Edifier NeoBuds Pro Hi-Res LDAC LHDC ANC TWS
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General Info/Build/Comfort
Edifier is no stranger when it comes to TWS as well as speakers. They offer a budget range all the way to the high end model depending where your budget fits. The model that I have with me today is a mid range TWS, Neobuds Pro. I have reviewed several products from Edifier and it’s safe to say it offers a very high price performance ratio and I have positive experience with the products most of the time.
The packaging is very premium looking for the asking price, I was a little surprised when I received the package, the box is quite big and the overall design of it screams premium. It came with the charging case, earbuds, storage pouch, as well as the eartips and charging cable, all contained within the premium looking box.
The Neobuds Pro itself is very light, it's an in-ear model and sits quite well in my ears. No discomfort even after a long listening session. I have tried mountain biking with it and during some intense descent, the earbuds sit firmly in my ears.
Specifications
- Bluetooth version: V5.0
- Audio codecs: LHDC, SBC
- Driver unit: balanced armature driver + dynamic driver
- Playback time: ANC on: about 5 hours (earbuds) + 15 hours (charging case) | ANC off: about 6 hours (earbuds) + 18 hours (charging case)
- Charging time: about 1 hour (earbuds)/about 1 hour (charging case)
- Battery capacity: 40mAh (earbuds)/500mAh (charging case)
- Frequency response: 20Hz-40kHz
- Sensitivity: 92±3dBSPL(A)
- Impedance: 24Ω
- Charging port: USB Type-C
- Iphone 12 Mini
- Sony ZX300 Walkman
- Macbook Air M2
- Neobuds Pro is customizable via the Edifier’s App, it allows you to switch the EQs mode, Classic, Dynamic or Custom
- The app offers quite a number of customization, from noise cancellation level (high/low), to ambient sound on/off, as well as game mode
- Game mode reduces the latency, but even without game mode, the latency itself is not bad, tested when im playing KOF on my phone
- You can customise how much you want to allow the sound to passthrough when you are on Ambient mode
- Noise cancellation performance is very good for the price, on high level noise cancellation, pretty much a lot of the noise from low, mid frequency is being cancelled with the exception of some high frequency, which is totally acceptable given the price point, i would say it offers roughly 70-80% of noise cancellation performance of Apple’s Airpod Pro
- The quick charging feature is neat as it allows me to get back to my session quickly whenever i ran out of juice
Sound Impression on Classic EQ
- The sound on NB2 Pro i will describe it as slight v shaped,bass is punchy and sub bass does rumble whenever it’s called for
- Mid range is slightly recessed as with most V shaped tuning, Vocal for both male and female has good texture to it and doesn’t sound nasally or thin
- The highs on Neobuds Pro is very lively and energetic, not offensive at all
- Detail retrieval is average at best, but this isn’t a set that’s tuned for critical listening anyway, so that’s totally fine
- Soundstage is quite good in the sense where it is slight wide and it has got the 3D-ish sense to it, imaging is average
All in all, Neobuds Pro is a very solid product for its price point, i have the airpod pro and dare I say that you are getting at least 80-90% of sound quality of the airpod pro at a fraction of the price. In terms of the features, they are very nifty considering the asking price, you get quick charging, noise cancellation, ambient mode, game mode, and good microphone for call. Overall, highly recommended if you’re on the lookout for a pair of TWS that will not break your bank.
*Neobuds pro is kindly sent over by Edifier Malaysia in exchange for this review. I thank them for the opportunity and all thoughts are of my own.
Head over to the official shopee store if you’re interested in getting a pair:
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RC047
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Model: Edifier NeoBuds Pro
Price: MSRP $99
Vendor Website: Edifier
IndiegogoIndiegogo
Review Reference: RC047
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x 25th Anniversary Presentation Box
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
7 x Pair Silicone Tips!
1 x User manual, 25th Anniversary warranty card
1 x Nylon Edifier Grey Carry Sack
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the world's first hi-res certified TWS, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro.
When I discovered Edifier were releasing hi-res earbuds, I wasn't going to hang around and hope they would send me a pair. Edifier crowdfunded the product through the Indiegogo platform, and not without controversy. The Neobuds, on paper and visually, were little different to the NB2 Pro - surely this wouldn't need to be crowdfunded, not least by a household name like Edifier?!
Nevertheless, I wasn't going to be swayed by the business side of things and signed up for the early bird release. Whilst the headline price of $99.99 takes them out of the budget end and into mid-range, I actually only paid £59.99 - around the same as what I paid for their TWS NB2, and less than the 1More Comfobuds Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and other similar grade branded buds - just marginally more than the Huawei FreeBuds Pro-homage, the FIIL CC Pro and, it pains me to say, the Boya BY-AP4. So a lot of features for a mid-range price.
I was delighted when they landed in the UK around three weeks ago, and have been putting them through their paces ever since.
Beijing Edifier Technology Company, Ltd have a rich history in the hi-fi world. Founded in 1996, they were the first to the market with all-wood, anti-magnetic speakers, which are still available even today if you look hard enough! In 2006 they started to branch out to headphones, acquiring Japanese brand 'STAX' five years later, as they began to really take off as an enterprise. However, the pace of their releases over the last three years has been frenetic - I reviewed the NB2 here, but their list of released products is long and at times a little confusing. Their biggest sellers, the X3, TWS1, TWS200 (which were OEM'd by TaoTronics) and the NB2 (OEM'd by Earfun) all received by and large positive reviews, and more recently they have celebrated winning over 20 industry awards, including the prestigious Red Dot design award, and received further acclaim at CES. This success has enabled them to keep growing, and they were registered as employing over 3,000 staff in 2020, taking full advantage of the booming TWS market.
The biggest indicator of their success lately is probably their Indiegogo funding campaign for these very buds. They hit an incredible 15652% of their target, generating to date around $400k in revenue. Not bad - around 4,000 pairs sold even before they've hit Amazon or Aliexpress!
The Unboxing - 10/10
The NeoBuds Pro turned up in a very impressive, large cardboard box with the Edifier Logo and Model (not pictured) printed on the side. Once inside, your treated to an even more eye-catching glossy and shiny presentation box - definitely a break from the norm, even for Edifier (pictured above). Style and extravagance are ratcheted up to the extreme here - Edifier are clearly excited and proud of this flagship release.
The back of the large box, like the NB2, outlines the key features very clearly, in a number of different European languages, as well as Japanese.
Just as you start to feel like the unboxing is like playing with RuZZian dolls, sliding the side of the inlay reveals the third and final box, which proudly announces Edifier's 25th anniversary on the front. Interesting that Edifier's year of conception was, like 2021, a year that football was meant to be coming home....but didn't.
Once inside you're greeted with a really impressive enclosure. The cushioned top to the outward opening lid helps keep the buds secure, giving that 'soundproofed-studio' vibe that resonates their 'quality audio' messaging.
Here you get the first look at the charge case, an impressive seven sets of colour-coded tips (which are excellent quality - much better than the usual rubbish), a nylon carry case, manual and warranty card.
Overall it is a really impressive unboxing that signals Edifier mean business with this release, miles ahead of anything I've seen previously in the earbud world.
The Case - 8/10
First impressions of the charge case are very positive. It is a well-finished and well-designed case that builds on the good bits of the NB2 case and adds some extra finesse to differentiate it quite nicely.
The size is similar dimensions-wise to the NB2 - albeit very slightly smaller at 65.5mm (width) x 48.2mm (depth) x 25.6mm (height). Like the NB2 it is pebble-shaped, but they've done away with the faux-leather look in favour of a smooth matt black (which I think mirrors the Earfun OEM of the NB2), with the notable exception being the metallic grooved finish on the top.
Edifier have also fine-tuned the back, with a bevelled-out USB-C charging socket, something which makes perfect sense spatially, and gives a little protection to a potential single point of failure.
More differences are discovered when you open the case up. Firstly, the Knight Rider-style red strip on the lip, which pulsates when charging, kinda like a heartbeat....very 80's, and definitely different!
Unfortunately it doesn't offer any kind of guidance as to how much battery the case has. This can be found in the app, but it feels a bit like a step back from the NB2, which had a coloured light on the inside and an LED at the back.
I always enjoyed taking the NB2 into London on my commute, not least because the case is nice and easy to use and just feels well-designed in terms of it's proportions and functionality.
The strong portability is further justified by the weight - only 56g - not the lightest case around, but not the heaviest either, and the shape of it means they displace the weight quite well, and are definitely suited to a jacket pocket or handbag. Probably not something you would want in your trouser pocket, but I have, and unless you're in skinny jeans, you should be OK.
L-R, Edifier TWS NB2, Edifier NeoBuds Pro
An additional point of note is the shaped gaps on the inside of the lid, which help keep the buds secure. This means no jiggling around in the case and dropping battery connection. As you can see alongside the NB2, this is a nice little adjustment that improves the longevity and alleviates the frustration of your buds not charging because you've been running with them and they've come away from the magnets.
Like the NB2, there is a reset pairing button in the centre, and I did need this, so ignore it at your peril. I suffered a couple of times with the iPhone declaring that it was no longer able to connect to the buds and the reset button came in handy, sadly I'd already left the house with no case so I had to wait until I was home- lesson learned!
This is the second pair of earbuds I've tested recently with this style case (see above comparison to the Haylou W1) and I have to say I like it. It's much easier to use than the FIIL CC Pro, for example, which is a real ball-ache getting the buds out without dropping them, and the USB-C connection being at the back is really handy - I hate it when they stick it on the bottom, especially on non-wireless charging cases, with your case dangling aimlessly on your desk. I found this with the QCY T10, T12, Haylou Moripods and FIIL CC Pro / CC 2, not to mention countless others.
The design of these cases, though, whilst making them easier to use does compromise something - it almost certainly prevents the use of alternative eartips. Trying to squeeze the buds in the case with spinfits is likely to end in tears, and this is especially problematic on the Haylou case, which won't even close with any tips other than stock, and the tips are far poorer quality than the excellent Edifier ones. The magnets are very good, meaning the risk of accidental dropping is minimised - the NeoBuds have a satisfying 'click' when dropped back into the cockpit.
The total charge time is around 2 hours, but the buds charge fully in one hour, and they also support quick charge, giving you 1 hour playtime from 10 minutes of juice. A full two hour charge provides an additional 15 hours with ANC on, and 18 hours with ANC off, taking the charge time to between 22 and 30 hours, real life experience.
Edifier have used a Wei'an WP1430 overvoltage protection IC, Yongfukang CS5652E lithium battery charging management IC, Shengsheng Micro SS881A microcontroller and LowPowerSemi LP6261 synchronous boost converter to regulate and prolong the life of the case - an interesting combination, but not unheard of, with Jlabs, Xiaomi, Realme and others using similar combinations of components.
The case also features hall switch mode, which initiates pairing or connection immediately- as soon as it opens - and I found this to work very well other than the occasions where the iPhone forced me to re-pair.
Overall Edifier have done a really good job balancing performance, style and ergonomics with the charge case.
The Ergonomics - 9/10, Build Quality - 8.5/10
The NeoBuds have that distinctive 'Edifier' look about them, retained from the NB2 and no doubt fine tuned again for the forthcoming NeoBuds S. The design is short-stem, angular, albeit very well finished, with good comfort and ergonomics.
They measure slightly shorter than the NB2 at 30mm stem length, and look slightly less obtrustive from the front as a result. (pictured further down)
The edges are less 3D and Robocop-like, with a nice soft chamfer along the top and bottom, giving them a more premium and less 80's look and feel.
Close up you see the gun metal finish, and meshed, dust-proof cover to the upper noise reduction ambient mic and bottom voice mics. These features improve the aesthetics but also contribute to the IP54 rating, which covers both dust and water ingress, unlike most buds which are focused solely on WR.
The top of the bud reveals a mesh protected opening which provides access for the pressure relief cavity and tuning hole, and there is an additional one when you remove the tip. This is important when trying to balance ANC strength, comfort and acoustic performance, and Edifier have not disappointed in this respect with an incredibly comfortable style, shape and form factor, and strong ANC.
They also feature charge connectors on the inside, along with a designated L or R notation, and the diaphragm terminates to a round nozzle, which is covered with a very nice hybrid finish eartip which has a soft outer finish but reinforced inner ring. This gives a little traction in your ear, increasing stability and optimising the ANC performance further.
Now bearing in mind I am a habitual tip roller, from Spinfit to Dekoni to Feaulle to Tanchjim back to BGVP, for me to not even bother removing the tips they come with is unheard of. They're that good. I've also used the other sizes on my Elevoc Clear and QCY T17.
The exterior design is quite bulbous, but not in the same way the Haylou W1 or FIIL CC Pro are. This shallower, less pronounced footprint renders them, for me at least, slightly more comfortable for prolonged use than many of their bulkier peers.
At just 30mm stem length, only the Tronsmart Apollo Air are shorter, but this doesn't detract from call quality, and is far comfier and more stable than the FIIL CC Pro sat next to it.
The buds are objectively quite heavy at 5.3g each, but in contrast to the FIIL CC Pro - similarly heavy buds - they don't feel it. They are perfectly secure for a light jog, and probably exercise too, but given their water resistance rating (IP54) they are certainly better suited to the daily commute, where a dash in a rainshower and being exposed to dust particles maps closer to their impact rating than repeated sweat, and a strict no-no, showering!
From the front, the profile is unobtrusive and clearly well-fitting - notably nestling nicely into your concha, far more so than the NB2, which I found a little awkward at times.
The build quality is also very good. Like Jabra, Sony and other 'ground up' designed TWS, dismantling the buds shows they've been designed in harmony with the components, rather than the usual pick and mix of components to fit an ODM design.
Audio Quality - 8.5/10 (for the price), 8.5/10 (raw score)
The NeoBuds Pro support hi-res codecs, as I may have already mentioned once or twice! However, the lack of universal support for these codecs - many smartphones don't support LHDC yet, and LDAC wasn't supported out of the box from Edifier (it was added via firmware update some months later) mean that your source may automatically default to either AAC or SBC.
AAC is acceptable, although Edifier have stripped down the codec in order to achieve good latency, and this results in a max VBR of around 265 kbps (compared to 320 kbps for cd quality). SBC 'looks' normal enough in terms of the bit pool etc, but sounds anywhere between passable and dire, and it is this which Windows and Linux defaults to, thus hindering my ability to judge their performance at handling FLAC's. I gave them a blast through Tidal though, and was impressed with what I heard. LHDC is more an incremental step than a revolution, but the combination of dual armature drivers and higher bitrates is enough to lift the NeoBuds Pro into the 'elite' category.
Default sound signature regardless of codec is elevated in the lower frequencies without the chasmic dip in the midrange that we come to expect on wireless earbuds. The improved driver array and higher resolution codecs allows Edifier to release the midrange a little more, and it achieves excellent results with a very detail oriented sound signature with plenty of body, and without bloat in those lower mids.
The overwhelming low end isn't too much of an issue - tantamount to Edifier 'willy-waving', but I did notice a little bleed on some more complex tracks. The 10mm dynamic driver is tuned to be beefy, and with the Knowles RAN-34200 handling the treble, you get a nice impression of clarity and instrument separation on the majority of genres. Vocals and high hats are fairly crisp and clear, without causing the mids to recess, which provides an element of depth and warmth without disappearing into a muddy mess.
The soundstage isn't as wide as the airy SoundPEATS H1 though, with everything feeling a little tighter, and the treble delivery isn't quite as crisp, but it's certainly good by TWS standards. They handled Saint Etienne's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' respectably, giving the track the warmth it deserves, letting Sarah Cracknell's vocals slide through as the bass and midbass thump away. I haven't enjoyed that track as much for quite some time.
At times female vocals can sound a bit lispy - Rebecca Ferguson has a really nice vocal range, so she's one of my go to's when it comes to testing earbuds, and 'Nothing Real But Love' shows the best and worst of the NeoBuds, with her voice sounding a touch harsh and the subbass rumbling away to the point of fatigue - you'll almost certainly want to notch both the top and the lower frequencies with Wavelet or Jet, or the customised mode in the Edifier Connect app, which gives you four channels, the frequencies adjustable.
Nevertheless, once you get your EQ how you like it, detail and sound are really impressive, and in my top three sounding TWS buds. If they're this good on AAC then here's hoping that translates upwards!
In October Edifier rolled-out an update which allowed for LHDC support, and on the OnePlus 8T I was able to finally test out LHDC performance with Tidal Hi-fi. Even at 960k it streamed without jitters or breaks, which was great to hear after the horror stories I'd read elsewhere on other LHDC attempts. However did I notice a huge leap in audio quality? I'd have to say no. If you're expecting miracles, don't - the Neobuds Pro sound good anyway, but the hi res codec attribute doesn't feel linear - it doesn't sound like the same gulf of difference that moving from, say, 160-320k does.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The earbuds feature a 6-mic array with an ambient mic on the top outer edge for environmental noise reduction, and strangely two voice mics per bud. Usually its the other way around, so I was interested to see how this fared.
On cell and zoom calls your voice sounds nice and natural with only slight background noise, not too boomy nor over-compressed - if anything it is a little quiet. Outdoors, or with background noise fed into the scene, it isn't quite as impressive, with ambient sound coming through very mildly bleeding into your voice, in the same way, albeit less extreme, as the NB2.
Even so, in retrospect I have changed this review, as they performed particularly well in my blanket test. See here for the indoor test of twelve popular sets of buds - only the Elevoc Clear performed better (although not included in that test, you can find it on my channel)
They didn't disappoint on the outdoor test either, as one of the star performers in my test of 28 different tws in a challenging outdoor environment:
A slightly annoying feature is just before a call connects, the mics drop into ambient mode, and then back to normal mode, so you get a brief blast of sound. If you're making several calls in a row, it's a little off-putting.
It seems mic performance is still not quite where we would all like it to be, even in 2022. Regardless, you can have a conversation without too many issues, but it remains the weak link in the chain for non-Apple TWS (other than the Elevoc Clear, which have their own frailties - see my review for details!)
ANC - 8.5/10
ANC on the NeoBuds takes a backseat in their marketing in favour of the hi-res codecs, but don't let this fool you - it is one of their best features, and one of the best on the market in 2021. I've seen very mixed reviews of the ANC, and I have to concede that like the 1More Comfobuds Pro, it is very fit dependent. Do not concede until trying all of the supplied tips - they give you lots of options, they're superb quality, and once you get it right you'll be impressed.
'High noise cancellation' mode is crazy strong - it doesn't keep out keyboard taps, certainly not with a mechanical brown switch keyboard, but traffic passing outside the nearby window is inaudible, fans are muted, and distant sounds almost eradicated altogether. Really impressive stuff. Outdoors, they suffer far less from wind than the CC Pro and 1More Comfobuds Pro, but don't manage to deal with it perfectly, as you would expect.
The NeoBuds Pro have two additional ANC modes - 'low noise cancellation' and 'ambient mode'. 'Ambient Mode' has a slider bar with six settings (-3 to +3) which can be activated through a slider bar on the Edifier Connect app, and is very welcome - at it's strongest it is clear, at it's weakest it is still suitable, and noticeably different to ANC off.
The best compliment I can give the NeoBuds Pro is that the feeling you get with Sony headphones on a plane, when you take them off and suddenly everything seems crazy loud - well, you get that sensation with these, without the vertigo or jawache. To date, this is the best ANC I've tested in any TWS.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is rock solid, although it was a little disappointing to see only BT5.0 is supported. Not that BT5.2 is going to take over anytime soon, but psychologically it feels like you're being cheated out of something a little.
The buds use the BES 2300YP chip, the same as the 1More Comfobuds Pro and Soundcore Q30, so this was never going to be an option, as was the lack of support for aptX codecs which is only possible with Qualcomm-based buds. This is a moot point, as LHDC and LDAC are there for higher definition and low latency mode gives you the improved efficiency, but there are still some users out there that prefer aptX - well, it's up to you as users, but I don't really notice any discernible benefit these days. Edifier's NeoBuds S have you covered for the Qualcomm codecs, including Snapdragon Sound.
The controls are OK - similar to the NB2, you're stuck with only double and triple taps, and whilst you can select volume control (it isn't native) in the section of the app that allows you to map the controls, you have to forfeit something else. Default settings are double tap to answer or end a call, left double tap for ANC mode, right double tap for play/pause, left triple tap for gaming mode, right triple tap for next song.
The app is where you can switch through ANC modes, EQ, adjust tap sensitivity, set LHDC quality level (400, 560 and 900 kbps are all configurable) and see how much battery the case and buds have remaining.
Latency is really good out of the box, so it's unlikely you'll need low gaming mode unless you're a gamer. There is no wear detection on the buds, which will annoy some and please others. Quick charge is supported, but there is no Qi wireless charging.
Battery Life - 7/10
I got around 4 hours 45 minutes with ANC on, with moderate usage connected to a Windows PC, and this is not far off the advertised 5.5 hours, so credit where credit is due, this is not far off the advertised.
Connected to an Android phone, using LDAC with ANC on and taking occasional calls, the battery life dropped off quite sharply to 3 hours 52 minutes. Whilst this isn't ideal, it is fairly normal for the combination of hi res codecs and ANC together. More battery life would of course be preferable, but a larger battery would also require a greater footprint in terms of ergonomics, so it's fine for me, but I accept others may not be so keen.
With a total of 30 hours battery available from the case (24 with ANC on) battery life is about right for this form factor and performance, but some way behind the likes of the SoundPEATS Sonic and ZMI PurPods. Still, this will be enough for most, and the quick charge feature is really very helpful when using them as all-dayers.
Final Comments
The NeoBuds Pro will soon be hitting the market for anyone to buy, and before you know it they'll be on Amazon. Edifier have cheated a little, with a finished product really just being fine-tuned to support the addition of LDAC and LHDC, and it's even more frustrating that within a matter of months, OnePlus released the Buds Pro with the successor chipset, the 2500YP - this would have allowed for Bluetooth 5.2 and multipoint connectivity support, all the more frustrating and no doubt a sign that the NeoBuds S are coming within the next couple of months.
That aside, judging the earbuds on their merits, they are a fantastic option that gives you sufficient future proofing for when sources do start to support these codecs at a very respectable price.
The comfort, ANC performance and sound quality alone are enough to make me recommend these buds, and some minor quibbles aside, there is a lot to like about the NeoBuds Pro. For commuters, the dust-proof and water resistance rating, great call quality and comfortable fit make them a really excellent choice in this respect.
Overall, a very impressive release from Edifier, and whilst the sound isn't quite as energetic as the SoundPEATS H1, it's a more discernible sound signature that boasts hi res support and an all-round performance that justifies the fanfare and should be high on the list for anyone in the market for TWS in 2022.
Ideal for:
Raw Score: 88%
ig: @regancipher
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Edifier NeoBuds Pro
Price: MSRP $99
Vendor Website: Edifier
IndiegogoIndiegogo
Review Reference: RC047
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Edifier
- Model: NeoBuds Pro EDF200051
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver, Knowles RAN-34200 moving iron coil BA
- Chipset: BES2300YP
- Impedence: 24 Ohm
- Mic: 6, ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 42dB
- Volume Control: Yes, switched on via the app
- Codecs: AAC, SBC, LHDC (up to 900kbps), LDAC
- Earbud Weight: 5.3g
- Earbud Dimensions: 34mm height, 30mm stem length.
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 44.68g
- Case Dimensions: 65.5mm (width) x 48.2mm (depth) x 25.6mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6.5 hours (ANC Off), 5.5 hours (ANC On)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours with ANC off, 24 hours with ANC on
- App Support: Yes, IOS and Android - Edifier Connect
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IP54
1 x 25th Anniversary Presentation Box
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
7 x Pair Silicone Tips!
1 x User manual, 25th Anniversary warranty card
1 x Nylon Edifier Grey Carry Sack
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the world's first hi-res certified TWS, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro.
When I discovered Edifier were releasing hi-res earbuds, I wasn't going to hang around and hope they would send me a pair. Edifier crowdfunded the product through the Indiegogo platform, and not without controversy. The Neobuds, on paper and visually, were little different to the NB2 Pro - surely this wouldn't need to be crowdfunded, not least by a household name like Edifier?!
Nevertheless, I wasn't going to be swayed by the business side of things and signed up for the early bird release. Whilst the headline price of $99.99 takes them out of the budget end and into mid-range, I actually only paid £59.99 - around the same as what I paid for their TWS NB2, and less than the 1More Comfobuds Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and other similar grade branded buds - just marginally more than the Huawei FreeBuds Pro-homage, the FIIL CC Pro and, it pains me to say, the Boya BY-AP4. So a lot of features for a mid-range price.
I was delighted when they landed in the UK around three weeks ago, and have been putting them through their paces ever since.
Beijing Edifier Technology Company, Ltd have a rich history in the hi-fi world. Founded in 1996, they were the first to the market with all-wood, anti-magnetic speakers, which are still available even today if you look hard enough! In 2006 they started to branch out to headphones, acquiring Japanese brand 'STAX' five years later, as they began to really take off as an enterprise. However, the pace of their releases over the last three years has been frenetic - I reviewed the NB2 here, but their list of released products is long and at times a little confusing. Their biggest sellers, the X3, TWS1, TWS200 (which were OEM'd by TaoTronics) and the NB2 (OEM'd by Earfun) all received by and large positive reviews, and more recently they have celebrated winning over 20 industry awards, including the prestigious Red Dot design award, and received further acclaim at CES. This success has enabled them to keep growing, and they were registered as employing over 3,000 staff in 2020, taking full advantage of the booming TWS market.
The biggest indicator of their success lately is probably their Indiegogo funding campaign for these very buds. They hit an incredible 15652% of their target, generating to date around $400k in revenue. Not bad - around 4,000 pairs sold even before they've hit Amazon or Aliexpress!
The Unboxing - 10/10
The NeoBuds Pro turned up in a very impressive, large cardboard box with the Edifier Logo and Model (not pictured) printed on the side. Once inside, your treated to an even more eye-catching glossy and shiny presentation box - definitely a break from the norm, even for Edifier (pictured above). Style and extravagance are ratcheted up to the extreme here - Edifier are clearly excited and proud of this flagship release.
The back of the large box, like the NB2, outlines the key features very clearly, in a number of different European languages, as well as Japanese.
Just as you start to feel like the unboxing is like playing with RuZZian dolls, sliding the side of the inlay reveals the third and final box, which proudly announces Edifier's 25th anniversary on the front. Interesting that Edifier's year of conception was, like 2021, a year that football was meant to be coming home....but didn't.
Once inside you're greeted with a really impressive enclosure. The cushioned top to the outward opening lid helps keep the buds secure, giving that 'soundproofed-studio' vibe that resonates their 'quality audio' messaging.
Here you get the first look at the charge case, an impressive seven sets of colour-coded tips (which are excellent quality - much better than the usual rubbish), a nylon carry case, manual and warranty card.
Overall it is a really impressive unboxing that signals Edifier mean business with this release, miles ahead of anything I've seen previously in the earbud world.
The Case - 8/10
First impressions of the charge case are very positive. It is a well-finished and well-designed case that builds on the good bits of the NB2 case and adds some extra finesse to differentiate it quite nicely.
The size is similar dimensions-wise to the NB2 - albeit very slightly smaller at 65.5mm (width) x 48.2mm (depth) x 25.6mm (height). Like the NB2 it is pebble-shaped, but they've done away with the faux-leather look in favour of a smooth matt black (which I think mirrors the Earfun OEM of the NB2), with the notable exception being the metallic grooved finish on the top.
Edifier have also fine-tuned the back, with a bevelled-out USB-C charging socket, something which makes perfect sense spatially, and gives a little protection to a potential single point of failure.
More differences are discovered when you open the case up. Firstly, the Knight Rider-style red strip on the lip, which pulsates when charging, kinda like a heartbeat....very 80's, and definitely different!
Unfortunately it doesn't offer any kind of guidance as to how much battery the case has. This can be found in the app, but it feels a bit like a step back from the NB2, which had a coloured light on the inside and an LED at the back.
I always enjoyed taking the NB2 into London on my commute, not least because the case is nice and easy to use and just feels well-designed in terms of it's proportions and functionality.
The strong portability is further justified by the weight - only 56g - not the lightest case around, but not the heaviest either, and the shape of it means they displace the weight quite well, and are definitely suited to a jacket pocket or handbag. Probably not something you would want in your trouser pocket, but I have, and unless you're in skinny jeans, you should be OK.
L-R, Edifier TWS NB2, Edifier NeoBuds Pro
An additional point of note is the shaped gaps on the inside of the lid, which help keep the buds secure. This means no jiggling around in the case and dropping battery connection. As you can see alongside the NB2, this is a nice little adjustment that improves the longevity and alleviates the frustration of your buds not charging because you've been running with them and they've come away from the magnets.
Like the NB2, there is a reset pairing button in the centre, and I did need this, so ignore it at your peril. I suffered a couple of times with the iPhone declaring that it was no longer able to connect to the buds and the reset button came in handy, sadly I'd already left the house with no case so I had to wait until I was home- lesson learned!
This is the second pair of earbuds I've tested recently with this style case (see above comparison to the Haylou W1) and I have to say I like it. It's much easier to use than the FIIL CC Pro, for example, which is a real ball-ache getting the buds out without dropping them, and the USB-C connection being at the back is really handy - I hate it when they stick it on the bottom, especially on non-wireless charging cases, with your case dangling aimlessly on your desk. I found this with the QCY T10, T12, Haylou Moripods and FIIL CC Pro / CC 2, not to mention countless others.
The design of these cases, though, whilst making them easier to use does compromise something - it almost certainly prevents the use of alternative eartips. Trying to squeeze the buds in the case with spinfits is likely to end in tears, and this is especially problematic on the Haylou case, which won't even close with any tips other than stock, and the tips are far poorer quality than the excellent Edifier ones. The magnets are very good, meaning the risk of accidental dropping is minimised - the NeoBuds have a satisfying 'click' when dropped back into the cockpit.
The total charge time is around 2 hours, but the buds charge fully in one hour, and they also support quick charge, giving you 1 hour playtime from 10 minutes of juice. A full two hour charge provides an additional 15 hours with ANC on, and 18 hours with ANC off, taking the charge time to between 22 and 30 hours, real life experience.
Edifier have used a Wei'an WP1430 overvoltage protection IC, Yongfukang CS5652E lithium battery charging management IC, Shengsheng Micro SS881A microcontroller and LowPowerSemi LP6261 synchronous boost converter to regulate and prolong the life of the case - an interesting combination, but not unheard of, with Jlabs, Xiaomi, Realme and others using similar combinations of components.
The case also features hall switch mode, which initiates pairing or connection immediately- as soon as it opens - and I found this to work very well other than the occasions where the iPhone forced me to re-pair.
Overall Edifier have done a really good job balancing performance, style and ergonomics with the charge case.
The Ergonomics - 9/10, Build Quality - 8.5/10
The NeoBuds have that distinctive 'Edifier' look about them, retained from the NB2 and no doubt fine tuned again for the forthcoming NeoBuds S. The design is short-stem, angular, albeit very well finished, with good comfort and ergonomics.
They measure slightly shorter than the NB2 at 30mm stem length, and look slightly less obtrustive from the front as a result. (pictured further down)
The edges are less 3D and Robocop-like, with a nice soft chamfer along the top and bottom, giving them a more premium and less 80's look and feel.
Close up you see the gun metal finish, and meshed, dust-proof cover to the upper noise reduction ambient mic and bottom voice mics. These features improve the aesthetics but also contribute to the IP54 rating, which covers both dust and water ingress, unlike most buds which are focused solely on WR.
The top of the bud reveals a mesh protected opening which provides access for the pressure relief cavity and tuning hole, and there is an additional one when you remove the tip. This is important when trying to balance ANC strength, comfort and acoustic performance, and Edifier have not disappointed in this respect with an incredibly comfortable style, shape and form factor, and strong ANC.
They also feature charge connectors on the inside, along with a designated L or R notation, and the diaphragm terminates to a round nozzle, which is covered with a very nice hybrid finish eartip which has a soft outer finish but reinforced inner ring. This gives a little traction in your ear, increasing stability and optimising the ANC performance further.
Now bearing in mind I am a habitual tip roller, from Spinfit to Dekoni to Feaulle to Tanchjim back to BGVP, for me to not even bother removing the tips they come with is unheard of. They're that good. I've also used the other sizes on my Elevoc Clear and QCY T17.
The exterior design is quite bulbous, but not in the same way the Haylou W1 or FIIL CC Pro are. This shallower, less pronounced footprint renders them, for me at least, slightly more comfortable for prolonged use than many of their bulkier peers.
At just 30mm stem length, only the Tronsmart Apollo Air are shorter, but this doesn't detract from call quality, and is far comfier and more stable than the FIIL CC Pro sat next to it.
The buds are objectively quite heavy at 5.3g each, but in contrast to the FIIL CC Pro - similarly heavy buds - they don't feel it. They are perfectly secure for a light jog, and probably exercise too, but given their water resistance rating (IP54) they are certainly better suited to the daily commute, where a dash in a rainshower and being exposed to dust particles maps closer to their impact rating than repeated sweat, and a strict no-no, showering!
From the front, the profile is unobtrusive and clearly well-fitting - notably nestling nicely into your concha, far more so than the NB2, which I found a little awkward at times.
The build quality is also very good. Like Jabra, Sony and other 'ground up' designed TWS, dismantling the buds shows they've been designed in harmony with the components, rather than the usual pick and mix of components to fit an ODM design.
Audio Quality - 8.5/10 (for the price), 8.5/10 (raw score)
The NeoBuds Pro support hi-res codecs, as I may have already mentioned once or twice! However, the lack of universal support for these codecs - many smartphones don't support LHDC yet, and LDAC wasn't supported out of the box from Edifier (it was added via firmware update some months later) mean that your source may automatically default to either AAC or SBC.
AAC is acceptable, although Edifier have stripped down the codec in order to achieve good latency, and this results in a max VBR of around 265 kbps (compared to 320 kbps for cd quality). SBC 'looks' normal enough in terms of the bit pool etc, but sounds anywhere between passable and dire, and it is this which Windows and Linux defaults to, thus hindering my ability to judge their performance at handling FLAC's. I gave them a blast through Tidal though, and was impressed with what I heard. LHDC is more an incremental step than a revolution, but the combination of dual armature drivers and higher bitrates is enough to lift the NeoBuds Pro into the 'elite' category.
Default sound signature regardless of codec is elevated in the lower frequencies without the chasmic dip in the midrange that we come to expect on wireless earbuds. The improved driver array and higher resolution codecs allows Edifier to release the midrange a little more, and it achieves excellent results with a very detail oriented sound signature with plenty of body, and without bloat in those lower mids.
The overwhelming low end isn't too much of an issue - tantamount to Edifier 'willy-waving', but I did notice a little bleed on some more complex tracks. The 10mm dynamic driver is tuned to be beefy, and with the Knowles RAN-34200 handling the treble, you get a nice impression of clarity and instrument separation on the majority of genres. Vocals and high hats are fairly crisp and clear, without causing the mids to recess, which provides an element of depth and warmth without disappearing into a muddy mess.
The soundstage isn't as wide as the airy SoundPEATS H1 though, with everything feeling a little tighter, and the treble delivery isn't quite as crisp, but it's certainly good by TWS standards. They handled Saint Etienne's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' respectably, giving the track the warmth it deserves, letting Sarah Cracknell's vocals slide through as the bass and midbass thump away. I haven't enjoyed that track as much for quite some time.
At times female vocals can sound a bit lispy - Rebecca Ferguson has a really nice vocal range, so she's one of my go to's when it comes to testing earbuds, and 'Nothing Real But Love' shows the best and worst of the NeoBuds, with her voice sounding a touch harsh and the subbass rumbling away to the point of fatigue - you'll almost certainly want to notch both the top and the lower frequencies with Wavelet or Jet, or the customised mode in the Edifier Connect app, which gives you four channels, the frequencies adjustable.
Nevertheless, once you get your EQ how you like it, detail and sound are really impressive, and in my top three sounding TWS buds. If they're this good on AAC then here's hoping that translates upwards!
In October Edifier rolled-out an update which allowed for LHDC support, and on the OnePlus 8T I was able to finally test out LHDC performance with Tidal Hi-fi. Even at 960k it streamed without jitters or breaks, which was great to hear after the horror stories I'd read elsewhere on other LHDC attempts. However did I notice a huge leap in audio quality? I'd have to say no. If you're expecting miracles, don't - the Neobuds Pro sound good anyway, but the hi res codec attribute doesn't feel linear - it doesn't sound like the same gulf of difference that moving from, say, 160-320k does.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The earbuds feature a 6-mic array with an ambient mic on the top outer edge for environmental noise reduction, and strangely two voice mics per bud. Usually its the other way around, so I was interested to see how this fared.
On cell and zoom calls your voice sounds nice and natural with only slight background noise, not too boomy nor over-compressed - if anything it is a little quiet. Outdoors, or with background noise fed into the scene, it isn't quite as impressive, with ambient sound coming through very mildly bleeding into your voice, in the same way, albeit less extreme, as the NB2.
Even so, in retrospect I have changed this review, as they performed particularly well in my blanket test. See here for the indoor test of twelve popular sets of buds - only the Elevoc Clear performed better (although not included in that test, you can find it on my channel)
They didn't disappoint on the outdoor test either, as one of the star performers in my test of 28 different tws in a challenging outdoor environment:
A slightly annoying feature is just before a call connects, the mics drop into ambient mode, and then back to normal mode, so you get a brief blast of sound. If you're making several calls in a row, it's a little off-putting.
It seems mic performance is still not quite where we would all like it to be, even in 2022. Regardless, you can have a conversation without too many issues, but it remains the weak link in the chain for non-Apple TWS (other than the Elevoc Clear, which have their own frailties - see my review for details!)
ANC - 8.5/10
ANC on the NeoBuds takes a backseat in their marketing in favour of the hi-res codecs, but don't let this fool you - it is one of their best features, and one of the best on the market in 2021. I've seen very mixed reviews of the ANC, and I have to concede that like the 1More Comfobuds Pro, it is very fit dependent. Do not concede until trying all of the supplied tips - they give you lots of options, they're superb quality, and once you get it right you'll be impressed.
'High noise cancellation' mode is crazy strong - it doesn't keep out keyboard taps, certainly not with a mechanical brown switch keyboard, but traffic passing outside the nearby window is inaudible, fans are muted, and distant sounds almost eradicated altogether. Really impressive stuff. Outdoors, they suffer far less from wind than the CC Pro and 1More Comfobuds Pro, but don't manage to deal with it perfectly, as you would expect.
The NeoBuds Pro have two additional ANC modes - 'low noise cancellation' and 'ambient mode'. 'Ambient Mode' has a slider bar with six settings (-3 to +3) which can be activated through a slider bar on the Edifier Connect app, and is very welcome - at it's strongest it is clear, at it's weakest it is still suitable, and noticeably different to ANC off.
The best compliment I can give the NeoBuds Pro is that the feeling you get with Sony headphones on a plane, when you take them off and suddenly everything seems crazy loud - well, you get that sensation with these, without the vertigo or jawache. To date, this is the best ANC I've tested in any TWS.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is rock solid, although it was a little disappointing to see only BT5.0 is supported. Not that BT5.2 is going to take over anytime soon, but psychologically it feels like you're being cheated out of something a little.
The buds use the BES 2300YP chip, the same as the 1More Comfobuds Pro and Soundcore Q30, so this was never going to be an option, as was the lack of support for aptX codecs which is only possible with Qualcomm-based buds. This is a moot point, as LHDC and LDAC are there for higher definition and low latency mode gives you the improved efficiency, but there are still some users out there that prefer aptX - well, it's up to you as users, but I don't really notice any discernible benefit these days. Edifier's NeoBuds S have you covered for the Qualcomm codecs, including Snapdragon Sound.
The controls are OK - similar to the NB2, you're stuck with only double and triple taps, and whilst you can select volume control (it isn't native) in the section of the app that allows you to map the controls, you have to forfeit something else. Default settings are double tap to answer or end a call, left double tap for ANC mode, right double tap for play/pause, left triple tap for gaming mode, right triple tap for next song.
The app is where you can switch through ANC modes, EQ, adjust tap sensitivity, set LHDC quality level (400, 560 and 900 kbps are all configurable) and see how much battery the case and buds have remaining.
Latency is really good out of the box, so it's unlikely you'll need low gaming mode unless you're a gamer. There is no wear detection on the buds, which will annoy some and please others. Quick charge is supported, but there is no Qi wireless charging.
Battery Life - 7/10
I got around 4 hours 45 minutes with ANC on, with moderate usage connected to a Windows PC, and this is not far off the advertised 5.5 hours, so credit where credit is due, this is not far off the advertised.
Connected to an Android phone, using LDAC with ANC on and taking occasional calls, the battery life dropped off quite sharply to 3 hours 52 minutes. Whilst this isn't ideal, it is fairly normal for the combination of hi res codecs and ANC together. More battery life would of course be preferable, but a larger battery would also require a greater footprint in terms of ergonomics, so it's fine for me, but I accept others may not be so keen.
With a total of 30 hours battery available from the case (24 with ANC on) battery life is about right for this form factor and performance, but some way behind the likes of the SoundPEATS Sonic and ZMI PurPods. Still, this will be enough for most, and the quick charge feature is really very helpful when using them as all-dayers.
Final Comments
The NeoBuds Pro will soon be hitting the market for anyone to buy, and before you know it they'll be on Amazon. Edifier have cheated a little, with a finished product really just being fine-tuned to support the addition of LDAC and LHDC, and it's even more frustrating that within a matter of months, OnePlus released the Buds Pro with the successor chipset, the 2500YP - this would have allowed for Bluetooth 5.2 and multipoint connectivity support, all the more frustrating and no doubt a sign that the NeoBuds S are coming within the next couple of months.
That aside, judging the earbuds on their merits, they are a fantastic option that gives you sufficient future proofing for when sources do start to support these codecs at a very respectable price.
The comfort, ANC performance and sound quality alone are enough to make me recommend these buds, and some minor quibbles aside, there is a lot to like about the NeoBuds Pro. For commuters, the dust-proof and water resistance rating, great call quality and comfortable fit make them a really excellent choice in this respect.
Overall, a very impressive release from Edifier, and whilst the sound isn't quite as energetic as the SoundPEATS H1, it's a more discernible sound signature that boasts hi res support and an all-round performance that justifies the fanfare and should be high on the list for anyone in the market for TWS in 2022.
Ideal for:
- Those that value excellent ANC
- Preference towards a mid-centric sound signature
- Commuters
- Those that use buds mostly for exercise
- Those that need wireless charging
Raw Score: 88%
ig: @regancipher
cloudcover
@regancipher Hello! I bought these recently and am having a hard time getting a stable fit with any of the included tips. I can get a set that fit for a while, but I need to keep adjusting them every 15 minutes or so to get a good fit. Any suggestions on alternative tips that might provide a more comfortable and secure fit? I'd prefer something that would allow me to insert/extract them easily (e.g., when a phone call starts); but I'd be open to memory foam tips if that's a better option (I looked at the website for Comply but they don't have the Neobuds Pro in their Edifier section so I'm not even sure which of their tips would fit). I see that with some of your other reviews you specifically suggest tips that you think work well. Thanks!
Enjoy it!