Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless  Headphones Review

Reviewed Feb 04, 2021 at 07:59am
Retest Feb 17, 2022 at 12:24pm
Tested using Methodology v1.5 
Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless
6.9
Neutral Sound 
7.9
Commute/Travel 
8.1
Sports/Fitness 
7.1
Office 
5.6
Wireless Gaming 
5.5
Wired Gaming 
6.4
Phone Calls 
 0

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless are the upgraded variant of the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless. With this update, Anker has added a customizable active noise cancelling (ANC) feature which can help cut down a great amount of ambient noise around you. Otherwise, these headphones have a similar build and design as their base model. They have a bass-heavy sound profile that can be tweaked using their companion app's graphic EQ or presets and a comfortable fit. However, their overall battery life falls short of their advertised playtime.

Update 11/15/2021: We originally reported that these headphones have a dynamic transducer. However, they have a hybrid dynamic and balanced armature transducer. We have updated our review to reflect these changes.

Our Verdict

6.9
Neutral Sound 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are alright for neutral sound. Their default sound profile is bass-heavy with a recessed mid-range and piercing sibilants. Luckily, if you prefer a more neutral sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ plus presets so that you can tweak their sound to your liking. They also have consistent bass and treble delivery.

Pros
  • Great, adjustable active noise cancelling feature.
  • Graphic EQ and presets.
Cons
  • Disappointing battery performance.
  • Closed-off soundstage.
7.9
Commute/Travel 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are good for commute and travel. They're decently comfortable, very portable, and have a great active noise cancelling feature that you can also adjust to better match the noise around you. However, around 3.5 hours of continuous battery life is quite low and may not be enough for long trips.

Pros
  • Great, adjustable active noise cancelling feature.
  • Well-built and portable design.
Cons
  • Disappointing battery performance.
8.1
Sports/Fitness 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are great for sports and fitness. They're decently comfortable, very breathable, and have a stable fit suitable for moderate exercises like jogging. Since they don't have any cables, it's hard for something to snag them and pull them out of your ears. However, they may fall out during more intense exercise.

Pros
  • Great, adjustable active noise cancelling feature.
  • Stable and very breathable fit.
Cons
  • Disappointing battery performance.
7.1
Office 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are fair for office use. They're decently comfortable and have an adjustable ANC that can help cut down ambient chatter. However, their 3.5-hour continuous battery life falls short of their advertised battery life, and won't last through your 9-5 workday without a couple of recharges throughout your shift.

Pros
  • Great, adjustable active noise cancelling feature.
  • Well-built and portable design.
Cons
  • Disappointing battery performance.
  • No NFC or multi-device pairing.
5.6
Wireless Gaming 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are truly wireless headphones and aren't suitable for wireless gaming. While they can be used on Bluetooth-enabled PCs, their high latency on PCs makes them less than suitable for gaming.

5.5
Wired Gaming 

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are truly wireless headphones and can't be used wired.

6.4
Phone Calls 

The Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro are alright for phone calls. They use an integrated microphone, but its recording quality is poor, so your voice sounds thin, muffled, and unnatural. On the upside, the mic does an excellent job of separating your voice from noisy environments. Their ANC is able to cut down a lot of noise around you, so you can focus on your call.

Pros
  • Great, adjustable active noise cancelling feature.
  • Well-built and portable design.
Cons
  • Poor recording quality.
  • Disappointing battery performance.
  • 6.9
    Neutral Sound
  • 7.9
    Commute/Travel
  • 8.1
    Sports/Fitness
  • 7.1
    Office
  • 5.6
    Wireless Gaming
  • 5.5
    Wired Gaming
  • 6.4
    Phone Calls
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Feb 17, 2022: Retested 'Controls'. Updated 'Volume Control' from 'No' to 'Yes'.
    2.  Updated Nov 15, 2021: We've changed 'Transducer' from Dynamic to Hybrid.
    3.  Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
    4.  Updated Feb 04, 2021: Review published.

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro come in four color variants: 'Black', 'Blue', 'White', and 'Pink'. We tested the Black variant and you can see their label here. We expect all color variants to perform similarly to our model.

    If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.

    Popular Headphones Comparisons

    The Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro are truly wireless headphones with an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. Their ANC can cut down a great amount of ambient noise around you. Just like the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, this feature also comes with different presets as well as a customizable ANC mode. However, their battery life is disappointing, especially when compared to their base model, the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless. Check out our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the best noise cancelling headphones under $200, and the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ear headphones

    Apple AirPods Pro

    The Apple AirPods Pro are better headphones for most uses than the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless. The Apple are more comfortable and better built. They also have a more neutral sound profile out of the box and better battery performance, and they can isolate more noise. However, the Anker have a graphic EQ and presets to help customize their sound profile.

    Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless

    The Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless are slightly better than the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless. The Life P3 are more comfortable, and they have a longer continuous battery life. Also, their microphone has a better recording quality.

    Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro Truly Wireless

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless are better headphones than the Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro Truly Wireless. The Air 2 Pro have a better-balanced sound profile out of the box and have an ANC that's able to cut down more ambient noise around you. Their integrated mic offers a better overall performance, too. However, the 2 Pro has a better battery performance and feel more stable in-ear.

    Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless

    The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are better headphones for most uses than the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless. The Jabra are more comfortable, feel better built, and have a thumpy, V-shaped sound profile, which some users may enjoy. Their battery performance is better, too, and they can be paired with up to two devices at a time. However, the Anker have a better performing ANC feature.

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    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeIn-ear
    EnclosureClosed-Back
    WirelessTruly Wireless
    TransducerHybrid

    The Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro have a similar look to the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless, thanks to their stem design and satin finish. However, besides the small logo and brand name on the outer sides of the headphones, they look fairly nondescript. They come in four different color variants if you're looking for something with a splash of color.

    7.0
    Comfort
    Weight0.02 lbs
    Clamping Force
    0 lbs

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are decently comfortable headphones. They have a similar fit to the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless but go a bit more deeply into your ear. That said, they feel lightweight, and you shouldn't have too much of a problem wearing them for a couple of hours at a time. For a more comfortable pair of in-ears, check out the Ultimate Ears FITS Truly Wireless or JBL Tour Pro+ TWS True Wireless.

    7.2
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    Not OS specific
    Ease Of UseDecent
    FeedbackMediocre
    Call/Music ControlYes
    Volume ControlYes
    Microphone ControlNo
    Channel Mixing
    No
    Noise Cancelling ControlOn/Off
    Talk-Through
    On/Off
    Additional ControlsVoice Assistant

    Update 02/17/2022: A firmware update was released for these headphones that changed their onboard controls. With the newest firmware (version 5.63), you can use the app to enable a one-tap control on each earbud that raises or lowers the volume by default. The results and text have been updated to reflect this.

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have decent controls. The touch-sensitive surfaces aren't the most intuitive to use out-of-the-box, but you can remap the controls in the companion app. There are also some beeps when registering commands. Βy default, a single tap raises or lowers the volume. You can tap twice on the left bud to skip to the next track while the same action on the right bud plays and pauses your audio. You can also hold down either bud for two seconds to turn their ANC on and off.

    However, we couldn't get the voice prompt to work on our model. You can only turn off the headphones by putting them in the case too, and if you want to manually pair them via Bluetooth, you have to put them back in their case and hold the button on the case.

    9.2
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.Difference0.8 °C

    Like most in-ear headphones, the Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro trap very little heat inside your ear. They shouldn't make your ears sweat more than usual, which makes them a suitable option for sports.

    9.5
    Portability
    L1.4" (3.6 cm)
    W1.0" (2.5 cm)
    H0.9" (2.3 cm)
    Volume1.30 in³ (21.30 cm³)
    Transmitter RequiredNo

    These truly wireless headphones are very small and portable. You can easily fit them into most pockets, even when they're put inside their carrying case.

    8.0
    Case
    TypeHard case
    L2.4" (6.1 cm)
    W2.3" (5.8 cm)
    H1.2" (3.0 cm)
    Volume6.60 in³ (108.15 cm³)

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have a great carrying case. It's made of good plastic and a silicone-like material, which should help protect your headphones from the occasional fall.

    7.5
    Build Quality

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are well-built and overall have a similar build quality as the Nothing Ear (1) Truly Wireless. They're made of plastic and a silicone-like material but seem sturdy enough to withstand a few accidental drops without too much of an issue. They're also rated IPX4 for water resistance, although we don't currently test for this. That said, the weak points of these headphones are that the ear tips could rip. The carrying case's lid could also break over time.

    7.5
    Stability

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are stable headphones. Once you get a good seal using one of the many pairs of differently-sized ear tips included, they should stay in your ears during a jog or run. However, they lack stability fins, so they may fall out during more intense physical exercise. If you're looking for more stable in-ears, try the Google Pixel Buds A-Series Truly Wireless instead.

    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
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    In The Box

    • Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro True Wireless Earbuds
    • 9x tip sizes
    • Charging case
    • USB-C to USB-A charging cable
    • Manuals
    Sound
    Sound Profile
    See details on graph tool
    Bass Amount
    4.05 dB
    Treble Amount
    -1.16 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have a bass-heavy sound profile. They deliver extra thump, rumble, and boom, which is great for genres like EDM and hip-hop. However, part of the mid and treble-range is under-emphasized, resulting in weakened and veiled vocals and lead instruments. However, sibilants like cymbals are piercing. If you prefer a different sound profile, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets.

    9.4
    Frequency Response Consistency
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    0.13 dB

    The frequency response consistency is fantastic. Once you achieve a proper fit and seal using the included ear tips, you should get consistent bass and treble delivery each time you use them.

    Raw Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    7.9
    Bass Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    3.03 dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    10 Hz
    Low-Bass
    4.28 dB
    Mid-Bass
    3.81 dB
    High-Bass
    0.87 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro's bass accuracy is good. It's overemphasized across the range, resulting in extra thump, rumble, and punch. There's a touch of extra boom, but it shouldn't overwhelm vocals or lead instruments.

    8.4
    Mid Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    2.18 dB
    Low-Mid
    -0.1 dB
    Mid-Mid
    -2.29 dB
    High-Mid
    -2.37 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro's accuracy is great. The range is mostly flat but underemphasized. Vocals and lead instruments are nudged to the back of the mix and sound a bit weak and dull.

    7.2
    Treble Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    4.16 dB
    Low-Treble
    -3.05 dB
    Mid-Treble
    3.51 dB
    High-Treble
    -9.1 dB

    The Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro have alright treble accuracy. The low-treble is underemphasized, so vocals and lead instruments sound veiled. However, there's a spike in the mid-treble, which makes sibilants like S and T sounds piercing.

    6.7
    Peaks/Dips
    See details on graph tool
    Peaks
    2.54 dB
    Dips
    0.93 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have okay peaks and dips performance. While most of the range is even, there's a small dip in the mid-mid, which nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, and another small dip in the low-treble veils the upper harmonics of these instruments. However, a big spike in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing and harsh.

    8.5
    Imaging
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    Weighted Group Delay
    0.82
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    1.33
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    0.44
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    1.38

    The imaging performance is excellent. The group delay is below the audibility threshold for the entire range, ensuring a tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit are very well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response. This is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (like voices or footsteps) in the stereo image. These results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

    Note: While there are a lot of peaks and dips in the phase response graph, it isn't fully representative of their actual performance. The left and right drivers are very well-matched, which results in a stable stereo image.

    0.6
    Passive Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    N/A
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    N/A
    PRTF Distance
    N/A
    Openness
    1.5
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    0.9

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have a bad passive soundstage, which is common for closed-back in-ear headphones. Due to their design, they bypass the outer ear, which is a big factor in creating an out-of-head or speaker-like soundstage. As a result, they have a small soundstage that seems like it's located inside of your head rather than as if it's coming from out in front of you.

    0.0
    Virtual Soundstage
    Head Modeling
    No
    Speaker Modeling
    No
    Room Ambience
    No
    Head Tracking
    No
    Virtual Surround
    No

    These headphones don't have a virtual soundstage feature. If you're looking for earbuds with virtual surround sound, check out the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless.

    7.7
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    See details on graph tool
    WHD @ 90
    0.235
    WHD @ 100
    0.147

    The Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. Except for a very small peak in the high-treble range, which shouldn't be audible for most people, all frequencies fall within good limits. This should result in clear and pure audio reproduction.

    Test Settings
    Firmware
    03.54
    Power
    On
    Connection
    Bluetooth 5.0
    Codec
    SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
    EQ
    Soundcore Signature
    ANC
    Transport
    Tip/Pad
    Silicone (small)
    Microphone
    Integrated

    These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our test results are only valid using these settings.

    Isolation
    8.5
    Noise Isolation
    See details on graph tool
    Isolation Audio
    Overall Attenuation
    -22.24 dB
    Noise CancellingYes
    Bass
    -21.62 dB
    Mid
    -15.53 dB
    Treble
    -28.64 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have a great noise isolation performance that can also be adjusted and customized via their companion app. When using their 'Transport' mode, their active noise cancelling (ANC) feature can help cut down a lot of bass-range noise like bus or plane engines. However, their passive noise isolation performance is actually better than their ANC performance throughout most of the mid and treble ranges. That said, they still cut down some ambient chatter around you and can block out high-pitched noise like the hum of an AC fan.

    These headphones also offer three other kinds of ANC, but we don't currently test them. 'Outdoor' mode is advertised to help cut down traffic and wind noise, while 'Indoor' mode is more focused on reducing mid and treble-range noise like office chatter and the hum of fans. There's also a customizable 'wheel' setting, so you can find the right amount of noise isolation to fit your needs.

    9.2
    Leakage
    See details on graph tool
    Leakage Audio
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    26.06 dB

    The leakage performance is outstanding. Although there's a peak in the treble range, people in a noisy office shouldn't be able to hear your audio, even at high volumes.

    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    Yes
    In-Line
    No
    Boom
    No
    Detachable Boom
    No
    MicYes

    These headphones have an integrated microphone.

    5.0
    Recording Quality
    See details on graph tool
    Recorded Speech
    LFE
    465.81 Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    5.79 dB
    HFE
    2,031.87 Hz
    Weighted THD
    0.059
    Gain
    6.21 dB

    The microphone's recording quality is poor. Your voice sounds thin, muffled, and unnatural.

    6.9
    Noise Handling
    See details on graph tool
    SpNR
    38.1 dB
    Noise Gate
    Always On
    Speech + Pink Noise Handling
    6.5
    Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
    Speech + Subway Noise Handling
    7.5
    Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

    The microphone's noise handling performance is excellent. It's able to separate your voice from noisy environments, and you should be heard clearly in quieter spaces.

    Active Features
    5.4
    Battery
    Battery Type
    Rechargable
    Continuous Battery Life
    3.5 hrs
    Additional Charges
    2.0
    Total Battery Life
    10.5 hrs
    Charge Time
    1 hrs
    Power-Saving Feature
    No
    Audio While Charging
    Yes
    Passive Playback
    No
    Charging PortUSB-C

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have a disappointing battery performance. We measured continuous battery life of around 3.5 hours and about two extra charges from their charging case, which is less than their advertised seven hours of playtime and three extra charges. However, battery life can vary depending on usage, so your real-life experience may vary. Still, you may want to consider the Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless or the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Truly Wireless if you're looking for truly wireless in-ears with significantly better battery performance. While they don't have a power-saving feature, you can use one earbud while the other one charges.

    8.0
    App Support
    App NameAnker Soundcore
    iOSYes
    AndroidYes
    macOSNo
    WindowsNo
    Equalizer
    Graphic + Presets
    ANC Control
    Adjustable
    Mic ControlNo
    Room Effects
    No
    Playback Control
    No
    Button MappingYes
    Surround Support
    No

    The Anker Soundcore app is a great companion app that offers several customization options. It has a graphic EQ, 20 different EQ settings, and you can remap the onboard controls. There's also 'HearID', which optimizes the headphones' audio reproduction to your ears. In addition to ANC presets, there's also a customizable 'wheel' that you can use to adjust the ANC to suit your needs.

    Connectivity
    7.1
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    5.0
    Multi-Device Pairing
    No
    NFC Pairing
    No
    Line Of Sight Range
    266.00 ft (81.08 m)
    PC Latency (SBC)
    215 ms
    PC Latency (aptX)
    N/A
    PC Latency (aptX HD)
    N/A
    PC Latency (aptX-LL)
    N/A
    iOS Latency
    106 ms
    Android Latency
    109 ms

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have satisfactory Bluetooth connectivity. While they use Bluetooth 5.0, you won't be able to connect them to more than one device at a time, and they don't support NFC pairing, either. Their latency on PCs is also high. However, their latency on iOS and Android is a bit lower, which is good if you like to stream video content. It's worth noting that apps and devices compensate for latency differently, so your real-life experience may vary.

    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
    N/A
    Non-BT Latency
    N/A

    These headphones are Bluetooth-only.

    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    No
    USB Audio
    No
    DetachableNo
    LengthN/A
    Connection
    No Wired Option
    Analog/USB Audio Latency
    N/A

    These truly wireless headphones are Bluetooth-only. They come with a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging the carrying case.

    PC Compatibility
    Analog
    No
    Wired USB
    No
    Non-BT Wireless
    No
    PlayStation Compatibility
    PS4 Analog
    No
    PS4 Wired USB
    No
    PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    No
    PS5 Analog
    No
    PS5 Wired USB
    No
    PS5 Non-BT Wireless
    No
    Xbox Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    No
    Xbox One Wired USB
    No
    Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
    No
    Xbox Series X|S Analog
    No
    Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
    No
    Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
    No

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are Bluetooth-only headphones and aren't compatible with the Xbox One or Xbox Series X consoles.

    2.2
    Base/Dock
    Type
    Charging Case
    USB Input
    No
    Line In
    No
    Line Out
    No
    Optical Input
    No
    RCA Input
    No
    Dock Charging
    Yes
    Power Supply
    USB-C

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro come with a carrying case that holds around two additional charges. It can be charged using their USB-C to USB-A cable, and it also supports wireless Qi charging.