Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Review

Anker headphones, as practice shows, are good and excellent. The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro model came to our review, which claims to be in the top. They meet by clothes, Anker has no problems with this – the box with headphones is weighty, there is no thin tearing cardboard packaging: it is a tight box with a magnetic lock. Inside, there is a separate compartment for a set of ear pads and “wings” (nozzles) for ears of different sizes.

In the lid of the box there is also a booklet with information that is not particularly necessary for the user and instructions for setting up, replacing elements, connecting, and so on. Anker Liberty 3 Pro is available in four color options: lavender, white, gray and black, we have black at our disposal. The case is shaped like a shell or a flattened stone, made of matte plastic with a silver edging, which visually separates the top and bottom. Body:

• LEDs. The lid slides back, for convenience there is a small protrusion in front – you can feel it and open it in the right direction. The power connector is located on the back of the case, next to it there is a small function button (it will be needed to reset, for example, or turn on the charge indicator). Three LEDs on the front of the case are responsible for displaying the charge level. They will automatically light up when the case is opened. Inside, under each earphone, there are additional LEDs that illuminate the contents of the box from the inside (they also inform about the connection to the sound source).
• Setting. The lid opens easily, but as if in two steps: first half (probably to look inside), then completely. It slides back in the same way, tightly magnetizing in place. Getting the headphones out of the case without getting used to it will be inconvenient: you can’t just grab the earpiece and pull it out – there won’t be enough space. It's easier to stick your finger between them, “squeezing out” one of the headphones, and then grab it.
• Case. In the case, there is a letter indicating where to put the right earpiece, and the letter R is only on the right earpiece – this is enough to get your bearings.
• Connection. The connection is standard: open the case, and on the smartphone – a list of Bluetooth devices, pairing will occur automatically. If something goes wrong, the manual “pairing” mode is activated by pressing the button on the case for three seconds.
• Soundcore. It is also possible to connect through the proprietary Soundcore application, which at the same time will show on animated splash screens how to install the headphones properly in your ears. But in fact, the application will be needed anyway because otherwise many functions will be inaccessible.
• LDAC. After launching the application, it is recommended to use the HearID function, which generates personalized sound settings for Anker headphones – and this is their feature. In addition, to improve the quality, it is worth activating the LDAC mode. There are nuances with the latter: firstly, after enabling LDAC, the headphones will only be able to work with one device – the sound source. Secondly, power consumption will increase – the battery life will decrease (it is difficult for us to judge by how much). This feature can be disabled.

What is LDAC?

LDAC is a Bluetooth codec developed by Sony. As follows from the specifications, it allows you to significantly increase the amount of transmitted data, thereby improving sound quality. This is not Hi-Res in the usual sense of the word, but the sound should become more pleasant to the ear. Quality:

• 990kb/s. Furthermore, LDAC must be supported by the device from which the data is transferred (support is available in all modern Android smartphones), and the source must have the appropriate bitrate. The data transfer rate varies between 330-990 kbps depending on the settings. Maybe two options: “balanced”, when the priority and speed are lower, and “optimized”, when the bitrate is the highest possible. In the second case, sound artifacts (lags and breaks) may appear due to lack of resources, and then it is recommended to disable other wireless connections (the same Wi-Fi).
• Not for everyone. It is unlikely that LDAC will be effective for streaming services that do not provide content of the required quality (there is no point in wasting headphone batteries). This is rather for the local media library – songs on your smartphone and in uncompressed format, or services that offer value for money.
• ANC. Through the application, you can also adjust the strength of ANC: for this you need to make noise around, and then go through the algorithm. Or rely on automation. There are also 2 options for the transparency mode: Full transparency and “Speech mode”, in which the microphone picks up certain frequencies.
• Convenience. The Anker Liberty 3 Pro sit quite comfortably in the ears, they do not rub, but there is no “like a glove” feeling, although the headphones do not fall out. And thanks to the instructions and design, in a couple of times you can understand the logic of their installation in your ears, unless you have to experiment with ear cushions for a tighter fit.

Sound

Headphones equally expressively transmit low and high frequencies: in some cases, there are too many of both. The HearID setting allows you to achieve high-quality sound without unnecessary gestures, although you will have to spend time setting it up. Another variant – resort to presets from renowned musicians: the set is quite extensive, and you can choose it to your taste. And finally, the third option: custom equalizer settings. Sound:

• Low frequencies. The low frequencies in the Anker Liberty 3 Pro are moderately soft, usually sounding in the background. In some compositions, they come forward, but at the same time they do not turn into a blurring buzz, they remain quite dense. In some compositions, low frequencies become flat and resonate unpleasantly in the foreground. It is interesting that this manifested itself when listening to music packaged in FLAC.
• High frequencies. High frequencies are pronounced, in some cases they add “concert” to the sound – something similar is typical for Marshall, but they are characterized by a much wider overall stage and a clear division into instruments: sometimes the instruments in the Liberty 3 Pro stick together (if you find fault).
• Summary. In short, the sound of the Liberty 3 Pro can be called rich and warm with rich, but unobtrusive lows. Too many high frequencies, this is probably why they are best at instrumental music, rock, and vocals. At the same time, almost any shortcomings can be removed with the equalizer settings, but in this case, you will have to abandon the ready-made presets and HearID. At high volumes, the sound remains clear and without distortion.

Noise reduction

Active noise reduction system in Liberty 3 Pro is for everybody. It is effective to a certain extent, but introduces distortion into the sound and can be annoying due to the distinct white noise. Headphones are not suitable for mobile games: the delay is high and there will be no comfort where the sounds are not just a background.

Declared battery life up to 32 hours with case, up to 8 hours without it, ANC reduces the indicator by 8 and 2 hours, respectively, LDAC will take away more. There is support for Qi wireless charging. Management – touch, there is a slight delay between pressing and reaction. Below is a table of commands (they can be changed through the application):

Summary