Yamaha EP-E70A Earphones Review: Feature-Packed Premium Neckband

Yamaha EP-E70A Specifications

• Driver -- 9.2mm
• Frequency Response -- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Bluetooth Version -- Bluetooth 5.0
• Supported Profiles -- A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
• Supported Codecs -- SBC, AAC, Qualcomm aptX Adaptive
• Weight: 62grams

Yamaha EP-E70A Design: Premium Looks With Functionality

The Yamaha EP-E70A is available in two colors -- black and white. The one that we are testing comes in white color with metallic accents around the neck, which gives the earphone a premium dual-tone look. Do note that, the neckband part of the Yamaha EP-E70A earphone is made using soft rubber-like material, which tends to get dirty in no time.

The earphone has plenty of physical buttons including a volume controller, a play/pause button that can also be used to receive or end calls, a dedicated button to toggle between ANC and ambient mode, a power button, and a USB Type-C port.

Yamaha EP-E70A Design: Premium Looks With Functionality

The USB Type-C port on a majority of wireless earphones is used only used for charging. However, the charging port on the Yamaha EP-E70A can also be used to connect the headphones to a laptop or a phone using the USB Type-C to 3.55mm dongle, which is included in the package.

One feature that I miss on the Yamaha EP-E70A is that the earbuds do have a magnetic earbud connect feature, which would have enabled the auto-connect and disconnect feature. There is also no feature to switch between two devices, as you need to manually disconnect from one device to connect to another device.

Overall, the Yamaha EP-E70A is a practically designed wireless earphone, which can also be used in the wired mode, which is useful for gaming, as it lowers the audio latency when compared to the wireless mode. Overall, the Yamaha EP-E70A is a very practically designed earphone that does not compromise on much and tends to offer all the premium features that one might expect.

Yamaha EP-E70A Accessories

While most of the premium phones are now shipping with just a cable, the Yamaha EP-E70A's retail package will overwhelm you. The earphone comes with five different sized ear tips, an USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack, a flight headphone adapter, an USB Type-C charging cable, and lastly a soft carry case.

This makes the Yamaha EP-E70A a unique earphone. Not only you can use them wirelessly, but you can also use them in wired mode, which is useful for gaming, or in other scenarios with lower audio latency. By default, the earphones come with medium-sized ear tips, and the additional XS, S, L, and XL soft silicone ear tips are included in the box.

There's An App Too

Users also get the Yamaha Headphones Controller companion app, which can be used to access additional features and can even be used to update the firmware of the earphone. However, the app has limited features, especially when compared to the Sony Headphones Connect app.

Although the earphone was paired to my phone, the app had some issues with detecting the earphone, which would resolve itself once I restart the earphones. The Yamaha Headphones Controller app offers features like auto-power off, where, you can set the time to turn off the earphones automatically if they are inactive.

Yamaha EP-E70A ANC And Ambient Mode Review

The Yamaha EP-E70A offers excellent noise cancellation for its class, especially once you find the right fitting ear tips. The same also applies to ambient sound. However, unlike the Sony WF-1000XM4, there is no option to increase or decrease the ambient sound. As there is a dedicated button, one can easily switch between the modes with ease.

The Yamaha EP-E70A comes with advanced ANC technology that does not interfere with the low frequency in the music. The headphones use a custom algorithm developed in-house to analyze the noise using the internal microphone. In my use case, I felt that the ANC on the Yamaha EP-E70A is on par with the Sony WF-1000XM4 and is actually better than the ANC on the AirPods Pro.

Yamaha EP-E70A Unique Features

While most of the premium earphones tend to focus on just the audio quality, Yamaha also cares about the users. The Yamaha EP-E70A has a technology called Listening Care, which ensures that even at lower volume the earphones "intelligently adjusts sound frequencies to maintain the full-range sound, allowing you to hear every note and not miss a beat".

No matter what the volume level, the Yamaha EP-E70A tends to deliver the full-sound experience. Do note that, you can actually disable the listening care and listening optimizer technology from the app. And you can also control the noise cancellation from the same Yamaha Headphones Controller app.

Yamaha EP-E70A Audio Review

The Yamaha EP-E70A is equipped with 9.2mm dynamic drivers. I will be comparing the Yamaha EP-E70A mostly with the Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS, as there are no neckbands in India that are as feature-rich and premium as the Yamaha EP-E70A.

In terms of sound, the Yamaha EP-E70A has a slightly warmer sound profile; again, in comparison to the Sony WF-1000XM4. There is slightly more emphasis on the bass, however, the bass does not overpower the mid or high frequency. Even at the lower volume level, the Yamaha EP-E70A produces excellent sound, and there is no sound distortion at the higher volume levels.

I also noticed that the Yamaha EP-E70A sound similar in ANC, ambiance sound, and in the normal mode. The companion app misses out on equalizer settings, which is something that the company could add via the update, which will allow the users to fine-tune the audio to their liking. Overall, it's pleasant-sounding earphones with punchy bass.

Yamaha EP-E70A Battery Life

The Yamaha EP-E70A claims to offer 18 hours of battery life and I can vouch for that. In my testing, the earphones easily lasted for more than three days with around five hours of usage per day. They take around two or more hours to fully charge, and there is no support for fast charging.

For an average user, the Yamaha EP-E70A should last for more than two days on a single charge. Even the heavy users should be able to get two days of battery life even with ANC turned on. Turning off the ambiance mode or ANC will further improve the battery life and will make the earphones last longer.

Verdict: Most Powerful Neckband From A Reputed Brand

The Yamaha EP-E70A costs Rs. 23,600, which makes them a premium pair of wireless earphones competing against the likes of the Apple AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-100XM4. Unlike your contemporaries, you cannot lose an earbud on the Yamaha EP-E70A, which is an advantage of some sort.

The Yamaha EP-E70A proves that the earphones are no more just a piece of technology for listening to audio. They do a lot more than music playback and are something that every tech enthusiast plans to own. The Yamaha EP-E70A is a unique package that currently has no competition in the Indian market, especially in the neckband form factor.

If you are tempted to buy a premium wireless earphone in a neckband style, then the Yamaha EP-E70A is probably the only option that has every feature and more that one might seek from a wireless earphone. It's a great companion for your premium smartphone that might not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.