Yamaha’s latest wireless earbuds may not have active noise cancellation (ANC), but with a claimed 8.5 hours on a single charge and 24-bit sound thanks to aptX Adaptive support, the $150 TW-E5B might well be worth the price. The buds come in four color options including black, white, brown, and blue, and they can be ordered starting May 20, 2022 at Yamaha.com or Amazon.
The new buds are also something of a departure design-wise from the smaller and more affordable Yamaha TW-E3B, which it launched in 2021. The E5B feature physical controls that are mounted on the top edges of the earbud shells, while an ergonomic groove on the bottom is meant to anchor the earbuds to the bottom ridge of your outer ear, locking it in place.
The E5B’s larger size and weight (0.23 ounces vs. 0.18 ounces for the E3B) is due to their bigger battery and bigger dynamic drivers. These new drivers are 7mm in size instead of 6mm, and the E5B get 2.5 more hours of play time. The charging case also has an increased capacity, bring total play time from 24 to 30 hours. A 10-minute quick-charge gives an additional one hour of use if needed.
Having aptX Adaptive as an available Bluetooth codec will likely help the E5B’s larger drivers deliver better sound quality when used with a compatible Android smartphone. Yamaha has also added an ambient sound mode, something that was noticeably lacking on the TW-E3B.
As with most Yamaha wireless headphones, the TW-E5B get the listening care feature, which the company says can help you listen at lower sound volumes without any loss of quality — an important feature for those who want to avoid the possibility of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Finally, an IPX5 rating means these earbuds should have no problems if you want to use them at the gym, or while going for a run.
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