Between the Pixel Buds A-Series and Liberty 5, the Pixel Buds A-Series comes out ahead in driver size, while the Liberty 5 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the Pixel Buds A-Series scores 65.4 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 10.7 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 Pixel Buds A-Series if you care most about driver size. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size.
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, active noise cancellation, among others.
Both ship with comparable spatial audio, 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 Google - Pixel Buds A-Series wins
- ▲Driver size — 20.00% more. 12 mm vs 10 mm.
Why Anker - Liberty 5 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 140.00% more. 12 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 100.00% more. 48 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.5 vs 5.1.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IPX4).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.1 g | 4.5 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX4 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 12 mmlead | 10 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | false |
Battery
| Spec | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 12 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 24 h | 48 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.4lead |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Pixel Buds A-Series or Liberty 5?+
Liberty 5 lasts 12h per charge vs 5h.
Do Pixel Buds A-Series or Liberty 5 support multipoint?+
Liberty 5 supports multipoint; Pixel Buds A-Series does not.
Which has ANC, Pixel Buds A-Series or Liberty 5?+
Liberty 5 has ANC; Pixel Buds A-Series does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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