Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: are cheap ANC earbuds worth it?

Dispossessed earns a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. This review is based on Anker's published specifications, documented expert testing (RTINGS, SoundGuys, PCMag, Scarbir) and aggregated public owner feedback — not hands-on testing by us.

Verdict

Buy the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC if you want genuinely useful noise cancelling for the price of a few pints and you mostly listen on the bus, train or in a noisy office. Skip it if clear phone and video calls matter more than quiet, or if you've already got decent headphones and just fancy an upgrade — this is a "good enough" buy, not a revelation.

Who it's for

The Liberty 4 NC is the sensible purchase for someone who has never owned ANC earbuds and isn't prepared to spend £200+ on AirPods Pro or Bose to find out whether they care. It is built for commuters, open-plan workers and anyone who wants to mute the world for less than the cost of a night out. Battery anxiety is also covered: you can go a week between case charges.

Who should look elsewhere: people who take a lot of Zoom, Teams or WhatsApp calls on the move (the mic is merely adequate and weaker on internet-calling apps than on plain phone calls); audiophiles chasing a flat, detailed signature (these are tuned for bass); and anyone who already owns a recent pair of ANC buds — the jump from "good budget" to "this" is not worth the money. If you're questioning whether you need earbuds at all, our other "worth it" reviews take the same sceptical line on gadgets that quietly drain the budget.

Key specifications

What stands out

• The ANC is the headline, and it's real. RTINGS measured "great" noise isolation that insulates you from office chatter to street rumble, and SoundGuys notes it sits close to buds three times the price. For a commute, it does the job most people actually want.
• LDAC for the tinkerers. If your phone supports LDAC, you get Hi-Res Wireless audio and a proper 8-band EQ in the app — rare at this price, and genuinely useful if you like to shape your sound rather than accept the default.
• Battery is a non-issue. Around nine hours per charge with ANC on and a case that tops you up to ~50 hours means you'll reach for the cable far less than with flagship buds. Wireless charging in the case is a bonus, not a gimmick.
• Multipoint that works for real life. Stay connected to your phone and laptop at once; RTINGS and Scarbir both flag the dual-device connection as solid for calls-plus-music. Controls are responsive and fully remappable.
• The transparency mode is good. SoundGuys specifically calls it "terrific" — you can hear announcements and conversation without pulling a bud out, which is the feature people underestimate until they use it.

Where it falls short

• The microphone is only okay, and worse on internet calls. RTINGS rates it "mediocre" — your voice comes through bassy and lacking detail, and the buds struggle to separate you from background noise. Multiple owners report regular phone calls are fine but Zoom, WhatsApp and Telegram calls are noticeably weaker. If you live on video calls, this is the one to skip.
• The case is chunky. Independent testers (LoudnWireless, Scarbir) call the charging case "bulky" — it trades pocket-friendliness for the big battery and wireless charging. It won't disappear in a tight jeans pocket.
• Bass is boosted by default. RTINGS measured a ~7 dB bass lift that can bleed into the mids and clutter busy mixes. You can tame it in the EQ, but out of the box these are not a neutral listen.
• Multipoint isn't seamless on every source. Some owners report they still have to manually disconnect from one device before the buds pick up another, rather than auto-switching. Your mileage depends on the hardware.
• Not for gaming. Bluetooth-only, with noticeable latency even in the low-latency mode, so expect audio/visual desync on PC and no console support. The "spatial audio" mode is a basic effect, not a reason to buy.

Alternatives worth considering

• Do you even need new earbuds? — if your current pair still works, the frugal answer is often "keep them". We take the same hard look at other gadgets that quietly eat the budget.
• Anker Soundcore Space A40 — smaller case, similar strong ANC and LDAC, if pocket size matters more than the 4 NC's longer battery and wireless charging.
• Sony WH-CH720N — over-ear, Which?-recommended, typically under £100; better for long sessions and calls if you don't need true wireless.
• EarFun Air Pro 4 — another budget ANC contender with LDAC and multipoint, worth a price-check if the Soundcore is out of stock.

Bottom line

The Liberty 4 NC is the cheapest way to find out whether noise cancelling is something you actually value, and if it is, you'll be happy. The ANC, battery and app are genuinely good; the mic and the fat case are the price of admission. Buy it as a tool, not a treat — and if your day is built around calls, spend the money on something that can hear you first. Check the current Soundcore Liberty 4 NC price on Amazon UK »

Basis of review: this assessment is based on Anker's published specifications, expert lab testing from RTINGS and SoundGuys, PCMag and Scarbir's write-ups, and aggregated public owner feedback. We have not physically handled this unit; no hands-on performance claims are made beyond what those sources document.