Soundcore, the audio brand under Anker, has announced two new true wireless earbuds: the Liberty 5 Pro and the Liberty 5 Pro Max. They are the first products built around Anker's newly co-developed THUS AI chip, and the higher-end Pro Max adds a 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen to the charging case, letting you record meetings and hand them to AI for transcription without your phone in the room. Pricing is 169.99 USD (about 27,000 yen) for the Pro and 229.99 USD (about 37,000 yen) for the Pro Max.
There are two models this time: the standard Liberty 5 Pro and the higher-end Liberty 5 Pro Max. The earbuds themselves, the noise cancellation, and the battery life are shared across both, and the difference lies in the charging case. The Liberty 5 Pro's case carries a 0.96-inch TFT touch display, while the Pro Max packs a 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen, setting the two apart by screen size and the range of AI features described below.
Both models feature a total of 10 sensors (eight microphones plus two bone conduction sensors that pick up vibrations through your skull) and support the new Adaptive ANC 4.0 noise cancellation.
The THUS AI Chip Keeps Your Voice Clear on Calls
At the heart of both models sits the new THUS AI chip. Soundcore is unusually specific about what it is for. The chip works with the 10-sensor array and runs a neural-network AI model to separate your voice from surrounding noise during calls.
The notable part is that, in addition to the sound picked up by the external microphones, the bone conduction sensors capture the vibration of your voice traveling through your skull. By cross-referencing these two inputs with AI, the earbuds are said to keep your voice clear on a busy street, in a coffee shop, or even when you speak quietly in a silent room.
On call quality, the standard Liberty 5 Pro was certified by Guinness World Records in April 2026 for the highest objective speech quality score (G-MOS) for true wireless earbuds. The Pro Max uses the same earbud hardware, so it delivers equivalent call performance.
Adaptive ANC 4.0 Adjusts 380,000 Times a Second
The noise cancellation has also been overhauled. Adaptive ANC 4.0 uses the eight microphones, processes ambient sound up to 384,000 times per second, and adjusts the cancellation curve in real time. Rather than locking into a single setting, it keeps adapting as your surroundings change while you move.
Its targets span a wide range: the low rumble of an airplane or bus, office chatter, and street noise. Soundcore claims up to twice the noise cancellation depth compared with the previous Liberty 4 Pro, an improvement that tends to show up most in low frequencies such as engine and air-conditioning noise. There is also a transparency mode and a feature that lets you briefly hold a conversation and resume playback without removing a bud.
The Real Headline: a Smart Case That Records Meetings
The standout this time is the 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen built into the Pro Max case. Soundcore calls it the world's first smart screen earbuds with an AI Note-Taker.
Here is how it works. The case records in-person audio from meetings, lectures, and interviews through its built-in microphone, then works with the Soundcore app to generate a transcript, identify speakers, and extract action items along with key points. The new part is that the case can record on its own, without your phone in the room. Recording is limited to in-person audio in the same space; online meetings, video calls, and phone calls are not captured.
AI meeting recorders have so far mostly been phone apps or dedicated devices you carry separately. Putting one on a charging case you already carry shifts it from something you have to prepare to something already in your pocket. Transcription is free for up to 120 minutes a month, and heavier users can choose a paid plan offering 1,200 minutes a month (15.99 USD, about 2,600 yen, among others) or an unlimited plan, in a subscription model.
HearID 5.0 and LDAC Lift the Sound
For music, both pairs support HearID 5.0, which runs a quick hearing test in the app and builds a personalized equalizer profile. Soundcore also offers AI-based sound enhancement, claiming it can restore up to 65 percent of the audio detail typically lost to Bluetooth compression. That is a manufacturer claim, and it is a hard one to verify by ear.
A more tangible benefit is LDAC support, a Hi-Res-class wireless codec available on Android devices. LDAC is not available on iPhone, but with AAC over Bluetooth 6.1, Multipoint connectivity to up to three devices, and Apple Find My support, the setup is more than enough for daily use.
Voice Control and AI Translation
The THUS AI chip also handles voice control. Both models support 20 voice commands, with a claimed response time of 0.91 seconds. The aim is to let you operate the buds without pulling out your phone or double-tapping a bud and waiting for it to register. (Voice control is offered in English, German, Japanese, and Chinese.)
AI translation is supported as well, and on the Pro Max you can run translation through the buds or right on the case screen.
Battery and Price
Battery life is up to 6.5 hours from the earbuds alone with noise cancellation on, or up to 28 hours combined with the charging case (at 50 percent volume). Dust and water resistance is rated IP55, which withstands dust and water jets from any direction, so the buds are fine for workouts and rain but not for swimming.
The Liberty 5 Pro is priced at 169.99 USD (about 27,000 yen) and the Liberty 5 Pro Max at 229.99 USD (about 37,000 yen), both on sale since May 21, 2026 on Soundcore's official site, Amazon.com, and BestBuy.com. In the US, a 30-day Try Before You Buy program is also available. ※1 USD = 161 JPY (as of June 22, 2026)
Summary
The Liberty 5 Pro Max's biggest draw is its charging case, which adds an AMOLED screen and an AI Note-Taker so you can record and transcribe in-person meetings without your phone. It pairs that with the new THUS AI chip, 10 sensors including bone conduction units, Adaptive ANC 4.0 that adjusts up to 380,000 times a second, and Guinness World Record call quality. The Pro Max's case pays off if meetings or multilingual conversations are part of your day; if not, the Liberty 5 Pro offers the same earbuds and noise cancellation at a lower price and remains a strong option.
