NEW YORK, Sept 27 — On the same day but on opposite coasts of the United States, Amazon and Anker both launched new, truly wireless headphones; however, while Amazon launched one in Seattle, Anker announced five in New York City.
On Wednesday, Amazon unveiled the Echo Buds, the highly anticipated AirPods competitors. What hit the industry by surprise, though, was that Anker-owned brand Soundcore, too, launched its own Apple-competing — and now Amazon-competing — truly wireless earphones. In fact, the company launched five options.
Liberty 2 Pro
The Liberty 2 Pro earbuds have been designed to compete with industry leaders with its 11mm dynamic drivers, noise-cancelling microphones and 8-hour battery life. A HearID tool helps users optimise the earbuds’ performance specifically to their ears.
Other specs include Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, Qi wireless charging, and an IPX4 waterproof rating.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earbuds will launch on October 8 for US$150 (RM627).
Liberty 2 Series Launch https://t.co/teI4mG77NF
— Soundcore Audio (@soundcoreaudio) September 25, 2019
Liberty Air 2
Despite being equipped with a set of slightly lower-quality drivers, the Liberty Air 2 earbuds have the same level of noise cancellation as the above pair and have a 7-hour battery life. Apart from the drivers and battery life, essentially everything else about these buds are identical to their higher-tier counterpart.
The Anker Liberty Air 2 earbuds are expected to launch in early October for about US$100.
Liberty 2
Like the Liberty Air 2, the standard Liberty 2 buds have a set of diamond-coated drivers for “accurate audio reproduction”. While these don’t support Qi wireless charging, they have the same noise-cancelling tech, waterproof rating, and Bluetooth connectivity. Their battery life, on the other hand, jumps back to 8 hours.
The Liberty 2 earbuds are expected to launch in early October for about US$100.
Spirit X2
Unlike the Liberty 2 Series, the Spirit X2 feature an ear hook form factor. The sound comes from 12mm composite drivers and is enhanced by bass-boosting tech. The waterproof rating on these headphones rises to IP68, making them the most water-resistant of the collection, a benefit that is further improved by an additional protection called SweatGuard.
These also have the highest battery life, measuring in at 9 hours.
The Spirit X2 ear hook buds are expected to launch in early October for US$99.
Spirit Dot 2
Lastly, the Spirit Dot 2 earbuds have a set of 8mm diamond-coated composite drivers. Likewise, though not to the same extent, these earbuds have bass-boosting tech. The waterproof rating drops to IPX7, and the battery life clocks in at 5.5 hours.
The Spirit Dot 2 earbuds are expected to launch in mid-October for US$79.99.
While industry leaders like Apple and Amazon offer their customers one type of truly wireless headphones, Anker is saturating their portfolio with several options to appeal to those with different financial needs and sound expectations. — AFP-Relaxnews
