True wireless earbuds have been blowing up lately. Edifier has been a well-known name in affordable wireless audio, we took a look at the TWS5 last year, and the newer TWS NB takes that quality and adds active noise canceling and an ambient sound mode, while still keeping the price at a very reasonable $120. Check out the video below to find out more about the Edifier TWS NB earbuds.
Out of the box
Included with the earbuds is, of course, a charging case. The case is on the larger side, but that helps to give the TWS NB 20-hours of total playback with Active Noise Cancelling enabled, and 33-total hours with ANC turned off.
Another main component of wireless earbuds is a variety of attachments to find the right fit. Two sizes of foam ear tips, three silicone pairs, and two sizes of ear wings help to get the right fit for your ear. I found myself using the smallest silicone tips, and they still feel plenty snug. I also use the smallest ear wing. The larger ones did fit, but they felt too snug. The earbuds also seemed fit okay without the ear wings at all, but they do feel a little more secure with them installed.
Dated Design?
One actually in your ears, the TWS NB earbuds do stick out a little bit. It’s not a small discrete design. The color scheme is a subtle black and grey, but the overall design itself feels a bit dated. The LED status indicator on the front lets you know the current status of the earbuds.
The microphones are located under the status LED portion of the earbud, near the charging contacts, and I would imagine this lends itself to some of the larger design. Near the logo on the outside of the earbud is the noise-canceling microphone. This is a great position to pick up ambient noise.
Edifier TWS NB Earbuds: Video
On both of the earbuds is a single button that can be used for multiple actions. Holding the button for 7-seconds will power off the earbud. A nice satisfying click when putting the earbuds into the case adds to the already impressive build quality of the TWS NB.
Once connected to a phone via Bluetooth, you can make some changes via the Edifier Connect app. This is an easy way to make sure ANC is off or ambient sound mode is on, turn off voice prompts and check battery life. Unfortunately, you can’t make any adjustments to the EQ, though.
How is the ANC?
One of the main features of the TWS NB is the active noise cancellation. Earbuds typically do a good job of blocking out some noise thanks to their inherent design but adding ANC is a great way to make these earbuds more useful and it’s really effective on the TWS NB.
To test it I turned on an ambient airplane noise in the background and at first, I thought that the video wasn’t playing. But when you double click the multi-function button, you can cycle through ANC, ambient sound mode and disable noise cancellation. I didn’t hear the video because the ANC was turned on, and when I cycled to another mode, I could hear the audio. Needless to say, I was impressed.
On the opposite side of ANC, the TWS NB also has an ambient sound mode that lets you hear your surroundings easier. This is great for times when you do need some situational awareness like navigating city streets, but still want to be able to listen to music, a podcast, or directions.
How do they sound?
Large 13mm drivers deliver deep punchy bass. The rest of the sound is definitely contoured to give a poppy sound. Highs are pushed forward and mids are scooped out a bit. It would be great to have a few different EQ presets to cycle through, but it is a fun sound signature. If you like deep bass, you’ll be happy with the sound coming from the TWS NB. They have good clarity and stereo separation.
The microphone sounds similar to what most wireless earbuds – not great. Be sure to watch the video for a quick sound bite on what that sounds like.
Wrapping up
Overall, I’m very impressed with the features that are packed into the $120 Edifier TWS NB. It provides fun sound in combination with great ANC and also the option for ambient sound – that is kind of the best of both worlds. It has great battery life and solid overall build quality. I do think the design looks kind of large and dated, and I would like to have at least a few options for EQ, but you’ll probably have to pay more for those features.
Another great option with tons of EQ control, but lacking ANC, is the VISTA wireless earbuds from Jaybird. You can check out my hands-on review of those here.
Buy Edifier TWS NB
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