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Realme Buds Air8 Pro vs TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88: which should you buy?

On aggregated review scores the Realme Buds Air8 Pro comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 84. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.

Our pick: Realme Buds Air8 Pro - Outstanding overall at around $74.

Score breakdown

Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.

Realme Buds Air8 Pro leads on 6 of 7 measures.

  • Realme Buds Air8 Pro
  • TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88
HearWiki score
84
47
Sound
8.4
5.6
Noise cancelling
8.4
0.0
Battery
7.2
3.2
Calls
8.5
6.7
Value
9.2
-
Price (USD)
$74
$45

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

Realme Buds Air8 Pro (2026) against TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88 (2020). The Realme Buds Air8 Pro is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.1 against 5.0 and Top codec LHDC against AAC. It also adds Multipoint pairing and Water resistance IP55 against IPX7.

  • Buds Air8 Pro20266 yr newer
  • SoundLiberty 882020
What differsBuds Air8 ProSoundLiberty 88

Platform

Bluetooth
6.1
5.0
Top codec
LHDC
AAC

Everyday features

Multipoint pairing
Yes
No
Water resistance
IP55
IPX7

Level on: USB-C, Wear detection.

Specifications

Buds Air8 ProSoundLiberty 88
Type
True Wireless
True Wireless
Price (USD)
$74
$45
HearWiki score
84
47
Released
2026
2020
Availability
Sold new
Discontinued
Driver
2-driver hybrid
10 mm dynamic
Driver type
hybrid
dynamic
Driver size
11 mm
10 mm
Drivers per side
2
1
Frequency response
20 Hz - 20 kHz
20 Hz - 20 kHz
Sound signature
-
warm
Impedance
-
16 Ω
Bluetooth
6.1
5.0
Codecs
SBC, AAC, LHDC
SBC, AAC
Multipoint pairing
Yes
No
Latency
45 ms
-
Wireless range
-
10 m
Battery life
12 h
4 h
Battery incl. case
50 h
25 h
Full charge time
120 min
60 min
Quick charge
10 min → 11 h
-
Wireless charging
No
No
Active noise cancelling
Yes
-
ANC type
adaptive
-
Companion app
Yes
-
Custom EQ
Yes
-
Wear detection
Yes
Yes
Controls
touch
touch
Voice assistant
-
Yes
Weight
4.8 g
4.5 g
Case weight
53 g
42 g
Water resistance
IP55
IPX7
USB-C
Yes
Yes
Microphones
6
2
Call noise reduction
Yes
Yes
Call NR technology
AI ENC
AI ENC

What reviewers said

Realme Buds Air8 Pro

The Realme Buds Air8 Pro are feature-rich wireless earbuds that deliver strong adaptive noise cancellation, clear call quality, and a versatile hybrid driver setup for under $100. They offer a long 12-hour battery per charge, Bluetooth 6.1 with triple-device multipoint, and IP55 water resistance, making them a solid everyday choice. Sound tuning requires some adjustment to get the best performance, but the overall package is impressive for the price.

  • Pro:Strong adaptive ANC and usable transparency mode
  • Pro:Long 12-hour battery life with 50 hours total via case
  • Pro:Triple-device multipoint connectivity
  • Con:Sound tuning needs effort to optimize
  • Con:No wireless charging support
  • Con:Battery life per charge may vary depending on usage

TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88

The TaoTronics SoundLiberty 88 are half-in-ear true wireless earbuds with a warm sound signature and strong call quality, making them a solid budget pick. They offer IPX7 water resistance and a compact design, though their connectivity can be a bit finicky at times. Overall, they deliver good value for casual listening and voice calls at an affordable price.

  • Pro:Warm, pleasant sound profile
  • Pro:Excellent call quality
  • Pro:IPX7 water resistance
  • Con:Occasional connectivity hiccups
  • Con:Shorter battery life per charge
  • Con:No wireless charging

Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.

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New comparisonRealme Buds Air8 ProTaoTronics SoundLiberty 88