Summary
TheEdifier LolliClip TWS Earbudsare not your everyday wireless buds. Designed to sit just outside your inner ear, Edifier’s take on the semi-in-ear genre wasn’t perfect by any means, but I was able to walk away from my tests with a fair list of likes.
Edifier LolliClip
The Edifier LolliClip TWS Earbuds may not fit the way your other earbuds do, but this semi-in-ear product can certainly hold its own when it comes to bass and overall volume levels.
Price and Availability
As of the publication of this review, the Edifier LolliClip TWS Earbuds sell for $130 and are sold on Amazon. You’ll also have your choice of black or white colorways. (I was sent the former for testing.)
An Interesting Fit and Finicky Touch Controls
I hate to start with complaints right out of the gate, but I think the Edifier LolliClip has one of the silliest-looking charging cases I’ve seen in a while. It’s bigger than it needs to be (in my opinion), and the cheap plastic build makes the product feel a bit like baby’s first earbuds. That being said, the case functions correctly, and the front-facing LED indicator is helpful in keeping tabs on pairing status and battery life.
As for the LolliClip buds themselves, I actually thought these semi-in-ears looked pretty dang cool. The earbuds’ multi-curvature, silicone ear hooks are designed to grip your auricles, the artist formerly known as earlobes. It took me a minute to figure out how to get the buds on my ears, but once I did, it was easy to adjust them. That being said, because of the hook design, my ears immediately felt fatigued, which had me constantly readjusting the buds.
I also had one heck of a time trying to get touch controls to register. Controls are mapped to touch points on the back of each earbud hook, with double and triple taps being the two types of gestures. There’s actually a gesture sensitivity setting in the Edifier ConneX app (available forAndroidandiPhone), but this didn’t seem to do much; neither did the factory reset I put the earbuds through.
Eventually, I was able to get commands working, though. But, on the upside, the LolliClip wear detection was very responsive. I also liked that you can use either bud as a left or right channel interchangeably.
The Edifier LolliClip is IP56-rated for dust and water resistance, so a trip to the gym or a walk on a rainy day won’t ruin your earbuds. In addition to the buds and case, the box should also include a USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable and user manuals.
A Pleasant Surprise When It Comes to Sound Quality
The Edifier LolliClip is equipped with 13mm dynamic drivers with titanium-coated composite diaphragms and a unique, directional acoustics system that guides audio to your inner ear. The earbuds also run on Bluetooth version 5.4 and support the SBC, AAC, and Sony LDAC audio formats.
I thought the LolliClip buds delivered the best kind of left-right imaging that semi-in-ears can achieve. From one music genre to the next, the LolliClip’s default sound profile did a nice job at enunciating highs and mids when called for while also delivering a surprising amount of bass. Seriously, these buds rivaled some of the top in-ears with ANC I’ve tested in the past.
Tracks likeAstral BodyandExtremophile Eliteby the progressive metal act Between the Buried and Me sounded fresh and new, and I’ve been listening to this album for well over 10 years. With all the guitar riffs on display, it’s hard to focus on Dan Briggs’ bass playing inanyBTBAM song, so it was a treat for me that the LolliClip spotlighted his instrumentation.
Pop tracks like Ariana Grande’sTwilight Zone, advertised on Apple Music as a Spatial Audio experience, were fun to listen to. The track’s kinetic bass received extra-fond attention from the LolliClip buds, and I must admit that spinning around in my office chair to Grande’s phased vocals was the highlight of my Saturday.
Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that these buds get nice and loud (as do these otherfantastic pairs of wireless earbuds). Just keep in mind that past the 70% volume threshold, you’ll start hearing some distortion in most mixes.
If you’re used to the tight seal of a full in-ear driver, you may not be so pleased with the overall audio experience these buds bring to the table. I was able to get used to these semi-in-ears, but there were a number of times I had to reposition them when treble or bass details suddenly dropped out.
A Solid Noise-Canceling Experience
The Edifier LolliClip use an adaptive ANC system to cancel out distracting sounds in your listening environment. When noise-canceling is turned on, the earbuds do a great job at silencing low-end drones; I was able to stand in front of my running washer, dryer, and HVAC system, and the LolliClip deadened most of the droning.
Louder mid-range and treble sounds break through in most cases. My robot vacuum is on the loud side to begin with, and the LolliClip buds couldn’t do much to block its whirring. Unfortunately, there are no adjusters in the Edifier app for increasing or decreasing ANC efficacy, and there’s also no dedicated transparency mode.
As for call quality, the LolliClip uses three noise-canceling mics to cut down on background sound. I thought the buds did a great job at keeping both the caller’s voice and my own speaking voice sharp and clear, while also removing most environmental distractions.
Enough Battery To Last the Whole Work Day
According to our pals at Edifier, the LolliClip TWS Earbuds should last up to 9 hours on a full charge, with an extra 30 hours provided by the fully charged case. There’s also a fast charge feature that nets you an additional 3 hours of playback for just 15 minutes of recharging.
While battery life is affected by factors like volume, ANC, and certain audio settings, Edifier’s lab-tested results are numbers I can stand behind considering my experience with them.
Using the Edifier ConneX App
The LolliClip buds are supported by the Edifier ConneX app, which is a handy bit of companion software that isn’t necessary, though I’d recommend downloading it. Without it, you won’t be able to customize controls or access features like Spatial Audio or the earbuds’ Game Mode (for reduced latency). You’ll also need the app if you want to set up the heart rate detection and blood oxygen detection features.
I tested the app using an iPhone 12, and I thought navigating between screens, tabs, and drop-downs was simple and intuitive.
Should You Buy the Edifier LolliClip TWS Earbuds?
TheEdifier LolliClip TWS Earbudsare a unique alternative to traditional in-ear buds that form a complete seal. The odd fit and pesky controls may be too much for some folks to deal with, but those willing to accept these conditions will be treated to solid audio and ANC capabilities.
I also recommend taking a look at our reviews of theEdifier Stax Spirit S5Planar headphones and theEdifier D32 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker.
