Price at time of review: $129.99/£120 (I’ve seen them as low as $80/ £89.99).
Audio That Highlights the Finer Details
I’ve made no secret about how much I adore Edifier’s other earphones, the NeoBuds Pro 2. I’m someone who will normally always go with headphones over earphones due to the difference in quality. But the NeoBuds changed that thanks to some seriously killer audio prowess.
How do the NeoDots compare? It all depends what you’re after. Straight out of the box, the NeoDots won’t sound particularly impressive. That’s because these buds need to be tuned, either with the Edifier ConneX app or with my personal favorite Android music player, PowerAmp. Once you’ve set up an equalizer to your liking, that’s where these earphones come alive.
Whereas I the NeoBuds are better suited to a variety of genres, the flatter nature of the NeoDots means bass-heavy music will feel somewhat lacking. Bass exists, and offers a nice hum, but it lacks any punch. Rap, in particular, sounds slightly more lifeless in comparison. Vocals also suffer from some slight distortion at higher volumes, too. Especially on ‘S’ and ‘Ch’ sounds.
If this is sounding bad, don’t panic. There’s more going on here than you might expect. The flatter profile means the NeoDots are capable of picking up on sounds you wouldn’t normally hear. Harps, piano, and guitars ring out in a satisfying cacophony.
It was the song Closer by Nine Inch Nails was the moment these earbuds won me over. Fans of the band will know the song for the hard-hitting drum opening, but the NeoBuds were able to pick up on a melody being played in the background I never knew existed until I listened to it with these earbuds.
It’s these smaller nuances the NeoDots are able to capture, and that — I suspect — is thanks to the flatter sound profile. As nothing overpowers, the smaller clicks and clanks are able to rise to the forefront with ease.
Design and Features
On the right bud you’ll find a small groove that’s your main control button and you absolutely want to go into the ConneX app and change the sensitivity up to 10. I found that at the default value of seven, multiple presses in quick succession struggled to register. At 10, though, the problem recedes somewhat, but it’s still not entirely accurate.
The NeoDots also come with a surprisingly solid ANC. You’ll still be able to hear people talking, but those unwanted noises are kept to a minimum.
For the battery life, chances are you’ve seen “56 hours” being thrown around. Just to be clear, that’s 56 hours including the charging case. I averaged between 12 and 17 hours during the review period, although turning ANC off and ditching the LDAC codec can extend the battery life to its fullest.
Okay, so, the thing I’ve been most excited to write about is the excellent wearing detection tech. If you’ve ever used a pair of Sony headphones, chances are you’ve been battered by similar tech. In Sony’s case, you talk and the music stops, then it might restart at some point later. It’s an annoyance, and most people I know turn that feature off.
With the NeoDots, Edifier’s wearing detection is one of the best I’ve ever played with. I often need to take my buds out to talk to my wife, kids, or answer the door, and the wearing detection never failed. Not once. I take a bud out, the music stops. I put it back in, it resumes. No muss, no fuss. Not only are the NeoDots comfortable, they also actually do what they claim to!
Alternatives to Consider
The first obvious choice to consider are the NeoBuds Pro 2, but given the vastly more impressive battery life found in the NeoDots — five hours with ANC on for the NeoBuds versus 12 hours plus a larger battery in the case of the NeoDots — there’s very little reason to pick the Buds over the Dots.
There is also the Hecate GX05 if your primary purpose is gaming, but they too feature a fairly flat sound profile.
Personally, if you want the best of the best, the Stax Spirit S3 still holds up today. They are pricier, but if you want headphones with an expressive sound profile, those are the ones to go with, especially if you can grab them while they’re on sale.
Verdict
The Edifier NeoDots are a solid choice if you’re after a set of earbuds that won’t break the bank. The price puts them firmly in the lower-midrange bracket, and for the cost, they’re hard to beat.
The biggest factor here is that the NeoDots are a listener feedback-fuelled refinement over the previous NeoBuds Pro 2. The sound profile is similar, but the area most found problems with — the battery life — has been upgraded considerably to bring them in line with other brands.
The lack of head-rattling bass may put some off, but if you’re after a clean profile that leaves room for audio to breathe, the NeoDots come easy to recommend.
Disclosure: Review unit provided by PR on behalf of Edifier. To learn more about our review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
