As the wireless earbuds market grows over time, brands old and new are determined to make themselves stand out from the competition with their different offerings. Today, we are going to be looking at a classic Japanese brand and their take on wireless earbuds. We will be reviewing the Yamaha TW-E7A and determining if this pair lives up to the brand’s stellar reputation.
Yamaha is definitely no stranger in the audio industry with more than 100 years in business. While they started out with musical instruments like their famous organs and pianos, they have also expanded pretty early on and produced different types of audio equipment – which most recently included headphones. This further established them as a classic brand to stay and we’re going to see just exactly what the TW-E7A is made of.
Starting off with the good things we found about this pair, here are the Pros that we saw for the Yamaha TW-E7A.
Pros
Active Noise Cancellation Technology. The TW-E7A has Active Noise Cancellation and ambient sound options just like the Airpods Pro. This means that it can block out or let in ambient sounds depending on your preferences. Even though most modern earbuds have this feature already, it’s always a good sight to see as online meetings and remote setups are becoming more and more prevalent. It’s also good to have for heightened relaxation during long commutes or long flights.
Functional Design. Upon purchase, the TW-E7A comes with five ear tips and three silicon sleeves for not only maximum comfort but also optimized grip. With them being customizable, you can definitely find your perfect fit for this one. They’re also IPX5-rated which means that they offer protection from sweat and water splashes. This makes them much more functional and durable as you shouldn’t have to worry about them getting a little wet in different environments. This also makes them a viable gift as the receiver will most likely get a good fit out of this pair.
Now with that being said, we’re going to be looking at the things that need improvement or features that Yamaha can still perfect on the TW-E7A. With the good comes the bad so here are the Cons that we found.
Cons
Sound Quality can be Improved. While Yamaha offers Listening Care technology with this pair which aims to adjust EQ levels for more optimized listening, sound quality is still lacking in some aspects. This is seen when sound gets distorted at loud volumes which is a shame for those who like to blast their music. Call quality is also not that good which is disappointing as well since this shows that Yamaha seems to have overpromised on their audio quality.
Poor Battery Life. Compared to other wireless earbuds on the market, the TW-E7A has poor battery life. It’s only capable of around five hours of playtime with three charges in the case which totals to 20 hours. This means that it won’t last for a full day out or even a full work day without needing to charge which is quite annoying when you’re in the zone and have to get cut off to save your dying earbuds.
Falls Out Easily. Unfortunately for those with active lifestyles, the Yamaha TW-E7A falls out easily which makes it impractical for working out or any other rigorous activity. Earbuds are not a one size fits all deal which can be a factor for this Con but it can also just be the fact that its grip may not be enough. All those factors aside, this is something to surely keep in mind before taking the plunge and getting this pair especially if you’re someone with a pretty fast-paced lifestyle.
Overall, the TW-E7A is a strong entry by Yamaha to the wireless earbuds scene. Its noise cancellation technology and ambient sound options are definitely admirable and useful especially in modern settings. Its customizability and IPX5-rating is also pretty great as they provide a lot of opportunities to get a great fit. They definitely had comfort and durability in mind with this one.
But with that being said, we think that this pair can still be refined to – ultimately – up their game. We believe that the issue with sound distortion at loud levels, poor battery life, and grip can be fixed with a few key changes in both hardware and software. While these issues aren’t the worst, it’s definitely a dealbreaker for others as at a price point of $230, you’d expect top-notch features.
With our review coming to an end, we hope to have shed some light on the Yamaha TW-E7A. We understand how overwhelming it is sometimes to look for a great pair of wireless earbuds and we hope to have made that decision a little bit easier for you with this review. With that, we wish you luck on your purchases and on your earbud hunting journey.
