Since I suffered from otitis media a few years ago, I have developed a preference for using open-ear headphones in my daily life, trying almost every type from bone conduction to air conduction, and from ear-hanging to earclip designs. After using them all, if I had to pick based solely on form factor, my favorite would be earclip headphones. They are small, lightweight, and unburdensome, allowing for separate wearing on either ear. However, their drawbacks are also quite apparent—due to their small size, most of them generally suffer from short battery life, low volume, and poor sound quality…
Fortunately, as consumer acceptance of open-ear headphones gradually increases, headphone manufacturers have also begun to make efforts to address these issues. Edifier, the “king of competition” in the domestic audio industry, has recently launched a new product called LolliClip, which claims to redefine earclip headphones. While retaining their lightweight and comfortable characteristics, it offers flagship-level active noise cancellation, sound quality, and various novel user experiences.
Let’s see if it really can deliver as advertised together~
The packaging of Edifier LolliClip features a predominantly white background, with design sketches printed on it instead of a product photo. The overall design intentionally mimics the texture of a canvas, giving it a very stylish appearance. The small gold logo in the top right corner certifies that it has passed the Hi-Res certification, providing a guarantee for its sound quality.
The clamshell design features moderate damping, with the earphone body inside the limiting groove covered with a plastic film. There is also a packet of desiccant inside, providing quite comprehensive protection.
The contents are relatively simple, as shown in the photo above (1 earphone, 1 charging cable, 1 instruction manual).
The shape of the LolliClip’s battery compartment resembles a slightly elongated, smooth pebble, providing a rather pleasant feel when held in the hand, making one want to fiddle with it casually… I opted for the classic white color, which is highly versatile for both the younger and older generations, and won’t go out of style even after a few years; if you’re after something trendy and unique, check out the limited edition mint green version! Plus, it’s endorsed by Wang Yibo!
The EDIFIER logo and the Type-C port for charging are positioned on the back of the LolliClip charging case, while the Bluetooth pairing button is concealed at the bottom right. The symmetrical layout on the surface is particularly friendly to users with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
On the front, there is only one indicator light, but it can convey multiple pieces of information such as battery reminders and pairing status. Worth noting is that the LolliClip adopts a design that does not distinguish between the left and right ears, eliminating the need to specifically identify which ear to wear it on or where to place it back in the battery compartment.
The sleek and rounded earbud bodies resemble two kidney beans, connected by a patented multi-curved flexible bridge, giving the overall design a trendy and fashionable look. They are not overly large in size, with a personal test revealing that the combined weight of both earbuds is only around 11g, making them relatively lightweight even among the small and lightweight ear-clip headphones.
Due to its sufficient lightness, wearing the LolliClip feels almost weightless. Thanks to its patented multi-curved flexible beam design, there is no noticeable pressure on the earlobes when one is static, and it won’t fall off even during vigorous movements when one is dynamic.
The memory nickel-titanium alloy wire built into the connection of the LolliClip offers excellent elasticity and flexibility. Combined with Edifier’s extensive human ear database, this multi-curved flexible beam is highly reliable, providing a durable and comfortable wearing experience regardless of whether the earlobes are thick or thin, wide or narrow.
The LolliClip eliminates the need to distinguish between the left and right ears, allowing users to simply take it out and wear it on either ear. This is because Edifier has equipped the earbuds with corresponding sensors, enabling them with intelligent audio channel monitoring. Upon successful detection, it automatically calibrates the sound field to ensure accurate output of the left and right audio channels.
In addition, the LolliClip also supports ear detection functionality. When removed during use, it automatically pauses playback, and when worn again, it resumes playback automatically, prioritizing convenience and ease of use to the fullest extent.
As a widely acclaimed brand in the field of acoustics, Edifier’s tuning capabilities are beyond question. With the Hi-Res Audio certification, the LolliClip’s audio quality is even more impressive. Although I had certain expectations, after actually experiencing it, I realized my expectations were still too low…
The LolliClip’s audio quality is completely devoid of the usual thinness associated with ear-clip headphones. The 13mm titanium dynamic driver provides a rich midrange, clear highs, and lows that are not overly focused on rhythm but rather slightly restrained, resulting in a well-balanced frequency response. If you prefer a strong rhythmic feel, you can switch between different tuning styles, such as classic, bass boost, treble boost, clear vocals, and so on. There’s bound to be one that suits your taste.
Meanwhile, the LolliClip also supports LHDC 5.0 high-definition audio decoding. With the support of double-width frequency extension from 20Hz to 40kHz, its detail resolution is exceptional, and there is no blending between various sounds. The restoration and transparency are truly astonishing. Sharing the same head tracking and spatial awareness technology as flagship models, it provides a 360° head-tracking surround sound field, making it feel like listening to music through a high-end audio system, offering an immersive experience.
The Bluetooth 5.4 technology even provides an absolutely stable connection experience. In practical tests, whether using it for gaming or watching videos, audio and video synchronization is achieved with negligible latency.
Of course, the most headache-inducing issue with open-ear headphones is sound leakage, which may slightly disturb people nearby when listening to music, and can be especially embarrassing during phone calls. However, Edifier’s LolliClip is equipped with a directional sound wave transmission structure that theoretically prevents the sound from expanding outwards. While it’s not completely silent in practical use, people nearby can hardly hear any content unless they are sitting next to the user.
The second most headache-inducing issue with open-ear headphones is likely the impact of environmental noise on the user experience. To address this, Edifier has specially designed an active noise-cancellation technology for the LolliClip, which, combined with an adaptive noise-cancellation algorithm, can automatically match the required noise-reduction coefficient for the current scenario, ensuring clear sound quality regardless of how noisy the environment is. In addition to sound quality and active noise-cancellation, the LolliClip also boasts a noise-reduction feature for phone calls. With a combination of 3+3 microphones and an AI noise-reduction algorithm for phone calls, it effectively cancels out various environmental noises, allowing me to have smooth and clear conversations in various environments.
Furthermore, many running enthusiasts prefer open-ear headphones for two main reasons: firstly, for safety, allowing them to enjoy music while keeping an eye on the road conditions; secondly, for convenience, as they prefer to carry as little as possible while running.
Edifier seems to have noticed the needs of this group of users and has added sports functionality to the LolliClip! Normally, one would need to wear a smart bracelet or watch to monitor their data, but with the LolliClip, that’s no longer necessary.
Perhaps some might say, “I don’t exercise regularly, so is this feature useless to me?” The answer is definitely no.
Even if you don’t exercise much, checking your current heart rate or blood oxygen levels can be beneficial during times of high stress, tension, poor rest, physical discomfort, or when traveling to high-altitude areas with thin air. While I can’t speak to how accurate the data compares to professional equipment, in practical tests, the data obtained from the LolliClip was basically the same as that from my smartwatch.
Of course, this feature is also highly applicable to both active and inactive individuals—it’s the IP56 dust and water resistance. Whether it’s sweat from exercise or rain on a bad weather day, there’s no need to worry too much. You can continue wearing it as usual. For the LolliClip, this level of protection is really just a “piece of cake.”
When the earphones get a bit dirty, you can even rinse them directly under a faucet. After rinsing, simply tap the one-click intelligent water drainage function on the app to finish up easily.
Despite its small size and incorporating some functions of smart bracelets (watches), the LolliClip does not disappoint in terms of battery life. The entire device boasts up to 42.5 hours of battery life, with the earphones themselves lasting up to 8.5 hours on a single charge. If you forget to charge the earphones until they are completely dead, there’s no need to worry. The fast-charging function allows them to regain two hours of battery life after just 15 minutes of charging. A quick charge while you’re in the bathroom or getting ready in the morning will ensure you have music to accompany you for your two-hour commute.
Moreover, the LolliClip’s app is not just a gimmick. Besides the common functions, it also offers many quirky yet potentially useful features.
For instance, it supports dual-device connection, allowing seamless switching between any two devices. Another feature is the “find my earphones,” which is particularly useful when you can’t remember where you left them. There’s also a timed shutdown function, so you don’t have to worry about being woken up by music or an audiobook when you fall asleep listening to them at night. And so much more…
Returning to the initial question: Has LolliClip redefined earclip headphones? Personally, I don’t think it has quite reached that point, but it certainly shows signs of doing so. Currently, its sports support is limited to running-related tracking. If, after a few generations of iterations, it can cover a wide range of sports activities like a fitness bracelet, then I believe it will have truly achieved the “redefinition.”
Of course, it cannot be denied that LolliClip is indeed a great pair of headphones. Without exaggeration, it is the best earclip headphones I have used so far—lightweight, comfortable, and with excellent sound quality. The pain points of open-ear headphones, such as noise and sound leakage, have been largely addressed, thanks to its flagship-level active noise-cancellation solution and directional sound wave transmission structure.
If you’re planning to buy a pair of earclip headphones and have a budget in the three-digit range, then Edifier’s LolliClip is definitely worth considering.
