Wireless earbuds provide Hi-Res Sound plus comfortable fit for hours of enjoyment.
Even though we live in a contrarian society, I believe we can all agree that the pandemic has been rough. With long hours at the hospital, forced closures, absent store shelves, and even Amazon shipping delays, I relied on streaming services for entertainment and comfort music. Most recently, I have relied upon Edifier earbuds to fill my limited downtime. The EDIFIER NeoBuds Pro arrived in an attractive shimmering silver 7 1/4 inches wide by 7 3/8 inches tall by 2 3/4 inches wide retail hanging style package. The main panel listed the edifier name and logo atop the panel and a Hi-Res Audio Wireless logo along the top corner. Along the bottom of the panel, you will find the NeoBuds Pro name with information about the true wireless stereo earbuds, and active noise canceling abilities. The main focus of the panel was the raised, glossy, photograph-quality images of the earbuds and the charging case. If you thought the black font upon the silvery base looked sharp, then the deep black colors, the vibrant chrome, the raised texture, and the red LED accent would take it to an entirely different level. The panel looked futuristic, robotic, and definitely gave off a Terminator Steelbook vibe. The raised earbud side view appeared like eyes, and the red LED line along the front of the charging case took on an ominous mouth appearance. Needless to say, I was impressed with the presentation.
I loved that Edifier chose to leave the cover panel as a visual shot at the consumer, instead of bogging the surface down with all of the details of the product. Instead, the top panel provided the black hanging tab and eight black-ink product icons: 1. Hybrid ANC. 2. Electronic Crossover. 3. Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers. 4. Three-Mc Call Noise Cancellation. 5. Ambient Sound Mode. 6. Quick Charge. 7. 24 Hour Playtime. 8. Anti-Bacteria Ear Tips. The bottom panel listed product manufacturing labels, the product contents (earbuds, case, x7 tips, charging cable, carry bag, instruction manual), warning labels, EDF200051 model number, a product QR code for the Edifier Connect App, a few trademark remarks (Bluetooth/Knowles), and a few product barcodes.
The rear panel of the outer silver slipcover proved to be rather busy. The company and product names were easily identified along the top of the panel but the remainder of the panel was divided into multilingual (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese) bulleted product feature and specifications sections. The features included: “1. Hi-Res Audio TWS headphones with low latency-high definition codec for high-resolution sound. 2. Electronic Crossover technology with one balanced armature (Knowles) and one composite diaphragm dynamic driver for excellent audio performance. 3. Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation Technology for Immersive Sound. 4. Clear and clean voice in phone calls with three microphones. 5. 24-hour battery life with charging case. 6. Quick Charge of ten minutes for one hour of listening. 7. IP54 rated dust and water resistance. 8. Personalize your experience with the EDIFIER CONNECT APP.” The specifications included: Bluetooth V5.0, A2DP/AVRCP/HVP profiles, LHDC/AAC/SBC decoding, playback time 5 hours +15 ANC on or 6 hours +16 ANC off, 1 hour charging time for earbuds and or charging case, 5V/200mA input for earbuds, 5V/1A input charging case, 20Hz-40Khz frequency response (humans can hear ~20Hz-20KHz), and 24-ohm impedance. Although I cannot attest to the quality of the additional languages, I was pleased with the quality and prose of the English section.
I removed the outer slipcover and found a lighter grey internal box with a “25th Edifier Since 1996” logo atop the cover. I gripped the small grey pull tab, separated the magnetic attachment between the front panel and box, and lifted the lid of the product. The inner layer of the box was lined with a black ribbed foam layer. When I looked into the lower section of the box, I was impressed with the professional presentation of the earbud case and the plastic lid over the color-coded earbud accessory case. Having watched Iron Man 3 again recently, this view reminded me a bit of Tony Starks Hall of Armors. I utilized the thin nylon strap along the right panel and lifted out the 7 inches square by 3/4 inches thick cardboard/foam earbud case/tip display board. The lower layer provided a centralized 3 inches wide by 3 1/8 inches tall cutout and a lower 4 3/8 inches long by 1 1/2 inches tall cutout. The top cutout contained several square-shaped accessories (A silvery Cardboard 25th insert like the cover, NeoBuds Pro Quick Start Guide, Edifier warning pamphlet, a larger instruction manual, and FCC compliance packet), and a hidden cutout for the 20 1/4 inches long USB-A to USB-c cable. The lower cutout provided a rolled 4 inches wide by 4 7/8 inches tall accessory drawstring pouch. I loved the outer nylon texture, the inner beige microfiber layer, the stitching, the red EDIFIER tag, and the overall design of the accessory. Even before testing the earbuds or listening to the sound output, I was excited by the outer packaging and the overall product presentation. The company truly took notice of the customer and provided a quality show.
Prior to using the earbuds, I plugged the USB-C end of the charging cable into the earbud case, the USB-A end into a standard 5V/1.5A output USB-A charging brick and perused the Quick Start Guide. The manual successfully detailed the pairing and reset processes, provided information about the Edifier Connect App (Review to follow soon), and provided a useful detailed panel listing the controls. Similar to my recent experience with the Edifier TWS NB2 Pro earbuds, the NeoBuds Pro contained several advanced modes but lacked many of the simple controls. As an example, the device did not have a programmed single press or a method to activate the voice assistant. During music playback, a double click of the right earbud will play/pause the selection, and a triple-click will advance to the next track. A double-click of the left earbud will change the mode between High Noise Cancellation mode and Ambient Sound modes, and a triple-click will activate/deactivate Game mode. The quick start guide did a great job at providing the basic instructions for the end-user. I liked the ink outline drawings, the instructional icons, and the instruction list along the bottom of the panels.
The main user manual provided a two-page multi-lingual (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Polish, Czech, Slovakian, Ukrainian, Greek, Russian, Turkish, Arabic SA, Hebrew, and Chinese) experience. The first panel detailed how to power on/off the earbuds by opening the lid, how to place the earbuds into the case, the pairing process, and the USB-C charging process (5V/200mA earbud charging and 5V/1A charging case). The second panel detailed the TWS pairing process, a useful description of the button control combinations, and a note about the mode switch options. Interestingly, one of the bulleted instructions suggested that the user could change the button functions through the Edifier App (Review to follow). I was disappointed that the native programming did not support volume control, previous track, or voice assistant. Additionally, I was unsure why the Edifier TWS NB2 Pro earbuds allowed for in-ear detection (like the AirPods Pro) and a unique Spatial audio mode when their cost was less than the ~$129 NeoBuds Pro. Either way, the system provided several advanced features but missed out on some of the more basic options.
Once the earbud charging case was full (~1 hour), I lifted the lid of the charging case and appreciated the homage to K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider) with the thin red LED along the front of the case. I pressed the small central button for 3 seconds, navigated to Settings on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, then to Bluetooth, and I selected the NeoBuds Pro from the list. Like the recently reviewed Edifier TWS NB2 Pro Earbuds, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro played a dual-ascending tone to alert the user that they had paired. I gripped the 1 3/8 inches tall by 1-inch wide by 1-inch thick earbud, noted the “R” and “L” on the earbud/earbud case, and placed the tip into the appropriate ear. I was quite pleased with the pre-attached green tip, which was roughly in the middle of the included color-coded tip sizes (purple, blue, teal, GREEN, yellow, orange, red). I pressed the teal, yellow, and then green tips into my ear, rotated the earbud into place, and compared the various sizes for comfort. I found the pre-attached green tip to be the Goldilocks fit for my ear. Each of the earbuds had a dark grey outer wing, a larger top microphone, a smaller lower microphone, and an internal dark black section. I enjoyed the dark color palette, the fit, and the overall appearance of the earbuds and case. Thanks to the plethora of tip options, I believe everyone should be able to find a properly sealed earbud fit. I appreciated the Green earbud tip and found that they remained securely affixed to my ear, despite jumping, running, turning my head side-to-side, chewing, yawning, jumping rope, performing jumping jacks, and several additional activities.
To test the sound output for the NeoBuds Pro, I navigated to the audiocheck.net website and ran through my typical audio test tracks. To start, I selected the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10-200 Hz) from the test panel and was excited to hear the rumbling bass at 20Hz. I repeated the test in Normal mode, Ambient sound mode, High-Frequency Sound mode, and Game mode. I was very happy with the sound output and found that the sound was most crisp and full while in High-Frequency Sound mode and Game mode. For the second test, I utilized the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22-8 kHz). Like the above Low-Frequency response test, the High-Frequency test sounded best in High-Frequency Sound mode and Game mode. I was able to hear the high-pitched ringing noise at 15kHz, which was on par with my ability to hear. As we age, we lose the ability to hear higher frequency sounds. Unfortunately, firing weapons, utilizing yard equipment, machinery, and other high decibel exposures can lead to barotrauma and to damaged hearing. Protect your hearing, avoid listening to sound >85dB for prolonged periods of time, and use the appropriate gear for activities. Pleased with the 20Hz-15kHz frequency range, I moved forward to my last two audiocheck.net tests. The Left/Right/Center test showed the channels were appropriately programmed; the Stereo Perception and Sound Localization Test “Original Binaural Recording” knocking sounds showed an amazing soundstage and position sense. I repeated the test in Game mode, in High-Frequency and Ambient Sound modes. Like the above Bass/High-Frequency tests, the best-balanced sound was observed in High-Frequency Sound mode and Game mode.
I finished the above tests and turned to my favorite sound test tracks. To evaluate the bass, I listened to Holly Cole Train song and enjoyed the sultry Jazz Club vibe of the bass guitar. I added Holly Cole’s version of I can See Clearly Now and enjoyed the deeper tone to her voice. I listened to the Dark Knight Rises Joker Theme “Why So Serious” and enjoyed the helicopter rotor sound of the call-response between the three and four-minute mark. I like how the high clashing sounds combine with a full/deep bass rumble and build throughout the song. Additionally, I listened to the deep throaty, somber sounds of “Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold” in The Hobbit, and the synth-pop, bass combined with bright bouncing sounds of “Bright Lights Bigger City” by CeeLo Green. Lastly, I enjoyed Tim Faust’s low growl at the end of Ring of Fire by Home Free. I preferred the combination Game mode/High-Frequency Sound mode, but found the Ambient Sound mode necessary to listen for family/wife/background instructions. I loved the fullness of the bass and found the songs were well supported throughout low through high volume. I never felt the sounds to be muddy, distorted, or dull. Instead, I felt that the base Edifier NeoBuds Pro bass settings were well-programmed for R&B, Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, and more instrumental sounds.
To test the mid and upper sounds, I used the Far and Away Soundtrack, Robinhood Prince of Thieves Soundtrack, and the Braveheart Soundtracks. Additionally, I listened to several Sousa Marches, Holst Suite in Eb, and several instrumental pieces, as a bit of nostalgia for the days when I played Euphonium. I liked the blend, the staging, the clarity, and the tone. I listened to “Caribbean Blue,” by Enya, Radiohead “National Anthem,” “Bubbles” by Yosi Horikawa, and several A Capella songs from Pentatonix, Home Free, and Gospel Plowboys. Lastly, I turned to YouTube and watched Queen at Live Aid, George Michael’s Somebody to Love, and Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me. I utilized Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube to listen to various songs. I then turned to Movies Anywhere, HBO Max, Paramount +, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube to watch several programs. I watched a few episodes of Cobra Kai, Lost in Space, Season 2 of Money Heist, DC Peacemaker, Hotel Transylvania Transformania, and the Wheel of Time. I was pleased to find no lag between the audio and visual signals. This was a bit different than expected as many earbuds lag on YouTube. This was not the case with the Neobuds, however. As noted above, the tests were completed in Game mode and High-Frequency Sound modes. In summary, the sound quality was above average and felt/sounded great. I enjoyed sturdy bass support and a great blend of sounds throughout all levels of volume. The sounds never felt muddy and were not tinny at higher volumes. I look forward to testing the EQ functions within the app (review to follow).
The battery within the Edifier NeoBuds Pro allowed me to listen for at least two hours per day over the last seven days. The website promised 5-6 hours + 18 hours more from the charging case, for a total of ~24 hours. I recently took a trip from western KY to just outside of Nashville. With traffic, the trip lasted about 3.5 hours. I was pleased to note that the earbuds were able to provide an enjoyable Audible experience without any ear fatigue. I arrived at my destination, replaced the earbuds into the charging case, and after two hours drove the ~3 hours back home. Since I was the driver on the way to our destination, I utilized the Ambient Sound mode. As the passenger on the way back, I utilized the High-Frequency Sound mode. The earbuds fit snugly within my ear canal and caused no irritation or fatigue. I loved the sensitivity of the touch controls, but missed out on the ability to control the volume with the earbuds. With an IP54 water-resistant rating, I would not use these near a pool/water, but they will be sweat and rain-resistant. I loved the Game Mode, the strong bass, the blend, the easy transition between modes, the design, the color, and the earbud charging case.
Overall, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro exceeded my expectations; they were comfortable, attractive, and sounded great. I was impressed that they included the eartip accessory case, and I loved the ability to charge the case via USB-C. The noise-canceling mode did not create the pressure/buzz feel that you get with some earbuds, and the Ambient sound mode is one of my new favorite safety modes. I loved the ability to use the earbuds in solo mode, but wish that they included in-ear detection like the Edifier TWS NB2 Pro. I would have preferred the device to have native volume control, but it does appear that this may be possible through the App. I will check out the App and provide a review on the Edifier Control App in the coming days. If you are looking for quality battery life combined with clear full sound, and a comfortable fit, look no further than the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, the first True Wireless Stereo earbuds to achieve Hi-Res Audio certification.
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1 Comment
3.5