- Soundcore just dropped the Liberty 4 NC,
making it much more difficult to figure out
which earbuds you should buy right around
that $100 price point.
In this video I'll be comparing them
against the OG Liberty 4, as well as the Space A40
so that you can decide which one is gonna be best for you.
I'll also be including rankings and microphone samples,
so make sure you stick around all the way to the very end.
Also, for transparency,
this video is not sponsored in any way by Soundcore.
I'm making this video for all the subscribers
and channel members who asked for this comparison.
So, let's get into it.
So first up, let's start with that Bluetooth connection.
So there's gonna be a lot of similarities here,
so let's run 'em down real quick.
So both Liberty 4 and Liberty 4 NC
are using Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio.
The Space A40s are using Bluetooth 5.2.
It's not a huge difference here,
but I needed to go ahead and point that out
because there is a difference.
As far as connection codecs,
all three use SBC, AAC, and LDAC.
Now, all three also offer multi-point connectivity
for up to two devices, and all three also support
single-usage mode where you can use one earbud at a time
while the other one is charging in its case.
Now, one of the bigger differences here
are the Liberty 4 NC and the Space A40.
Both of them offer a low-latency gaming mode,
where the OG Liberty 4 do not.
As far as connectivity, all three are pretty evenly matched
with the only real differentiating factor
being the gaming mode option
on the Liberty 4 NC and the Space A40.
If I had to choose between these two,
I'd give the edge to the Liberty 4 NC
since they bring both gaming mode and Bluetooth 5.3
with LE Audio.
But, that's just me.
So now let's move over to comfort and grip.
So both the Liberty 4 NC and the Liberty 4
share the same shape and size.
Equally comfortable and stable in my ears.
The outlier here are the Space A40
with their substantially smaller size.
This gives the Space A40, a lighter feel in the ear,
while simultaneously feeling more stable
and less prone to movement during my walks.
The smaller size also makes the Space A40 a better choice
for people with smaller ears,
or those looking for a set of earbuds
that they can sleep in.
These added benefits make this an easy win
for the Space A40.
So let's move over to the controls.
So all three of these are offering
fully customizable controls,
so they are on even footing when it comes to that.
Both the Space A40 and Liberty 4 NC use touch controls,
while the Liberty 4 use squeeze controls.
In my own experience, the squeeze controls on the Liberty 4
worked well enough for me during my own testing.
But I did read that some people were experiencing issues
with the squeeze controls,
so it seems that they have mixed reviews
on their effectiveness.
But seeing as how the Liberty 4 NC
have gone back to touch controls,
it seems like Soundcore is doubling down on this
being the preferred method.
Now, that said, the touch controls on the Liberty 4 NC
are the best I've tested on any Soundcore products,
and I've got pretty much all of 'em at this point.
So they're very quick, very responsive, easy to learn,
and very easy to use.
This gives the Liberty 4 NC the win for controls.
So now let's get into the performance aspects.
So let's start with battery life.
So I'm gonna go ahead
and put the numbers up here on the screen.
Now, the winner for the battery life here
are these Liberty 4 NCs,
coming in with six hours and 37 minutes
with noise cancellation turned on,
and eight hours and 44 minutes
with noise cancellation turned off.
Second place went to Space A40s
with six hours and 19 minutes
with noise cancellation turned on,
and eight hours and 22 minutes
with noise cancellation turned off.
And in third place, we've got the Liberty 4s
with five hours and 57 minutes with ANC turned on,
and seven hours and 39 minutes with ANC turned off.
So not a huge disparity between the three,
but, a win is a win, and the numbers don't lie.
Now, all of this testing was done at 75% volume
with mixed usage as far as music and videos are concerned.
All of that with the LDAC codec specifically.
Obviously these numbers will change
if you're not using LDAC, all of these numbers go up.
So, just throwing that out there.
If you wanna see all the individual battery life numbers,
you are gonna have to watch the individual videos
for these products.
So now let's move over to the transparency mode.
Now, all three of these offer
decent transparency performance.
In my testing, the OG Liberty 4 seemed to have
a bit more clarity versus the other two.
However, what actually set them all apart
is the welcome addition of wind noise reduction
on the Liberty 4 NC,
which is not available on the other two options.
The time that I use transparency mode the most
on my daily life is when I'm out on my walks,
and the addition of wind noise reduction is truly helpful
on breezy or windy days.
So this gives the edge, however slight,
to the Liberty 4 NC.
So, let's go ahead and give them a quick ranking here.
So, don't mind my special graphics
that I've got going on here.
Don't worry about that.
This is just how we roll on this channel.
So in first place we're going to have
the Liberty 4 NC,
in second place we're gonna have the Liberty 4,
and in third we're gonna have the Space A40.
So there you have it, that's the ranking.
Moving on, let's get into the active noise cancellation.
Now, both the Liberty 4 and the Space A40
offers Soundcore HearID Adaptive ANC.
This version adapts to your ears and chooses a preset filter
to block out outside noise.
Now, the Liberty 4 NC offer Adaptive ANC 2.0,
and this version adapts to your ears and then creates
a new filter depending on the outside noise.
The effect is stronger ANC in a variety of conditions.
Now, is it a huge difference
over the Liberty 4 and the A40?
No, but it is a noticeable difference and it is stronger,
and it definitely moves the Liberty 4 NC
ahead of the other two for ANC performance.
So, let's go ahead and rank them once again.
Here we have 'em.
First place for the Liberty 4 NC.
Second place for the Liberty 4.
Third place for the Soundcore Space A40.
So now let's get into the sound quality and the volume,
but let's start with the volume.
So I'm gonna go ahead and put the numbers
right up here on the screen.
First place we've got the Liberty 4
coming in at 117.1 decibels.
Second place we've got the Liberty 4 NC
with 116.4 decibels.
And third place we've got the Space A40
coming in with 113.6 decibels.
All three of these are gonna get more than loud enough
for most people, including the Space A40.
We're talking 113 decibels.
Like really, anything over 100 decibels
is already getting into dangerous territory.
So, just throwing that out there.
These are gonna be loud enough for most people.
But if you do want the max volume,
then the OG Liberty 4s are gonna take the win here.
So now let's go ahead and jump into the sound quality.
Now, all three of these offer HearID for personalized sound,
as well as a ton of different preset EQ options,
all of which can be customized to your own personal taste.
All three of these also support LDAC codec
for high-res audio playback on Android devices.
So as far as echos, they're all pretty evenly matched.
Now, while the Space A40 offer good sound
and value for their price, they are outperformed
by both the Liberty 4 NC and the Liberty 4
in the sound quality test, putting them into third place.
So the real battle here is between the OG Liberty 4
and the Liberty 4 NC.
Now, the main difference between these two
are the dual-dynamic drivers in the OG Liberty 4s.
This gives them a distinct hardware advantage
over the Liberty 4 NC.
But, let's go ahead and break it down a little bit.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC,
they come in with their single 11-millimeter dynamic driver
which delivers strong, punchy bass with smooth, warm mids,
and a clean treble.
More dynamic and more V-shape.
So more bassier as far as their EQ is concerned.
Very good.
Definitely BassHead Crew certified 100%.
They got the stamp of approval.
But, the Liberty 4 with their dual-dynamic drivers,
they give you deeper bass extension
that not only hits hard, but it gets out quickly.
It's fast, and they have a clean, smooth, warm mid-range
with a much more natural tonality when it comes to voices
and to live instrumentation.
It's very, very good.
As far as the treble, it's crisp, it's airy,
and it has a wider sound stage to it.
So for me, this was a tough choice.
The Liberty 4 NC sound far better
than I had expected for their price tag,
but the OG Liberty 4 have cleaner sound quality overall,
so I have to hand them the win here.
Now, if I had to rank them when it comes to sound quality,
third place we've got the Soundcore Space A40.
Second place we've got the Liberty 4 NC.
And in first place you've got the OG Liberty 4.
So now let's go ahead and jump into some microphone samples
for all three of these so you can see how they stack up
against each other for yourself.
Alright, so here we have the microphone quality sample
for the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
As you can see, once again,
I'm indoors in a semi-quiet room.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
And here we have the microphone test
for the Soundcore Liberty 4.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
As you can see, once again,
I'm indoors in a semi-quiet room.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
Alright, so here we have the microphone sample
for the Soundcore Space A40.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
As you can see, once again,
I'm indoors in a semi-quiet room.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
(crowd speaking indistinctly)
And here we have the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
in a simulated crowd noise environment.
So something like a busy bar, a crowded restaurant,
or something along those lines.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
And here we have the Soundcore Liberty 4
in a simulated crowd noise environment.
So something like a busy bar, a crowded restaurant,
or something along those lines.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
And here we have the Soundcore Space A40
in a simulated crowd noise environment.
So something like a busy bar, a crowded restaurant,
or something along those lines.
So, testing, testing, one, two, three.
So now let's get into my final verdict.
In my testing, the OG Liberty 4 outperform the others
when it comes to both volume and sound quality.
But is that enough to justify the additional cost
over the other two options?
For some, it might be.
For others, it might not.
What is undeniable here is the awesome bang for buck value
that we are getting from the Liberty 4 NC,
especially considering how the Liberty 4 NC
beat the OG Liberty 4 in so many categories,
as well as coming close, like nipping at their heels,
when it comes to both volume and sound quality.
So, which one should you buy?
Two answers here.
If you already have the OG Liberty 4s,
then you can definitely hold off on picking up
the Liberty 4 NC and save your money
for whatever is coming next from Soundcore.
Now, I don't know what that is or what it will be
or when it will be released,
so don't ask, 'cause I don't know.
Now for answer number two, if you don't already own
any of these earbuds, then I would wholeheartedly recommend
getting the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
They offer incredible value for their sub $100 price tag,
more so than the Space A40,
as well as any of the competitors from SoundPEATS,
EarFun, or Edifier.
They are the true king under $100 at this time,
and they get the full El Jefe Reviews stamp of approval.
Now, if you wanna check out my full videos
on any of these earbuds,
check out the videos I'll leave for you
right up here on the screen.
With that said, my name is Jefe, and I'm out this bitch.