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Anker takes on the AirPods Pro with the $130 Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro

Multi-mode ANC, six-hour battery life, wireless charging and more.

Anker/Soundcore

Anker has a solid track record for affordable true wireless earbuds with its Soundcore brand. The company already has dozens of options to choose from, including various designs ranging from AirPod-like stick buds to over-the-ear hooks. And, of course, the more “traditional” true wireless earbuds. Today, Anker is adding another: the Liberty Air 2 Pro ($130). An upgraded version of the $80 Liberty Air 2, this Pro model also has the stick design of its predecessor with a refined overall look. Touch panels on the outside of the buds accept gestures for play/pause, skipping tracks, volume control and more. Those controls are customizable inside the company’s companion app.

Anker employs what it calls PureNote technology alongside 11mm drivers for “accurate sound and clarity at all frequencies.” Indeed, even with how affordable the company’s earbuds are, I was impressed by the sound quality when I reviewed the Spirit Dot 2 and Spirit X2 last summer. Multi-mode active noise cancellation (ANC) offers three settings for different environments: Transport, Indoor and Outdoor. Each of those adjust the frequencies blocked by ANC for the best setup for each scenario. What’s more, there are two transparency modes: one for total transparency and another that focuses more on voices. Most companies just have one ambient sound mode, so it will be interesting to see if Anker’s decision to include two makes a difference.

Like some of its previous models, the Liberty Air 2 Pro works with Anker’s HearID 2.0 inside the Soundcore app. This feature uses a quick hearing test to tailor the sound to your ears. With the latest version of the software, the company allows you to tweak EQ settings rather than just having to settle for one of the audio presets. Anker says the earbuds have six different microphones to reduce noise and optimize voice when you’re on a call. A lot of companies promise big things for call quality but ultimately don’t deliver, so we’ll have to put this to the test during a review to see if the claims hold up.

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro
Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro (Anker/Soundcore)

The company promises six hours of battery life on the buds themselves with ANC on. Turn off noise cancellation and you’ll get an extra hour of use. Factoring in the included charging case, you’re looking at up to 21 total hours with ANC on and 26 with it disabled. What’s more, the case supports Qi wireless charging and Anker’s quick-charge tech will give you two hours of tunes in ten minutes. An IPX4 waterproof rating means you’ll have no trouble using these during a workout and nine sets of silicone ear tips should help you find a comfy fit.

The Liberty Air 2 Pro will be available today in black, white, blue and pink color options for $130. For now, you can grab them at Amazon, Best Buy and the Soundcore website — wider availability is coming soon. The earbuds are priced at £130 in the UK, €130 in Europe and $170 (CAD) in Canada.