On May 22, 2026, Anker turned its newly announced Thus AI audio chip into a shipping product, launching the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro as its first earbuds built around the in-house processor.
The Liberty 5 Pro are available starting today for $169.99, The Verge reported. Anker is also introducing a higher-end Liberty 5 Pro Max, which adds a larger touchscreen case and AI meeting-note features.
May 22 launch: Liberty 5 Pro brings Thus AI to Soundcore earbuds
The launch gives Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Pro line its first new model since the 2024 version that introduced a charging case screen. That timing matters because Anker is not just refreshing the earbuds. It is using the product line to show what its own audio silicon can do.
The Thus AI audio chip was announced last month. In the Liberty 5 Pro, Anker is using it to improve noise reduction and make the user’s voice easier to hear during Liberty 5 Pro calls, including in noisy environments.
That positions the Liberty 5 Pro as more than a standard annual earbud update. The company is pushing the chip as a dedicated audio-processing engine, not as a general AI assistant bolted onto headphones.
The core launch details are straightforward:
- Product: Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
- Chip: Anker’s Thus AI audio chip
- Price: $169.99
- Availability: Starting today
- Step-up model: Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max
- Main Max feature: AI note-taking through the charging case
For readers following Anker’s broader consumer-hardware positioning, including Anker’s Solix S2000 power station, MLXIO has also covered adjacent device competition in Ugreen's $18 X740 Charger Undercuts Anker's $40 Bet and display-driven hardware bets such as Samsung Display Hits 90% Yield, Unlocking OLED MacBook Pro.
Last month’s Thus AI chip now has its first earbud test
Anker’s pitch for the Thus AI chip centers on signal processing. The company says the chip helps strengthen adaptive noise cancellation — also central to Sony’s noise-canceling headphones — and voice pickup by processing environmental sound quickly enough to react to changing noise around the wearer.
Anker says the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max can deliver “up to 2x deeper noise cancellation” than the Liberty 4 Pro.
The supporting hardware matters. The new earbuds use a 10-sensor matrix, eight microphones, and two bone-conduction sensors, according to supplied product details. That data feeds into a neural-net AI model designed to separate the wearer’s voice from surrounding noise.
The company also says its Adaptive ANC 4.0 can process audio data at up to 384,000 times per second, monitoring external sound and residual in-ear noise so the cancellation curve can adjust in real time. Anker says the system targets low-frequency engine rumble, office chatter, and ambient voices.
This is the more credible side of “AI earbuds.” Anker is not leading with a chatbot. It is applying AI to the parts of wireless earbuds where milliseconds and messy audio matter: voice isolation, adaptive ANC, and command recognition.
Anker also says voice interaction supports 20 built-in commands with an average response time of 0.91 seconds. Those commands cover tasks such as changing volume, skipping tracks, answering calls, hanging up, or switching ANC modes.
The company’s claims still need independent testing. “Clearer calls” and “deeper noise cancellation” are features buyers can judge quickly in traffic, on a plane, or in a crowded office. If the Thus chip does not produce a noticeable difference, the AI branding will not carry much weight.
Pro Max case turns the charger into a meeting recorder
The Liberty 5 Pro Max pushes the charging case further than the standard model. The regular Liberty 5 Pro has a 0.96-inch LCD touch screen for quick battery and audio-mode checks. The Pro Max moves to a 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen with more controls.
| Feature | Liberty 5 Pro | Liberty 5 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| AI chip | Thus AI audio chip | Thus AI audio chip |
| Case display | 0.96-inch LCD touch screen | 1.78-inch AMOLED touchscreen |
| AI note-taking | Not the main case feature | Yes, through the charging case |
| Meeting recording | Not highlighted | Can record meetings without a phone |
| Battery claim | Up to 6.5 hours with ANC, 28 hours with case | Up to 6.5 hours with ANC, 28 hours with case |
The Max case can record meetings without requiring a phone, according to the supplied material. After a meeting, double-tapping the charging case button can trigger the Soundcore app to generate a transcript, identify speakers, and list action items.
That is the sharpest product distinction in the lineup. The Max model is not just a more expensive earbud variant with a bigger display. It makes the case part of the workflow.
Anker is also carrying forward its case-screen experiment from the 2024 Liberty Pro model. The difference this time is that the screen is tied to more than battery status or playback controls. It becomes an interface for recording and AI-generated notes.
The feature raises practical questions. Meeting recording reliability, transcript quality, speaker identification, and user comfort around recording all matter more than the presence of the screen itself. A charging case that records meetings only works if people trust the capture and the output.
Battery, Bluetooth, and the real test for Anker’s AI earbuds
Both Liberty 5 Pro models are rated for up to 6.5 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC on, rising to 28 hours with the charging case. They also support LDAC, Apple Find My, Google Fast Pair, and multipoint connections to up to three devices.
The Pro Max is reported at $230, putting a clear gap between it and the $169.99 Liberty 5 Pro. That gap will have to be justified by the case screen, recording controls, and AI note-taking.
The next decision point is hands-on performance. Reviews will need to test whether the Thus AI chip meaningfully improves real-world ANC and call clarity, and whether the Pro Max case feels useful after the novelty fades.
The practical takeaway: Anker is using custom audio silicon and case-based AI tools to make its next earbuds stand apart. The watch item now is simple: whether the Liberty 5 Pro line sounds, records, and cancels noise well enough for those hardware ideas to matter day to day.
Key Takeaways
- Anker is moving from accessory maker to chip-driven audio hardware developer with its in-house Thus AI processor.
- The Liberty 5 Pro uses AI processing for practical audio improvements like stronger noise reduction and clearer calls.
- The Pro Max shows Anker is testing earbuds as productivity devices through charging-case-based AI meeting notes.
