We grabbed the Liberty 4 NC after seeing them pop up on basically every “best budget earbuds” list this year, and after a few weeks of daily use they mostly live up to the hype. The ANC is legit good — not quite Sony XM5 territory but way better than you’d expect at $70. Office AC hum disappears completely. Voices get knocked down to a low murmur.

Sound quality is solid across the board. Bass is punchy without being bloated, mids are clear enough for podcasts, and the highs dont get harsh at volume. The Soundcore app lets you EQ things to your taste which is a nice touch. We spent more time in the app than expected, theres a hearing test that customizes the sound profile to your ears.

The fit is where things get personal. They come with like 9 different ear tip sizes which helps, but the buds themselves are on the larger side. If you have smaller ears you might find them sticking out more than youd like. For us they stayed put during walks and light workouts but we wouldnt trust them for running. Call quality is decent, people said we sounded clear enough on calls but nothing exceptional.