Edifier TWS 1 Review

Hi-Res Sound On a Budget

The Edifier TWS 1 are affordable earbuds that cater to hi-res audiophiles on a tight budget.

Big, plastic, and cheaper than most hi-res earbuds on the market right now, the Edifier TWS 1 are trying to make a bold statement. Is it possible to get excellent sounding hi-res audio like the more premium earbuds, at a fraction of the cost?

The answer is yes… and no.

There is always a but, sometimes a very big but. In the case of the Edifier TWS 1, some sacrifices had to be made.

The question here is, was it worth it?

Design

The Edifier TWS 1 earbuds are made of plastic. In your hand, they feel slippery. This can make putting them into your ear a little difficult. It doesn’t help that they are also quite large. These earbuds don’t shy away from what is clearly inspiration from the older, clunkier earphones of yesteryear.

The earbuds don’t feel flimsy, though, and the plastic makes cleaning them a breeze. Included are some different sizes of earbuds for all shapes and sizes of ears.

The included charging case is also plastic. It weighs very little and can easily be stored in your bag or pocket with ease. The case flap is magnetic and holds the earbuds firmly in place.

The earbuds feel comfortable in your ear, and the seal is decent. There is minimal sound leakage at normal volumes, so you won’t have to worry about listening to your favorite songs with the people around judging your awful or wonderful taste in music.

There are no buttons present on the earbuds. All controls are done by touch gestures, which are quite easy to use. You can control everything call and music-related with the touch controls except for the volume.

Yes, you’ll need to reach into your pocket, take out your phone and adjust the volume on your phone. You can skip tracks backwards and forward, pause music, and answer calls, but you cannot change the volume on your earbuds.

First world problems, am I right?

Sound

True wireless earbuds at this price normally don’t come with great audio. No matter what promises they make!

It doesn’t mean they sound dreadful. It just means don’t expect $300 sound quality from earbuds that are sub $100.

The earbuds provide a nicely balanced frequency range without any sounding too overbearing. The bass is a little louder than the other frequencies, standard for earbuds at this price range. They tend to cater to the larger consumer base. This means some audio masking can be expected when there are a lot of instruments in a song.

The lower mid-range is lacking some oomph. This means some lower acoustic guitars and male vocals might get lost in the mix or sound thin.

The isolation is fine if you use the correct fitting ear tips that provide a decent seal.

These headphones do have aptX support to stream hi-res audio, which helps a lot. Streaming high audio codecs like FLAC will significantly increase the listening experience.

Microphone

The microphone is good enough to be used for calls. Some reduction happens in the lower mid frequencies that might make deep male voices sound thin or robotic.

However, nothing bad enough to make them unusable.

Connectivity

These earbuds come with Bluetooth version 5 for outstanding connection quality and decent range. And connecting and pairing is easy. Remove both earbuds from the case and pair with your phone. Once paired, the earbuds will automatically connect to that device every time.

The earbuds only support connection to one device at a time, which is unfortunate, but at this price range, it’s easy to forgive them.

What you do get is QUALCOMM’s advanced true wireless connection, which provides Bluetooth range up to 10-meter without any latency or lag. This means you can leave your phone in your room, clean the whole, mow the lawn, and have a chat with the neighbor without ever missing a note.

Battery

The battery lasted us seven hours before they needed to be recharged.

The case charges with micro-USB, which is pretty much antique at this point. It is rare to find USB-C at this price point, but it would be appreciated. The earbuds take an hour and a half to fully charge when the battery runs out. The case provides three full charges.

The battery life is definitely above average for earbuds at this price range. The micro-USB is unfortunate, but Edifier put money and time into more important things, like the sound quality and supporting hi-res audio codecs.

Who Are The Edifier TWS 1 Earbuds For?

These earbuds provide decent sound quality and would be perfect for anyone who has access to hi-res audio. Either a person who has a lot of FLAC files on their device, or someone who has subscriptions with streaming apps like Deezer or Spotify and pay for the hi-res streaming on there.

Either way, these earbuds are perfect for the audiophile on a budget.

Edifier TWS 1 Pros & Cons

More Budget Options

Looking for a quality pair of earbuds on a budget? No problem, check out our in-depth reviews of the Best Earbuds under 100 Dollars. Or for something a little cheaper, then our Best Earbuds under 50 Dollars review may well be of interest?

If you’re looking for earbuds for a more specific use, our reviews of the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds, the Most Durable Earbuds, and the Best Headphones and Earbuds for Sleeping, could be what you’re looking for?

Round-Up

The Edifier TWS 1 earbuds are a win for all budget earbuds everywhere! They are affordable earbuds packed with features. They support hi-res audio, QUALCOMM’s advanced true wireless connection, and provide a decent battery life. These are some features you won’t even find in earbuds at twice the price.

The Edifier TWS 1 earbuds are a great pair of earbuds for anyone looking for a pair of earbuds they can take on holiday, to work or use at home, without worrying about breaking the bank.

Happy listening.