundcore application. Although these seem to create benefits with small nuances, it would be appropriate to leave the job to Liberty 4 NC itself. On the other hand, the Soundcore application also has a Wind Howling prevention feature. Turning this on reduces wind noise to a certain extent. It will work for those who walk, jog or cycle in windy weather.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC has a sound system with dual dynamic drivers. For those who want a satisfying sound experience in terms of bass and treble, these headphones more than meet the expectations. In tracks with intense bass, it is possible to feel it without causing explosions or suppressing other frequencies. On the other hand, there is no explosion in the treble. Anker has a rich selection of sound effects in its Soundcore app. When you enter the Sound Effects section in the Soundcore application, you will first see the 3D Surround Sound setting. When you turn it on, especially podcast or chat videos, it feels like you’re in a lecture hall or theater. Although it seemed nice at first, I later preferred to turn off this setting.

There are three different options under the Sounds heading. HearID Sound determines the most suitable sound frequency curve for you with a small sound test. I tried this test for myself and it produced a sound profile for me where the mid frequencies were weak and the bass and trebles were more pronounced, which gave a really successful result. Under the Default section, there are a total of 22 different predefined EQ settings. If you do not want to deal with long settings, one of these rich options will suit you. There is a Custom Equalizer section for those who want to make their own equalizer settings. Here, you are allowed to make adjustments to eight different frequency channels.

In Apple Music, it is possible to listen to Dolby Atmos-enabled Spatial Audio tracks in a truly comprehensive way, by feeling the different instruments. Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC offers a good experience in audio-oriented content such as podcasts or similar. The sound output intensity is also quite satisfactory for people like me who like to listen to loud music. With the effect of active noise cancellation, it will be possible for you to completely disconnect from the environment and channel the music you are listening to.

On the phone calls and voice recording side, Anker uses a total of six microphones and artificial intelligence-supported algorithms in this headset. Background noise is suppressed very well. In a comparison I made using the Galaxy S23’s own microphone in a room with the TV on, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC’s audio recording performance performed better in the areas of background noise suppression and loudness. However, the trebles are a little weaker and the mid frequencies are more dominant. In fact, there is a better and more understandable frequency distribution for speech.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC easily manages to meet expectations in terms of many elements such as its features, sound quality, design and battery life. A Soundcore application that offers very rich features, increases the efficiency of the headphones. It is possible to benefit from LDAC support on Android. These wireless headphones are recommended especially for those who own an Android phone and want a premium sound experience and active noise canceling performance without increasing their budget too much. Google Fast Pair feature is one of the features that make it attractive.