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I reviewed the Edifier TWS1 Pro a bit over two years ago and thought they were excellent earbuds for the price.
The new Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 launched this month and comes with improved sound quality, ANC, and they are now compatible with the Edifier Connect app. However, the poor battery life may limit their appeal for some buyers.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Active Noise Cancellation Earbuds, 42dB... |
£49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Specification
- Driver: Φ10mm Dynamic Drivers
- Active noise cancellation with multiple ANC modes and up to -42dB noise reduction
- Battery:
- ANC On: 4 hours(earbuds) + 12 hours(charging case)
- ANC Off: 6 hours(earbuds) + 18 hours(charging case)
- Bluetooth: V5.3
- Codecs: SBC
- Built-in microphone for high-quality calls
- Wearing detection
- Low latency with game mode
- Customized control via Edifier Connect APP
- IP Rating: IP54
Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 vs Edifier TWS1 Pro
Edifier has made some odd decisions with the new Edifier TWS1 Pro 2. On paper, it looks like the new TWS1 Pro 2 could be worse than the predecessor:
- The audio codec is now only SBC rather than SBC, aptX, aptX Adaptive
- Battery life has been massively reduced from 12 hours down to 6 hours with ANC off.
- IP rating has gone from IP65 to IP54
Thankfully it is not all bad news. There have been some improvements:
- The driver has been significantly increased in size from 6mm to 10mm
- There is a wider frequency response of 20Hz – 40KHz
- Bluetooth has been upgraded from 5.2 to 5.3
- The earbuds now work with the Edifier Connect app
Design and Fit
These are relatively generic-looking earbuds, as most are nowadays. They have a similar design to the older TWS1 Pro, looking a bit more like the original TWS1 with a shiny plastic build.
Like the other earbuds, these lack a stem, with the earbuds sitting fully inside your concha. They are quite small earbuds compared to many others that use this design. You get three additional sizes for eartips, and using the larger eartips, I have found them to fit very well with an excellent seal, which is essential for sound quality.
So far, I have used these for weight lifting, racing in Zwift on the Tacx Neo Bike Smart Trainer and an outdoor run. They have required little to no adjustments, even when bending down to pick weights up.
Similar to many earbuds, these use touch-sensitive controls. As I am a fitness enthusiast, I generally dislike this because I will often touch my ear at some point and inevitably pause my music. However, these don’t have a single tap or hold function; you have to double tap or triple tap.
Edifier Connect App
Like most recent Edifier products, these work with the Edifier Connect app. It is not the best app out there, but it seems to have gotten better with time, or maybe I am just used to it.
From the main screen, you have control of the various ANC modes, including high, low, wind reduction, ambient and off.
Sliding to the next screen, there is an EQ but it is limited to just four presets, which is a little disappointing.
Then the third screen gives you access to the game mode, which can be used to reduce latency.
Then within the settings, you can customize the controls, which is a welcome setting. You can’t disable it.
Sound Quality
It seems that Edifier dialled back a lot of the specs in favour of improving the overall sound quality. For a £50 pair of earbuds, these sound great. Sadly I can’t find my Edifier TWS1 Pro to make a proper like-for-like comparison, but I will update the review if/when I find them.
These have your standard V shape sound profile, but they seem to be better balanced than most earbuds you get at this price point.
They have a good amount of bass with plenty of depth and detail. They are not excessively bassy, though, and this avoids that muddiness in the middle.
The mids are excellent, with plenty of detail and clarity for both vocals and instruments.
The highs are good for me. One of the reasons why I don’t often review affordable earbuds as much nowadays is that I find the uplift in the highs can be very fatiguing. There seems to be a bit of roll-off in the upper highs, and this makes them a bit smoother and less overbearing.
The four presets that are available within the Edifier app seem to be quite subtle in the change to the sound profile they make. There seems to be a subtle change to bass with the rock and pop preset, and the classical preset helps bring out the mids slightly.
Overall, it is the sound quality that really sells these earbuds. They sound fantastic for the price.
Noise Cancellation
The ANC is actually quite good, considering these are affordable earbuds. It is one of the areas that really differentiates premium and affordable products.
Using my standard test of airplane cabin noise with my Edifier speakers dialled up to 80%, there is a significant change in the background noise.
There is a good drop in most of the low-end and a lot of the mids, but it does leave some of the very low-end rumble.
For day-to-day use, they do a good job of reducing intrusive noises when you are trying to enjoy your music.
Battery
The battery life is a bit of a problem for me. These are rated at:
- ANC On: 4 hours(earbuds) + 12 hours(charging case)
- ANC Off: 6 hours(earbuds) + 18 hours(charging case)
In my opinion, 4 hours is not acceptable, and I normally regard 6 hours as the minimum that I would want.
To be fair, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 had the same rating, and they are a premium-priced product. However, they are one of the reasons why I find 4 hours not acceptable. With LDAC enabled, they fell short of that number, and they would often die before I got home from the gym. As much as I liked them at the start, I have now stopped using them. I also noticed that my Soundcore Liberty 4 NC died very quickly with LDAC on, so it is just as well the Edifier stick to the basic SBC.
So far, I haven’t had the Edifier die on me while I am still using them, so I would guess the 4-hour rating will be reasonably accurate.
The battery will degrade over prolonged use as well, which means you will end up needing to replace them sooner than you may like.
Microphone
The microphone performance for calls is acceptable; they work perfectly well in low-noise environments, with my voice coming through clearly and accurately. However, in louder environments, like outdoors, then they can struggle a bit.
Price and Alternative Options
The Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 have an RRP of £49.99 and is available from Amazon now.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Active Noise Cancellation Earbuds, 42dB... |
£49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Edifier have multiple affordable options around this price point, including:
- Edifier NB2 Pro Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds for £42
- Edifier W240TN Noise Cancelling Earbuds for £45.49
As for alternative brands, the £50 price point is difficult because the market is flooded with excellent options. From my experience, it is rare to get a poor-sounding earbud nowadays, as long as you have realistic expectations of what an affordable earbud can achieve.
I tend not to review many earbuds at this price anymore, but I was fond of:
- EarFun Air Pro 2 priced at £48
- SoundPEATS T2 priced at £42
If you stick to well-known affordable Chinese brands like Edifier, Earfun, and Soundpeats. I am also a massive fan of Anker Soundcore products, but these tend to be a little bit more expensive.
Overall
The Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 ended up being better than I had expected. The sound quality is where they really excel, and they are definitely the best-sounding affordable earbuds I have used in a long time.
The battery life is the main issue. For light usage, you shouldn’t have a problem, and it is rare that I wear earbuds for much more than 3 hours. Other, much more expensive earbuds have a similar battery life, so it is not terrible, but it is poor for what I would expect from a pair of earbuds in 2023.
Considering the sound quality and attractive price point, I can still highly recommend these, just be aware of the short battery life.
Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Active Noise Cancellation Earbuds Review
Summary
The Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 ended up being better than I had expected. The sound quality is where they excel, and they are definitely the best-sounding affordable earbuds I have used for a long time. Unfortunately, the battery life lets them down a bit.
Overall
80%-
Overall - 80%80%
Pros
- Superb sound quality for the price
- Decent ANC
Cons
- Poor battery
- Only SBC
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
