Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
Strong noise cancelling in an affordable package
The noise cancelling is very good, managing to block out quite loud, persistent external sounds
£129.99 FROM edifier.com FEATURES USB-C charging case, noise cancelling, spatial audio, LDAC support
Edifier’s NeoBuds Pro 2 build on the original model with some clever new hardware while retaining a pretty competitive price point, though those embedded in Apple’s ecosystem won’t find the same level of integration you get with AirPods. The case and earbuds are lightweight but well constructed and stylish, and the case charges over USB-C, offering 22 hours of total playback on a one-hour charge.
The official figures of four hours from the earbuds and 12 hours from the case with ANC on and a respective 5.5/16.5 hours with ANC off aren’t stellar. These were reflected in our tests, but we squeezed a little more out of them. Sadly there’s no wireless charging for the case, a feature normally found at this price. Seven sizes of ear tips are provided so there should be no disappointment on that front. They’re also IP54 dust- and splash- resistant, making them suitable for outdoor use.
Pairing is simple and Google Fast Pair is supported for Android, though there’s no multipoint for seamlessly switching between devices. Download the free app for iOS and you’ll find a ton of software tweaks you can make, such as customising the touch panels on the side of each earbud to perform different actions and controlling the noise cancelling modes. There are five of these – low, medium, high, wind reduction and ambient listening, powered by four microphones in each earbud, plus what Edifier is calling ‘AI’. The noise cancelling is very good, especially on its highest setting, managing to block out even quite loud, persistent external sounds.
Head tracking
They use Bluetooth 5.3 and support SBC and AAC codecs, as well as higher res LDAC at up to 24-bit/192kHz, although as Apple devices don’t support LDAC, this isn’t something your iPhone or Mac will be able to take advantage of. The app contains plenty of scope to tweak the EQ, and use or save presets, and we found that backing off the mid-range slightly and nudging the bass end up a little helped to liven up the fairly flat default sound. You can also turn on spatial head tracking in the app, with visual feedback using the earbuds’ sensors. This sounds odd with stereo music, as it almost always does, but works better with movies; it uses software to virtualise sounds into 3D space, but movie sound is more forgiving.
These earbuds go heavy on the tech, though some of it isn’t very relevant to Apple users and we’d rather have seen something like wireless charging than spatial audio, which would have been useful to more people. Nonetheless they’re affordable and decent all-rounders, offering great noise cancelling and plenty of customisation. Hollin Jones