Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review – These are an exceptionally great pair of earbuds, with a unique charging case, an app that is easy to use and makes a difference to your music, at half the price of the competition. NeoBuds Pro sound amazing and I love them!
{Tech} for Travel
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Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review – $129 | £119
In the summer of 2021, Edifier took to the crowdfunding site, Indiegogo to launch its newest earbuds, the NeoBuds Pro.
Often, when big, established brands do this, it’s usually a sign that the product might not be fully ready, and some user feedback will help the engineers refine the device.
Yet, Edifier was already shipping out orders before the campaign was over and moved straight to general sales almost immediately. So, whilst the real reason for a somewhat tentative start is not apparent, one thing after reviewing the NeoBuds Pro is.
These are the new prise-wise standard for Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review // Features
It’s easier to start with the features, not on the NeoBuds Pro bud: Bluetooth 5.2 and wireless charging, neither of which are showstoppers, but in terms of future-proofing your investment in these earbuds, they would have been welcome additions.
With that out of the way, Edifier has delivered a feature-packed pair of buds, perfect for travel and, most importantly, affordable for most.
The dual Knowles Armature and dynamic drivers deliver superb Hi-res sound support LHDC & LADC codecs, which, if your device supports these too, offer true audio playback. Today, any travel-worthy earbuds must have active noise cancellation, and the intelligent ANC from Edifier can remove up to 42dB of surrounding noise.
If mobile gaming is your go-to for long-haul flights, NeoBuds have an 80ms low-latency game mode and up to 24 hours of battery life between USB-C charging, which drops slightly to 20 hours with ANC on.
This technology is protected with an IP54 rating, which translates into dust and sweat-resistant and is one of the most stylish charging cases for any earbuds at any price range.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro // Audio
The promise from Edifier is “professional studio-grade sound”, and straight out of the box, they deliver a rich and immersive audio experience with a lovely deep bass is magnified by active noise cancellation, removing external distractions.
The Knowles Balanced Armature and Dynamic drivers use the electronic crossover technology to give a loud yet clear playback of my music while I was using them during the review.
While the earbuds are the star of this review, a huge hat tip must go to the Edifier Connect app (Android | Apple), which brings out the best of the buds. I found it easy to navigate, and it gave me all of the control I needed.
As the app opens, you’re presented with the option to change the four different audio modes: High Noise Cancellation, Low Noise Cancellation, Ambient and Normal. Selecting any of them on the app changes the NeoBuds Pro earbuds immediately!
Edifier Connect App
A simple thumb swipe takes you to the Sound Tuning page. The Classic setting didn’t do much for me, but the Dynamic one changed my music with a very balanced sound; however, if neither works for you, a third option lets you fine-tune your settings and save it as a preset for future use.
One final thumb swipe brings you to Game mode. This low-latency setting improves the sound reaction time down to 80ms. While this is impressive compared to other earbuds at the price point, I couldn’t notice much difference when I switched it on/off.
Diving deeper into the Edifier Connect app, you’ll find settings to configure each earbud to your style, choosing which actions are performed after a double or triple tap on either one. There’s even a slider to adjust the sensitivity of the bud surface where you tap.
What I liked most about the app was its ease of use and instant changes. There was little to no lag once I had updated the settings, and navigating the app can be done single-handed with just a thumb for swiping and clicks.
A free app for earbuds at this price point should not be this good!
Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review // Design
At first, I thought the NeoBuds Pro would be just another pair of buds that looked good in the media shots but fell short of expectations when I used them. How wrong was I! They sat so perfectly in my ear that I hardly noticed them in even after prolonged use.
If I didn’t remove them straight after use, I’d forget they were in, and this is all thanks to the design and weight distribution inside the earbuds and the short stem that barely reached my earlobe.
Hands-Free Performance
During the review period, I attended CES in Las Vegas, so not only did I have a few flight sectors to test out these earbuds, but a busy conference hall to try out the hands-free calling.
Edifier has fitted six microphones into the NeoBuds Pro, with three in each earbud, but of these six, only four are used for voice capture, while the remaining two repress surrounding noises.
I mostly used them for Facetime video calls while I was on the busy show floor, my voice was clear and easily heard, so if you need your travel buds to double as a Zoom headset, the NeoBuds will perform and look good, too.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review // Charging Case
As a child of the ’80s and early ’90s, the knight Rider-Esque case had already won me over from the press shots, yet that front LED does do more than look good. This unique indicator light pulses when in pairing mode, flashes once paired and has an excellent KITT impression when being charged.
For the best part of the review, I stuck with ANC, which meant the charging case, and buds would deliver around 15 hours + 5 hours of use. In normal mode, this did increase slightly.
Edifier has included fast charging into the case where just a 10-minute charge resulted in an hour of power.
The case is made from hardened black plastic and a brushed aluminium top panel that houses the Edifier logo. At the rear is a single USB-C port for charging and the LED strip is at the front under the aluminium panel.
Unlike other cases at this price range, Edifier has managed to create one that is almost resistant to dirt and fingerprints. This review unit has been with me non-stop over several weeks and still looks as good as new.
Conclusion
Edifier has delivered an overall package with the NeoBuds Pro that is tough to beat. For the price, I’d be hard pushed to justify buying a pair of AirPods over the NeoBuds Pro based on this experience.
The only reason I could think of going for the AirPods Pro would be for the Apple handoff between devices and spatial audio, neither of which would interest Android owners!
Although I’d have wanted a more updated Bluetooth version and wireless charging, neither are black marks against the NeoBuds Pro. These earbuds are so comfortable to wear, and with seven different sizes of antibacterial germproof ear tips to choose from, they will fit almost every ear.
Compared to the market-leading Bowers & Wilkins PI7 or the Sony WF-1000XM4, the best buds on offer for travellers, they also started at around $300 and are much bulkier in size. The NeoBuds are a very tempting alternative.
NeoBuds Pro are a fraction of the price for most of the performance.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro Review // Specifications
| NeoBuds Pro Earbuds | |
| Bud Dimensions | 30 x 25 x 11mm |
| Buds Weight | 5.5g each |
| Case Dimensions | 64 x 55 x 30mm |
| Case Weight | 47g |
| Total Weight | 58g |
| Colour Options | Black |
| Audio Codecs | LDAC, LHDC, AAC, SBC |
| Driver | Balanced Armature + Dynamic |
| Bud Battery | 40mAh |
| Case Battery | 500mAh |
| Charge Time | 1 hour (both) Fast charging compatible |
| Playback Time w/ANC | Buds – 5 hours Case – 15 hours |
| Playback no ANC | Buds – 6 hours Case – 18 hours |
| Waterproof Rating | IP54 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 USB-C |
| In the Box | NeoBuds Pro Earbuds Charging case 7x Antibacterial ear tips (various sizes) USB-C to USB-A fast charging cable Travel pouch Manuals |
Edifier NeoBuds Pro // Pricing
Edifier NeoBuds Pro earbuds are $129/£119 from your local Amazon store.
