Wireless or wired? Headphones or earbuds? What do you prefer? Personally, for the most part, I prefer wireless earbuds whereas the kids seem to prefer headphones, wired or wireless. Whether it’s earbuds or headphones, I think that wireless is the best option, despite having battery limitations. I have been using true wireless earbuds for years now and love them, no wires to untangle or getting in the way and certainly no broken cables (I have broken several cables over the years by catching the wire on things – usually door handles). Plus, they are less conspicuous to wear when out and about.
Over the years, I have tried out several different true wireless earbuds from Edifier – I have always found Edifier to be excellent quality in terms of sound, style, build quality and they are certainly value for money. If you are looking for your first set of true wireless earbuds or looking to replace old ones, I have been using Edifier’s newest addition to their range, the TWS1 Pro 2 True Wireless Earbuds and I can highly recommend these – I loved their predecessor, the TWS1 Pro, but I think that this upgrade is definitely an improvement as they are the most comfortable yet with excellent sound and fantastic noise cancellation.
In the box:
- TWS1 Pro 2 Earbuds
- Charging Case
- Four Sets of Ear Tips (XS/S/M/L)
- USB-C Charging Cable (no wall plug supplied)
- User Guide
The Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 True Wireless Earbuds are a simple yet elegant design, available in black, white or blue. They are slightly smaller than their predecessor (as is the charging case) – a great size for keeping in your pocket. The earbuds weigh approximately 4g each, the charging case weighs approximately 42g – 50g in total.
The earbuds are housed in a small protective case that also charges them; it has its own rechargeable battery so that you can charge the earbuds when not using them, wherever you are. The charging case features a hinged lid with magnetic closing which does an excellent job of keeping the case closed but is still easy to open when needed. Each earbud has their own space within the case and are also held in magnetically – no rattling around in the case and a secure fit for charging. The case also features a small LED indicator light (pairing, charging, low battery etc.) and a pairing button on the side. It also has a USB-C connection on the back of the case to allow charging – charging (with the earbuds in the case) takes approximately 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds. Once charged, you will get between 4-24 hours usage before you need to charge the case again (more on that later).
Features:
- Active noise cancellation with multiple ANC modes
- Playback time up to 24 hours
- Built-in microphone for high-quality calls
- Wearing detection
- Low latency with game mode
- Customised control via Edifier Connect APP
- IP54 Rating: Dust and Splash Proof
- Bluetooth v5.3
- SBC Audio Codec
Pairing the TWS1 Pro 2 earbuds to your device (phone or tablet) is simple. On first use, when the case is opened the earbuds go into pairing mode so it is just a case of turning on Bluetooth on your device and selecting the earbuds – they will pair in seconds. If like me, you want to use them on different devices (I use with my phone, tablet and laptop) you will need to pair them each time you want to switch devices. This is really simple. With the earbuds in the charging case, open the lid (this powers them on), press and hold the button on the side of the case for three seconds (the indicator LED on the front of the case will start to blink red and white) and then select the earbuds from your Bluetooth device list – it all takes a few seconds and is so easy and fuss free.
Once the earbuds are paired with a device, each time that you take the earbuds out of their case they will automatically be connected to that device (as long as it is switched on and within range).
When you have finished using the earbuds, pop them back in the charging case and close the lid. Closing the lid powers them off and if there is charge still left in the case it will start to charge the earbuds.
The earbuds are fitted with the medium sized ear tips by default, and these fit my ears perfectly and comfortably. But that won’t necessarily be the same for everybody. In the box are also 3 more sets of ear tips in XS, S and L sizes and are easy to change to get the correct fit for your ear (they just pull off and the new ones push on). Once you have the correct size ear tips you should be able to push the earbuds into your ears, give them a little twist and obtain a secure fit. With the medium size I can comfortably walk, run and even shake my head around and the earbuds don’t feel like they are going to fall out.
Now that I seem to have rambled on for ages, what do they sound like? Well, I think the sound quality for music, video and gaming is excellent – crisp and clear and with some good bass and top-end volume. No distortion at all. As for the sound when on calls, I’ve had no complaints and callers can hear me perfectly. That’s the default sound quality straight out of the box with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) turned OFF and other settings changed.
As well as being able to turn the noise cancellation off, the earbuds feature 4 microphones (2 on each earbud) giving different options for ANC mode: High Noise Cancellation, Low Noise Cancellation, Wind Reduction and Ambient Sound with a noise cancellation performance up to -42dB.
- High Noise Cancellation: perfect for using in high noise situations (public transport etc.), blocking out external noises so that you can enjoy your listening experience.
- Low Noise Cancellation: perfect for using in low noise situations (in the street, shopping mall or coffee shop etc.), blocking out external noises so that you can enjoy your listening experience.
- Wind Reduction: minimises wind noises making it perfect for when out running, riding or windy weather.
- Ambient Sound: perfect for being able to listen to your favourite music whilst still being able to hear traffic noise and announcements at train stations etc. This helps you still enjoy your music whilst staying alert of your surroundings.
The battery life on the earbuds depends on how you use them. After fully charging the earbuds and the charging case you can get up to 24 hours usage from them. If you do not use ANC modes you can get up to 6 hours continuous use from the earbuds and another 18 hours from the charging case (3 charges), giving a total of up to 24 hours depending on volume levels, type of music etc. If you turn on any of the ANC modes, you will get up to 4 hours continuous use from the earbuds and up to another 12 hours from the charging case, again depending on settings. Placing the earbuds in the charging case for just 10 minutes will give you enough charge for up to one hour use.
Using the earbuds is simple. They are equipped with capacitive touch controls (works first time most of the time). The left earbud is used to turn on/off ANC, ambient and gaming modes, and for answering telephone calls. Tapping the centre of the earbud 2 or 3 times will change options (or answer/hang up calls when phone ringing). The right earbud allows you to pause and skip tracks as well as also allowing you to answer/hang up phone calls. These controls are customisable using the free Edifier Connect App (available from Google Play / App Store for Android and iPhone). Another great feature of the earbuds is that they have an infrared sensor so that whilst listening to your favourite music, if you remove one from your ear it will pause the track and play again once the earbud is put back in.
The earbuds also have an IP54 splashproof rating, protecting them against dust, rain and sweat. You can exercise without the worry of them getting damaged. Just remember to dry them before putting them in the charging case.
And if you love playing games on your phone, pop them into gaming mode. With optimized audio transmission and ultra low latency, gamers have a vastly improved visual to sound experience, no lag between audio and what happens on the screen.
Overall, I love the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds. I love that they are slightly smaller than their predecessors and the sound is excellent with a better bass. They are very comfortable to wear, especially over extended use, and the fit is excellent.
The ANC is superb and works great, I love the wind reduction setting. The Ambient mode still allows the quality of the music to come through whilst still being able to hear train announcements and crossing signals. The high and low noise cancellation modes do a fantastic job of blocking all external noises.
Taking phone calls is simple and at times is much better than not using the earbuds as the noise cancellation is superb. The voices come across crystal clear (unless the other person has bad reception).
Whilst I love these earbuds as they are really comfortable with good quality audio and features, they do have some small negatives (probably more so as I have used the TWS1 Pro). The battery life is less than their predecessors – this maybe because of the slightly smaller size (which I prefer) and the improved audio features, although 4-6 hours continued use is still enough for most people before they need charging. And I do love that the case charges the earbuds when not in use up to another 18 hours of usage (plus the 10 minute charge for 1 hour use is excellent).
The charging case is made from glossy plastic and can be scratched easily, showing up marks and fingerprints. I would have liked to see it come with a carry bag like the Edifier TWS NBS Pro.
Apart from the lower battery life than other wireless earbuds and the exclusion of a bag (although this really is my personal preference), the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds are an exceptional pair of budget-friendly wireless earbuds. They sound great when listening to all types of music, and have good bass – audiophiles may want better treble. Streaming of video is excellent and the sound is much better (richer and louder), especially when using my laptop. The ANC modes do an excellent job and the pausing of tracks when removing an earbud is great. And then there are phone calls, the sound coming through is crystal clear as are the microphones so that the person at the other end has no problems hearing or understanding you.
For a pair of true wireless earbuds under £50, the TWS1 Pro 2 are superb. Whilst the battery life isn’t as good as some others, they still do have good battery usage. An excellent pair of wireless earbuds. They even have a free, simple to use app that lets you customise controls, turn on and off functions, customise EQ sound effects for different music styles, displays how much power remains in ear earbud and has an onscreen manual (easier to read than the small booklet that comes in the box).
If you are looking for a budget-friendly set of true wireless earbuds but have a vastly superior quality than others in the same price bracket, look no further than Edifier’s TWS1 Pro 2 – they feel and look good quality, they sound great and have some excellent features.
Even though I was slightly disappointed with the battery life, probably because I was comparing it with their predecessor, I would still have to rate them 5/5 for their build quality, sound quality, ease of use, size and budget-friendly price.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £49.99
For more information, visit www.edifier.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
