Coming this July, the new Edifier Neobuds Pro S promise to deliver 24-bit 96 kHz audio with 45% less latency than other wireless earbuds. It’s one of the first notable products to utilize Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound codec, and in theory, it should match the quality of wired headphones.
Edifier is no stranger to high-res audio codecs. As TechRadar notes, it experimented with LDAC and LHDC in the original Neobuds Pro. But Snapdragon Sound should offer more stability than other hi-res codecs, at least according to Qualcomm.
The drawback, of course, is that very few phones actually support Snapdragon Sound. But the Edifier Neobuds Pro S should sound good even on lower-quality codecs—the specs are pretty sweet.
Unfortunately, Edifier hasn’t published any English-language information on the Neobuds Pro S (aside from some information it sent to TechRadar). But these earbuds went on sale in China last March, so the specs and features are available on Edifier’s Chinese website.
Neobuds Pro S use Knowles drivers for a 20Hz~40KHz frequency response. They support both Transparency and ANC modes (with -42dB of noise reduction), plus aptXTM Voice technology for crystal-clear phone calls.
The earbuds last up to 6 hours on a charge (5.5 hours with ANC enabled). Paired with the charging case, you’re looking at a total 25 hours of battery life (or 21.5 hours with ANC). Notably, an IP54 certification ensures protection against dust and moisture.
Here’s an interesting thing; you can actually change the color of the Neobuds Pro S charging indicator. It doesn’t look like Edifier told TechRadar about this feature, though. Let’s hope it wasn’t axed for the global release.
Edifier’s Neobuds Pro S launch in the United States this July. They cost $180, which is significantly more than the original Neobuds Pro. Presumably, Edifier hopes to compete with products like the AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4.
