Is the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro worth the upgrade from the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro scores 5.4 points above the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in battery (6.5 to 8.5), calls (7.0 to 9.0) and sound (7.5 to 8.5). On paper: battery life 7 h to 12 h, weight 11.6 g to 5.5 g and bluetooth 5.2 to 6.1. Worth checking: battery incl. case goes 33 h to 28 h and driver size goes 11 mm to 9.2 mm. It's also $38 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.58.5
- Noise cancelling8.08.0
- Battery6.58.5
- Calls7.09.0
- Value7.08.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | FreeBuds Pro 4 | Liberty 5 Pro | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 7 h | 12 h | |
| Weight | 11.6 g | 5.5 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 6.1 | |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IP55 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 4.5 h | 6.5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 33 h | 28 h | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 9.2 mm | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Microphones | 4 | 10 | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| Driver | 2-driver hybrid | 9.2 mm dynamic |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "FreeBuds Pro 4 to Liberty 5 Pro". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.