Is the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro worth the upgrade from the Nothing Ear (a)?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro scores 6.0 points above the Nothing Ear (a). That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in sound (8.0 to 8.5) and noise cancelling (7.5 to 8.0). You do give up ground on battery (8.5 to 7.5). On paper: battery life (anc on) 5.5 h to 7.5 h, wireless charging and wear detection. Worth checking: battery incl. case goes 42.5 h to 40 h and case weight goes 39.6 g to 51 g. That costs $70 more, or about $12 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. 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.
- Sound8.08.5
- Noise cancelling7.58.0
- Battery8.57.5
- Calls8.08.0
- Value8.58.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Ear (a) | Liberty 4 Pro | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX5 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 5.5 h | 7.5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 42.5 h | 40 h | |
| Case weight | 39.6 g | 51 g | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 10 h (ANC off) | 5 min = 4 h | |
| Call noise reduction | Clear Voice Technology 3.0 | AI noise reduction | |
| Frequency response | 20Hz-20kHz | 14Hz-40kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Ear (a) to Liberty 4 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.