The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is a budget-priced earbud that delivers genuinely strong adaptive noise cancelling, LDAC sound, and battery life that beat its own ANC claim in SoundGuys' lab tests. The default tuning is bass-heavy and Consumer Reports disagrees with the praise for sound quality, so plan on using the EQ. Check the current price on Amazon before buying: at its usual budget price, it is hard to beat for commuters and travelers.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSWhat the Liberty 4 NC is
The Liberty 4 NC is Soundcore's budget ANC earbud, model A3947, and it reads like a flagship spec sheet with the price crossed out: 11mm custom-tuned drivers, LDAC hi-res audio on Android, Adaptive ANC 2.0, multipoint, wireless charging, and a companion app with a full EQ. The design is a stemmed bud in five colors -- Velvet Black, Cosmic Blue (listed as Dark Navy on some stores), Pastel Pink, Light Blue, and Clear White -- with four oblong ear tip sizes in the box and an in-app fit test. The case is squarish and chunky, and SoundGuys notes its finish picks up scuffs easily. The buds are IPX4 against splashes, which covers workouts and rain but not swimming.
Noise cancelling: strong, with one honest caveat
Soundcore claims up to 98.5% noise reduction, and the published evidence mostly backs up the enthusiasm. Digital Trends was skeptical of the 98.5% figure and still concluded you probably will not care, finding the Liberty 4 NC close to AirPods Pro 2 in everyday use, letting in only a little more high-frequency sound. SoundGuys, which gave the earbuds an Editor's Choice award, praises the ANC against traffic and transit hum and likes the granularity: Adaptive mode, five manual levels, wind reduction, and four travel modes for planes, trains, buses, and taxis. The caveat is passive isolation. SoundGuys found the buds do not sit deep enough to isolate well on their own, so chatter and high-pitched sounds still get through and occasionally force the volume up. Digital Trends adds a practical tip from its own testing: ignore the app's fit test if ANC feels weak and try every tip size, since going up a size made a clear difference.
Sound: the one thing reviewers disagree on
The published record splits on sound. SoundGuys' lab prediction is glowing: an MDAQS overall score of 4.9 out of 5, among the highest the site has measured on any wireless earbuds, with powerful bass and bright treble that suits pop and dance. Consumer Reports lands in a different place, rating sound quality middling and describing the default Signature tuning as very bassy, somewhat grainy and sizzly, with bass that can overwhelm the mids. Tom's Guide sits between the two, calling the default Signature EQ nicely balanced with deep bass and praising the HearID personal profile for lifting vocals. The app is the fix: 22 presets plus an 8-band custom EQ and the HearID hearing test give you the tools to tame the default tuning, and SoundGuys notes the Spoken Word preset lands close to its preference curve. If you never open the app, the bass-forward default is what you get.
Battery life that beats its own claim -- except on LDAC
Soundcore rates the Liberty 4 NC at 10 hours per bud and 50 hours with the case with ANC off, and 8 hours and 40 hours with ANC on. SoundGuys measured 9 hours 53 minutes with ANC on under its standard test conditions, comfortably ahead of the claim, and the case supplies roughly 50 hours total. A 10-minute charge returns about 4 hours of playback, and the case itself takes about 3 hours to refill over USB-C; Qi wireless charging is also included. The asterisk is LDAC: Soundcore's own FAQ rates LDAC plus ANC at 5 hours per bud and 25 hours total, so hi-res listening roughly halves endurance. LDAC also cannot run at the same time as multipoint, per Soundcore's support answers, so Android users pick between hi-res audio and two-device switching.
Calls, fit, and the app
Call quality is the weakest of the headline features. SoundGuys tested the six-mic array with an AI algorithm and found voices intelligible but lacking resolution, best with lower-pitched voices; office keystrokes occasionally overwhelmed speech, while street and wind conditions came through with only a slight background haze. Comfort is average rather than standout: SoundGuys rates it fine for a couple of hours, while Consumer Reports warns that small ear bowls may find the body bulky and senses.se reports the internal support bulge causing ear pain for some smaller-eared listeners. Best Buy's owner summary leans more positive, with sound rated 4.6, battery 4.7, and connectivity 4.6 out of 5, and 89% of owners saying they would recommend the earbuds; the recurring owner complaints are fit, intermittent connectivity, a scratch-prone case, and a transparency mode that lags rivals. The Soundcore app itself is a strength -- fit test, 22 presets, 8-band EQ, HearID 2.0, control remapping, gaming mode, Safe Volume -- with one annoyance SoundGuys flags: you must sign in to an account to use it. We run no lab; scores below are editorial judgments on this published evidence.
Who should buy it
Buy the Liberty 4 NC if you want strong ANC, LDAC, and marathon battery life without paying flagship money, and you are willing to spend ten minutes in the app tuning the EQ. Commuters and travelers get the most from it: the travel modes, wind reduction, and 50-hour total battery are built for that life. Skip it if call quality in noisy offices is the priority, if you have small ears and cannot try before buying, or if you want transparency mode that rivals AirPods Pro. Within its own price band, this is the value pick. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding; Soundcore discounts these regularly.