Anker SoundCore Liberty Neo Tested in the Shower & Swimming Pool

#Anker sent one of their latest #SoundCore series #TotalWireless #earphones called the #LibertyNeo for #review.

This is following the current trend of totally wireless earphones, which are completely wireless between sides.

Usually, I start by telling you about the accessories it comes with but this time I am going to start by telling you what to not use these for.

If you plan on using this to swim, this is not for you, even though it has an #IPX7 #waterproof rating. How do I know this? I tested it. While I was swimming with it on, it sounded great until it fell out and to the bottom of the pool. IPX7 is only tested to a depth of 1m (3.3ft) while the earphone fell out at the 1.5m (5ft) depth. After retrieving it, I attempted to dry them with my towel but the secondary earphone stopped working altogether, which is why this review was delayed as I waited for a replacement from Anker. The primary earphone kept working like clockwork, so avoid swimming with them altogether.

If you want to take it with you to the shower for your private #karaoke session, as I have, please do. Only word of advice is to make sure you have the earwings on as they have a tendency to slip out when ear canals are wet.

What’s in the box? The earphones are in a case that also act as the charging station, a #MicroUSB cable for charging, 4 different #earwings and 3 different #eartips and some manuals but no charging adapter.

I found the fitment of the earphones a little finicky for my liking compared to other earphones I have tested. I tried all sizes and found the ones that fit the best, maximizing my comfort when using the earphones. A little time consuming but well worth the comfort. Other reason to do it is because how well the earphones seals your ear canals, affects how much bass you will hear as well as minimizing ambient noise.

This is one of the better sounding in-ear headphones from Anker that I have tested. I love the sound quality as it was neutral sounding and kept all the instruments in perspective with good separation, where I could tell the instruments apart. Typically, I complain about the amount of coloration in the music. It has some but minimal. The instruments were clearly laid out and precise on the Fattburger and Helen St. John tracks, the bass was a bit lacking on Lady Gaga’s Alejandro & Monster but it helped highlight her vocal talents. Her vocals shined the brightest on Gypsy. Aviici’s Levels is the cleanest I have ever heard it on any in-ear headphone. The bass was not lacking on this track and the control was amazing. Overall, the Liberty Neo went around doing its business quietly and cleanly like most headphones should but do not.

It also works well on phone calls and can be used as a mono earphone but remember the audibility of the call is also reduced if both earphones are active and you only use one. The solution is to only have one earphone turned on if you want to use it this way. I stumbled upon this finding during a call with a friend, where she struggled to hear me but it worked fine on the prior call, with both earphones. Then, I made a subsequent call by only activating just one earpiece and there were no issues. The #Bluetooth5 range is impressive as I can leave my phone in the office and walk a good distance from the phone with no issues.

Value? That’s where Anker always wins. The MSRP for these are $50, they can be found on sale for $40, while the Samsung Galaxy Buds are $130. Not forgetting that Samsung’s warranty is only 12 months vs. Anker’s which is 18 months.

Verdict? If you are looking for a dependable totally wireless headphone on a budget, this is it. However, I love my #SpiritPro more as I have found that on hours of listening, those are more comfortable due to the reduced weight of the earpiece itself. The Spirit Pro weights just 5.0g (0.18 oz) vs. 5.6g (0.2oz) on the Liberty Neo. If you want to use earphones with people around you and need to hear them, hate dangling cords, like a sleek set of earphones that people don’t notice you using them, and affordably priced, look no further.

Thanks Julian, Gousalya and Noraini for helping me with the test calls.
Simon, this is the review I was working on when you asked about this type of earphones.

Music Player: #MusicoletMusicPlayer on #Android

Reference Tracks (All ripped from CDs in Lossless WAV)
Andrea Bocelli - Mai Piu Cosi Lontano
Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Side to Side
Avicii – Levels
Basement Jaxx – Oh My Gosh
Celine Dion and Clive Griffin - When I Fall in Love
Fattburger – Good News
Giorgio Moroder - Machines
Helen St. John - Love Theme from Flashdance
Joe Esposito - Lady Lady Lady
Lady Gaga - Alejandro
Lady Gaga – Monster
Lady Gaga – Gypsy
Lady Gaga – Applause
Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World
Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway

5 Likes

Great detailed review and pictures :+1:, especially the last one :grin::headphones::notes:

1 Like

Well done. Love the last photo. :slight_smile:

1 Like

Thanks for the review…a little advice, if you switch to the larger wings and clip them into your ear they will hold much better while you swim and possibly not fall out. I’m surprised yours failed after falling to the bottom of your pool, mine did that and they sat on the bottom for a good 10 minutes of a 16ft pool. But then again I turned them off to dry for 48 hours before trying to use them again, so maybe that was key.

Eitherway great job and loved the pics

1 Like

Nice review.
Are you listening to “Heavy metal” on the last photo? :rofl::rofl:

1 Like

Great review Kev.
Love the photos :+1:t2:

1 Like

Great review!!! :clap::clap::clap:

1 Like

Love Kills by Freddie Mercury

I did have the biggest earwings on when I was swimming and it fell.

Honestly, I thought it would be fine and I’ve dropped other IPX5 and IPX7 Anker headphones in the pool and they survived.

I picked it up, got out of the pool and dried it with the towel but it wouldn’t turn on afterwards. I let it sit for a few days, it wouldn’t turn on so I charged it and it still wouldn’t turn on.

Don’t use sharp objects or abrasive materials to clean your Liberty Neo!

1 Like