Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Liberty 4 Pro, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in weight per bud and spatial audio, while the Liberty 4 Pro wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the Liberty 4 Pro scores 72.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Liberty 4 Pro is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 14.5 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight per bud, spatial audio, water resistance.
Pick the Liberty 4 Pro if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds, battery — with case, driver size, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Liberty 4 Pro is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.30 g less. 4.3 vs 5.6.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Anker - Liberty 4 Pro wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 100.00% more. 10 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 100.00% more. 40 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Driver size — 5.00% more. 10.5 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 5.6 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 10.5 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 40 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or Liberty 4 Pro?+
Liberty 4 Pro lasts 10h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Liberty 4 Pro support multipoint?+
Liberty 4 Pro supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Liberty 4 Pro?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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