Apple AirPods 2 - Wired Charging Case

Although the 2nd generation AirPods came out in March 2019, improvements are merely incremental. At the $100 price point, can the recently released Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 compete? Read on to learn how the more expensive latest $140 Apple AirPods stack up versus Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro: QUICK SPOILER ANSWER ANKER VS. APPLE AIRPODS: Yes indeed. At $40 less, the Anker boasts equal sounds and noise cancellation not offered by Apple unless upgrading to the $250 Pro model. The Apple AirPod 2 is the perennial best seller in this price range. You won’t be disappointed unless you need the awesome feature of noise cancellation. The $100 Anker is very well spent and does includes noise cancellation and an equalizer to balance the sound to your taste. SOUND QUALITY I specialize in tech reviews and place the far highest priority on listening quality. If it’s better mic quality you are after, or have hearing difficulty, the AirPods are a bit better, capturing more-subtle voice tones. But for music, the Anker equals Apple’s impressive sound. Once you nail the fit, both will impress all but audiophiles in all aspects of sound quality: accuracy, tonal range, non-fatiguing, and punchy (but not annoying) bass. Speaking of bass, Anker does punch it up. The highs are slightly rounded off, the midrange is fairly flat, and the low end is boosted. NOISE CANCELLATION: Apple vs. Anker This Apple model has none unless you spring for the newest $250 Pro version. For a lower price, the Anker’s have it, and do a worthy job. This feature alone lets Anker win the race vs. the lastest Apple AirPod. If you haven’t experienced noise cancellation in headphones, or earbuds, you’ll likely be as blown away as I was. I got my first noise cancelation Bose headphones six years ago when they were the only game in town. Life changing, truly. A must for any noisy environment and a godsend for rest on long airplane trips. The Anker’s were my second noise cancelling earbuds, and while not spectacular like the class leading $250 Sony’s, the result is satisfying. I urge you to audition this feature. When making, phone calls, you may prefer it off. CONTROLLING THE SOUND: APPLE VS. THE ANKER EQUALIZER APP: With the Apple AirPods, open Settings, Tap Music, and then EQ under the Playback tab. Although the Soundcore Liberty 2 boosts the bass, some of us prefer a more nuanced and balanced sound. With either of the new Anker’s the app is a terrific add on. You can get the sound balanced to your tastes easily. ADDITIONAL EARBUD REVIEWS COMPARISONS: If tempted to spend another $100 for the Apple AirPods Pro, have a look at my detailed review of the awesome Sony’s compared with the Apple AirPod: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3CQKVFI571CDE/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07T81554H SHOULD YOU SPEND MORE? VALUE AND OVERALL BEST CHOICE: Although only released in December 2016, the “age” of the AirPod technology is showing. If you can spend more, in late 2019 Apple released it’s latest Airpods Pro. At nearly double the price these hit a “whole ‘nuther level” for Apple to compare closely with the extraordinary high end Sony WF-1000XM3 at a similar $250+ price. If you can spend $200+ Sony the new Sheriff in town and in my opinion beats even the newest $250 Apple AirPods. However, at $100, the Anker’s impress and are better than the basic Apple AirPods with one great advantage: noise cancellation. If you don’t like the black color, go with the sleek and now classic $150 Apple model. Thanks for slogging through this long review. Hope it has helped your important buying decision. NOW TIME TO RELAX AND KICK UP THE JAMS!