Late last month, Anker introduced its new THUS proprietary AI chip platform, designed to bring local neural-net AI to consumer devices. The chip will first be integrated into two new Soundcore earbuds: the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max, the latter of which comes with a charging case that doubles as an AI note-taker.
Anker THUS AI Chip
THUS embeds computation directly into NOR flash memory calls, which requires one-sixth the physical footprint of SRAM-based alternatives, says Anker, making it viable for the most constrained consumer devices. It supports several million parameters across multiple workloads, delivering up to 150 times more AI computing power on the environmental noise cancellation task than Anker’s previous-generation flagship earphones, the company claims.
Clear Calls, one of the first features announced, replaces traditional environmental noise cancellation (ENC), which relies on signal processing algorithms or small neural networks that break down in loud, complex environments, with a large neural network running entirely on-device. It’s anchored by eight MEMS microphones and two bone conduction sensors that isolate the speaker’s voice from its physical vibration. The result, claims Anker, is significantly cleaner call clarity, in any environment. Additional AI-powered features, announced at Anker Day in New York City (at which I was in attendance), include Signature Sound and Voice Control.
Anker plans to bring THUS to its full product line in future, from audio devices to mobile accessories and IoT devices. Future chips in the platform are intended to serve additional functions as the roadmap expands.
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, Liberty 5 Pro Max Earbuds
The Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max both use a 10-sensor metric and eight microphones to capture ambient noise. A pair of bone conduction sensors detect skull vibrations to ensure clear voice pick-up, even if you’re in a noisy environment. Anker promises two times deeper noise cancellation than the Liberty 4 Pro, while the Liberty 5 Pro Max adds a convenient AI Note-Taker built into its charging case.
Both pairs have HearID 5.0 that builds a personal EQ profile from a hearing test and applies it to songs as they play. There’s also a built-in AI Sound Enhancement system that uses a neural net AI to rebuild audio detail that’s lost in Bluetooth compression. This, says Anker, can restore up to 65% of the quality typically reduced in wireless audio.
Voice interaction supports 20 built-in commands for doing things like adjusting volume, skipping tracks, answering or ending calls, and swapping among ANC modes, including transparency mode. There’s also an Easy Chat feature for interacting with someone quickly before resuming playback.
With both earbuds, you get up to 6.5 hours of playback with ANC per charge and up to 28 hours total with the charging case. They offer multipoint connectivity for connecting up to three devices at the same time along with support for Apple Find My and Google Fast Pair. They are both IP55 rated for resistance against some dust and light water splashes. They both also include Bluetooth 6.1 for a stable connection.
Both earbuds also leverage new VibeOS AI-powered software in the Soundcore app, which facilitates features like HearID 5.0, audio source restoration, and real-time environmental adaptation. It runs across Soundcore products, including headphones, speakers, and sleeping earbuds like the A30, and connects every Soundcore audio product into a single experience, handling features that require memory and time, like meeting transcripts, learning your habits, sleep coaching, and asking Anka questions.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro will sell for an MSRP of US$170 and come in blue, white, black or pink. As a new flagship, the Liberty 5 Pro Max includes all the same features as the Liberty 5 Pro but the charging case can also double as an AI note-taker. It has a mini touchscreen display you can use to adjust modes, control playback, and take notes. You can record, transcribe, and summarize every 10-15 minutes. Swipe to toggle ANC and Spatial Audio, pin go-to widgets and add personal wallpaper as well.
Double tap the charging case button at the back after a session and the Soundcore app will generate transcripts, identify speakers, and extract action items. AI translation is available with both models as well. It works through the earbuds on the Liberty 5 Pro and via either the case or earbuds with the Liberty 5 Pro Max.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max sell for an MSRP of US$230 and come in titanium gold or black. I have been testing the Liberty 5 Pro Max for the last few weeks: stay tuned for my review.