The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro did something I wasn't expecting: it made me call my family more. Here’s my problem: I have aging parents who are losing their hearing, and I like to mumble. That’s a bad combination for catching up over the phone during my New York City commute. I almost always have to talk loudly and repeat myself way more often than I would like. It makes the whole conversation feel unnatural, so much so that a little part of me dreads making that phone call.

I've tested over 50 pairs of wireless earbuds in my career as a headphones expert, and none of them have totally solved this problem. That is, until I started reviewing the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, with its Guinness World Records claim of “highest speech quality score.” And what sounded like pure marketing at first turned into something else—earbuds that are probably my new daily carry.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro has a new design from its predecessor. The buds have a larger, flat pill shape (similar to the second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds) and are bigger and heavier than stem-shaped buds like Apple AirPods Pro 3. While they are a little big, they are very comfortable—I wore them for multiple hours without any irritation or fatigue. In the box, there are multiple alternative ear tips and wing-tip sizes to find your ideal fit.

After testing the Liberty 5 Pro, I can say that the speech clarity is indeed impressive. The earbuds seem to enhance the clarity of my mumbling, making my calls more understandable and less frustrating. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about making human connections easier and more natural. In a world where remote communication is increasingly important, this earbud might just be a game-changer for those with hearing-impaired loved ones.