Edifier are back with an upgrade on the Neobuds Pro with the new Edifier Neobuds S. The new key Features include Bluetooth 5.2, ANC, Game mode, aptX adaptive and snapdragon sound, the buds currently cost £179 compared to the Neobuds Pro which cost £129.
Considering the cost the Neobuds S is competing against the likes of the Jabra Elite 7 Pro, Huawei Freebuds Pro 2 or Sennheiser CX 400BT. Let’s take a closer look and see if these are worth spending the extra for the new model.
Design
The Edifier Neobuds S come with the same round chunky style as the Pro model does. The earbuds have thick stalks that draw attention with their metal sci-fi style. This covers the plastic shells that contain the drivers.
Image Credit: Qucox
The design is basically identical to the Pro model, the main differences are the metal parts are now silver instead of black and the Edifier logo is now gold.
Edifier Neobuds Pro (Left) vs Edifier Neobuds S (Right)
Edifier has made a change which might upset some users. The eartip style has been changed as you can see the aperture of the bud in your ear sits on the surface of the silicone tips and this is regardless of which eartip you decide to use.
What edifier has done to try and solve the eartip change is provide you with a variety of eartips to fit all ear canals. The Neobuds S unfortunately do not go that deep into the ear and as a result, you will find you need to regularly adjust the buds in your ear more than normal. You will also notice the seal is affected and I expect over time they will lose their integrity. For now, simply push the buds back into your ear and this will improve the audio quality.
When you unbox the Neobuds S you get a range of eartips, USB-A to USB-C charge cable, a user guide and a handy carry bag for when on the move.
Apart from having to adjust the fit occasionally, you will find the comfort of these buds will give you no issues and you could use them for a long period of use. They are also IP54 rated meaning the buds are protected against limited amounts of dust and will be protected from water sprays from all directions. Ideal if caught in the rain and can also handle the sweat created when hitting the gym.
Features
The key features of the Edifier Neobuds S are the following:
- ANC
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Battery Life 5.5 hours per use.
- Charging Case-
- Touch controls
- Edifier App
- Snapdragon Sound
- Game Mode
So let’s take a closer look at the above features. First, the Neobuds S has ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). Edifier gives us 6 microphones to monitor the outside noise and reduce unwanted ambient noise.
The ANC quality does not appear to have much of an upgrade compared to the previous model which is not a bad thing as the pro model was very effective at reducing unwanted ambient noise. When I was on the train I found it was a welcomed feature as it reduced the sound of people talking or that annoying person who has not discovered earbuds yet and wants the train to listen to what they are.
They are not the most effective on the market but they are far from the worst. The Eddifer app also allows the user to switch between high or low ANC which is a nice option to have as you can reduce a max of 42dB.
The battery life is hardly going to win any industry prizes but at 6 hours (ANC off) or 5 hours (ANC on). When testing the battery life they did perform well but you will notice the left earbud will run out of battery life quicker than the right bud. This is a strange thing to happen and we are looking into why this seems to happen and will update you accordingly.
The charging case offers an additional 19 hours of battery life so with the case and the buds having 6 hours of battery life you get a total of 25 hours of playtime. The charging case supports fast charging function in which a 10 min charge will provide the user with 1 hour of playback.
Bluetooth 5.2 allows you to connect these buds to your phone with ease. You will pair them while they are in the case after a long press of the button in the charging case and then select the Neobuds S in your Bluetooth menu on your phone and you have paired. Something to consider if you leave them disconnected for long enough they will enter sleep mode and you will have to place them back in the charging case to wake them up again.
The controls just like the Neobuds Pro are via touch controls and you control them via taping the stalks to activate a command. Below are the controls that the Neobuds S offers:
- Play or pause music: Press the multifunction touch button on the right earbud two times.
- Play the next song: Press the multifunction touch button on the right earbud three times.
- Answer an incoming call: Press the multifunction touch button on any of the earbuds two times.
- End a current call: Press the multifunction touch button on any of the earbuds two times.
- Gaming Mode: To activate or deactivate the gaming mode in the EDIFIER Neobuds S, all you have to do is to press the multifunction touch button on the left earbud three times.
The responsiveness works really well and the fact the controls are mainly double or triple taps it’s unlikely you will activate anything by mistake.
The sound is provided by Snapdragon sound and supports aptX. The snapdragon sound can transmit up to 24-bit, 96kHz while the aptX transmits rates between 280 -420kbps. I could not notice much of a change due to this technology. The latency did not appear to be much different from that of the pro model. There is a slight delay but using the gaming mode will fix this. You can switch on the game mode by a triple tap of the bud or use the edifier app that also allows you to adjust the EQ from dynamic, Pure & Audiophile modes and can switch between them via the app.
Sound Quality
Just like the Neobuds Pro the Neobuds S come with a 10mm dynamic driver and a Knowles balanced armature. The sound comes with powerful bass and pronounced highs but this causes the mids to not get much of a look in.
When just listening to music in the default classic sound mode with low noise cancellation results in well-balanced sound. The bass in this mode is powerful but not over the top, treble clarity is good and these earbuds don’t have the classic delicate sensibility of the pure balanced armatures of previous models.
The treble driver here pulls some precise and well-resolved upper mid-range detail out of the vocals. Unfortunately, if you love mid-range these are not for you they lack weight and substance.
Overall the higher frequencies stand out the most due to the greater upper midrange and lower treble definition regardless of the mode used. The treble actually helps balance out the bass boost when you use the high ANC setting. If you pick the correct mode you will notice the vocals will also stand out but in the wrong setting, it’s too much highs and bass and nothing in the mids so just make sure you select the correct mode for you.
Verdict
The Edifier Neobuds S are very similar in terms of design and audio quality to the Neobuds Pro. The extra cost gives you Snapdragon sound paired with aptX adaptive. They don’t sound much different to the Edifier Neobuds Pro which was the model before so this brings up the question of why spend the extra.
There is a slight improvement when you consider the upper mids which can benefit the vocals. Unfortunately listening to podcasts is not an enjoyable experience. Other negatives include the fit of these buds the shallow fit tips will require the user to readjust them in the ear on several occasions.
Would I recommend the Neobuds S over the Neobuds Pro I would have to say NO! I felt the changes made have actually resulted in a downgrade the new tip style makes the buds less stable, the modes available with these buds just provide a further unbalance to what is a non-neutral sound.
Last but not least with the price of the Neobuds S coming in at £179 compared to the Neobuds Pro at £129 I would save the extra money and stick with the previous model as they sound better and feel more stable in your ear.
Product Rating:
Design: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Fit: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 5.0 stars – 3.2 Stars
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