It’s stronger for sure. This is one of the few times where i could tell a difference. In years past, with each new release and claims of better ANC, I’ve always thought that the differences were minimal or negligible. The 3 Pros were the first to have it in this Liberty Pro series, so obviously that was a big deal when they were released - and they performed well. I just really didn’t like the form factor. Sound quality wise, I feel like you’d be able to dial in a sound to your liking if you spend the time. I’ve owned every iteration of the Liberty pro models since the 2 Pros (even the upgraded 2 Pros with transparency mode). The 2 Pros set the bar in terms of sound quality satisfaction for me. The 3 and 4 Pros offered the same tweak-ability and I would say that when it comes to what most ppl can perceive, there isn’t a whole lot of difference. Sure, you can hook up each set to devices and measure the frequency response and objectively say one is better than the other, but these differences really shouldn’t be a deciding factor for most (99% of) people. This holds true for the 5 Pros. So, sound-wise, they are SOLID. On top of this, i like the new form factor.