I've been fortunate enough to try out Edifier's latest in-ear and advanced noise-cancelling headphones, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2, and as someone who is usually sceptical of in-ear buds compared with over-ear headphones, I was genuinely blown away by the power and sound quality of these mighty AI-powered earphones.
Released in late October, these earphones are new to the market and available at retailers including Amazon, while Priced at a very reasonable $129.99/£129.99. A great choice for anyone who spends a lot of time outside commuting to work, on public transport, or at the gym – these earphones shine at blocking out sound, and they're available in two colour choices: Black or Ivory.
If you're drawn towards the bigger-name earphones like the Apple AirPods or Samsung Galaxy buds instead (which is understandable) I urge you to try these out first as the features on offer are truly remarkable, making them prime candidates for our guide to the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market right now. I know I'll never go back to my over-ear Sony headphones after trying these, which I never thought I'd say.
I'll go into more detail about exactly what these earphones can do in the key features section of this review, but to summarise, they allow for the complete filtering out of background noise using what the company calls wide-band multi-channel active noise cancellation (ANC), combined with ambient sound as an option so that you’re still able to hear important things like announcements or oncoming traffic.
But that’s not all, the buds have an 8-mic set-up with ANC, plus AI-powered wind reduction for clearer phone calls, have spatial audio with head tracking for a three-dimensional and immersive listening experience, and also support music streaming over Bluetooth at 192kHz/24bit Hi-Res Audio quality (which is a big deal), all of which can be controlled and customised using the Edifier Connect App.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review: Specs
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review: Key features
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 offers a heck of a lot in one small package, with amazing sound quality and AI features that add a finishing touch to these premium earphones. For example, when first setting up the NeoBuds Pro 2’s I barely had to do anything as the Google Fast Pair meant that my Samsung S21 Ultra immediately recognised the charging case and it automatically named the device on my phone as ‘Beth’s Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2’.
The biggest selling point of these earphones that has audiophiles intrigued is the ability to stream Hi-Res wireless 192K/24bit audio over Bluetooth using the latest LHDC 5.0 HD enhanced audio codec and Qualcomm aptX HD adaptive technology. What this means in simple terms is that the Bluetooth connection offers higher audio quality so that listeners can experience every small detail.
This is a big deal because previously (from what I’ve been able to research) this level of audio quality was limited to just 1000kbs and not attainable within a smaller earphone format, as well as through a wireless connection. Impressively, Edifier has managed to combat this with the NeoBuds Pro 2 while keeping costs down. Codecs are important for connectivity, and for the best levels of audio quality, you'll want to look out for LDAC, AptX-HD, and AptX Adaptive codecs.
Aside from the active noise cancellation features offered with the NeoBuds Pro 2, these earphones are also officially certified with Hi-Res Wireless Audio and equipped with LDAC, LHDC, SBC and AAC audio coding connectivity.
Another fun and beneficial feature is the spatial audio sound stage rendering, which can track your head movement using a gyro meter and accelerometer to grant a more realistic and immersive listening experience. You can also see the visualised real-time head-tracking using the Edifier Connect App.
Speaking of which, the Edifier Connect App is super intuitive and allows you to control the earphones with easy customisation features to change the listening mode from high to low noise cancellation, apply wind reduction, and switch to ambient sound, as well as alter the touch commands on each earbud, and changing the colour of the light on the LED charging case 9 (there are 8 colours to choose from).
There’s also an EQ mode to adjust the exact frequencies of how you prefer to stream your music, and intelligent wearing detection so your music or podcast will stop if you take out the earbuds and resume from where you left off when re-inserted. I found this super helpful when working in the office and needing to have regular conversations with people in between listening, and this also works with only one earbud in as well.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review: Design and build
One great thing about the sturdy build of these earphones is that they can withstand a lot, being IP54 dust and splash resistant, while still being comfortable to wear in-ear – which was one of my biggest concerns when initially testing out these buds, as I have unusually small ear canals and don’t tend to get along with larger cushioned tips, preferring to choose open wireless earbuds instead like the Marshall Minor III’s I had previously, which sounded fantastic but just would not stay in my ears no matter what I tried. Thankfully, I have never had this issue with the NeoBuds Pro 2’s.
As for the design of the earphones, it looks a little typical of what you might expect from an earphone manufacturer, but I’m okay with that. The charging case is smooth to the touch with a metallic emblem on top, and the changing-colour LED strip is a nice feature in my opinion that adds class and style.
The NeoBuds Pro 2’s came packaged in a luxury white box with black foam padding and included a nice drawstring pouch, user manuals, a USB-C charging cable for the case, and it also came with seven extra pairs of ear tips in different sizes, which I found to be a great help at finding my exact size and comfort level.
The outside of the buds are equipped with touch controls on the darker rectangle shapes, which can change tracks and play/pause depending on how many times you tap, and this can be customised using the app. I found that these weren't always the most responsive and sometimes took a second to register that it had been tapped, but it still worked nonetheless.
Once fully charged (and it only takes an hour!) the case will continue to charge your earbuds when out and about, and offers 22 hours of battery life from the charging case alone, plus a 15-minute charge will allow two hours of playback time. In simpler terms, you get up to 5.5 hours of playtime when using the earbuds with no ANC enabled, and 4 with ANC turned on, making it great for longer flights and commutes.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review: Performance
I tested the NeoBuds Pro 2 earphones extensively over the last 4 weeks and found them to be great for consistent use, barely needing a charge and extremely reliable and sturdy, never falling out of my ears or encountering any connectivity problems. It’s also really easy to pair the Edifiers to a new device, you simply hold down the button on the charging case for three seconds until the LED light slides across horizontally, meaning it's ready to be discovered again.
I used these earphones the most on the train, and the very first time I used them I was shocked at how well they eliminated background noise to almost silence on a very busy commute from Bath to Bristol at peak travel time. Not only this, when playing music from Spotify while high ANC is activated, it truly feels like you’re in your own world, the best way I can describe it is it’s kinda like VR but for your ears.
If you’re concerned about not being able to hear important background sounds like announcements or the train ticket man, then simply choose ambient sound (using the Edifier Connect App) for a balanced listening experience that blocks out enough for you to focus on the music while staying alert.
The earbuds have a Knowles balanced armature driver, and superior digital signal processing features equipped with ‘Active Cross-Over’ which essentially filters the audio signals you’re listening to into high and mid-low frequencies, and ultimately delivers precise sound details.
I like pop-punk music and a bit of rock, so I can immediately tell if something is off when the riffs aren’t crisp and the bass doesn’t give me shivers, but this was never the case with the NeoBuds as they performed exceptionally well right out of the box, before making any EQ tweaks.
Did I mention that these earphones also offer a low-latency audio gaming mode? This allows for a more immersive gaming experience without any obvious lag, so while it's better to use one of the best gaming headsets, if you’re in a tight situation, then the NeoBuds should also do the trick just fine for gaming on the go.
I also tested these headphones at the gym, and again, no complaints to be had as they remained durable and sturdy with amazing noise cancelling that obliterated the gym’s already-on music which is never to my taste. I also wore the NeoBuds on a flight to Amsterdam, it only took an hour, but I connected them to my Nintendo Switch and had absolutely zero issues to report, My partner was also extremely jealous that I couldn’t hear the crying child sitting a few rows behind us.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review: Price
As I've said before, I think the $129.99/£129.99 price tag for the NeoBuds Pro 2 is extremely reasonable given all of the amazing features and sound quality that it offers, though I understand that some may still consider this as too expensive. In comparison to the Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 (which are priced at around $249/£250 MSRP), the Apple earphones don't have nearly half of the features that the NeoBuds boast, and for almost double the price too.
The NeoBuds do sit slightly higher than Samsung's basic Galaxy Buds range, with most priced at around $80/£70 (although the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are at a hefty $229.99/£219) but the NeoBuds Pro 2 are still a better price than most competitors offering similar levels of quality, such as contenders from Bose and Sennheiser.
Should I buy the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2?
If you want my advice, definitely get these earphones if you're looking for a pair of in-ears to invest in that can withstand the test of time, and are durable enough to keep up with extensive wear throughout the day and while exercising. You won't be disappointed with the sound quality, and if ANC is desirable to you then look no further than these.
Sure, there might be better and more powerful options on the market for audiophiles, but definitely not at this price point. If you feel that the NeoBUds Pro 2 is a little out of your budget right now, give it a few months (as the buds are less than two months old at the time of this review) or shop secondhand for a much better price and a guarantee. Just make sure you get unused replacement ear cushions with them and they'll be as good as new.
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