Earbuds that put sound quality above all else
I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
The Yamaha TW-E5B earphones lack extra features, but offer solid Bluetooth codec support and high-quality audio performance for the price.
Yamaha's TW-E5B true wireless earphones ($149.95) are somewhat rare in their simplicity; they don’t have a particularly sports-focused design or boast active noise cancellation (ANC). Instead, the cornerstone is primarily the audio experience. And we’re pleased with the balanced-but-sculpted sound signature, the strong Bluetooth codec support, and the adjustable five-band EQ in the companion app. These are an ideal pair for home listening, though they can also work in a pinch for workout sessions because of their modest waterproof rating. If you want a bit more out of your earbuds, the Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless ($179.99) is a worthwhile alternative with ANC and strong audio chops. The Editors’ Choice-winning Anker Soundcore Space A40 ($99.99) offer a broader set of features for a bit less money.
Available in black, white, blue, or brown, the TW-E5B earpieces are relatively large and fit well without earfins. The outer panels feature a crosshatch-textured surface along with the Yamaha tuning fork logo. The box includes four pairs of silicone eartips in various sizes. These should stay in your ears during more vigorous activity, such as running, but other pairs are much more suitable for exercise.
Internally, 7mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2, plus support the AAC, AptX Adaptive, and SBC Bluetooth codecs—plenty of competing in-ears work with only either AAC or AptX, so we appreciate this versatility.
The left and right earpieces have push-button controls on their top edges—one button sits on the left earpiece and two reside on the right one. The left earpiece’s button handles playback (single press), toggles the ambient sound mode (double press), and manages calls (press and hold). The right earpiece’s controls are for volume (single press) and track navigation (double press). We’re generally not fans of combining these two functions on the same button—it’s far too easy to accidentally skip a track when you mean to adjust the volume—but we like that volume control is an option at all. The two small buttons on the right earpiece can also be a tad difficult to pick out by touch. Capacitive touch panels might have been a more graceful solution overall.
The IPX5 water-resistance rating is modest for in-ears without active noise cancellation—plenty of similarly priced (and far less expensive) models have fully waterproof builds. Jabra's Elite 7 Pro ($199.99) and Elite 7 Active ($179.99) are suitable alternatives if you need a more durable design; both models sport an IP57 rating and ANC. Regardless, this Yamaha pair can withstand splashes and jets of modest water pressure from any direction. You just can't submerge the earpieces or clean them off under a faucet. The rating also doesn't apply to the charging case, so make sure to fully dry the earpieces before you dock them.
The charging case is a bit large and doesn't offer any particular advantages to make up for its bulk. The design is at least handsome—the flip-top lid sports the same textured surface as the earpieces. The back panel houses a USB-C port for the included USB-A-to-USB-C cable.
Yamaha estimates that the TW-E5B earbuds can last roughly eight-and-a-half hours per charge and that the case holds an additional 21.5 hours of battery life. Your results will vary based on your typical listening volume level.
The Yamaha Headphone Control app (available for Android and iOS) is easy to use and well-designed—you can download firmware updates, consult the user guide, and customize (or turn off) the auto-power-off function here. The main screen shows a battery life estimate for each earpiece and a five-band adjustable EQ. We wish you could save EQ presets, but we're glad that a customizable EQ is available at all. Finally, you can also toggle the Listening Care feature—at lower volumes, it adjusts the sound signature to emphasize certain frequencies (typically the lows) that sound quieter.
In the app, you can also toggle ambient sound and gaming modes (the latter reduces latency). There’s nothing spectacular about the app, but all the important options are present—an adjustable EQ, firmware updates, and some basic control settings.
We tested the TW-E5B earphones with the EQ set to neutral and the Listening Care DSP function set to off. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the pair delivers plenty of low-frequency rumble without going overboard; the drivers don't distort even at maximum listening levels, either. If you want additional rumble, you can always dial up the lows via the in-app EQ.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the in-ears' general sound signature. The drums on this track get some additional bass depth. They sound round and full, though never veer into unnaturally thunderous territory. Callahan’s baritone vocals benefit from a balanced mix of low-mid richness and high-mid crispness, while the higher-register percussive hits and acoustic strums have a bright, detailed presence. The sculpting and boosting throughout the frequency range are noticeable, but we like the end result: a rich bass response and solid high-frequency clarity.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives an ideal high-mid presence, which allows its attack to retain its punch. Meanwhile, the vinyl hiss and crackle in the background take a slight step forward in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with serious depth, as does the drum loop. These powerful lows don’t overpower the balance of the mix, however. The vocals on this track exhibit ideal clarity—they sound crisp without much additional sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound excellent. The lower-register instrumentation gets a suitable amount of bass presence—its subtle anchoring role doesn’t sound very exaggerated here—and the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals are wonderfully detailed and clear.
The mic quality is fine but not overly impressive. We could understand every word of a test recording from our iPhone, but we noticed some Bluetooth audio artifacts in the signal. Nevertheless, you shouldn't have any issues with calls over a reliable cell connection.
The Yamaha TW-E5B earbuds deliver an excellent audio experience for the price, plus support a solid range of Bluetooth codecs. They might even offer the best sound of any in-ears in the under-$150 segment. You just have to give up active noise cancellation and top-tier levels of durability. As mentioned, we're also fans of the more well-rounded Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless and Anker Soundcore Space A40, both of which boast active noise cancellation. And, if you don't want to spend for Jabra's most expensive fitness-friendly models, the Jabra Elite 3 ($79) is an excellent, no-frills alternative for about half the price of the Yamaha pair.
The Yamaha TW-E5B earphones lack extra features, but offer solid Bluetooth codec support and high-quality audio performance for the price.
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I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
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