Between the Galaxy Buds 3 and Liberty 5, the Galaxy Buds 3 comes out ahead in driver size and spatial audio, while the Liberty 5 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the Galaxy Buds 3 scores 64.5 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 11.6 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 Galaxy Buds 3 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, water resistance.
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, weight per bud.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, 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 Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 wins
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP55).
Why Anker - Liberty 5 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 100.00% more. 12 h vs 6 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 100.00% more. 48 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 4.5 vs 4.7.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.7 g | 4.5 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IP55 |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mmlead | 10 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 6 h | 12 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 24 h | 48 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Anker - Liberty 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Codecs | SSC,AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Galaxy Buds 3 or Liberty 5?+
Liberty 5 lasts 12h per charge vs 6h.
Do Galaxy Buds 3 or Liberty 5 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Galaxy Buds 3 or Liberty 5?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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