X-mini first entered the true wireless earbuds scene with the Liberty Xoundpods, which was a pretty good sounding earbuds for an affordable S$69. They were good but lacked certain key features and improvements in today’s true wireless earbuds market – longer battery life and water and sweat proofing.
Enter the X-mini Liberty+. With 9 hours of playback and a IPX7 water and sweat proof rating, it Liberty+ becomes a great choice for people who want to exercise with music.
The X-mini Liberty+ retails at S$119.90.
Unboxing
The Liberty+ comes in a similar sized box as its predecessor, and inside it contains:
- Liberty+ earbuds
- Charging case
- Eargels (size S, L)
- Micro USB charging cable
- Quick start guide & Leaflets
Tech specs
- IPX Rating: IPX7
- Dimensions: 20*15mm (earbud), 87*60*23.5mm (charging dock)
- Net weight: 97g (incl. charging case)
- Driver: 6mm Graphene-coated Dynamic
- Impedance: 16Ω ±15%Ω
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- Playback time: Up to 9 hours, 54 hours (max)
Build quality and features
The Liberty+ has a much improved IPX7 water and sweatproof rating, which means you can feel safe using it for sweat-heavy workouts. This is a pretty standout feature as IPX7 is usually found only on top end earbuds.
Build quality of the Liberty+ is also pretty good. They are made from plastic, with a space grey color makes the earbuds look high quality offering. The Liberty+ earbuds is slightly larger than the old Liberty Xoundpods, and the eargel used is also bigger.
The charging case also spots a space grey color scheme and still utilises a pull tab tab the Liberty Xoundpods had. But instead of a silicon tab, you can a nice leather pull tab. Size wise, the Liberty+ and the Liberty are similar in height, but the Liberty+ is bigger as it provides for more charges.
However, when it comes to opening the case, the old Liberty case feels more smooth. The Liberty+ case feels a little rigid and rough, like you can feel the friction on the sides as you pull it open. As for putting back the earbuds, it is as simple and satisfying as before – the magnets snap the earbuds back firmly and accurately.
A surprise omission on the Liberty+ feature list is the lack of USB-C charging. I am surprised that X-mini decided to go with the outdated micro USB when many devices are heading towards the USB-C route. This might be a deal breaker for some people.
Fit
The fit of the Liberty+ is similar to the Liberty Xoundpods – nice and secure. Despite shaking my head vigorously, the earbuds still remained tight in my ears. Unlike the Creative Outlier Air which has a contoured shape, the Liberty+ relies heavily on the eartips to provide a good fit, so be sure to choose the right size.
If you’d like to improve the fit, you can look to buy Comply Truly Wireless Foam Tips.
These comply tips work well but I feel that using a comply tips with more foam like the Comply SmartCore Audio Pro Premium Memory Foam.
Pairing and connectivity
Connectivity on the Liberty+ is improved significantly when compared to the Liberty Xoundpods. The connection now utilises the same technology as the Creative Outlier Air, where you see two individually listed earbud. As my iPhone does not support TWS Plus, the connection will be such that the master earbud will pass the audio data to the earbud, as follow:
Connection is way more consistent and reliable.
Sound quality
The Liberty+ is a loud sounding one, volume on the earbuds are loud. I was really impressed with its bass performance, especially the amount of sub-bass it produces (ie. the low resonating bass sound). Listening to tracks such as “Royals by Lorde” and “Beautiful Creatures by Illenium”, you can feel the boom and hear the bass thumping, pretty satisfying if you’re a bass head.
The treble on the Liberty+ is decent, it is clear enough for most songs, but not bright and punchy on other high end earbuds. But some people might appreciate the treble on the X-mini as ear fatigue from highs may not kick in so soon. The soundstage is average, when listening to songs with many instruments, the different songs feel a bit compact.
When compared to the old Liberty Xoundpods, I’d say that the sound quality is greatly improved. Bass response is better especially on the low end, and the treble is much brighter and forward sounding than its predecessor.
The Liberty+ also supports Qualcomm’s aptX, so if you’re rocking an Android phone that supports it, music quality will be better.
X-mini Liberty+ vs Creative Outlier Air
Exact same price, and similarly spec-ed. The X-mini Liberty+ comes in at S$119.90, while the Creative Outlier Air is priced at S$119. Both use Bluetooth 5.0, and based on my use, both are super reliable when it comes to connectivity. Both on on-par with battery life – X-mini with 9 hours, Creative with 10 hours, but X-mini’s case extends the total playtime to 54 hours compared to Creative’s 39 hours. Fit wise, Outlier Air is the clear winner with it contoured design to fits one’s ears. However, the X-mini offers an option to switch out to Comply foam tips. Now with regards sound quality, both earbuds comes close. The X-mini Liberty+ delivers better sub-bass response elevating the boom sounds in bass heavy songs, but falls a little short in the highs. On the other hand, the Creative Outlier Air produces more punchy beats and delivers more crisp and brighter treble. Soundstaging is also wider on the Creative Outlier Air. Ultimately, the Creative Outlier Air edges out for me. Playing “Train Song by Holly Cole” and you will be able to tell the difference in sound quality of both earbuds.
Battery life
The Liberty+ can playback for up to 9 hours and its charging case deliver 5 more charges, this brings you a total of 54 hours. 5 more charges on the charging case is really quite a lot. I think I can go one month without charging the case.
Fast charging is also supported – 2 more hours playtime with just 15 minutes of charge.
This is impressive as not many of the earbuds can meet this level of battery life other than the Creative Outlier Air.
Conclusion
At just S$119.90, if the music you listen to are usually bass heavy then you will really enjoy the thumping bass response on the X-mini Liberty+. With IPX7 and 9 hours of playtime, the Liberty+ makes this earbuds a complete package. The Liberty+ is a great update to their old Liberty Xoundpods, providing all the improvements that listeners of the old Liberty wished it had. X-mini has now delivered a well-rounded and nice sounding earbuds that I think many will enjoy.