Yamaha has a new set of true wireless earbuds that it claims are the smallest ones it has ever made. The $100 TW-E3B pick up where the TW-E3A left off, with tons of color options (black, green, gray, blue, pink, and purple) and a size and shape that the company says is 25% smaller than the previous model. You’ll be able to buy the TW-E3B in late October.
Other than the new color options and smaller size, there doesn’t appear to be much difference between the old and new models, which explains why Yamaha simply called the new edition “E3B,” instead of giving it a whole new model number. In fact, if the colors and size don’t matter to you, you can now buy the E3A at a significant discount — Yamaha has dropped the price on the older version from $130 to just $50, a savings that presumably will only stick around until all remaining E3A inventory is gone.
The TW-E3B offer SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm’s aptX Bluetooth codecs, which means that you’ll get slightly better sound quality if your phone is equipped with aptX (none of Apple’s smartphones offer Qualcomm codecs). You also get Yamaha’s Listening Care feature, which is designed to let you listen at lower volumes without losing any detail.
Battery life is a claimed six hours per charge, with a total of 24 hours of listening time when you include the charging case. To help protect against damage, the earbuds come with an IPX5 water resistance rating, which should give gym rats and those who like to run in the rain plenty of confidence. A nonslip coating on the earbuds should add to the workout-friendliness.
Yamaha says the E3B have exceptionally clear, dynamic, and realistic sound, and I seriously hope this isn’t just marketing speak. Considering their $100 price and their lack of features like active noise cancellation, wireless charging, or transparency mode, these earbuds are going to have to sound amazing in order to compete against Jabra’s new $80 Elite 3, and the tons of great earbuds that have recently arrived T well under $100.
We should know soon enough — Yamaha has kindly offered to send us a sample of the TW-E3B. Stay tuned!
