Anker’s Soundcore brand just unveiled its successors to the Liberty 4 Pro, and the true wireless earbuds promise a leap forward in call performance — one large enough that the company sought a world record to prove it.
The company’s new Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max have both received a Guinness World Record for the “World’s Clearest Earbuds for Calls.” Soundcore says it earned the record by pitting its new models against 14 “global flagship models” in a third-party lab test that drew on mean opinion scores for audio quality and noise cancellation in simulated environments like bars and city sidewalks.
The company isn’t naming those rivals and doesn’t have an overwhelming lead (it scored 3.68 out of 5 versus the runner-up’s 3.54). However, it’s safe to say the brand wants you to choose the Liberty 5 Pro series over big names like Apple’s AirPods Pro 3.
Soundcore says it achieved the feat by using Anker’s previously revealed first in-house AI chip, Thus. The silicon is built to handle on-device AI in tiny devices like earbuds and combines with a 10-sensor array (eight microphones and two bone conduction sensors) to dynamically separate your voice from the background, even at lower volume levels. The firm claims twice the active noise cancellation (ANC) of the Liberty 4 Pro.
Thus, it also helps cut the response time for voice commands to just over 0.9 seconds and reportedly restores up to 65 percent of the sound quality lost through Bluetooth data compression. AI translation helps with conversations during vacations abroad.
What is the difference between the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max?
It’s all in the Pro Max’s note-taking case
Both the Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max are based on the same earbuds, so you can expect identical audio quality whether you’re taking calls or playing music. They both use Bluetooth 6.1, LDAC Hi-Res Wireless Audio, multipoint connections, and perks like Apple Find My and Google Fast Pair. Likewise, they share IP55 dust and water resistance and manage up to 6.5 hours of ANC audio playback from the buds themselves.
The differences come down to the charging case. Where the Liberty 5 Pro has a 1-inch LCD touchscreen with standard controls, the 5 Pro Max has a larger 1.8-inch AMOLED screen as well as AI notetaking. Double-tap a button after a meeting, and the case will help the Soundcore app generate a transcript that includes key talking points.
You’ll still get the same 28 hours of total listening time from the cases, so either will work for long travel days where you might need a recharge after your trip.
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max price and availability
You won’t have to pay a premium
The Liberty 5 Pro is available now for $170 (£150 in the UK, €180 in Germany), while the 5 Pro Max is also shipping for $230 (£200 UK, €250 Germany). You can get the base Pro in black, blue, pink, and white colors, while the Pro Max is only available in black and a “titanium-gold” hue.
The new Liberty 5s are feature-packed and affordable.
The prices are both significant steps up from the $130 when the Liberty 4 Pro arrived in 2024. However, they still undercut the official $249 selling price for the AirPods Pro 3, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. If you prioritize call quality or just like the idea of a touchscreen case, Soundcore might offer better value.
With that in mind, the alternatives have their own advantages (such as Apple and Samsung ecosystem tie-ins). They also tend to enjoy frequent discounts, so you might not pay much more in the right circumstances.
When it comes to content, there’s little I love more than a good, gritty crime drama. From their dark, cynical, often realistic portrayals of criminal underworlds, violence, and justice systems to their heavily flawed, obsessed, anti-hero protagonists and intense, gritty tones, it all sucks us in, and it’s why we can’t look away. These types of criminal shows have carved out a powerful space in television by refusing to glamorize the worlds they depict and being willing to confront uncomfortable truths.
This weekend on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., we’re exploring three immensely popular, critically acclaimed criminal shows that will hook you from the get-go with their honesty, and my top pick is a must-see that reinvented the police procedural genre.
3
City on a Hill
A Wire-like look at corruption, race, and justice
Based on a story by Ben Affleck and author Charlie MacLean, the underrated crime drama City on a Hill revisits a charged moment in Massachusetts history known as The Boston Miracle. For 18 months in the mid-90s, gang-related violence dropped 63% as the result of a community-wide initiative developed in collaboration with the Boston Police Department, street workers, juvenile corrections officers, churches, and neighborhood programs. Kevin Bacon (Footloose), Aldis Hodge (Cross), and Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) headline the cast.
Set in early 1990s Boston, corruption, violent criminals, and racism are normal parts of life, and to make matters worse, they’re backed by local law enforcement agencies. The series focuses on an unlikely alliance between hardened, corrupt, charismatic FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) and idealistic Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) as they work together to navigate the city and take down a family of armored car thieves, aiming to overhaul the broken criminal justice system.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Prime Video movies Trivia challenge
From thrillers to tearjerkers — see how well you know these Amazon Prime Video films.
DramaThrillerTrue StoryComedySports
In Crime 101, what profession does the main character use as cover while pulling off elaborate heists?
That’s right! The protagonist poses as a real estate agent, using the job’s access and mobility as a convenient front for criminal activity. The film plays with how ordinary professions can mask extraordinary deception.
Not quite — the correct answer is real estate agent. The film uses this cover cleverly, showing how a respectable-seeming profession can provide the perfect camouflage for a career criminal operating in plain sight.
In Saltburn, which prestigious English university does protagonist Oliver Quick attend when he befriends Felix Catton?
Correct! Oliver and Felix meet at Oxford, where the stark class divide between scholarship student Oliver and the aristocratic Felix is immediately established. That university setting is crucial to the film’s themes of privilege and obsession.
Not quite — it’s Oxford where Oliver and Felix first cross paths. Director Emerald Fennell deliberately chose Oxford’s world of old money and social stratification to set up the film’s exploration of class envy and manipulation.
In The Tender Bar, based on J.R. Moehringer’s memoir, who plays Uncle Charlie, the bartender who becomes a father figure to young J.R.?
Spot on! Ben Affleck plays the warm and charismatic Uncle Charlie, earning considerable praise for the role. Affleck’s performance was seen as one of the film’s greatest strengths, bringing real depth to a man who shapes a fatherless boy’s entire worldview.
The correct answer is Ben Affleck. His portrayal of Uncle Charlie was widely praised as a career highlight, capturing the rough charm of a bartender who becomes the most important male role model in J.R.’s life.
In the 2024 Prime Video remake of Road House, who plays ex-UFC fighter Elwood Dalton, the new bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse?
That’s right! Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the role made famous by Patrick Swayze, playing a disgraced MMA fighter hired to clean up a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. Gyllenhaal underwent intense physical training to prepare for the action-heavy role.
The correct answer is Jake Gyllenhaal. He took on the iconic role previously played by Patrick Swayze in the 1989 original, with the remake shifting the setting from Missouri to the Florida Keys and updating the protagonist’s fighting background to MMA.
Thirteen Lives depicts the dramatic 2018 rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in which country?
Correct! The film recreates the harrowing rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. The real-life operation captivated the world and involved expert cave divers from across the globe.
The answer is Thailand. The real rescue took place in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province, where 12 boys and their coach were trapped for 18 days before a multinational team of divers managed to bring them all out safely.
In Manchester by the Sea, what unexpected event forces Lee Chandler to return to his hometown and become guardian of his teenage nephew?
That’s right! Lee’s brother Joe dies suddenly from congestive heart failure, pulling Lee back to a town filled with painful memories. Casey Affleck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the grief-stricken, emotionally closed-off Lee.
Not quite — Lee returns because his brother Joe dies of congestive heart failure. The film, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, won two Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, and is celebrated for its unflinching portrayal of grief and guilt.
In American Fiction, what pen name does frustrated author Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison use when he writes a satirical novel pandering to racial stereotypes?
Correct! Monk writes his outrageous satirical manuscript under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, a name that itself plays on stereotypes. The film, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, won Cord Jefferson the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The pen name Monk uses is Stagg R. Leigh. The choice of pseudonym is itself part of the satire — a name loaded with cultural baggage. Jeffrey Wright received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his nuanced portrayal of Monk.
In Air, the film about Nike signing Michael Jordan, which actress plays Jordan’s mother Deloris, who plays a pivotal role in negotiating his landmark deal?
That’s right! Viola Davis plays Deloris Jordan with commanding presence, portraying her as the savvy negotiator who helped secure the revolutionary contract that gave Michael unprecedented royalties. The real Deloris Jordan is widely credited with shaping the deal that changed sports marketing forever.
The correct answer is Viola Davis. She received widespread praise for capturing the intelligence and determination of Deloris Jordan, whose behind-the-scenes negotiations were instrumental in creating the Air Jordan brand that would go on to generate billions of dollars.
Challenge Complete
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
Expect a thick atmosphere of 90s Boston authenticity, compelling power dynamics, character-driven narratives, and exceptional acting, particularly from Bacon, who gives a career-best performance. The show offers a serious, slow-burn exploration of one city’s criminal justice system while blending police corruption with family drama and social issues. Though fictionalized, it’s a fascinating look at Boston’s transition from a corrupt era to a new system and is executive produced by Affleck and Matt Damon.
2
River
A traditional “whodunit” investigation
Boasting a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, River is a six-part British police procedural and psychological crime drama about a haunted detective investigating his partner’s murder while also struggling with his mental health. Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting) and Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) star.
Detective Inspector John River (Skarsgård) is brilliant at what he does, but his fractured mind keeps him trapped between the living and the dead, haunted by “manifests,” or visions of murder victims, including his recently deceased partner, Stevie. Under enormous pressure from the media and psychiatric evaluation for his hallucinations, River works hard to navigate his guilt and, in the process, discovers the shocking truth about Stevie’s death.
Unlike typical crime shows, River focuses heavily on its protagonist’s mental states in the wake of his criminal experiences. The slow-burn, dramatic crime thriller is characterized by intense psychological scenes, a traditional “whodunit” investigation, and a masterful performance from Skarsgård. Expect a deeply human study of loss with smart writing, a genuinely creepy atmosphere, and a unique, emotional take on the police procedural drama.
1
The Shield
One of the best cop shows ever made
One of this century’s best crime dramas, The Shield is a multi-Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award winner. Michael Chiklis (The Commish), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Kenny Johnson (Ray), and Michael Jace (The Replacements) star alongside an enormous cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, CCH Pounder, Glenn Close, Benito Martinez, and more.
The hit FX show follows the corrupt activities of rogue cop Vic Mackey (Chiklis) in an experimental criminal division task force of the Los Angeles Police Department. He’ll go to any lengths to take down the criminals he and his team are chasing, including breaking the law and working with other criminals, and eventually he ropes his team into doing the same. Everything is set in a district rife with gang-related violence, drug trafficking, and prostitution.
Highly regarded for reinventing the police procedural and setting the standard for modern anti-hero dramas, the show paved the way for “prestige” television on basic cable with its raw, unflinching tone full of twists and thrills that explores the fine line between right and wrong. Over the course of 88 episodes, you’ll experience fast-paced action, moral ambiguity, high-stakes tension, and more riveting, gritty crime drama in one continuously solid storyline than you can stand. When viewing turns to obsession, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This one is a true gem.
Each of these hit criminal shows stands out for its realism and complexity, offering a much darker, thought-provoking take on crime storytelling that burrows into our brains and leaves us craving more. The platform has plenty of excellent crime dramas to choose from, so once you finish these three, stick around and see what else is there to transport you to the criminal underworld. Before you leave, though, be sure to check out everything coming to Prime Video in May 2026.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
