TWS true wireless earphones - $100 to $150
FIVE STARS - Delivering 12 hours of playtime with strong Active Noise Cancelling and great sound, the Edifier NeoDots is a unique (battery) beast.
Edifier NeoDots specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC and LDAC codec
IP55 waterproof rating (rain and dust proof)
6 - 12 hours playtime on a single charge (see review for details)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 2 times
Has: ANC, Transparency, app support, multipoint connection, gaming mode, wireless charging
Doesn't have: Spatial audio
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$100 to $130 - See price on Amazon US or your Amazon country
In and underneath this Edifier NeoDots review, you will find comparisons of the Edifier NeoDots vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2, Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro, Earfun Air Pro 4, and Nothing Ear (a).
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Design, comfort and battery life
The Edifier NeoDots is the newest model in Edifier's Neo-lineup, but it's slightly different than models before.
The Edifier NeoDots has a different shape than the previously released Edifier NeoBuds Pro and (unreviewed) NeoBuds 2.
It still has a stem design, but the stem is shorter and wider. It comes with touch panels on the side of the earbuds, which requires pinches to control them.
The flat side of the stems have a curious pattern of glossy black with glitters, but this surface looks like it's dirty.
The earpiece is round, more like the more affordable Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 and Edifier W240TN than previous NeoBuds.
The NeoDots aren't the most comfortable earphones. While it's doable to wear them for a few hours, you can always feel them sitting in your ears. Most earbuds with longer stems and oval earpieces are lighter and more comfortable.
Because of the shape, you have to twist the earbuds a little in your ears to get the best seal. Unfortunately, this can come with annoying squeeks from the rubber tips.
The stems also stick out of your ears further than average. It's painful to lay on your side with these.
Happily, they do have an IP55 waterproof rating, which protects them against rain, sweat and dust.
But there's a plus side to this size: these are absolute battery beasts - lasting up to 12 hours with Active Noise Cancelling on - on a single charge!
Even with the less battery efficient LDAC codec, they should last around 6 hours on a charge.
The charging case offers fast charging, the earbuds gain 3-5 hours of playtime from a 5 minute charge!
The charging case is bulkier than average, and looks cheaper than its price suggests. It can also be a bit tricky to take the earbuds out and put them in the correct way again.
The case can fully recharge the earbuds twice before needing new power itself. Next to USB-C, it also supports wireless charging.
The Edifier NeoDots has unmatched battery life with ANC on, offers super rapid charging when you need extra hours, and enjoys wireless case charging too. It's an absolute battery beast. It could have been more comfortable.
Controls, connectivity and app support
Strengthened by the Edifier Connex app, the Edifier NeoDots boasts all the connection options and features you come to expect for this price.
The earbuds automatically uses the AAC sound codec on iPhone and on older Android phones.
On newer Android phones that support it, Sony's LDAC codec is the default codec. Unfortunately, that's bad news for the connection strength. The connection has a shorter range and can show more hiccups.
As on all wireless earphones, I recommend disabling the LDAC codec. With the AAC codec, you barely lose sound quality, and get a stronger Bluetooth connection, longer battery life and flawless video synchronization in return.
With the AAC codec (and thus on iPhone and most Android phones), the Bluetooth connection is reliable up to 12 meters away from your device.
Or devices: the Edifier NeoDots supports dual-device multipoint connection, meaning you can connect these earphones to two devices and switch easily: just pause on one device and play on the other.
The earbuds support Google Fast Pair, which lets you connect to your Chromebook or Google TV easily when you've set it up on your Android phone.
Music also automatically pauses when you take an earbud out, and continue when you it back in.
Unfortunately, the controls aren't great - it's the biggest gripe I have with these earbuds. Out of the box, you squeeze the sides of the earbuds once to play/pause, and double-squeeze to skip or return a track. Hold to change ANC modes, and squeeze the sides three times to change the volume.
Especially when you need to squeeze the sides three times, it's likely that the earbuds will move in your ears. This causes a cheap, annoying, squeeky sound of the rubber in the ears. This can also occur when you put the earbuds in.
Happily, you can make the controls more sensitive in the Edifier ConneX app. Changing the press sensitivity from level 7 to level 10 for instance, makes controlling them a tad easier.
The app is easy to understand
Press sensitivity can increase the controls
The free Edifier Connex app on iPhone and Android improves the experience you get with the NeoDots:
Check the battery status of both earbuds and the case
Choose between ANC settings
Choose between three EQ sound presets
Create your own equalizer
(De)activate game mode
Setup the controls for the double press, triple press and hold
Choose between LDAC, LDAC with highest bitrate or disable LDAC / AAC codec
Change the press sensitivity of the touch panels
(De)activate automatic pausing and playing
(De)activate the multipoint connection
Find your earphones (login required)
Change the volume of voice prompts like ‘Connected’
Schedule when the earbuds turn off
The app is easy to use, and doesn't require an account. It also doesn't ask too many permissions on your phone. It does miss a (often gimmicky) Spatial Audio feature for a more immersive sound, however.
With automatic music pausing, multipoint connection, Google Fast Pair and comprehensive app support, the Edifier NeoDots is on par with other wireless earphones in the price range. It's shame that the controls are a bit cumbersome.
Phone and video calls
The Edifier NeoDots is a great choice for phone calls and video conferences.
The NeoDots stick a bit out of your ears
The microphones of the NeoDots pick up your voice clearly and naturally, even when when you're walking through your house, an office or on a street.
Your voice also has plenty of volume.
Your surroundings are audible in the background. The person(s) you're calling will subtly hear it when you open or close a door, when you're walking or when you take a call in traffic. Happily, your voice is still much louder.
Wind noise is audible on the line, although not too loud and not too disturbing. Your voice keeps stable.
Thanks to the multipoint connection, the NeoDots automatically switches to the device on which you receive of enter a call.
Although it's safe to take calls with the NeoDots, competitors like the OnePlus Buds 3, Earfun Air Pro 4 and Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro block more surrounding noise.
Video and games playback
The Edifier NeoDots isn't hassle-free when it comes to video playback.
The Edifier NeoDots has no trouble playing videos on iPhones or older Android phones.
However, if you have a newer Android phone that supports the LDAC audio codec, that codec is the default and the audio will not synchronize flawlessly with video. Even the specific low-latency gaming mode doesn't make up for that.
As on all wireless earphones, I recommend disabling the LDAC codec. With the AAC codec, you barely lose sound quality, and get a stronger Bluetooth connection, longer battery life and flawless video synchronization in return.
With LDAC disabled and the gaming mode activated, the sound effects in a demanding game like Call of Duty mobile synchronize very well with the action on your screen. The sound is well-balanced and engaging too.
ANC quality of the Edifier NeoDots
The Edifier NeoDots has a weak Transparency mode, but top-class Active Noise Cancelling (ANC).
Switch this slider to the left for the strongest Transparency mode
The brand already built up a solid reputation in the ANC department, with the great performing Edifier NeoBuds Pro, the unreviewed NeoBuds Pro 2, and also more affordable offerings like the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 and the older Edifier W240TN.
The Edifier NeoDots has very strong ANC for its ~120 dollar price tag.
The ANC is already quite good when you put the earbuds in your ears normally. Constant electronic humming, lower frequencies and middle sounds are suppressed very well.
Twist them in a little, and nearly all sounds around you fade away. Even a nearby radio playing on moderate volume is heavily silenced, and you won't hear much of your own keyboard typing anymore. Even sudden sounds like door slams and laughter and chatter are very well softened.
The highest sounds, like wet tire noise, can still come trough.
This is the performance with just ANC on and music off. Throw in a little music, and your surroundings disappear.
The Transparency mode isn't strong enough. You won't be able to hear traffic or conversations around you clearly when you also play music, although it improves by maximizing the setting from the app.
There's a specific Wind reduction setting for the ANC in the app, but you don't really need it. Wind noise is audible, but separated well from your audio when you use the ANC or Transparency mode.
The ANC strength is higher than that of the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Earfun Air Pro 4 and Huawei Freebuds 6i. Surprisingly, its predecessor NeoBuds Pro 2 has even slightly stronger ANC.
Sound quality of Edifier NeoDots
The Edifier NeoDots aren't as bass heavy as the NeoBuds Pro and NeoBuds Pro 2, but they deliver a rich and enaging sound.
The NeoDots doesn't have the bulbous, thick bass of the NeoBuds Pro and NeoBuds Pro.
The sub-bass, so the darkest bass you can feel as much as hear, isn't as intrusive as on the previous models. It's capable of a tight and deep rumble in James Blake's ideal test track Limit to Your Love, but it's also controlled well. It's not there by default, it's there when it's called for.
I think this might be better for most people - but if you crave a big, ever-present, ever-rumbling bass, the previous NeoBuds Pro's are better fit.
The mid-bass delivers solid and tight thumps. They energize but never push other parts of the music away.
Lower mid-tones like darker electronic tones and lower instruments are slightly boosted. This increases the sense of flow in modern genres like electronic pop, techno and various other dance genres.
Center mid-tones, like guitar and piano play, also have good presence. They sound fairly natural, subtly leaning more towards the lower-mids than the treble.
From the lowest male vocals to the highest female outhauls, vocals impress. They sound natural, are gently more forward than instruments, and have all the space they need to reach lower and higher notes. In higher quality recordings, it's easily possible to hear breath gasps. Vocals feel detailed and nuanced.
Treble is clear and well-behaved. Instruments like violins, trumpets and cymbals sound natural and moderately textured. Highs roll off before they can become sharp and harsh.
There's solid separation between instruments and frequencies in the sound. Definitely more space than on the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro - although not as much air as on the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+.
The NeoDots maintains its sound character well on the higher volumes - whether you're using the AAC or LDAC codec. The very highest volumes can show a little bit of sibilance (sss-emphasis), however.
The NeoDots go from very soft to loud enough - sweet.
The sound of the NeoDots has a subtle and comfortable warm tonality.
The sound is less warm and has noticeable more clarity and space than the first ANC earbuds from the brand (the Edifier TWS NB and Edifier TWS NB2), but the sound has a warmer character than the excellent budget offering Edifier TWS1 Pro2.
Even when you change from Classic preset to the Heavy Bass equalizer preset in the app, the bass stays more on the surface than the previous Neo-models. The setting does increase the thumping force somewhat, but not so much bass depth or longevity.
Mostly, the Heavy Bass preset takes emphasis away from the center mid-tones, and shoves its focus towards lower mid-tones and vocals - creating a more energetic although less balanced ‘V-shaped’ sound. It can be a tad too thin on electronic songs with high vocal leads.
A slight annoyance perhaps: it takes a second for the sound to appear on both earbuds right after you put them in - only playing on one earbud first.
The Edifier NeoDots is yet another great sounding pair of earphones around the 100 dollars mark, delivering a rich and engaging sound. Check out the comparisons below for the small differences with the best competitors.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Edifier NeoDots comparisons
Edifier NeoDots vs Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro
The Edifier NeoDots has slightly stronger ANC than the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro, which in return has a more effective Transparency mode. The Soundcore already offers 8 hours playtime on a single charge, but the Edifier battery triumphs over it, offering even 4 hours more!
The Soundcore represses noises in phone calls better, and it has more unique options - like setting up a safe maximum volume level or control the ANC strength from the case. Or ensure the sound mutes when you talk. It's also more comfortable to wear.
In the sound department, the Soundcore has a more impactful bass, but it also sounds more closed-in. The Edifier has clearer vocals and more air; its treble is more engaging.
$100 to $130 - See price on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Edifier NeoDots vs Earfun Air Pro 4
At around 80 dollars instead of Edifier NeoDots 100 to 130 dollars price, the Earfun Air Pro 4 is a deal that's hard to overlook.
The Edifier and Earfun both have outstanding ANC that match and sometimes even outperform the AirPods Pro 2.
The Earfun controls easier and is even better in handling phone calls indoors and outside; the Edifier offers up to 4 hours more battery life on a single charge. Comfort is comparable.
The Edifier NeoDots is a better listen on the highest volumes, on which it maintains its dynamic and vivid sound, whereas treble can make the sound on the Earfun fall flat. When you listen on moderate volume, the Edifier has a more outspoken bass and more lively vocals, while the Earfun flatter and smoother. Both sound excellent for the money, however.
Around $80 on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Edifier NeoDots vs SoundPEATS Pro3 Capsule+
The SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ has a clearer, wider and airier sound than the Edifier NeoDots. The bass, lows and treble are more expressively separated from each other. Especially on moderate listening volume, this makes for a higher sense of detail.
The more forward vocals can cause spine-tingles the NeoDots can't quite grasp, even though the tonality of the NeoDots seems more natural. The SoundPEATS has a thumpier bass, the Edifier rocks a tighter bass and more pronounced lower-mids.
On the highest volumes, the SoundPEATS’ clarity can be challenging, while the NeoDots maintains its engaging character.
The Edifier has almost twice the battery life (!) and even clearer calls, while the SoundPEATS is more comfortable and controls better.
Edifier NeoDots vs Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
With no multipoint connection, no volume controls and less clear outdoor phone calls, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE doesn't seem like a match for the Edifier NeoDots. Right?
It's different in the sound department. The Edifier brings vocals more forward and has a more natural center-mid tonality, even adding some air too. The Samsung shines in its lower-mids presence and bass depth, and it also refrains from the small sibilance that the Edifier shows on the highest volumes - making me fall back to the Buds FE a couple of times when I listened to the Edifier on active volume levels.
As these are both so good, it's more of a taste thing than a quality difference - although it helps that the Buds FE is quite a bit cheaper.
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Edifier NeoDots vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
The Edifier NeoDots is more of a one-size-fits-all offering next to the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2, but when you love bass...
The (unreviewed) Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 has a vaster, stronger, ever-present and ever-rumbling bass that it took from the first Edifier NeoBuds Pro and now misses from the NeoDots.
The NeoDots has a friendlier sound, with a better controlled bass. It has more separation between the frequencies, and especially on moderate volume, individual musical details speak more freely on the NeoDots. The NeoBuds Pro 2 can be a little congested there.
Surprisingly, the NeoBuds Pro 2's ANC is even a little bit stronger, and its controls and comfort are on a higher level too. The case has a nicer finish as well. The NeoDots knocks its out of the park when it comes to Bluetooth stability when you're using the the LDAC codec, and it boasts more than double the battery life.
No separate Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 review
Around $130 - Buy on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Verdict: Edifier NeoDots
The Edifier NeoDots is another great pair of wireless earphones around the 100 dollars mark. It has all the features you could desire from its price point early in 2025: strong ANC, multipoint connection, clear calls and good app support.
Not to mention it sounds excellent too, and has a fantastic battery life.
But when the market is so competitive as it is, you have to pinpoint differences. In this case, it's the sometimes sluggish squeezing controls that stand in the way of the ultimate score.
4.5 STARS - Great
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I received the Edifier NeoDots from Edifier to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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