AirPods Pro 3 vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — A Shocking Comparison with Real Numbers and Specs

Picture this — a hypothetical scene repeated in many Egyptian offices: one employee buys AirPods Pro 3, and a colleague buys a Soundcore Liberty 4 NC for far less on the same day. In a noisy meeting, both switch on noise cancellation and both hear the manager fine. The question that follows — the one that brought you here: does the big price gap translate into a real difference? Or are you paying for integration and the name?

This article is a spec-sheet comparison from official sources: Apple's AirPods Pro 3 specifications page and Soundcore's Liberty 4 NC page, covering battery, calls, water resistance and codecs. We have not measured noise cancellation with instruments, so we publish no decibel figures. For more on the Soundcore model, read our full Liberty 4 NC review.

Internal Chipsets: Apple H2 vs the Soundcore Processor

According to Apple's specifications page, AirPods Pro 3 use the Apple H2 headphone chip — a second-generation H-series chip — with Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe charging case. That chip powers Apple features such as Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalized Spatial Audio, plus integration with Apple devices.

Soundcore does not name the chip in the Liberty 4 NC, but it lists Adaptive Hybrid ANC, LDAC support on compatible Android devices, and Multipoint for connecting two devices.

Side-by-Side Specifications

ANC Noise Cancellation: What We Can Say

Both have active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. Apple adds Adaptive Audio, which blends cancellation and transparency according to the environment, and Soundcore lists adaptive cancellation tuned to the environment and ear. We have not measured cancellation performance with instruments, and figures published online vary with test method, so we do not compare in decibels. What matters most is fit: the right ear tip makes more difference to isolation than any number.

Sound Quality and Music

AirPods Pro 3 rely on a custom Apple driver and a high dynamic range amplifier, per Apple, along with Personalized Spatial Audio. The Liberty 4 NC has an 11mm driver and LDAC on Android, plus HearID and the Soundcore app for tuning. If you play high-resolution files on an Android phone that supports LDAC, that is a practical advantage for Soundcore; on iPhone, LDAC does not work.

Battery and Charging

• AirPods Pro 3: up to 8 hours of listening per charge with ANC, and up to 24 hours with the case (per Apple). The case charges via MagSafe, a Qi charger or USB-C.
• Liberty 4 NC: 10 hours per charge and 50 hours with the case in normal mode, and 8 hours and 40 hours with ANC (per Soundcore's page).

So with ANC on, both run about 8 hours per charge, and the Liberty 4 NC case provides a longer total.

Calls and Water Resistance

Apple lists Voice Isolation for calls, and Soundcore lists a 6-mic call system. We have not measured microphone quality, so personal experience is the judge. For water and sweat, AirPods Pro 3 are rated IP57 (per Apple) and the Liberty 4 NC IPX4 (splashes and sweat).

Price-to-Value

The Liberty 4 NC is EGP 2,570 on CairoVolt, while AirPods Pro 3 sell in an approximate market range of around 15,000 EGP that varies by seller. The price gap is large, so the real question is: do you need Apple integration and features such as heart-rate sensing and IP57? Or do you need good noise cancellation, LDAC and a longer total battery for less?

When to Choose AirPods Pro 3 vs Liberty 4 NC

• 🍎 AirPods Pro 3: if you own an iPhone, iPad and Mac and want switching and integration across Apple devices, Spatial Audio, heart-rate sensing in workouts and IP57.
• 🎧 Liberty 4 NC: if you use Android and want LDAC, want Multipoint between two devices, or have a limited budget and want adaptive noise cancellation and 50 hours with the case.
• 🛡️ Warranty: Soundcore at CairoVolt comes with CairoVolt's written store warranty (duration shown on each product page). AirPods Pro 3 carry Apple's warranty depending on where you buy.