I absolutely adore music, so I’m always hunting for the best earbuds. I’ve tested audiophile-quality headphones that make songs I’ve heard 100 times before sound completely fresh, and at the other end of the spectrum, earbuds so terrible that it made me full-body cringe.
The Edifier NeoBuds Planar could’ve fallen into the first category. For a pair of wireless earbuds, the detail translation is pretty fantastic, especially for certain genres like classical and ambient. I was super excited to review them and get stuck in.
However, these magnetic driver-ed earbuds only received a measly 3-star rating in my review. Why, I hear you ask? If the detail was swoon-worthy, why just 3 stars?
I’ll give you a spoiler: it starts with t and ends with f. Due to the tariff on Chinese goods, the NeoBuds’ price increased from a reasonable $199 (its price in the U.K. and E.U.) to a cartoon-head-exploding $299.
AirPods, QuietComforts, WF-1000XM5 — I challenge thee to a duel
At this massive $299 price point, the Edifier NeoBuds Planar are more expensive than some of the best earbuds around. Take a look at this price comparison.
|
Edifier NeoBuds Planar |
Apple AirPods Pro 2 |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds |
Sony WF-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$299 |
$249 |
$299 |
$299 |
It’s a shame — the Edifier NeoBuds Planar have (in my opinion) been set up to fail. There’s no competition here. Why would anyone take a chance on a relatively small brand, when they could get Bose QuietComfort Ultras for the same price?
If the Edifier NeoBuds Planar were their intended (pre-release, pre-tariff) price of $199, they might stand a chance. Purchasing the NeoBuds Planar rather than the QuietComfort Ultras would’ve been a massive $100 saving.
I gave the NeoBuds Planar 3-stars, but I would’ve given them 3.5 or 4 had they been $199. They’re great buds for detail listening, with a clean, expansive soundscape. There’s no bass, but some people don’t like overly bassy buds. Unfortunately, though, at $299 these buds might not be worth the risk.
So what’s the big deal?
Well, I suppose the big deal is that this is the first evidence of budget Chinese tech getting more expensive. Before, it was super easy to get a pair of surprisingly decent earbuds for cheap. EarFun, JLab, and Edifier’s gear usually hovers around the sub-$100 mark.
If you want a pair of AirPods or WF-1000MX5s, it’s usually been straightforward to simply get a cheap and cheerful Chinese dupe. I have personally recommended the EarFun Air 2 NC earbuds ($69) and the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones ($79). I actually prefer the Soundcore Space One Pro headphones over the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — and they’re over $200 cheaper.
But all is not lost! EarFun and JLab’s prices have not increased. Unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball in which to foresee the future, so I can’t speak long-term.
All we can do is just keep an eye on prices and do what humanity’s always done: weather the storm.
Goodbye, cheap and bountiful Chinese gear…
Or not?
Here is where we can speculate. What will the U.S. tariffs mean for consumers? The answer to that question is on everyone’s mind right now. While most of the world has had their tariff paused for 90 days, China has been slapped with a huge 145% levy.
If you’re looking to me for the answer, I regret to inform you that I don’t know for certain what’s going to happen. I’m just a humble journalist: I don’t set the prices, I simply report on them.
I did, however, reach out to a few of the Chinese brands I’ve worked with in the past. EarFun (which made a Tom’s Guide favorite: Air Pro 4 earbuds) said its prices will not increase this month. May, though, is another question.
Tribit (maker of my favorite boombox speaker, the StormBox Blast 2) echoed this sentiment and told me it’s too early to tell and will keep me updated.
On the other side of the scale, Edifier increased the MSRP of the NeoBuds Planar from $199 (pre-release) to the current $299.
Whether or not other Chinese audio brands will have to increase their prices is unknown. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, customers in the U.K. can get the Edifier NeoBuds Planar for £199 once they are released on April 12. £199 is a much more reasonable price — at least they’re cheaper than AirPods Pro 2.
