It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Herman Husband Historic Mill Site in Liberty, NC gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Liberty, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Karla Dixon was an amazing help finding an assisted living facility for both of my”
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“Great company!”
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“Karla dixon is truly a great person for the community. She is compassionate and very”
“Karla Dixon is an amazing asset to the community and Always Best Care in Burlington,”
“I have been able to personally witness Karla at work and her dedication is unmatched!”
“ABC Senior Services provides great service to our community. And no one exemplifies that service”
“Always Best Care is such a blessing to our community. Karla Dixon is an absolute”
“Karla Dixon is an exceptional Director of Community Relations at Always Best Senior Care Services.”
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Karla and Stephen. You can tell”
“Mom was always well taken care of, fed, and content when we got home. Paula”
“Our family uses Torrie with Always Best Care in Burlington to help take care of”
“Karla Dixon, is great to work with and always helpful. Would recommend contacting her for”
“I cannot say enough great things about Karla Dixon at Always Best Care. From the”
“Great care and even better communication. The admin team is so helpful and kind, willing”
“We have been using Always Best Care in Burlington since October, 2025. Karla Dixon has”
“From the outside looking in, you don’t always see the care, patience, and dedication that”
“Karla Dixon helped my mom with in-home care and eventually, finding an assisted living facility.”
“Karla has been such a great help to the community.”
“Karla Dixon is very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable! Highly recommend!”
“If you are looking for in home care services for your loved one, Always Best”
“Reliable, caring, and professional—Always Best Care is awesome!”
“Karla Dixon was an amazing help finding an assisted living facility for both of my parents.”
“Karla Dixon and Always Best Care have been a Godsend to my family. She helped me place both my parents in the same Senior facility. One parent in memory care and the other in assisted living. We did it all with one call to Karla Dixon. I cannot give a better recommendation. She helped save my family in the most difficult circumstance, with a smile and caring demeanor.”
“Exceptional service! Amber provided great service for Mr. Barnes and Leslie was instrumental in helping with next steps into a facility . Great company to care for your parents while you are at work or away. Rick”
“Great company!”
“I could not possibly give enough stars for this service. I had a lifesaving experience with Always Best. Everyone from top to bottom were so wonderful and helpful. I called on a Sunday after hours and we had an assessment by Monday. Leslie had us an interview with a top notch care facility by Tuesday. She even took time out of her day to join me on the tour. The caregivers are all wonderful. I can't say enough good things. They literally saved us. I would not only recommend, I would shout it from the rooftops. You will not find a more dependable, helpful, or caring service.”
“Karla dixon is truly a great person for the community. She is compassionate and very helpful.”
“Karla Dixon is an amazing asset to the community and Always Best Care in Burlington, NC.”
“I have been able to personally witness Karla at work and her dedication is unmatched! She is excellent.”
“ABC Senior Services provides great service to our community. And no one exemplifies that service and what it means to be a great caretaker more than Karla Dixon. She is amazing both to work and care alongside.”
“Always Best Care is such a blessing to our community. Karla Dixon is an absolute joy to work with. Her empathy and dedication are unmatched. She always goes above and beyond.”
“Karla Dixon is an exceptional Director of Community Relations at Always Best Senior Care Services. She is compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly dedicated to helping seniors and their families navigate the care process with confidence. From the first interaction, Karla demonstrates professionalism, kindness, and genuine concern for each person’s unique needs. She takes the time to listen, answer questions thoroughly, and ensure families feel supported every step of the way. Her communication is outstanding, and she consistently goes above and beyond to connect people with the right resources and quality care. If you’re looking for someone who is trustworthy, caring, and passionate about serving the community, I highly recommend Karla Dixon and the team at Always Best Care Senior Services. Her Commitment to excellence and heartfelt compassion make a lasting difference in the lives of those she serves.”
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Karla and Stephen. You can tell how much pride they have in their jobs by how much care they show. You know that you’ll always receive the best care with Always Best Care”
“Mom was always well taken care of, fed, and content when we got home. Paula and Takara went above and beyond our expectations. Always Best Care was easy to make appointments with and followed through on questions we had. Thank you for your care of my mother!”
“Our family uses Torrie with Always Best Care in Burlington to help take care of my 94 yr old Mom. Torrie is amazing! Mom absolutely loves her!! Torrie is so kind and so good with her. We wish we could have Torrie full time, we would! Very grateful for Torrie! God bless this angel!”
“Karla Dixon, is great to work with and always helpful. Would recommend contacting her for home care needs or referral services for senior living options.”
“I cannot say enough great things about Karla Dixon at Always Best Care. From the very beginning, Karla demonstrated genuine compassion, professionalism, and a deep understanding of what families go through when seeking care for a loved one. She takes the time to truly listen and makes sure every concern is addressed with patience and clarity. Her communication is excellent, and she goes above and beyond to ensure that both clients and their families feel comfortable and confident in the care being provided.”
“Great care and even better communication. The admin team is so helpful and kind, willing to help anyway they can.”
“We have been using Always Best Care in Burlington since October, 2025. Karla Dixon has been a great ally and advocate for us and has always been available to help us have the best experience we can have. She has returned calls on weekends and at night if it means getting an answer or solving a problem. She goes above and beyond and really cares about her clients.”
“From the outside looking in, you don’t always see the care, patience, and dedication that goes into what they do—but it’s there every single day. Truly grateful for a team that goes above and beyond, even when no one’s watching.”
“Karla Dixon helped my mom with in-home care and eventually, finding an assisted living facility. She and her team were easy to work with, plus she did the hard work for us and found a great fit for my mom (just signed the contract to move in). I recommend using Karla’s services for helping you navigate a trying time.”
“Karla has been such a great help to the community.”
“Karla Dixon is very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable! Highly recommend!”
“If you are looking for in home care services for your loved one, Always Best Care is the answer! The dedication received by all staff is unmatched.”
“Reliable, caring, and professional—Always Best Care is awesome!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Paul Henry Smith Park in Liberty, NC with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local China House Chinese Restaurant or visit Liberty Springs Historical Landmark, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Liberty, NC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Liberty, NC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Liberty, NC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
The opinions expressed in this piece are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carolina Journal or its publisher.Booming cannon. Screaming whistles. A racket. So North Carolina’s The Lenoir Topic described the Statue of Liberty’s dedication on Oct. 28, 1886 — 140 years ago today. Thousands of people swarmed New York City for a glimpse of Lady Liberty’s dedication. Only the sacrificial giving of average citizens, including North Carolinians, made this raucous celebration possible....
The opinions expressed in this piece are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carolina Journal or its publisher.
Booming cannon. Screaming whistles. A racket. So North Carolina’s The Lenoir Topic described the Statue of Liberty’s dedication on Oct. 28, 1886 — 140 years ago today. Thousands of people swarmed New York City for a glimpse of Lady Liberty’s dedication. Only the sacrificial giving of average citizens, including North Carolinians, made this raucous celebration possible.
Among the dedication day multitude, dignitaries such as President Grover Cleveland attempted to keep dry amidst the continual rain. The overcast day could not, however, dampen the light of liberty proclaimed through the day’s speeches. The dedication day addresses also speak to Americans of 2026. They urge us to renew our dedication to the foundational principles of liberty.
Like liberty itself, the statue required a solid foundation lest it topple. The story of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal is little known. However, it powerfully attests to the civic spirit of average Americans—including North Carolinians.
Tar Heels excitedly followed the statue’s construction through the state’s many newspapers. Winston-Salem’s Western Sentinel tracked Lady Liberty’s shipment from France calling her “this new Wonder of the World.” The paper also called for a “great effort to erect the pedestal.”
In 1884, no funds existed to complete the pedestal upon which the statue would rest. Newspaper tycoon, Joseph Pultizer, started a fundraising project to pay for this pedestal. He beseeched average Americans to fund this work.
North Carolinians answered the call. Dozens of the state’s newspapers encouraged contributions. The Western Sentinel’s special correspondent wrote, “We feel assured our people [North Carolinians] will be only too eager to… give the statue an appropriate base and pedestal.”
The Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, NC), The Times (Concord, NC), and other papers advertised for Pulitzer’s project. Donors received statuettes when giving $1 or more. Upon its conclusion, the campaign raised $100,000 from over 120,000 people. Most donations were $1 or less. Small donations from everyday Americans, including many North Carolinians, paid for the pedestal on which the great statue stands to this day.
Residents of North Carolina eagerly tracked the statue’s final stages of construction. Seven months before the dedication, The Smithfield Herald printed a travelogue that praised “the towering structure…the pedestal for Bartholdi’s great statue of ‘Liberty Enlightening the World.’” Donors to Pulitzer’s campaign pridefully acknowledged that their pedestal, even without the statue, towered over New York Harbor.
In September 1886, The News and Observer stated that, “The goddess is in position all except her head and one arm. Beside the hand of Liberty a man seems to be about as big as a mosquito.” France’s gift certainly impressed people but the content of the dedication day speeches brought liberty to life.
French Count Ferdinand de Lesseps called the statue “the personification of liberty.” Senator William Evarts praised the “perfected and completed work of the pedestal.” But it was President Cleveland who most powerfully and poetically captured the statue’s message.
Cleveland proclaimed that Lady Liberty “holds aloft the light which illumines the way to man’s enfranchisement. We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected. Willing votaries will constantly keep alive its fires.”
In the 1880s, many North Carolinians proved willing votaries when they contributed to the pedestal. After the Statue of Liberty’s dedication, The Raleigh Christian Advocate recognized that, but for small donations, “the Statue of Liberty would have had no place to stand on. Its $100,000 popular subscription finished the pedestal and enabled Miss Liberty to keep her engagement with Uncle Sam for a dedication.”
One-hundred-and-forty years later, Americans must now ensure that Uncle Sam stays committed to Miss Liberty. More important than a solid pedestal for the Statue of Liberty is a firm foundation for liberty itself. This requires renewed adherence to our nation’s founding principles.
Fortunately, North Carolinians faithfully pursue these principles. Over the last decade, state-level policies advanced liberty in substantial ways. Current citizens of The Old North State prove that “Liberty has here made her home.”
Good citizens must, however, continually renew their devotion to keeping the flame of liberty alive. Liberty-minded citizens ensure small government. Chauncey M. Depew, the dedication’s keynote speaker, praised Americans for not “limiting our liberties to concentrate power in our government.” We too can avoid government trampling our liberty by regularly recommitting to the principles the Statue of Liberty personifies.
Booming canon and screaming whistles are unnecessary to mark this recommitment. A quiet reembrace of limited government and individual freedom suffices. May the state “First in Freedom” lead this renewed fidelity to the principles personified by the “Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World.”
Our stories may be republished online or in print for free. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, credit Carolina Journal and the author, and link to the original.
Amazon is parting ways with two MMOs, Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, returning them back to their respective developers by early 2027.Announced earlier today, the global publishing service of Throne and Liberty is transitioning from Amazon Game Studios to NC's own online publishing services by the end of Q4 2026. As for Lost Ark, Amazon will end its live service operations in early 2027, with Smilegate taking over going forward.For Throne and Liberty, NC is working with developer FirstSpark Games, also an NC studio, to unify ...
Amazon is parting ways with two MMOs, Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, returning them back to their respective developers by early 2027.
Announced earlier today, the global publishing service of Throne and Liberty is transitioning from Amazon Game Studios to NC's own online publishing services by the end of Q4 2026. As for Lost Ark, Amazon will end its live service operations in early 2027, with Smilegate taking over going forward.
For Throne and Liberty, NC is working with developer FirstSpark Games, also an NC studio, to unify the global audience under a single online service.
"Amazon Game Studios has been an excellent partner, and we're grateful to have launched and maintained our MMO thus far with their team," said FirstSpark Games CEO Moonyoung Choi in a press release. "Taking a more direct role in global publishing makes so much sense for us, and so we're thrilled to lead the next chapter of Throne and Liberty directly as NC."
Related:MiHoYo awarded $112,000 by Chinese court after AI voice service dupes Genshin Impact characters
Smilegate shared a similar sentiment around Lost Ark, calling the act of handing the game back to the developers a "positive outcome" for players.
"To every developer, community manager, support specialist, localization expert, and team member who worked behind the scenes on both sides of this partnership: thank you," Smilegate's announcement reads. "Your dedication, late nights, and genuine passion made this game what it was."
While service for both games will continue, Amazon's own dedication to MMOs isn't as certain. Along with the aforementioned titles, the company ended active development on New World: Aeternum at the end of last year.
At the time, Steve Boom, vice president of Amazon audio, Twitch, and games, reportedly said the company had made the "difficult decision to halt a significant amount of our first-party AAA game development work," specifically around MMOs, within Amazon Game Studios. In the same memo to staff, Boom reportedly mentioned Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark as MMOs that it was still invested in as publisher.
With the departure of Amazon Game Studios boss Cristoph Hartmann, the company reportedly started retreating from the PC and console video game space in favor of Luna. Three months later, the company announced it was downscaling the video game service.
The news came amidst the shuttering of UGC dungeon brawler King of Meat after six months, the ditching of an upcoming open-world racer by Maverick Games, and continuous layoffs at Embracer-owned Crystal Dynamics, which Amazon has been collaborating with as publisher of the upcoming Tomb Raider games.
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Soundcore Liberty 4 NC review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC vs EarFun Air Pro 4+, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4 ANC, Beats Studio Buds Plus, Powerbeats Fit, and more!I’m going to do my best to share whether these earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these earbuds with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy fo...
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Soundcore Liberty 4 NC review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC vs EarFun Air Pro 4+, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4 ANC, Beats Studio Buds Plus, Powerbeats Fit, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these earbuds with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the with over 25,000+ subscribers and over 5 million views.
Let’s dive right in!
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is easily one of the best wireless earbuds under $100 we’ve tested that starts to approach flagship-level noise cancelling and sound quality for a fraction of the cost. Competes with , , EarFun Air Pro 4+, , , AirPods Pro 2, , , Beats Studio Buds Plus, Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM6, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.
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The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC shares a very similar “stem” design like the AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
I find the Liberty 4 NC to be quite comfortable and fairly easy to get a decent seal.
Despite being an in-ear, the Liberty 4 NC doesn’t need to go as deep into the ear canal to get its seal, similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro versus the AirPods Pro.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC was originally released in June 2023, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
If there’s one aspect of the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC that exposes its budget price, it would be the microphone quality, not the sound quality or noise cancelling.
While the mic quality is serviceable on the Liberty 4 NC in quiet environments, it is pretty underwhelming compared to the more expensive flagship earbuds from Apple, Sony, and Samsung to name a few.
Against the entire class of wireless earbuds we’ve tested, I’d rate the mic quality as average with room for improvement against background noise and delivering clearer, more natural voice pickup.
This battery life is one of the best-in-class, which tends to be around 6 hours with noise cancelling turned on, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
I’ve previously tested almost all of Soundcore’s line of wireless noise cancelling headphones, and typically found the noise cancelling to be above average, especially for the price.
This is true of the Liberty 4 NC as well, which has pretty good noise cancelling performance for a sub-$100 wireless earbud.
In this sub-$100 price range, I found the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC to have slightly better noise cancelling than the EarFun Air Pro 4+.
There is a higher “elite” tier of noise cancelling from the more expensive flagships like the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2.
But the Liberty 4 NC is a fraction of the cost of those premium flagships, and delivers about 80-85% of the performance for cheaper.
As I mentioned in the “Noise Cancelling” section above, I’ve previously tested almost all of Soundcore’s wireless headphones lineup, so I’m quite familiar with their “house sound”.
Soundcore products tend to be quite consumer-friendly and V-shaped in their tuning, and this is very true of the Liberty 4 NC as well.
The Liberty 4 NC features a relatively large 11mm driver that delivers massive bass and sub-bass for an earbud.
My initial impression was that the consumer-friendly tuning is very bass-forward with a bit of a brighter treble, and mids slightly recessed.
I actually found the stock sound to be more palatable than most of their full-size headphones with similar tuning, as the Liberty 4 NC still sounds fairly cohesive and not as muddy.
On the technical side, these support the hi-res codec of LDAC, which is rather rare for budget audio gear and tends to be featured on the more expensive “audiophile” products. On paper, this translates to higher bitrate source quality, leading to higher sound quality as a whole.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock aptX and LDAC support:
Questyle QCC Dongle Pro2 [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC, LHDC, aptX Lossless & aptX-Adaptive, Auracast
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
10/11/2026 02:34 am GMT
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
When I switched the Liberty 4 NC to LDAC instead of regular SBC, I did notice a slight boost to the sound quality that increased the resolution and made the strong bass response more controlled and textured.
While I wouldn’t call these audiophile-worthy, I actually really enjoy the “fun” sound and massive bass from the Liberty 4 NC from a mass-market consumer perspective.
I’d still put them slightly below the current flagships like AirPods Pro 3, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and especially the Sony W-1000XM6.
In its price range, I will admit that I slightly prefer the sound quality of the EarFun Air Pro 4+, which is also the best I’ve heard under $100 overall.
Being a sub-$100 earbud, I’d say the Liberty 4 NC exceeded my expectations for the price and find them fun to listen to for modern genres with bass as the focus.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC retails for $99.99 USD but can be found on sale for as low as $57 to $79.99.
Factoring everything in, I’m genuinely surprised with what the Liberty 4 NC is delivering at a budget price point.
I find the sound quality and noise cancelling performance to be way above expectations for being half the price of the flagship earbuds.
The battery life is also one of the longest we’ve tested, and I find the comfort and fit to be very agreeable.
I’d say the one real critique is that the microphone quality is average, but taking everything else into account, this is an easy perfect value score for me.
At this price, only the EarFun Air Pro 4+ can compete on value.
Honestly, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC far exceeded my expectations at this budget price point.
I’ve tested all of the flagships from Apple, Sony, Bose, Samsung, and more, and the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is starting to approach that level for a fraction of the cost.
What stands out to me is the sound quality, noise cancelling, comfort, and battery life.
The only knock is its average microphone quality, so if that’s important to you, consider upgrading to the flagships which are excellent these days.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless earbuds are:
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RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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Amazon Game Studios announced on August 12, 2026, that it will end live-service operations on both Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, returning Western publishing to the Korean studios that built them. Smilegate will take over Lost Ark in early 2027, while NC, formerly known as NCSoft, will assume control of Throne and Liberty through its subsidiary FirstSpark Games before the close of the fourth quarter of 2026. Both games will keep running under their new operators, and neither service is closing down.Lost Ark launched in North Americ...
Amazon Game Studios announced on August 12, 2026, that it will end live-service operations on both Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, returning Western publishing to the Korean studios that built them. Smilegate will take over Lost Ark in early 2027, while NC, formerly known as NCSoft, will assume control of Throne and Liberty through its subsidiary FirstSpark Games before the close of the fourth quarter of 2026. Both games will keep running under their new operators, and neither service is closing down.
Lost Ark launched in North America and Europe on February 11, 2022, and reached more than 1.32 million concurrent players on Steam, a figure that made it the most-played game on the platform at the time. Amazon has operated the Western version for nearly five years and will hand publishing back to Smilegate, the studio that originally developed the game in South Korea.
Throne and Liberty followed a similar publishing arrangement when it launched globally on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 1, 2024. Amazon reported more than three million players in the game's first week, with those players logging over 24 million hours in Solisium and generating more than 11 million hours of Twitch viewership.
The publishing exits follow other changes to Amazon's MMO portfolio over the past year. New World: Aeternum's servers are set to go offline on January 31, 2027, after the game was delisted from digital storefronts on January 15, 2026. Amazon also canceled an in-development Lord of the Rings MMO in May 2026, with the company's head of games, Jeff Grattis, saying at the time that the team continues to "explore a compelling new game experience that does justice to Tolkien's world" and remains engaged with the property.
Amazon and NC confirmed the Throne and Liberty handover through matching community posts on August 12. Player accounts on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox will carry over without changes, and NC will introduce its own Purple platform so those players can compete alongside existing NC accounts in a single environment. Cross-play between all four platforms remains intact, though cross-progression will only function between Steam and Purple once the transition is complete.
FirstSpark Games CEO Moonyoung Choi described the move as a natural next step for the studio, saying the company is "thrilled to lead the next chapter of Throne and Liberty directly as NC." Players will need to accept new terms of service from NC once the transition finishes, and support tickets filed with Amazon before the switch will not transfer to NC's customer service team.
The Lucent, Loyalty Points, Sollant and Ornate Coins currently sitting in Throne and Liberty accounts carry over at their existing amounts, though terms of use and expiration policies for that currency may change once NC's systems take over. Any character or guild name that collides with an existing NC account during the merge will be renamed automatically, and the affected player receives a name change ticket to choose something new.
Lost Ark's migration follows a longer timeline and targets early 2027 without a confirmed date yet. Once the transition happens, Smilegate will inherit characters, progression and inventory directly from Amazon's systems, along with entitlements, purchases and wallet balances covering Royal Crystals, Blue Crystals, Gold and Silver. Preset names for gear, gems, skins and skills carry over too, along with ship names, stronghold slot names, map and combat memos, chat macros, NPC renames and each account's penalty or enforcement history.
Not everything survives the move. In-game mail, including titles and body content, stays on Amazon's servers, along with friends list memos, group names and blacklist memos. Guild member nicknames and full chat message history are excluded as well, which is why Amazon wants players to claim anything sitting in their mailbox before the transition date is set.
Throne and Liberty's mail policy runs in the opposite direction. NC has said unclaimed mail and any attached items in that game will carry over during its migration and remain claimable once the service moves to NC's systems.
Players who want no part of the Lost Ark transfer can request an opt-out, a window that opened alongside the August 12 announcement and closes before the transition date. Opting out means starting over with no carried-over characters, progression or inventory once Smilegate takes control, and Amazon is urging players to weigh that decision carefully given how much time many have invested.
Amazon has already pulled Lost Ark's 12-month Crystalline Plus subscription from sale and is telling players not to buy new long-term plans while the studio and Smilegate finalize how unused prepaid time gets handled. Starting August 26, Crystalline Aura subscriptions, T4 Founder's Packs and the Abyssal Support Pack will also come off Steam, though items already purchased remain in players' accounts. Amazon's no-refund policy on Lost Ark purchases stays in place through the transition, and Smilegate will set its own refund rules once it takes over the storefront.
Spanish-language support in Lost Ark ends with the game's October 2026 update, after which the Western version runs in English only. Players currently using the Spanish client can continue playing in English following that update.
The playlostark.com domain and Lost Ark's social media accounts move to Smilegate's control once the transition is complete, and Amazon will stop operating those channels from that point forward. The Steam App ID transfer for the game happens behind the scenes, so players won't need to reinstall or repurchase anything.
Smilegate addressed the transition directly in a developer letter posted through its own channels, telling players the studio wants to "take full responsibility for and complete the game we created" now that it is stepping into the publisher role. The studio added that closer contact with the Western community, including a return to more frequent updates, factors into its plans once the handover is finished.
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