Soundcore Liberty Buds (D1200Z21)

Sound quality is the star here, 97th percentile in our database, with LDAC and Spatial Audio support. Battery life is excellent at 10 hours per charge and 40 total with the case. Just don't buy these for phone calls, that 57/100 score is a real weak spot.

Let's talk about that 97th percentile sound score, because it's the headline here. The 11mm dynamic driver is tuned well, and with LDAC and Hi-Res audio support, you're getting high-bitrate wireless playback that most buds in this price range skip. Spatial Audio adds a nice sense of width for movies and supported tracks, though it's more of a bonus than a reason to buy. The adaptive ANC is a standout too, 90th percentile in our testing. It adjusts in real time based on your environment, and for a semi-in-ear design, it does a surprisingly good job cutting down bus rumble and office chatter. Just don't expect the tomb-like silence of a sealed in-ear with foam tips.

Battery is another strong point. 10 hours per charge in the buds is well above average, and the case pushes total runtime to 40 hours. The 10 minutes for 4 hours quick charge is genuinely useful for commuters who forget to plug in overnight. Connectivity scores 77th percentile, which is solid. BT 6.0 is new and snappy, pairing is painless, and we didn't see dropouts in our testing. The 54g total weight with the case is light enough to forget it's in your pocket. The secure fins help with fit during movement, though comfort overall lands at 74th percentile, good but not class-leading.

Against the Sony WF-C700N, the Liberty Buds win on sound and battery but lose on calls and overall polish. Sony's app and call handling are more refined, but you'll pay more for that. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ is a closer fight, EarFun brings a sealed fit and better passive isolation, while the Soundcore counters with superior sound quality and a lighter, more open feel. The Anker Space A40 is the in-house sibling with a traditional in-ear design, better for isolation but not as comfortable for all-day wear. The Nothing Ear (3) has more style and a tighter app experience, but the Liberty Buds beat it on raw sound performance. The Beats Powerbeats Fit is the fitness-focused alternative with ear hooks, but it's heavier and pricier. For pure audio quality per dollar, the Liberty Buds hold their own against all of them.

Pricing is all over the place right now. US listings range from USD 55 to USD 100, a USD 45 spread across three vendors. At the low end, these buds are an absolute steal given the sound and ANC performance. At the high end, you're creeping into territory where sealed in-ear buds with better call quality start to look tempting. If you can find them near USD 55, grab them. At USD 100, think twice unless the semi-in-ear fit is exactly what you want. The CAD 110 listing in Canada is the only option there, so no real comparison shopping to be done.

The Soundcore Liberty Buds D1200Z21 come out swinging where it counts. Sound quality sits at the 97th percentile in our database, which puts these semi-in-ear buds in the absolute best right now territory. The 11mm dynamic driver, LDAC support, and Spatial Audio aren't just spec sheet filler, they translate into a listening experience that punches way above what you'd expect from this form factor. ANC lands at the 90th percentile too, which is genuinely impressive for buds that don't fully seal your ear canal. Battery life is another bright spot, 10 hours in the buds and 40 total with the case, with a quick charge that nets you 4 hours from 10 minutes on the charger.

But there's a catch. The calls score is rough, 57 out of 100, which drags the overall total down to 67.6. For a pair of earbuds with a 4-mic array and AI noise cancellation for calls, that's a real letdown. The semi-in-ear design is comfortable for long sessions, scoring 74th percentile, but it also means passive isolation is minimal. You're leaning hard on that adaptive ANC to do the heavy lifting. It mostly works, but it's not magic.

If you take a lot of phone calls, look elsewhere. The 57/100 calls score is one of the weakest we've seen in this category, and the 4-mic array with AI noise cancellation doesn't save it. The semi-in-ear design also means you won't get the passive isolation that sealed buds provide, so if you need silence in loud environments, these will leave you wanting. And with social proof at just the 10th percentile, there's almost no real-world feedback to lean on yet, so you're trusting the specs and our testing rather than a crowd of happy owners.

The Liberty Buds D1200Z21 are a sound-first pair of earbuds that nail the audio experience and mostly get the rest right. The 97th percentile sound score is the reason to buy, and the adaptive ANC plus 10-hour battery make them a genuinely great commuter companion. The call quality is the glaring weakness, and if you take a lot of calls on your buds, this is not the pair for you. But for music, podcasts, and everyday listening in a comfortable semi-in-ear package, these are a strong recommendation, especially if you can snag them at the lower end of that USD 55 to USD 100 range.