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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a limited-edition Star Wars earbud with magnetic on/off convenience, multipoint pairing and long battery life for zoom calls, choose Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV; if you need the strongest call clarity and the most aggressive active noise cancellation for zoom calls in loud places, choose Anker Soundcore Liberty 5.
• Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV biggest strength: up to 25 hours per charge and 40 more in the case, plus magnetic on/off and two-device multipoint — a marathon companion for work and travel.
• Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV biggest trade-off: no active noise cancelling in the controls spec, so isolation leans on the in-ear seal rather than processing power.
• Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 biggest strength: the Thus AI chip, 10 call sensors and Guinness World Records-certified call quality, built to keep your voice clear in 100 dB+ noise.
• Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 biggest trade-off: ANC-on playtime drops to about 6.5 hours (28 with the case), a fraction of the Audio-Technica's stamina.
• Choose the Audio-Technica if you want a fun, long-lasting daily pair for meetings, music and commutes.
• Choose the Anker if your calls happen in genuinely noisy places and you want the earbuds to do the heavy lifting.
The ATH-CKS50TW2DV is a very specific kind of earbud. It's a limited-edition Star Wars Darth Vader model, and it leans into that identity: character audio alerts play the iconic breathing and Lightsaber sounds for power on/off, Bluetooth connect/disconnect and low battery. If that sounds gimmicky to you, it probably is. If it sounds fun, nothing else in this comparison touches it.
Under the theme, the specs are practical. Proprietary 9 mm dynamic drivers cover 20 Hz to 20 kHz with enhanced bass, and a customizable multifunction button handles playback, volume, calls, the voice assistant and ambience modes. The Magnetic Switch is the sleeper feature: joining the earbuds' magnets powers them off and separating them powers them on, so you can conserve battery without the case when you're out. Multipoint keeps you connected to two Bluetooth devices at once, which matters if you bounce between a laptop and a phone on the same workday. Battery is the headline — 25 hours per charge with 40 more in the case, or 15 plus 25 with noise cancelling engaged, and a 5-minute quick charge gives up to 90 minutes. It's also Qi wireless charging compatible (charger sold separately) and rated IP5X for dust and IPX5 for water jets, though not for hot, humid places like a shower.
Buy it if you want personality, marathon battery and easy device switching. Skip it if your top priority is silencing a loud open office — the spec sheet's noise control field reads "None," so this one relies on fit and its hybrid noise-cancelling and hear-through/talk-through modes rather than the kind of processing the Anker advertises. For zoom calls in a reasonably quiet room, the multipoint pairing and talk-through options are genuinely useful.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro by Anker is built around one obsession: your voice being heard. Ten sensors and the Thus AI Chip target whisper-clear calls in environments above 100 dB, and the model carries Guinness World Records certification for the highest speech quality score (G-MOS) for TWS earbuds from an objective test. Read that as a claim about call performance, not music — but for anyone whose day is meetings, it's the most concrete call-quality story between these two.
Noise cancelling is the second pillar. Anker says it's 100% more effective than its previous flagship, with 8 sensors processing 384K+ noise signals per second to handle subway, office and street noise. You pay for that in runtime: up to 6.5 hours with ANC on, 28 hours with the case, and a 5-minute charge yields 4 hours. In Extreme mode it drops to 2.5 hours (10.5 with the case). Touch-and-slide controls, triple-device connection, auto transparency and 20 offline voice commands round out the everyday experience, and HearID 5.0 personalizes EQ to your ears.
Buy it if calls in noisy environments are your main event and you want adaptive, personalized sound on top. Skip it if you need all-day battery between charges or want a physical button instead of touch-and-slide gestures. The Pearl White colorway and small plastic case keep it understated.
• Best for battery life → Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV. Up to 25 hours per charge and 40 in the case, or 15 + 25 with noise cancelling on.
• Best for call clarity → Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. Ten sensors, the Thus AI Chip and Guinness World Records-certified speech quality.
• Best for noisy environments → Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. 8 sensors and 384K+ noise signals per second, with auto transparency when you need to hear around you.
• Best for switching between devices → Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV. Multipoint holds two Bluetooth connections at once; the Anker counters with triple-device connection.
• Best for quick top-ups → Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. Five minutes gets 4 hours, versus 90 minutes from the Audio-Technica's 5-minute charge.
• Best for wireless charging → Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV. It accepts Qi pads; that's a convenience the Anker sheet doesn't list.
• Best for durability outdoors → Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV. IP5X dust and IPX5 water-jet ratings on the main body.
• Best for hands-free control on the move → Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. 20 built-in voice commands, processed offline for zero delay.
• Best for personality → Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV. Darth Vader alerts and magnetic on/off are one of a kind.
For most people reading this, I'd point to the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 — its call-focused sensor array and heavy-duty ANC are exactly what you want if your meetings happen anywhere loud, and the personalized EQ keeps music enjoyable between them. That said, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV myself. The 25-hour battery, multipoint pairing and magnetic on/off fit how I actually work, and the Vader audio alerts make a tool feel like something I chose. For zoom calls in a quiet home office, it's the pair I'd reach for; if your calls live in chaos, go Anker.
what is ldac headphones
LDAC is a high-bitrate Bluetooth audio codec developed by Sony that transmits more data than standard codecs, which is why "LDAC headphones" usually means a pair marketed for higher-resolution wireless listening. Neither the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV nor the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 lists LDAC in its spec sheet, so if LDAC support is a dealbreaker, check each product page before buying.
what is ldac support in headphones
LDAC support means both the headphones and the source device can encode and decode that codec — if only one side supports it, the connection falls back to a standard codec. In this comparison, the Audio-Technica sheet lists Bluetooth 4 and the Anker sheet lists Bluetooth 6.1, but neither documents LDAC, so don't assume it.
what is ldac codec in headphones
The LDAC codec is a Bluetooth audio compression method that prioritizes data throughput over the standard SBC path, which is why it's associated with better wireless fidelity on supported gear. Here, call quality and noise cancelling are the documented strengths instead: the Anker leans on its Thus AI Chip, and the Audio-Technica leans on its 9 mm drivers and multipoint pairing.
The Anker is the more call-focused design — 10 sensors, the Thus AI Chip and certified speech quality in 100 dB+ noise. The Audio-Technica counters with multipoint pairing, talk-through during calls and far longer battery. For a quiet room, either works; for loud rooms, I'd pick the Anker.
Which one lasts longer on a charge?
The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2DV, clearly: up to 25 hours per charge and 40 more in the case, dropping to 15 + 25 with noise cancelling on. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 gives up to 6.5 hours with ANC on and 28 with the case, or 2.5 hours in Extreme mode.
Yes — both rely on their cases for the biggest totals. The Audio-Technica adds Qi wireless charging if you have a compatible pad (sold separately), while the Anker case is a compact plastic design at roughly 6.2 by 6.1 centimeters. Check the current price on Amazon for either before deciding.
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