Edifier NeoBuds Planar True Wireless Earphones Review

When the Edifier NeoBuds Planar true wireless earphones arrived for testing last month, I was genuinely intrigued.

Planar magnetic drivers – technology typically reserved for high-end audiophile headphones – miniaturised into wireless earbuds? This promised to be something special.

And in many ways, it is. These earbuds deliver exceptional clarity and detail that are rare in the wireless world, alongside support for nearly every high-resolution codec available. The unusual button placement took some getting used to, but has its advantages, while the signature LED-lit case remains as eye-catching as ever.

They’re not without their compromises, though – particularly when it comes to bass response, battery times – and their premium price point.

I’ve put them through their paces on commutes, during workouts, and for calls and listening sessions to see if Edifier’s audio experiment truly delivers.

Who Are The NeoBuds Planar For?

The wireless earphones market is getting more crowded by the day, with brands trying to carve out their own niches.

Edifier – the Chinese audio specialists who have made a name for themselves with speakers, soundbars, and earphones – have been steadily building their reputation in this space.

Their NeoBuds line has gained a loyal following, and now they’re taking things up a notch with the NeoBuds Planar – earbuds that, as the name suggests, feature planar magnetic drivers instead of the traditional dynamic drivers found in most earphones.

But what exactly are planar magnetic drivers? In simple terms, they use a flat diaphragm suspended between magnets, rather than the cone-shaped diaphragm of dynamic drivers.

This design is prized by audiophiles for delivering more precise, detailed sound with less distortion – technology that’s typically found in high-end over-ear headphones, not tiny earbuds.

The NeoBuds Planar represent Edifier’s attempt to bring this premium audio technology to the true wireless market, differentiating them from their own NeoBuds Pro lineup.

Where the Pro models aim to balance sound quality with features at a mid-range price point, these Planar earphones are targeting a more discerning listener who prioritises audio fidelity above all else.

In theory, you’d choose these over the regular NeoBuds Pro if you’re after that extra level of audio detail and clarity. The planar drivers should deliver more accurate sound reproduction, particularly in the mid and high frequencies, with cleaner separation between instruments.

There’s just one rather significant caveat, though – planar magnetic technology doesn’t come cheap. These earphones sit at a notably higher price point than Edifier’s other offerings, pushing them into premium territory where they face stiff competition from established brands.

The question, then, is whether the audio performance justifies the premium price tag.

While there are certainly some impressive aspects to these earbuds, the value proposition isn’t quite as clear-cut as Edifier might have hoped, especially with the weak bass (more on that later) and the limited battery times.

They’ve created something technically interesting, but the price-to-performance ratio might leave all but the most dedicated audio enthusiasts looking elsewhere – at least until the price comes down a bit.

Using The Edifier Planar Earphones

Size and Comfort

Open the box of the NeoBuds Planar, and you’ll find yourself looking at a familiar Edifier setup, though with a few tweaks to the formula.

This time around, you get five sizes of ear tips ranging from Extra Small to Extra Large. That’s a step down from the generous seven sizes that came with the NeoBuds Pro 2, but let’s be honest – five options should be more than enough for most people to find their perfect fit.

The case follows Edifier’s now-signature design, complete with that eye-catching LED light bar across the front.

It’s still one of the more distinctive case designs on the market – a little sci-fi touch that makes these earphones stand out from the crowd of anonymous white or black cases.

If you’re the type who appreciates a bit of visual flair in your tech, you’ll likely appreciate this little design flourish (and you can change the colour of the light bar with Edifier’s app).

That said, the case for the Planar model is a bit bulkier and heavier than its predecessors. Given the increased heft, you might expect this larger case to house a more substantial battery – but unfortunately, that’s not quite the case (pun intended).

The earbuds themselves have a reasonably comfortable fit, though as with any earphones, your mileage may vary depending on your ear shape. Personally, I had no problem sitting with them in my ears for hours – they’re convenient and very light.

I usually just go with the eartips that come pre-installed (usually medium) – but in this case, taking the time to try those different ear tip sizes is important – not just for comfort, but for sound quality too.

A proper seal makes all the difference, especially with these planar magnetic drivers that require optimal positioning to deliver their best performance – the bass will certainly improve if you get the perfect seal and fit.

Pairing And Controlling The NeoBuds Planar

When it comes to controls, the NeoBuds Planar takes quite a different approach from… well, most other earbuds on the market today.

Instead of the now-standard touch controls on the outer surface, Edifier has placed physical buttons on the stem part of the earbuds. If you’re like me, you’ll probably spend your first few minutes with these wondering if you’ve somehow received a defective pair as you tap fruitlessly at the outer portion.

A quick glance at the manual reveals the truth – you need to squeeze the stem instead.

This unconventional button placement does have its advantages. For one, you’ll experience far fewer accidental presses compared to touch-sensitive earbuds. We’ve all been there – adjusting an earbud only to inadvertently pause your music, or taking them out of the case and triggering some random function. That’s simply not an issue here.

Another benefit is that you’re not jamming the earbuds deeper into your ear canal every time you need to skip a track or adjust the volume – a common complaint with traditional earbud controls.

However, there’s a rather significant trade-off. The stem buttons aren’t particularly easy to press, especially when you need to perform double or triple clicks.

It requires a deliberate pinching motion that never quite feels natural, and can be a bit fiddly when you’re on the move. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means – I adapted to it quickly enough – but it does feel like a step backwards in terms of convenience.

Pairing is straightforward, following the standard Bluetooth procedure we’ve come to expect, and there’s Multi-Point support, so you can pair two devices at the same time (your laptop and your phone, for example).

Do note that Edifier has a new companion app called “Edifier Connex” for the Planar model, rather than their older Connect app.

The app gives you all the usual options – you can reassign button functions, adjust EQ settings, toggle ANC modes, and even change the colour of that fancy LED light on the case.

As with Edifier’s other models, you can’t change the setting for the Single press (which is reserved for playing and stopping), but you do get to control the Double Press, Triple Press and Press and Hold (separately on each side).

The in-ear detection is overly enthusiastic: Take an earbud out, and your music pauses – that’s great. But by default, the earbuds take it upon themselves to start blasting audio the moment you put them in your ears, even if you’ve just taken them out of the case and haven’t actually played anything yet.

It’s a bit jarring when you’re just wanting to wear them for a moment without audio. Thankfully, you can change this behaviour in the settings to only pause music (when removed) without automatically resuming playback.

Audio Quality And ANC

Here’s where we get to the heart of the matter with the NeoBuds Planar – those fancy planar magnetic drivers that promise to elevate your listening experience. And in many ways, they deliver.

I found the audio quality to be impressively clear and clean. There’s a level of detail here that you don’t often find in wireless earbuds, with excellent separation between instruments and vocals.

The midrange is particularly well-handled, with voices coming through with stunning clarity.

But there’s a rather significant “but” here – the bass. Despite all the technical prowess, these earbuds are surprisingly light on low-end punch. Very light, in fact.

You can certainly boost it using the EQ settings in the app, and making sure you have a proper seal with the right ear tips helps too. But even with these adjustments, if you’re someone who enjoys music with a solid bass foundation, you might find yourself a bit disappointed.

Take Lorde’s What Was That for example. When I tested this track, the vocals came through clear and defined, sitting comfortably on top of the sparkly synths and crispy high end.

But the track’s bass, which ideally should be punchy and satisfying, felt a tad anaemic out of the box – a bit of custom EQ helped, but it definitely needs that extra tweaking to fully deliver.

With Michael Jackson’s classic Billie Jean, the earbuds handled the iconic rhythm and groove pretty solidly, maintaining a clean and precise midrange.

Still, the bassline, which usually feels deep and punchy, comes off thinner here, leaving the overall experience somewhat less impactful.

Adjusting the EQ helped bring out more low end again, but even then, the fullness you’d hope for is not entirely there.

It’s worth noting that the NeoBuds Planar support an impressive array of high-resolution codecs, including LDAC, LHDC, aptX, and aptX Lossless.

This is definitely a plus if you have a compatible device and access to hi-res audio sources.

As for the Active Noise Cancellation, I’ve learned by now not to expect too much from tiny true wireless earbuds, regardless of their cost (except for a few spectacular – and expensive – models from Sony and Samsung).

That being said, these do about what you would expect, and then some – they certainly muffle the sounds outside, and as always, they work best at masking low hums like the train engine (or aeroplane).

However, you’ll still hear cars (which is a good thing, I suppose), as well as keyboard typing, etc. It’s competent but not revolutionary.

There’s now also an ‘Adaptive ANC’, which promises to “intelligently adjust to your surroundings, effectively blocking out distractions and delivering a fully immersive listening experience.”

But frankly, I couldn’t hear much difference between this and the regular ANC setting. Perhaps it’s working its magic behind the scenes, but the effect isn’t dramatic enough to notice in everyday use.

Call quality is decent enough for everyday conversations. The six-mic system does a reasonable job of isolating your voice, though I probably wouldn’t rely on these for important business calls in very noisy environments.

In the end, the audio quality of the NeoBuds Planar is a bit of a mixed bag. If you value clarity, detail, and a clean sound profile above all else, you’ll likely be impressed.

But if you’re looking for that visceral bass impact that makes certain genres truly come alive, you might want to look elsewhere – or at least be prepared to spend some time tweaking the EQ settings.

Battery Times

Battery life is one of those specs that can make or break wireless earbuds, especially for those of us who are constantly on the move.

The NeoBuds Planar offers what I’d call an adequate, if not particularly impressive, performance in this department.

With ANC turned on, you’re looking at about 5 hours of playback from the earbuds themselves, with an additional 15 hours from the charging case.

Switch ANC off, and those numbers increase to 7.5 hours from the buds and 22.5 hours total with the case.

These figures are certainly an improvement over the NeoBuds Pro 2, which offered just 4 hours with ANC on. But in the wider context of today’s true wireless market, where some competitors are pushing 8-10 hours per charge from the earbuds alone, the NeoBuds Planar sits firmly in the middle of the pack.

On the bright side, the quick-charge feature is genuinely useful. A 15-minute charge will give you about 2 hours of playback time, which can be a lifesaver when you’re heading out the door and realise your earbuds are running low.

The case also supports wireless charging, which is always a welcome convenience, allowing you to simply place it on a charging pad rather than hunting for a cable.

In my daily use, I found the battery life sufficient for most scenarios – commuting, gym sessions, and a few hours of work. But for long-haul flights or extended periods away from a power source, you might find yourself wishing for a bit more endurance from these earbuds.

Bottom Line: Are The NeoBuds Planar Worth It?

After spending time with Edifier’s NeoBuds Planar, I’m left with mixed feelings. There’s no denying the technical achievement here – squeezing planar magnetic drivers into wireless earbuds is no small feat, and the audio clarity they deliver is genuinely impressive.

For listeners who prioritise detail, clean separation, and a more analytical sound profile, these earbuds have a lot to offer. The extensive codec support is another major plus.

However, the price-to-performance ratio is where things get complicated. These sit firmly in premium territory, yet some aspects – notably the bass response, ANC performance, and battery life – don’t quite match what you’d expect at this price point.

The unconventional button placement is also something to consider. While it prevents accidental touches, the learning curve and slightly awkward pressing mechanism might frustrate some users.

Ultimately, the NeoBuds Planar represent an interesting step in wireless earbud evolution, but perhaps not a decisive one.

They’re for the audio enthusiast who’s intrigued by planar magnetic technology in a portable form factor and doesn’t mind paying a premium for that experience – even if it comes with a few compromises.

For most listeners, though, there are other options in both the mid-range and premium categories that might offer a more balanced combination of features, performance, and price.

The NeoBuds Planar is a specialist tool rather than an all-rounder – impressive in specific ways, but not necessarily the best choice for everyone.

Note: The earphones were supplied by the manufacturer for this review. As always, this did not influence my unbiased opinion of the product.