Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 dead on target wireless earbuds pack a lot of average features into a small , gorgeous carrying event .
As Apple pushes new rendering of its flagship earbuds , the AirPods , into higher and high price range , it leave a lot of elbow room for competitors to undercut it on Mary Leontyne Price . That ’s exactly what Soundcore is doing with its new Liberty Air 2 true wireless earbuds . From the shape of the pop out microphone arms to the wireless commove case , the Liberty Air 2 earbuds front , sound , and find a pot like the AirPods for a lot less money .
I do n’t require to use a phrase like “ you get what you pay for , ” in relation to the Apple Airpods since I prefer some earbuds — likethe Monoprice True Wireless Plus — that are even cheaper than the $ 99 Liberty Air 2 . But , in a comparability stringently between the AirPods and the Liberty Air 2 , the Air 2 do feel like less of a steal . Soundcore attempt to make the Air 2 stick out out with some interesting features , like better microphone and a fellow app with equalizers customize for your single hearing profile . Unfortunately , these features all fell flat for me .
Design
get a right depression is a keen start , and the Air 2 look passing swank . They have the silken curves and unruffled telephone line that I seem for in a very aphrodisiac piece of technical school . Plus , their flatness black outside help to hide smudges from skin oils and fingermark , so they always look more or less amazing . I also really want to call out the splashes of ruddy orange at the conclusion of the munition and under the silicone polymer capitulum tips . The Air 2 overall look really fancy , and I got stop by several stranger in elevators and grocery store to necessitate about them .
That unruffled , unlined appearance come at a terms , though : there ’s no strong-arm button on these earbuds . A trace - sensitive clitoris is obscure somewhere in or around the Soundcore logo — I’ve been experimenting , but I ’m still not certain exactly where it is . Wherever it is , the way it recognizes touch inputs is seriously spotty . Sometimes , these earbuds completely ignore a direct , purposeful double - tap . Other time , the slender accidental brush of a finger along the external border will hop a euphony racetrack , ramp up the volume , or — most frustratingly — hang up a phone call . This is n’t usually the type of charge that reach it into a tech review , but in earnest : I ’ve accidentally hung up on my lady friend so many time in the past hebdomad that I owe her some flowers .
The matt grey center and contact of orange await groovy in all configurations .
One of the features that I thought depict hope was the Soundcore companion app , which let me define my own cutaneous senses controls . I had awful luck getting the Liberty Air 2 to recognize a double - tap , so I was only too glad to change the comment on pausing and skipping track to something else . Just obtain my fingerbreadth on my right earbud for two seconds exact longer than a double - tap , but it works often enough that I was n’t nettle by it .
I encountered a few problems with Bluetooth connectivity , too . Sometimes , custom controls I saved in the app stop work . One feature , which automatically break playback when it senses me draw an earbud out of my capitulum , intercept work and would n’t resume until I put both earbuds into the charging casing and left them there for a hour .
On one memorable social function , the left earbud made a noise like a die hard drive and … go down , I guess ? Putting both earbuds in the guinea pig and restarting the connector seems to have put affair back to normal .
It ’s a shame that I had so many problems with the Liberty Air 2 , because they derive weaponed with my favorite carrying / charging case of any genuine wireless earpiece I ’ve test . It is small and comfortable to carry in a pocket — it ’s about the sizing of a boxwood of Tic Tacs . This is a little point , but I have a go at it the path the chapeau has just a tiny bit of springiness assist to open up and charismatic assist to close . It makes the case lid effortless to click open and closed , but it never flaps around or falls open accidentally .
The case also support wireless charging , which is really convenient . When I ’m at habitation , the Air 2 earbuds and their pillow slip live in a charging spot next to my front doorway . I set them down there so I do n’t fall back or forget them , and they ’re always bear down as a incentive .
Battery and Fit
For all the issue I had with their connexion reliability , the stamp battery mogul on the Liberty Air 2 is pretty good . According to specs , their 55 mAh battery max out at around seven hours . I draw about 6.5 hour of playtime on a full armorial bearing , and the battery in the charge case can recharge the earbuds three times . This is perfectly fine , but not as upright as other earbud option that squelch more juice out of slightly smaller batteries .
Wireless charging defecate it easy to keep the Liberty Air 2 earbuds topped up .
The only other downside to the battery performance was in how long it took to charge . A full charge conduct about four hours on my wireless charger . It was firm than that when plugged in — under three hours — but it was still a bit slower than other comparable true wireless earbuds .
I never really got a great paroxysm with the Air 2 , which was frustrating because they come with five unlike sizing of ear tips . I think the heart of the trouble is the overall design . Unlike a lot of other true wireless earbuds , the Air 2 rely alone on a snug auricle tip fit . Without any stability wings or a intent that lease the earbud rest inside the sports stadium of my ear , I found myself going back and forth from medium to orotund to extra - big , with none of them working quite right .
I witness myself always adjusting and reinserting the Air 2 earbuds . Even though I was being thrifty to only adjust them by the root or the very edges of the earbud face , it was this constant fiddling that led to a long twine of unintentionally hanging up the phone on people . Even though the Liberty Air 2 are quite light , not having any form of forcible supporting made them palpate unstable .
They ’re small and light , but find a close fit made them toilsome to savor .
Sound
In my tests , the Liberty Air 2 put out very good basso , but intermediate - to - high sounds were uneven and muddy . The overall physique tone also does n’t seem very good . My bass - mover and shaker trial bring out some resound in one earbud , and examine the Libra of the speaker drivers showed that they ’re not quite centered . This wee some music — which should go like it ’s hitting justly in the middle of my brain — wander and wobble from left to right sometimes .
The Soundcore fellow app comes with a lot of equalizer setting , including a particular HearID test that claimed to customize an equalizer for me based on the results of a hearing test . I was intrigued by an app that could customize an EQ setting for me to even out for my specific hearing profile . Unfortunately , this feature is just a gimmick . The sense of hearing test showed that I had no gap in my listening , and my individualised EQ setting was just a pair of flat lines .
Being able to assign my own controls made the touching - controls more supportable .
move on , I put the Liberty Air 2 through some medicine . To fuse it up a bit I listened to “ Could Have Been Me ” by The Struts . The song commence with hands clapping to a driving beat , and I think the knifelike , gamey sound of a hand - clack is a bang-up illustration of where the Liberty Air 2 sound the weakest . Where cymbal , paw , or a snare drum should sound bright and distinct , the Liberty Air 2 makes them fathom papery and thin .
Next I tried out “ Do It All The Time ” by I Do n’t get it on How But They Found Me . The song is expectant on synth sound that the Liberty Air 2 handled much better . In special , the opening and ingeminate guitar Riffian overlay perfectly with the Liberty Air 2 ’s fat , boosted bass voice .
Finally I impart out “ What ’s Up Danger ” by Blackway & Black Caviar , off of the soundtrack forSpider - military man : Into the Spider - Verse . As good as the bass sounds , the lustrous ticktack - clock reasoned essence came off as wooden , like it was played on a pair of bamboo chopsticks .
The biggest let - down for heavy performance , though , was in the on - gameboard mike . The Liberty Air 2 really feature about take four on - board microphones and special background - noise cancelling technology . I did not experience clear voice lineament at all in my tests , and I always had an echo - y speakerphone - in - dealings quality no matter where I was or how tawdry the background noise .
Bottom Line
Compared only to the much more expensive Apple AirPods , the Liberty Air 2 do some thing well and look really sexy for half the price . Unfortunately , there are other contender out there besides just Soundcore and Apple that do it easily and cheaper . Soundcore ’s own mellow - last earbuds , the $ 150 Liberty 2 professional , fix almost every single event I had with the Liberty Air 2 — they have a physical button , they have better batteries , and they transfuse nicely in the ear with additional backstage for stableness . If you want great phone from Soundcore , bounce for the Pro upgrade .
