Aukey EP-N5 ANC BT5.0 TWS Earbuds
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Model: Aukey EP-N5 ANC TWS
Price: £47.99 - no longer available on Amazon due to malpractice
Link: Aukey
Review Reference: RC006
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Quick Start Guide
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Aukey EP-N5.
My last review of Aukey earbuds didn't end well, and despite their attractive packaging and strong reputation for USB and smartphone accessories, the Malaysian vendor's OEM selection has been sketchy in audio products, other than the QCY T5, who every man and their dog sold as 'their own product'.
Aukey claim they are 'a team of techies with a common appreciation for the finer details and utility of great products - from USB-C accessories to smartphone lenses to Bluetooth audio products, we are continuously developing and expanding our product portfolio to bring you practical, next generation tech to complement and elevate your digital lifestyle'
Bold claims, let's see if it holds up with their ANC release, the EP-N5.
The Unboxing - 8/10
Usually, I couldn't care less about the unboxing as long as they perform, but this is one area where Aukey differentiate with an understated but earthy feel. The plain cardboard box has a nice feel to it. My impression was Aukey were Malaysian - and they are - but the buds are made in China, shipped from the Ruhr - AMZLAB in Essen, who I'm guessing are some kind of marketing company for far Eastern brands in Europe selling via Amazon - and like many brands who cover off the spectrum of popular electronics, they are not actually manufactured by the name on the badge, which brings a wild variety of sound signatures and form factors, but usually it's disappointing (see Lenovo, Baseus, etc.)
Anyone who recognises my avatar will see I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to imagery, symbolism and basically anything that leaves you thinking....What?! Quite what the purpose of a card with a keyhole and a Matrix-style pattern is, I have no idea (it isn't a warranty card and there's no hidden QR), but the fact it seemed to serve no purpose was even cooler - well played Aukey, I approve!
The 'experience' is not what I pay for, but there you go - if you're buying as a gift, at least the recipient will enjoy the unboxing!
The Case - 8/10
The case is pretty nice - kinda generic with that archetypal matte black finish and grey etched logo, but the buds slot in the top nicely, the hinge is OK too. Four lights denote charging status, and the USB-C charge socket is located on the bottom.
There is no quick charge and no wireless charging. Total charge time for buds and case is 90 minutes. There is no hall-switch feature and no quick charge. The case is not spectacular, but it serves its purpose.
The Fit - 9.5/10
The EP-N5 are amongst the best fitting stem earbuds I've ever tried. The stock earbuds gave a good seal, they fit precisely along the side of the face and are barely noticeable. At this point, I absolutely loved them. I even tried running in them and they stayed in (briefly). Their short-ish stem allows them a very natural fit. They also look simplistic and nice, with a matte finish throughout.
The outside of the bud is very similar to the QCY T10/T11. The stem joins the head at the edge, and this type of bud fits really well. The stem length is rather short, which again makes for an almost invisible fit. The elegant design is probably the best feature of the EP-N5.
ANC - 4/10
Here's the first problem. How can an earbud with such a good fit deliver borderline non-existent ANC? Ergonomically, they would seem on the face of it to have struck the right balance between ANC and PNI...but it just doesn't perform.
If you've tried over-ears, something like the Sony WH-1000XM4, you know the ANC is insane compared with earbuds. You could be in a war zone and be oblivious. Then you move down to earbud ANC - so something like the Tronsmart Apollo Bold - pretty good, but you can still hear high pitched or very low rumbles. Then look at something like the Tranya T10 - no ANC but ergonomically designed to cut out noise passively. And does a decent job.
These, well, I don't know how there are so many 5 star reviews on Amazon but they cut barely anything out. I tested against the TaoTronics Soundliberty 94 and they were far worse than them. They also have no ambient mode - not a major issue as you can hear everything anyway, but even so, very disappointing from an implementation perspective.
The biggest culprits are higher frequency sounds - the EP-N5 simply lose the battle. Fans, ambient chatter, mechanical keyboards, TV, cars, you name it...it comes flooding through. With lower frequency sounds they perform slightly better, but it's still bottom-of-the-barrell stuff. I live near the M25 and a few lorries cut through, I usually go and do some of my testing around a cut through and it was clear that they had engineered them with this sort of sound in mind. The problem is...COVID-19. We are all working at home. We don't need to cut out low rumbles quite as much, it's the top end we're looking to isolate. Even out of lockdown, the paucity of performance is still unacceptable. Such a shame.
Sound Quality - 6/10 (For the Money), 5/10 (Raw Score)
Subjective tests were really bad. On iPhone they performed disastrously, especially with ANC on. Bizarrely, they seemed to perform better on Windows 10, despite no aptX support. I like a range of music styles but I listen to a fair bit of opera (I was a house music producer...then I hit 40
) and I know the orchestral arrangement of the songs I test with very well.
The real problem is in the low mids - like with many budget earbuds the vocals just bleed incoherently into the bass. Whilst trebles are prominent, giving the impression of an (artificially) airy soundstage, strong vocals amongst high hats and cymbals can sound fatiguing. Where you have plenty of brass instruments, clarity is actually quite good, but the recessed mids, especially where you have a consistent bassline, spoil the experience.
I put them through the FLAC test and this revealed more struggles. I tried the entire St Etienne reference album that many headphones struggle with - these were no exception. Low mids are especially muddy - they aren't the only earbuds to suffer this fate, but there's no clarity in the instrument separation at this end of the frequency range either - instead it sounds rather processed and almost distorting. Again, here they performed better at the top end - vocals were nice and clear, without being too overpowering, but it's really quite poor for a set of earbuds retailing at the best part of £50.
Like many buds at this price range, turning ANC off reduces the volume and improves the neutrality of the sound signature.
Call Quality - Indoors - 5/10, Outdoors - 5/10
Considering the shape and position of the microphones, these performed dismally. The worst of any stem-shaped TWS I've tested yet. I really don't understand why. Outdoors, I get it - they put a mic on the outside to try and negate the ambient sound, but it seldom works, and no difference here.
But inside? I actually checked if I had them on the wrong ears! They were so muffled it reminded me of some of the worst in-ear buds I'd tested, like the Nillkin 04. On cell calls, I sounded robotic and over-compressed, and the other person sounded robotic too....total disaster!
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
The EP-N5 are not awash with features. There's no alternative codecs, no app support, no passthrough, no low latency mode, etc. ANC, for what it's worth, is easily turned on and off by holding the buds for a couple of seconds, Siri is the usual 3 tap, but I couldn't work out how to control the volume - pretty sure you can't, couldn't see any mention in the instructions.
Connectivity is the usual 'Bluetooth 5.0 - 10m and you're cutting off', but they passed the pocket test on the train into London with no cut outs.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery Life is very strong, even with ANC. 7 hours without, and around 3.5 hours with is good value, and I got fairly close to this even with volume on >70% and taking a few calls. This isn't market leading, but it isn't bad at all. The case gives a further three charges.
Final Comments
Aukey have always flattered to deceive for me. Their tendency to release well-designed but weak-performing OEM earbuds continues with the N5 - they look and feel great, the case is nice, the ergonomics are bang on..... but sound, ANC and call quality are all way below the level we expect even in budget buds, let alone mid-rangers.
If these were £20-30 I'd have accepted some of the flaws, but ANC is so bad, at £60 there are far better options out there. The previously-mentioned TaoTronics Soundliberty 94 performed better, the 20Decebel aren't great but still improve on these, and the best in class at this price point, the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, are vastly superior.
Save your money and look elsewhere.
Price Weighted Score: 58%
Raw Score: 60%
2022 Score: 51%
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Web: regancipher.com
Model: Aukey EP-N5 ANC TWS
Price: £47.99 - no longer available on Amazon due to malpractice
Link: Aukey
Review Reference: RC006
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Aukey
- Model: EP-N5
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Drivers
- Chipset: Not known
- Mic: 4 ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 28dB
- Volume Control: Yes
- Impendence: Up to 32 Ohm
- Sensitivity: 101dB
- Codecs: SBC only
- Earbud Weight: 4.6g
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 48g
- Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh
- Input: 5v 400mA
- Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours (4.5 hours with ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 35 hours
- App Support: No
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Quick Start Guide
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Aukey EP-N5.
My last review of Aukey earbuds didn't end well, and despite their attractive packaging and strong reputation for USB and smartphone accessories, the Malaysian vendor's OEM selection has been sketchy in audio products, other than the QCY T5, who every man and their dog sold as 'their own product'.
Aukey claim they are 'a team of techies with a common appreciation for the finer details and utility of great products - from USB-C accessories to smartphone lenses to Bluetooth audio products, we are continuously developing and expanding our product portfolio to bring you practical, next generation tech to complement and elevate your digital lifestyle'
Bold claims, let's see if it holds up with their ANC release, the EP-N5.
The Unboxing - 8/10
Usually, I couldn't care less about the unboxing as long as they perform, but this is one area where Aukey differentiate with an understated but earthy feel. The plain cardboard box has a nice feel to it. My impression was Aukey were Malaysian - and they are - but the buds are made in China, shipped from the Ruhr - AMZLAB in Essen, who I'm guessing are some kind of marketing company for far Eastern brands in Europe selling via Amazon - and like many brands who cover off the spectrum of popular electronics, they are not actually manufactured by the name on the badge, which brings a wild variety of sound signatures and form factors, but usually it's disappointing (see Lenovo, Baseus, etc.)
Anyone who recognises my avatar will see I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to imagery, symbolism and basically anything that leaves you thinking....What?! Quite what the purpose of a card with a keyhole and a Matrix-style pattern is, I have no idea (it isn't a warranty card and there's no hidden QR), but the fact it seemed to serve no purpose was even cooler - well played Aukey, I approve!
The 'experience' is not what I pay for, but there you go - if you're buying as a gift, at least the recipient will enjoy the unboxing!
The Case - 8/10
The case is pretty nice - kinda generic with that archetypal matte black finish and grey etched logo, but the buds slot in the top nicely, the hinge is OK too. Four lights denote charging status, and the USB-C charge socket is located on the bottom.
There is no quick charge and no wireless charging. Total charge time for buds and case is 90 minutes. There is no hall-switch feature and no quick charge. The case is not spectacular, but it serves its purpose.
The Fit - 9.5/10
The EP-N5 are amongst the best fitting stem earbuds I've ever tried. The stock earbuds gave a good seal, they fit precisely along the side of the face and are barely noticeable. At this point, I absolutely loved them. I even tried running in them and they stayed in (briefly). Their short-ish stem allows them a very natural fit. They also look simplistic and nice, with a matte finish throughout.
The outside of the bud is very similar to the QCY T10/T11. The stem joins the head at the edge, and this type of bud fits really well. The stem length is rather short, which again makes for an almost invisible fit. The elegant design is probably the best feature of the EP-N5.
ANC - 4/10
Here's the first problem. How can an earbud with such a good fit deliver borderline non-existent ANC? Ergonomically, they would seem on the face of it to have struck the right balance between ANC and PNI...but it just doesn't perform.
If you've tried over-ears, something like the Sony WH-1000XM4, you know the ANC is insane compared with earbuds. You could be in a war zone and be oblivious. Then you move down to earbud ANC - so something like the Tronsmart Apollo Bold - pretty good, but you can still hear high pitched or very low rumbles. Then look at something like the Tranya T10 - no ANC but ergonomically designed to cut out noise passively. And does a decent job.
These, well, I don't know how there are so many 5 star reviews on Amazon but they cut barely anything out. I tested against the TaoTronics Soundliberty 94 and they were far worse than them. They also have no ambient mode - not a major issue as you can hear everything anyway, but even so, very disappointing from an implementation perspective.
The biggest culprits are higher frequency sounds - the EP-N5 simply lose the battle. Fans, ambient chatter, mechanical keyboards, TV, cars, you name it...it comes flooding through. With lower frequency sounds they perform slightly better, but it's still bottom-of-the-barrell stuff. I live near the M25 and a few lorries cut through, I usually go and do some of my testing around a cut through and it was clear that they had engineered them with this sort of sound in mind. The problem is...COVID-19. We are all working at home. We don't need to cut out low rumbles quite as much, it's the top end we're looking to isolate. Even out of lockdown, the paucity of performance is still unacceptable. Such a shame.
Sound Quality - 6/10 (For the Money), 5/10 (Raw Score)
Subjective tests were really bad. On iPhone they performed disastrously, especially with ANC on. Bizarrely, they seemed to perform better on Windows 10, despite no aptX support. I like a range of music styles but I listen to a fair bit of opera (I was a house music producer...then I hit 40
) and I know the orchestral arrangement of the songs I test with very well.The real problem is in the low mids - like with many budget earbuds the vocals just bleed incoherently into the bass. Whilst trebles are prominent, giving the impression of an (artificially) airy soundstage, strong vocals amongst high hats and cymbals can sound fatiguing. Where you have plenty of brass instruments, clarity is actually quite good, but the recessed mids, especially where you have a consistent bassline, spoil the experience.
I put them through the FLAC test and this revealed more struggles. I tried the entire St Etienne reference album that many headphones struggle with - these were no exception. Low mids are especially muddy - they aren't the only earbuds to suffer this fate, but there's no clarity in the instrument separation at this end of the frequency range either - instead it sounds rather processed and almost distorting. Again, here they performed better at the top end - vocals were nice and clear, without being too overpowering, but it's really quite poor for a set of earbuds retailing at the best part of £50.
Like many buds at this price range, turning ANC off reduces the volume and improves the neutrality of the sound signature.
Call Quality - Indoors - 5/10, Outdoors - 5/10
Considering the shape and position of the microphones, these performed dismally. The worst of any stem-shaped TWS I've tested yet. I really don't understand why. Outdoors, I get it - they put a mic on the outside to try and negate the ambient sound, but it seldom works, and no difference here.
But inside? I actually checked if I had them on the wrong ears! They were so muffled it reminded me of some of the worst in-ear buds I'd tested, like the Nillkin 04. On cell calls, I sounded robotic and over-compressed, and the other person sounded robotic too....total disaster!
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
The EP-N5 are not awash with features. There's no alternative codecs, no app support, no passthrough, no low latency mode, etc. ANC, for what it's worth, is easily turned on and off by holding the buds for a couple of seconds, Siri is the usual 3 tap, but I couldn't work out how to control the volume - pretty sure you can't, couldn't see any mention in the instructions.
Connectivity is the usual 'Bluetooth 5.0 - 10m and you're cutting off', but they passed the pocket test on the train into London with no cut outs.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery Life is very strong, even with ANC. 7 hours without, and around 3.5 hours with is good value, and I got fairly close to this even with volume on >70% and taking a few calls. This isn't market leading, but it isn't bad at all. The case gives a further three charges.
Final Comments
Aukey have always flattered to deceive for me. Their tendency to release well-designed but weak-performing OEM earbuds continues with the N5 - they look and feel great, the case is nice, the ergonomics are bang on..... but sound, ANC and call quality are all way below the level we expect even in budget buds, let alone mid-rangers.
If these were £20-30 I'd have accepted some of the flaws, but ANC is so bad, at £60 there are far better options out there. The previously-mentioned TaoTronics Soundliberty 94 performed better, the 20Decebel aren't great but still improve on these, and the best in class at this price point, the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, are vastly superior.
Save your money and look elsewhere.
Price Weighted Score: 58%
Raw Score: 60%
2022 Score: 51%
