New KING of Mic? đź‘‘ Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max vs Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 | Review
So you guys wanted me to compare the soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max to the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 because they are known to have the best microphone quality, Rank S in my mic quality rankings. And I have to say, they both are very comparable in terms of mic pickup. I tested them in an actual noisy cafe environment, and because it was so crowded, I had to whisper. Both earbuds did very well at reducing background noise to the level that it sounds like I’m in a quiet room, and my voice was quite comparable in terms of clarity, but not in terms of loudness. The soundcore did amplify my voice louder than the Huawei.
Active Noise Cancelling
In terms of active noise canceling, frequency sweeps show that the soundcore is quieter than the Freebuds Pro 5 in the lower frequency and midrange regions. So in just about all the different noisy situations, from noisy cafes, public transport, busy streets with traffic, the Huaweis are not as effective at blocking noises as the soundcores. Even if it cancels more than the soundcore in the sub-70hz region, you are still going to get a deeper silence using the soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the ANC quality samples
Transparency Mode
As for transparency mode, this is where the Huaweis are better. Transparency feels clearer, more natural, whereas the Soundcores amplify certain higher mid frequencies more so it feels a bit more artificial. At this point, it feels like I’m nitpicking because actually, both earbuds are fantastic for general awareness and face to face conversations.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound quality, compared to the soundcore on their default settings, the Huawei sounds more Hi-Res. It’s more vibrant and detailed in the upper mids and highs. There’s a lot of boosting in those areas compared to the soundcore as you can see in this frequency sweep, especially in the higher frequencies, so there’s a lot more sizzle and air in hi-hats compared to the soundcore.
Another edge it has over the soundcore is cleaner bass mids separation, and that’s largely due to its dual-driver setup - whereas the Liberty 5 Pro Max uses a single driver per earbud. That said, the Huawei does sound more scooped out in the center-mids so as far as vocals and instruments are concerned, the Liberty 5 Pro Max sounds fuller, more lifelike, and its bass is louder and more thumpy. It also sounds less fatiguing because the Huawei’s brightness sounds a bit too hissy at times.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the sound quality samples
Conclusion
Aside from their better noise canceling, the soundcores are a lot more feature rich, with that screen on the case that lets you operate the earbuds features and settings without using your phone, the 3-way multipoint pairing, and the fact that the soundcore app is readily available on both iOS and Android. Whereas for the Freebuds Pro 5, if you’re using an Android device, you have to download Huawei’s AI Life app from their app loader, since the app’s not available in the Play store. (A viewer did highlight that the AI Life app is available on the Samsung app store.)
As for the fit, the soundcores are more secure because they’ve got stability fins, but the Huawei is a lighter fit that some people may prefer. Sound quality-wise, the Huawei does sound more Hi-Res, and I do prefer the size of the Huawei’s case. It’s smaller, and less obtrusive in the pocket.
But as a whole, I have to say, the soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max is a more compelling product in terms of performance and features.
Check latest price:
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max - https://amzn.to/4nXqZfl
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 - https://amzn.to/4me57vb
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