True Wireless
Apple AirPods Pro 3
86Outstanding
$180
Full review dataApple AirPods Pro 3 vs Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Apple AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 86. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Apple AirPods Pro 3 - Outstanding overall at around $179.
True Wireless
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
81Outstanding
$170
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 leads on 4 of 7 measures.
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
HearWiki score
86
81
Sound
8.6
7.3
Noise cancelling
9.3
9.0
Battery
7.3
6.9
Calls
7.4
9.6
Value
8.3
8.6
Price (USD)
$180
$170
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
New platform
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro (2026) against Apple AirPods Pro 3 (2025). The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.1 against 5.3 and Top codec LDAC against AAC. The Apple AirPods Pro 3 answers on convenience features: it adds Wear detection and Water resistance IP57 against IP55.
- AirPods Pro 32025
- Liberty 5 Pro20261 yr newer
What differsAirPods Pro 3Liberty 5 Pro
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.1
- Top codec
- AAC
- LDAC
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP55
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: ANC type, Multipoint pairing, Wireless charging, USB-C, Transparency mode, Companion app.
Specifications
AirPods Pro 3Liberty 5 Pro
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $180
- $170
- HearWiki score
- 86
- 81
- Released
- 2025
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 10.7 mm dynamic
- 9.2 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 10.7 mm
- 9.2 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- -
- Sensitivity
- 110 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.1
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 8 h
- 12 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 8 h
- 6.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- -
- 28 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 60 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 5 min → 4 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Siri
- -
- Weight
- 5.5 g
- 5.5 g
- Case weight
- 44 g
- -
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP55
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 3
- 8
- Microphone type
- beamforming
- -
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- -
- bone-conduction VPU
What reviewers said
Apple AirPods Pro 3
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are premium true wireless earbuds that combine adaptive active noise cancellation with a comfortable, secure fit. They deliver clear calls, robust battery life, and a balanced sound profile, all wrapped in an IP57-rated design that handles water and dust. With Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint connectivity, and wireless charging, they offer a polished experience for Apple and non-Apple users alike.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Clear call quality with beamforming mics
- Pro:Strong battery life of 8 hours with ANC on
- Con:Fit may be tricky for some ears
- Con:Premium price point
- Con:Limited codec support (SBC, AAC only)
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds deliver a well-rounded true wireless experience, combining adaptive noise cancellation, LDAC support, and a comfortable, reliable fit. They shine in voice-call clarity and offer robust battery life, though their sound profile and feature set are strong rather than class-leading at this price point.
- Pro:Excellent voice call quality with 8 mics
- Pro:Adaptive ANC and transparency mode
- Pro:Long battery life with wireless charging case
- Con:Sound quality is good but not top-tier
- Con:Bulky case compared to some rivals
- Con:Controls may require a learning curve
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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