Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Liberty 5, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in spatial audio and weight per bud, while the Liberty 5 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the Liberty 5 scores 76.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Liberty 5 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 17.8 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 spatial audio, weight per bud.
Pick the Liberty 5 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, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Liberty 5 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
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 4.3 vs 4.5.
Why Anker - Liberty 5 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 140.00% more. 12 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 140.00% more. 48 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 4.5 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 12 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 48 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5?+
Liberty 5 lasts 12h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Liberty 5 support multipoint?+
Liberty 5 supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Liberty 5?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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