Switching to wireless earbuds is like running on a fast track. The NeoBuds Pro, a high-end earbud from Edifier in 2021, needs to be updated to keep up with the speed of technology. The company launched the Edifier NeoBuds Pro in a manner not unlike version 2 of AirPods Pro from Apple, which is a perfect upgrade to the original product. Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 is a true wireless earphone with active noise control like its predecessor.
They differ from the previous ones, which have a new form of spatial audio, a feature commonly seen in high-priced earbuds. Such a nifty setting is available, yet these earphones remain relatively affordable compared to their predecessors.
It introduces a few new attributes, marginally better audio, call quality, and a sleeker design; however, it is almost similar to Generation 1. It is the follow-up of NeoBuds Pro, which has yet to reach the level of decent flagship performance entirely. Unfortunately, the new model has all about the incredible sound Edifier did, but I would have wanted more from Edifier. The company kept the original design of the earphones, but now they are a bit more sophisticated.
They share the same IP rating and quiet active noise canceling (which has minor improvements). In addition, the earphones have a sound and tuning similar to its precursor. Adding new sound features like Spatial audio and LHDC 5.0 HD audio codec support has improved their performance.
Earbuds Review
The significant progress comes with battery life, which lasts 5.5 hours with ANC turned on (on a single charge). The call quality is good enough to rival the best Bluetooth headphones. It has abundant features; they vary from multi-channel noise cancellation, hybrid driver technology, and premium audio codecs to factors such as spatial audio. It has a waterproof rating of IP54 which provides limited resistance to water and dust.
Overview of Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 is the latest earbuds, with specifications such as noise cancellation, 360° Spatial Audio, head-tracking technology, and many other features.
- Advanced Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC technology provides an expansive noise-cancellation experience, reaching up to -50 dB.
- Five distinct noise reduction modes cater to individual preferences for optimal listening environments.
- Immerse yourself in a lifelike, three-dimensional soundscape with immersive 360° Spatial Audio and head-tracking technology.
- Enjoy high-resolution sound with Knowles’ balanced armature and 10mm dynamic drivers, which support LDAC, LHDC, and AAC audio codecs.
- Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 has AI-powered algorithms, and eight microphones enhance call clarity by reducing background noise.
- Personalize your EQ and control settings and choose from eight LED color selections for a customized experience.
- Ergonomic earbuds with seven ear tips accommodate various ear canal sizes, ensuring all-day comfort.
- Up to 22 hours of battery life are available, with the earbuds offering 5.5 hours and the charging case providing an additional 16.5 hours.
- Advanced ANC technology delivers noise cancellation up to -50 dB, expanding the bandwidth to reach 5 kHz.
- Real-time head-tracking technology adjusts audio dynamically as you move, creating an immersive listening experience.
- Combining Knowles’ balanced armature and 10mm dynamic drivers for robust bass and sparkling treble tones.
- Supports LHDC, LDAC, and AAC audio codecs for exceptional detail in audio playback.
- Eight microphones and AI algorithms enhance vocal clarity and eliminate environmental noise during calls.
- Customize EQ settings and LED colors to personalize your listening experience.
- The ergonomic design with seven ear tips ensures a comfortable fit for extended wear.
- Real-time head-tracking technology adjusts audio based on head movement for a lifelike sound experience.
- Balanced armature and dynamic drivers deliver rich bass, clear midrange, and detailed treble tones.
- Customize EQ settings and LED colors to match your preferences and style.
Features of Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
| Brand | Edifier |
| Model Name | NeoBuds Pro 2 |
| Form Factor | In-Ear |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation |
| Mics | 8 Microphones |
| Playtime | 5.5 Hours without ANC, 4 Hours with ANC |
| Playtime With Case | 22 Hours without ANC, 16 Hours with ANC |
| Total Playtime | 27.5 Hours without ANC, 20 Hours with ANC |
| Modes | Five Noise Cancellation Modes |
| Special Features | Real-time Head-tracking Technology |
| Wireless Charging | No |
| Waterproof Rating | IP54 Rating |
| Fast Charging | 15 Minutes of Charging Gives 2 Hours of Playtime |
| App | Yes |
| Active Noise Cancellation | -50dB |
| Date First Available | October 12, 2023 |
| Price | $129 |
| Country of Origin | China |
Design and Build
NeoBuds Pro 2 has large ear tips, which was my greatest worry when I initially tried out these buds, as I have tiny ear canals. These large cushioned tips have never worked for me either, as I have always preferred open wireless earbuds instead, like the Marshall Minor III’s, which was the one that I desired most. They sounded fantastic, but I couldn’t leave my ears no matter what I tried. Unlike any other earbuds, the scissor/gullwing doors of Edifier HECATE GX07 reveal RGB lights within the shell and white ones on the stems of each bud.
The earphone design is pretty rudimentary compared to what you can expect from any ordinary earpiece manufacturer. However, I am not complaining at all. The matte texture of the charging case and the logo on top look great, and I think the LED strip that changes colors adds an elegant, classy style feature.
Neobuds Pro 2, in a luxurious white box with black foam padding, was used to package it. They had a nice drawstring pouch, user manuals, and a fast charger USB-C cable for the case, and they come with seven extra pairs of ear tips in various sizes, which I found to be of good help in finding the right size and comfort level.
The outside features tap controls on the black square shapes that switch the tracks and play/pause, indicating how many times you press each. The app can be used to change this. This wasn’t always the case and often made the device unresponsive. Then, a few seconds passed until it registered that it had been tapped.
Sound Quality
From the subwoofer, which ensures the low frequencies are separated and the active crossover for the high and mid-labels, to the hi-res audio capabilities and the optional spatial audio feature.
The first time I used a spec sheet, it held quite a powerful lesson. The intricacy of the details of the tips, including a Knowles Balanced Armature Driver and a 10mm dynamic driver, was surprising. With song after song, from Zach Bryan’s rasping “Something in the Orange” to the more dynamic Four Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” it sounded as if they were full, a kind of merged but still crisp sounds.
I have had a chance to test the spatial audio feature of Edifier’s audio, which you can also find in Sony INZONE Buds, designed to “provide a realistic, three-dimensional, and immersive listening experience to you.” Even though one song may make me feel trippy, I find the feature to be giving away some detail in exchange for tracking my head movement and actively changing the sound system accordingly.
I went to train most on these earpieces, and for the first time I used them, I realized how noise-canceling they were. Now, I can hear new things besides the usual hectic traveling from Bristol to Bath during rush hours. Listening to music from Spotify with the ANC activated creates the sensation that you are already in your world or whatever you associate it with. I can only compare it to anything because it is like augmented reality, only for the ears.
Spatial Audio
These earphones implement gyroscopes and speed sensors to simulate surround sound by following head movements dynamically, like in cinemas. The head tracking is calibrated by testing it in the app. After visualizing the process, it is as if an ordinary individual’s head is used as the default setting. In a nutshell, the comic-style characters of the funny genre can also be used as a gimmick. For example, you can pick a dog, girl, or boy. It performed excellently, even though movements were sometimes delayed for considerable periods.
But the function didn’t reproduce the “eerie silent moment” sensation since the sound tuning was entirely centered around the voice. Thus, sports commentary was usually dominant during sports broadcasts, whereas background noises, crucial for the atmosphere, were heard at a low volume level.
Spatial audio sets it apart significantly from many other similarly priced earphones. Although it’s not as agreeable as Apple’s version, it gets immensely close, given the steep price difference. The mode in question proved to me, as it did with the AirPods Pro, to be the best option for video viewing. On the other hand, there is a tiny delay in registering with the NeoBuds Pro 2, which is not present in the AirPods Pro 2.
Noise Cancellation
The NeoBuds Pro 2 did a great job in actual noise cancellation, which surprised me by its perfectness. Edifier has developed its own Wide-band, Multi-channel ANC technology, potentially designed to interact with the noise and displace it several times before other True Wireless ANC buds can reach the noise cancellation depth of -50db.
As the noise cancellation works smoothly, everything in the environment can be reduced to nothing. An efficient ANC at the low level was achieved by bypassing the low and high-frequency ranges. They also got sounds such as the background noise, which implies that you could get the same outcome with the highest setting of most other model headphones. It was peculiar to hear the voices become blurrier as the sound was going, but at a constant level when playback was “frozen.”
The intensification of the external sound also worked on three levels: background sound, in-between sound, and balanced setting. Meanwhile, “Voice enhancement” is intended to cover voices so announcements can be fully understood, beyond, for instance, train stations and a media player that is quick to respond. Nevertheless, the corresponding background noise was faint to medium in the ANC modes. The noise level ranged from medium to substantial in the Surrounding Enhancement mode.
ANC is a great feature of the Sony WF-1000XM5, but this doesn’t make it a leader. At its retail price, it is a little expensive. And though we may have finally found a winner in the ANC world without touching the price of expensive products. The specs of NeoBuds Pro 2 make it one of the most popular under $150 ANC earbuds. You can pick from the six modes that are high, medium, and low cancellation, an ambient sound manner, and a wind-reduction mode, and you can listen without ANC.
Edifier Connect App
The main thing that makes the app unique is the smart headphones function that controls ambient noise (Android and iOS). With the three modes dubbed “Low,” “Medium,” and “High,” the NeoBuds Pro 2’s noise canceling is again divided into three. This is supplemented with the purpose-built wind noise suppression. In addition, three transparency modes are available: “Loudness,” “Nice,” and “Ambient sound.”
The app can also switch between standard, gaming, and spatial audio modes. At the same time, two different sound control settings are available: “Classical,” matching the sound level, and “Dynamic,” for those who prefer customized audio settings that you can save as presets and exchange with your pals. Some features built into the app include a timer and firmware update.
You can customize the case LED’s color and select white, yellow, orange, red, green, turquoise, blue, or pink. Lastly, a search system beeps to guide or seek the headphones.
The app looks wonderful, especially the augmented reality screen: we see how our head is tracked in real time. On the other hand, my obsession with the app is chiefly due to the smooth earbuds control gadget. I have only one suggestion: audio codec settings, control settings, and the user manual, which is usually the settings tab, which is tucked very tightly in the top right corner of the screen. It took me several minutes to realize they were there.
Touch Controls
Touch-sensitive surfaces such as playback, phone calls, and going to the next song are the factory settings in Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2. In addition, it has high ANC and transparency modes, gaming modes, spatial audio, and standard modes.
The sensitivity of the touch surfaces could be adjusted via the app, and the software implementation was excellently done. The user can also change the detection mode to volume or voice assistant control. Alternatively, while the original remote allows double and triple tapping, it lacks other gestures. Thus, you cannot control more than four functions.
Additionally, manually turning the headphones on and off was not an option, as there was no option across the touch surface. The fresh model faced the same challenge: it could only make multipoint connections with two devices. On the other hand, you can use them one-sided in this single mode. You might see the app’s settings icon, which will probably lead you to the Control Settings tab.
It supports only basic touch gestures like double and triple taps. They can be configured on either of the two buds separately, enabling you to have four controls simultaneously. Still, there is an option between controls like track changing or volume adjustment. I understand the idea of not allowing single-key feature activation to avoid finger slips.
Playtime
Wireless earbuds have come to the stage where we expect around six hours of battery life per charge. The NeoBuds Pro 2 can take about 5.5 hours without turning ANC on. Conversely, if you like to shut out noise while listening, you get up to four hours of playtime on a single charge.
The charging case will charge the earbuds thrice, giving you up to 16 hours with ANC or 22 hours without. You must charge the case using the included USB-C cable when it is time to charge, as no wireless charging feature is available. However, these earpieces can also charge quickly with the fast charging feature, giving you two extra hours of listening with only a 15-minute charge.
What’s in the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 Box?
You can find the following items in the box:
- Earbuds
- Charging case
- Seven pairs of silicone ear tips (XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL)
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable
- Carrying pouch
- User manual
Pros and Cons of Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
The following are the plus and negative points of the product:
Pros
- Excellent Call Quality
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Spatial Audio
- Head-tracking Technology
Cons
- Wireless Charging Absent
- Limited Control
FAQs About Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
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