Best Mid-Range Earbuds: Are Soundcore Liberty Buds Worth Dh399?

2026-02-22 02:17:54

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) I've tried a fair amount of earbuds to know when something overdelivers for its price. The new Liberty Buds from soundcore, Anker's audio division, fall into that category.

These are mid-range earbuds priced at Dh399. And after spending time with them, at my desk, on calls, and most importantly, in the gym, I walked away impressed.

First impressions

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Before even getting to the sound, I have to talk about the design.

The case is compact, minimal, and refreshingly not bulky. It slides into your jeans pocket without creating that awkward brick outline. The flip-open lid has a satisfying snap to it, and overall it looks clean.

The buds themselves are tiny. They sit lightly in the ear and don't scream“tech accessory” from across the room. The fins aren't just aesthetic either; once you place the buds in and give them a slight twist, the fins sort of lock into place, leaving little to no room for constant adjusting. In the gym, during lifts and treadmill runs, they stayed put.

The fins are removable and come in different sizes (all in the box), letting you choose your perfect fit.

ANC in the real world

Here's where I was genuinely curious. These are mid-range earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation. That's usually where compromises show up. I tested the ANC in a gym. You'd expect a lot of weights slamming, machines clanking, and general gym chatter, but the Liberty Buds handled it surprisingly well. It didn't eliminate everything (let's be realistic), but it significantly reduced distractions to the point where I could stay locked into my playlist without constantly being pulled out of it.

Now, let's be clear. They don't match my daily drivers - the AirPods Pro (I'm deep in the Apple ecosystem), and they're not competing with the absolute ANC kings like Sony's flagship 1000X series. That's a different price bracket entirely.

But for Dh399? The ANC performance here is more than respectable.

Sound quality

At mid volume, these sound solid. Clean, balanced, with enough punch to keep workouts engaging and podcasts clear. Push them to full volume, though, and there's a slight drop in clarity. It's not dramatic, but you can tell they're not tuned to be blasted at 100 per cent all the time. Stay in that 60–75 per cent range and they perform comfortably.

Paired with my iPhone, connectivity was smooth. No weird dropouts or lag. Call quality was decent too. People on the other end had no issues hearing me clearly, and I didn't struggle to hear them either. For daily work calls and quick catch-ups, they do the job.

The app

It is worth downloading the soundcore app. Inside, you get access to sound presets, Custom EQ if you like tweaking your audio profile, and Spatial Audio. You can tailor the listening experience depending on whether you're in music mode, podcast mode, or just experimenting.

There's also something more interesting: live translation powered by Anka AI.

If you're speaking to someone nearby who doesn't speak your language, the app can translate what they're saying in real time and feed the translation directly into your earbuds.

So, are they worth Dh399?

Yes. The Liberty Buds aren't trying to be the best ANC earbuds on the planet. But they're trying, and succeeding, in being reliable and comfortable for a mid-range device.

They're sleek, lightweight, gym-friendly, customisable via the app, and packed with features you don't always see in this segment. If you're not locked into a specific ecosystem and want capable, everyday earbuds that won't wreck your wallet, these are an easy recommendation.

In the UAE, Liberty Buds will be available in Black, White, and Blue colours. You can purchase them in-store at Jumbo, Sharaf DG, and Virgin Megastore, as well as online via Amazon, Noon, and Anker's official website.