Is the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC worth the upgrade from the OnePlus Buds Pro 4?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC actually scores 12.0 points below the OnePlus Buds Pro 4, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on sound (8.5 to 7.5) and noise cancelling (8.0 to 7.0). On paper: microphones 3 to 6. Worth checking: battery life goes 13 h to 10 h and bluetooth goes 5.4 to 5.3. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Buds Pro 4 to Soundcore Liberty 4 NC), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It is at least $66 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.57.5
- Noise cancelling8.07.0
- Battery8.58.0
- Calls7.56.5
- Value9.08.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Buds Pro 4 | Soundcore Liberty 4 NC | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 13 h | 10 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IPX4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 54 h | 50 h | |
| Microphones | 3 | 6 | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 11 hours playback | 10 min = 4 h | |
| Driver | dual drivers; 11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter | dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 40 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Buds Pro 4 to Soundcore Liberty 4 NC". 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.