Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 2: which earbuds for NZ buyers?
If you own an iPhone, the AirPods Pro 2 are hard to argue against — instant pairing, seamless handoff between Apple devices, adaptive audio that just works, and the hearing-aid feature is a real health tool rather than a gimmick. None of that transfers to Android, where AirPods drop to plain AAC and lose most of their advantage. The Liberty 4 Pro answers with LDAC hi-res support, notably longer battery life, and a price that is usually well under Apple's. On raw sound quality with the app EQ dialled in, the Soundcore is competitive. On integration, it is not close. Choose by phone, not by spec sheet.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro | Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | True wireless in-ear | True wireless in-ear |
| ANC | Adaptive hybrid | Adaptive |
| Drivers | Dual dynamic + coaxial | — |
| Battery | Up to 10h buds / 40h case✓ | Up to 6h buds / 30h case |
| Codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC✓ | AAC only |
| Water rating | IPX4 | IP54✓ |
| Charging | USB-C + wireless | USB-C + MagSafe + Qi✓ |
| Extras | — | Hearing aid feature, spatial audio |
A tick marks the stronger spec on that row — not necessarily the one that matters to you.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro if…
You are on Android, you want LDAC and longer battery, and you would rather not pay the Apple tax.
Prices & specsBuy the Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) if…
You are deep in the Apple ecosystem and want everything to pair and switch without thinking about it.
Prices & specsCommon questions
Do AirPods Pro work properly with Android?
They pair and play, but you lose automatic switching, spatial audio head tracking with Apple devices, the hearing features and firmware updates. On Android they are ordinary AAC earbuds at a premium price.
Is LDAC worth it?
On an Android phone with high-quality streaming files, yes — it carries noticeably more data than AAC. On an iPhone it is irrelevant, because iOS does not support LDAC.