TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
4.5 STARS - The Edifier W240TN combines actual buttons, great battery life, and lush sound with solid active noise cancelling - making it a great option for wireless earbuds under $100.
Edifier specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3
IP55 waterproof rating (dust, water and sweat proof)
7 - 8 hours listening on a single charge (ANC on/ ANC off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$80 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Below this Edifier W240TN review, you will find comparisons of the Edifier W240TN vs Soundcore Space A40, vs Earfun Air S, Soundcore Life A3i, and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Like the recently released Soundcore Life A3i, the Edifier W240TN is a pair of stemless wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancelling, a Transparency mode and actual buttons instead of touch panels. It's a combination that sets it apart from most competitors in the market.
What also sets it apart from the competition, is the design. There's an outer layer with a gold-silver-bronze like finish, that seems to continues on the Edifier TWS NB design. It looks sturdy and original, but… with the color and the round design, it does look a bit like you put two miniature honey jars in your ears… sorry not sorry.
On the inside, the earbuds share the diagonal approach as many earbuds with stems, and rightly so. You can feel the W240TN sitting in your ears, but it's got a lovely snug and comfortable fit for medium-sized ears. Battery life is outstanding: you get up to 7 hours of playtime with ANC on, and can extend it about an hour with the function turned off. The earbuds are also IP55 waterproof, making it safe to sport and run with these - also in the rain.
The matte black charging case is a bit thick and scratches easily, but does feel sturdy and well-built. The white LED-light that glows Knight Rider-like from the left to the right when you put the earbuds in, is a very neat touch. Just like on the earbuds, LED-lights don't shine any longer than they should. The case demands new power via USB-C after charging the earbuds three times fully. Wireless charging isn't supported.
Controls and connectivity
Edifier W240TN's actual buttons are easy to operate, and don't make your earbuds move too deeply in your ears when you press them. The brand is notoriously hesitant when it comes to putting all the desired controls on your earbuds. This time around, the controls are the same on both earbuds, and as a result, the control scheme is too limited:
Press to play/ pause
Double press to skip a track
Triple press to activate the voice assistant
Press and hold to switch between ANC on (default)/ Transparency mode/ ANC off
You can alter the controls in the Edifier app for iPhone and Android, but not for each earbud independently - meaning you'll always miss out on some options. At least it’s nice to be able to switch the voice assistant for the previous track or game mode option.
Connectivity is rock solid, with a strong Bluetooth signal up to 10 meters away from your device, and the option to use one earbud instead of two - and switch at all times. Music doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out, though.
Calls, movies and Games
Hello, honey jars!
Calling is a mixed bag on the Edifier W240TN. It's certainly doable to take a phone or video call in indoor and quieter areas, as your voice sounds loud, clear, and full. Background noise is also handled well during those calls. Unfortunately, you can't say the same with wind noise or nearby and sudden sound effects. Challenging surrounding noise makes voice wonky, next to inaudible.
Video playback is great, with flawless synchronization between audio and video in all important video and social media apps on iPhone and Android. For gaming purposes, the dedicated Gaming mode does a great job of synchronizing sound effects with the action on your screen, and you're also treated to some spaciousness in the sound, meaning it's doable to detect whether gunshots are on your left or right.
App Support of Edifier W240TN
Edifier's app support has long been a bit wonky, but has improved over time. The Edifier W240TN's app support for iPhone and Android is their best yet, but the interface still takes some getting used to, with several useless taps in the app, and the useful features hidden away behind swipes and the settings-button in the upright corner.
Check the battery percentage of the left and right earbud and case
Choose between the Classic and Dynamic equalizer
Create and select a custom equalizer
(De)activate the gaming mode
Read the user manual
Turn the earbuds off
Setup a shutdown timer between 10 and 90 minutes
Change the controls for both earbuds at the same time
Reset Bluetooth or all earbud settings
The tabs in the app are useless - you need to swipe
Both standard sound equalizers sound good
You can only change controls for both earbuds at once
It's nice to be able to select two well thought-out equalizers (The Dynamic EQ being a bit bassier than the Classic EQ) and setup and save your own variant, and changing the controls is a handy feature as well.
All is well? Not on Android, unfortunately, where the app weighs heavy on your phones battery, and wants to run a widget between your notifications all the time. An annoying aspect Edifier should get rid off.
ANC Noise cancelling of Edifier W240TN
ANC quality: The Edifier W240TN has solid Active Noise Cancelling, that's on by default when you take the earbuds out of the case. It's successful in reducing all kinds of noise around you. Electronic humming and static sounds are filtered out nicely, and whether it's background traffic, a radio playing in the background, or chatter a few desks away from you: they're all heavily softened with Edifier's ANC mode.
Still, reducing doesn't mean removing noise. Darker and bass tones still come through clearest, meaning you will still hear a heavier truck accelerating nearby - or heavier voices. Some mid-tones are also easy to pickup, especially from sudden nearby sounds. Throw in some low-volume music, and it's a challenge to still hear your surroundings.
The Edifier W240TN's ANC is a good offering for the price; slightly stronger than the Soundcore Life A3i, and around the same or a bit better than the 1more ComfoBuds Pro and Soundcore Space A40.
Transparency mode quality: The Transparency mode, called Ambient sound here, passes through your environments when you need it. Surprisingly, it doesn't just amplifies the lighter tones needed to check traffic around you, but also darker and mid-tones. The effect also works neatly when you play music up to moderate volume - you'll still hear traffic and other details in a natural way.
Wind noise reduction: There's little wind noise reduction when you're using ANC or Transparency modes on this Edifier. Happily, you can also turn ANC off to minimise it.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Edifier W240TN
The Edifier W240TN doesn't just combine the best aspects of the energetic low-budget Edifier X3s, the warm Edifier TWS2 NB and the treble-intensive Edifier TWS1 Pro; it sounds better then all of them.
You can't miss how prominent vocals are on Edifiers newest earbuds. Whether it's darker male singers, female vocalists, or higher male singers: vocals take the center stage in the music. They're forward, crisp, and vibrant; just as easily dipping into the lows as reaching the higher notes. That is: highs within comfortable listening levels. While treble is clear and lively in reproducing both vocals and brighter instruments like violins or cymbals, highs cut off before they have the chance of sounding sharp or too bright - with the exception of the single highest volume level. Not many wireless earbuds manage handle this well.
While not as forward as vocals, other parts of the mid-tones aren't ruled out. At all. Center-mids have a surprising bit of thickness to them, but still a natural tonality, presenting acoustic guitars and piano play in a lush manner. Lower mid-tones are more clearly boosted, giving drums and darker electronic tones strong presence and a nice bit of texture. On the whole, mids on the Edifier W240TN sound rich - further helped by above-average separation between instruments. In higher quality recordings, it has no problem positioning instruments on your left and right in its non-expansive but certainly not small soundstage.
Bass is the most straightforward part of the sound. The mid-bass delivers steady thumps, not too quickly, not too muddy. Acoustic basses sound full and clear, while the biggest bass lovers may seek a little more pumping power for dance, techno, or hip-hop. This goes for both the Classic and Equalizer setting in the app, although you can manually add extra bass. Sub-bass, too, is a little on the surface, providing some controlled, but not a very deep rumble in James Blake's great test track Limit To Your Love. It also reduces a little in strength with ANC turned off.
The Edifier W240TN may not have the deep bass of the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 or the mid-microdetail of the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, but it is one of the best all-round sounding ANC earphones under $100.
Edifier W240TN comparisons
Edifier W240TN vs Soundcore Space A40
At 20 dollars more, the Soundcore Space A40 has around the same strong Active Noise Cancelling as the Edifier W240TN. The Edifier puts your voice through louder and clearer in phone calls, also when there's some noise around you. The Edifier also puts more effort into treble in its music - although that doesn't mean it sounds better. The Soundcore has a lusher sound, with more boosted lower-mids, fuller and more dynamic vocals, and a more articulated bass. The Space A40 is also easier to sleep with as it doesn't stick as far out of your ears - a great combination with its usable ANC.
Soundcore Space A40 review ($100)
Edifier W240Tn vs Earfun Air S
The Edifier W240TN has stronger Active Noise Cancelling and a more balanced, yet thicker and richer sound than the comparably priced Earfun Air S. The Earfun has a bigger upper-mids bump and sounds more energetic, but sometimes also a tad too hot in the higher treble regions; the Edifier controls this part better, like it also controls mid-bass better - delivering steady thumps instead of Earfuns big bass. There are good reasons to prefer the Earfun over the Edifier, though: the Earfun performs even slightly better in phone and video calls with noise around you, and has flawless multipoint connection, letting you seemingly switch between two connected devices.
Earfun Air S review ($70)
Edifier W240TN vs Soundcore Life A3i
The Soundcore Life A3i and Edifier W240TN are direct competitors in every way. They both cost around $70, have actual buttons and bring the same features to the table. There are some differences: the Soundcore app includes more equalizers, while Edifiers ANC is slightly stronger. When it comes to sound, the Life A3i has stronger mid-bass thumps and more emphasis on upper-mids, not just the vocals which the Edifier so clearly picks out. The Soundcore extends highs further, making it more uplifting for dance and techno genres, if a little harsher. The Edifier tames treble earlier, and puts more weight into the center-mids, which sounds lusher and fuller.
Edifier W240TN vs Cambridge Audio
So you want lush mids on a budget? If you can cope with the very specific fit of the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, and can deal with the hard presses the actual buttons require, you can't pass it. The Melomania sounds even richer and more lush, presenting you with positioned microdetails the Edifier or any other sub-$100 wireless earbud can't quite grasp. Vocals are more forward on the W240TN, but excellent separation makes them come out just as good on the Melomania 1+, which also puts more texture in the lower-mids, and has a deeper sub-bass. The Edifier is better for calls, and actually has Active Noise Cancelling - but you could make another decision based on sound quality alone.
Verdict
The Edifier W240TN combines actual buttons, great battery life, and lush sound with solid active noise cancelling - making it a great option for wireless earbuds under $100.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Edifier W240TN/ check price:
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Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on other Amazon countries
I received the Edifier W240TN from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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