I have an unhealthy obsession with buying new earphones. I'm a very active guy, and I always find an excuse to buy new pairs of headphones. New race coming up, new pair. New ultra-marathon, several new pairs. Earphone fell out during a run, new pair. Cord uncomfortable at gym, new pair. The woman is very unhappy with my collection of literally over a hundred pairs of headphones that I've racked up over the past decade or so. One problem is that I simply cannot find a pair that checks "all the boxes". The vast majority simply don't fit me correctly; my ears are incredibly finicky and I've returned many pairs over the years (if the policy allowed) due to a fit that just didn't work for me at all. I still have several dozens where I either held on and kept trying longer than I should have (past the return windows) or ate the restocking fees on. And several dozen more that get the job done, but require regular adjustments. To date, there have been precisely three pairs of earphones/buds that fit me "correctly". The first was the Adidas Sennheiser CX 685 from 2012 or so. The second is the JBL Yurbud Inspire 100 -- only the 100, anything higher has microphones or magnets that gently wiggle them out of my ears. These Liberty Neos are the only the third pair in over a decade to fit me correctly. Good timing too, since I was down to my last pair of Yurbuds (I believe they've been discontinued, and the rest my stock of nine all eventually went dead, though I still love them for wired earphones). I've gone through eight pairs of these newer "true wireless" style (including the more expensive Jabra Elite 65t and the Apple Airpods), and the Neos have outperformed ALL the rest overall.
Now, everybody's ears are different. What works for me might not work for you. And MOST people don't have as difficult of a time as I do with finding a pair of earbuds that just fit "right". But for ME, I simply haven't found anything that fits perfectly like these do. They jam comfortably and deeply into my ear, creating a perfect seal, but don't hurt. Some earbuds jam even further in and either hurt or end up having their silicon tips "squished" by the movement of ear/jaw, distorting the sound. Others make a great seal but gradually create this "vacuum" effect as the seal plunges in and out of my ear canal. The Neos just work for me. A close runner-up is the Elite 65t, but it's not as good. Again, these are just my ears, your results may vary.
The sound quality on the Neos is fantastic. Properly "clean", not overly-processed. Great, balanced sound. Enough bass for my basshead tendencies. To be fair, good fit and decent bass are far more important to me than fantastic sound quality/reproduction, so I'm probably not the true authority here. But they sound pretty great to me. Not the best, but I've nothing to complain about.
The controls could be a downside for some. A lot of people take issue with the lack of volume controls. I personally don't care about that, as I tend to set my volume and leave it for hours at a time while out running. What DOES bother me is how stiff the little buttons are. You really need to press down (and hold) while jamming the earbud into your ear to skip tracks. I find myself using my watch or phone controls to skip tracks more often than not. That said, I also don't like touch-sensitive controls and I frequently press too few/many times on softer-touch buttons as well, so I can't honestly say the Neos fall behind competitors in a way that matters to me.
Battery life is better than claimed. At average volume, I get an admirable 5:20-5:40 on most of my runs. At low volume, I've been able to exceed six hours twice. At almost-max volume, I came in just under five hours. The "battery low" alert seems to kick in anywhere from 30-60 minutes before it actually goes dead, progressively getting more frequent until it just shuts off.
I don't mind that these charge via micro USB, as I have plenty of other devices that still do as well. That said, the little rubber charging-port cover is a bit tricky to move completely of the of the way unless your plastic at the end of your charge cable has a very slim profile. I found myself frequently fighting the swing-away cover and inserting the cable at an angle (or being unable to fully insert at all). So I simply ripped the rubber door off. Keep this in mind if this kind of thing bothers you. I couldn't care less.
All in all, I'm extremely happy with these headphones. So much so that I just ordered the higher-end "Zolo by Anker" model for that 8 hour battery life. I just hope the fit is exactly the same.
Now for that note on customer service...
I originally had ordered the 3.5-hour version of these earbuds. This was a mistake on my part, and I actually thought I owned the 5-hour version. To further compound this issue, the current, upgraded listing replaced the old product very shortly after I ordered, and that old item is now listed as a new lower-end model. My order history now links to this new item. If I go back into my order history/emails, it's clear that, at the time I ordered, this was listed as having a 3.5-hour battery life. Yet I thought I had the newer 5-hour version all along. My mistake, 100%. That said, even with the 3.5-hour version, battery life was a bit under target. My best was 2 hours and 40 minutes, and that's at the lowest possible volume with a clean line-of-sight connection and performing no button-press actions. Had I known I owned a pair rated for 3.5 hours, I would've shrugged it off as "close enough". But, since I thought they were supposed to last five full hours, I tried contacting Anker and asking about obtaining a replacement pair. They kindly informed me that I actually own the older model (which, again to my surprise, they were right). BUT, given that they still came in below the claimed 3.5 hours, they were sending me a replacement pair. And furthermore, since the model I owned was technically now a lower-end model, they sent me the "current version" of the one I ordered, meaning I got a courtesy warranty-covered upgrade to the 5-hour model! Now that's some fantastic customer service. I've had horrible, copy-and-pasted-scripted-denial warranty-claim experiences with far more established headphone companies (Plantronics, Sony, and JBL), so to have a real human interact with me and kindly offer a replacement without hesitation was incredible.
I reiterate that your experiences may vary, but Anker has earned in me a customer for life.
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Product Description
Features To Go Further
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Graphene-Enhanced SoundUtilizing the unique strength and lightness of graphene, Liberty Neo reproduces music with astonishing clarity. Audio is presented in ultra-fine resolution to reveal details that ordinary earphones are simply unable to achieve. |
Extended Playtime3.5 hours of non-stop music is extended to 12 hours with the charging case. Recharge Liberty Neo even when you’re on the road. |
Bluetooth 5Using satellite technology (LDS antenna) Liberty Neo maintains a super-strong Bluetooth connection. Get flawless, skip-free audio up to 33 ft. |
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IPX7 Water ResistantThanks to a precision-designed casing, Liberty Neo prevents water and sweat from penetrating and damaging its sensitive components. |
Stereo Handsfree CallsUnlike ordinary truly-wireless earphones that deliver calls through a single earpiece, Liberty Neo provides in-call stereo sound. |
Mini Charging CaseNo larger than a car key, the charging case slides effortlessly into any pocket or bag. |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Soundcore Upgraded, Anker Liberty Neo True Wireless Earbuds, Pumping Bass, IPX7 Waterproof, Secure Fit, Bluetooth 5 Headphones, Stereo Calls, Noise Isolation, One Step Pairing, Sports, Work Out |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $49.99 | -13% $69.99 List: $79.99 | -28% $35.99 New Price: $49.99 | -28% $42.99 New Price: $59.99 | $29.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Comfort | ||||||
| Sold By | — | AnkerDirect | AnkerDirect | AnkerDirect | AnkerDirect | AnkerDirect |
| connectivity tech | Bluetooth 5.0 | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless |
| headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
| connector type | Ture Wireless Bluetooth Connection | usb | wireless | wireless | wireless | usb-c,wireless |
| noise control | sound isolation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | — |
| headphones jack | Wireless | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | — | — | USB |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable |
Videos
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Soundcore Liberty Neo Review by TechyEdgy YouTube Channel
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These are the best earbuds on the market for this reason!
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A Critical Review of the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo earbuds.
Will
Reviews with images
Custom Fitastic!
I have 5 sets of bluetooth headphones in the house. Some with a wire between them, others without. These are the best and here's why.1. Custom Fit. Anker gives you a few more accessories to taylor the fit to your ear than the other guys. It is really nice to have two "medium sizes". I found that I preferred the smaller of the two. The little tuck tabs also work great and again, you have many options here as well.2. The sound is great. It's a very good balanced sound and it is clear enough to hear any imperfections in our digital music. I'm a music guy, so sound quality is important to me. I gave it a 5/5 stars but temper your expectations. I found it to have more than enough bass, and mids and highs were crisp and detailed. I gave it 5/5 as I'm comparing it against other wireless bluetooth earbuds. Comparing these to audiophile plugged-in headphones is unfair.3. Noise Cancellation. It cancels noise because it plugs your ear canal. That's it. These should even have a noise cancellation rating as I think that should be reserved strictly for Active Noise Cancellation.4. At the Gym. These are the buds you're looking for. I am retiring "the other best selling Amazon (MPOW Bluetooth wire connected earbuds)" for these Anker Soundcore's. I am so sick of the wiring pulling on one side or the other. These buds give you the freedom to move your head around and do all of those Crossfit or HIIT workouts without risk of the buds coming out.5. So far the battery life seems to be as promised. I haven't done a full load to full drain time test, and I probably won't. I'm really good about plugging my stuff in and keeping it charged, but even if you're not, the case charges the buds a couple times for you. I'm sure if you have a desk job, the "case charging" will come in handy.6. Connectivity. Instant. Bluetooth 5.0 is really nice. Pull them out and they are paired. Since I use these at the gym, I have them paired with my Apple Watch. I have no phone on me. That is sweet sweet freedom.7. Charging. Plug it in using Micro USB. Charge away. The lights tell you charging status. USB-C would have been nice but for one Ulysses Grant, I'm not complaining.8. Build. Seems to be solid. Case snaps open and closed firmly. The buds are strong, nothing flimsy about them. If Anker were smart, they would offer various colored "tuck" bands for these as it would allow people to have a more customized look.9. The Case. It's a lot smaller in person than what you see on YouTube videos. I call that a plus. It also doesn't look like a dental floss container or cost 2 bones.10. What's Odd? The logo. It looks nice, and someone obviously spent a little bit of time thinking about it, but for a product called the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo, you would think it would have been an "S" logo for Soundcore, or a Liberty Neo logo. Instead they just grabbed a random letter in the middle of the word Soundcore for their branding of these. So enjoy putting the "d" in your ears. ;-)I was impressed enough by these buds that I wrote this review almost immediately after receiving them. I also took all of my custom silicone parts off and put on smaller ones just so my wife could try them. She was impressed as well, which means I will probably have to buy these again... hmmm... Mother's Day is coming up...If I lost these, or needed another set, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again. Well done Anker. Also, I didn't receive these as a promotion and I am in no way associated with Anker. I'm just a happy customer who received a product that was better than expected.
Top reviews from other countries
Rupert Pupkin
Great sound quality, far better than I initially expected from reading the Reviews
Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2019Luca
Buon rapporto QUALITÀ - PREZZO
Reviewed in Italy on May 8, 2020
Luca
Reviewed in Italy on May 8, 2020
PRO:
- Ci mette abbastanza a scaricarsi e poco a caricarsi
- Ottimo fit del padiglione, inoltre con i gommini per lo "sport" è davvero impossible perderle
- Per quanto costano si sento bene, bassi non eccessivamente pronunciati e tutto sommato una buona equalizzazione sonora
- Pairing veloce e pratico
- Case di buona manifattura
CONTRO:
- Nonostante la buona manifattura il case è un po' grosso
- Il tasto non è touch ma fisico (ci sono un sacco di gesture) però a volte può dare un pelo fastidio la pressione sull'orecchio
Il bilancio alla fine è POSITIVO e queste cuffie le consiglio a chi non cerca una qualità audio esageratamente alta, ma piuttosto comfort, comodità e praticità. In particolare se fate sport come me vi renderete conto di quanto siano stabili sull'orecchio.
Images in this review
