Between the LinkBuds Open and Liberty 5, the LinkBuds Open comes out ahead in driver size and spatial audio, while the Liberty 5 wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 and the Liberty 5 scores 76.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Liberty 5 edges ahead on the Mars Score (69.5 vs 76.1), but the 6.6-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the LinkBuds Open if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, spatial audio.
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 — with case, battery — buds, active noise cancellation, among others.
Both ship with comparable multipoint, 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 Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Anker - Liberty 5 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 118.18% more. 48 h vs 22 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 50.00% more. 12 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.5 vs 5.1.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IPX4).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.1 g | 4.5 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX4 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mmlead | 10 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 12 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 22 h | 48 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, LinkBuds Open or Liberty 5?+
Liberty 5 lasts 12h per charge vs 8h.
Do LinkBuds Open or Liberty 5 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, LinkBuds Open or Liberty 5?+
Liberty 5 has ANC; LinkBuds Open does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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