Review of quality headphones for music lovers Aukey EP-N5

There are many things to like about Aukey EP-N5, from comfort to sound quality. However, iOS users might experience some limitations due to the lack of AAC codec.

Aukey is a company that makes great value products. EP-N5 truly wireless earbuds follow the same rule, giving as many things as possible for the lowest price.

There are only a handful of earbuds that can provide you with active noise-canceling at under $70. Not to mention the sound quality, which can hardly disappoint anyone but the most demanding audiophiles.

Besides the solid construction and a reliable Bluetooth connection, you can also take these for a run. With IPX5, they can survive even a bit of rain if you even get surprised by it.

However, iOS users might still be cautious when making the purchase decision since the lack of AAC codec can affect your user experience.

Comfort & Fit

Star Rating 4.5 Almost Perfect

For somewhat chunky wireless earbuds, comfort is never an issue. And despite the shallow fit, they stay securely inside your ears without continually readjusting.

Upon seeing them for the first time, you’re greeted with a bigger-than-usual housing, with a long stem that resembles the Apple AirPods.

EP-N5’s fit inside your ears in a secure manner. That is surprising since they provide a relatively shallow seal. When you put them inside your ears, you don’t feel that “ear canal pressure”, that ensures the earbuds are truly locked into place.

We tried to shake our heads a bit, expecting them to fall out easily. However, earbuds stayed firmly in their place, making them suitable for walking, running, and working out. Of course, they’re not as secure as the in-ears with ear hooks, but they still do their job very well.

Since you barely feel them inside your ears, and thanks to the ergonomic design, comfort is top-notch. There are no pressure points, nothing that could poke into your ears, even after a few listening hours.

Noise Isolation

Star Rating 4.0 Great

Shallow seal results in average noise isolation, making you hear everything around you, just a little quieter. Thankfully, Aukey’s come with active noise-cancellation.

No matter which of the 3 ear tips you put on, you can’t push these earbuds deep enough to get a better seal. Therefore, noise isolation is only average. We could hear everything around us, just a smidge quieter.

Check best noise cancelling earbuds for better options.

While that can be a good thing if you still want to be aware of the surroundings while listening to music, EP-N5 also offer an active noise-canceling feature. It can’t do wonders, but it does an excellent job with constant noises.

The difference between ANC ON or OFF is small but still noticeable. Since its performance can’t battle noises like people’s chatting, it’s probably not the best tool to use in the cafeteria or other public environments.

However, if you commute a lot and need to eliminate that buzzing plane or bus noise, these can do the trick. While they don’t provide a night/day difference, the best thing about it is that it doesn’t affect the audio quality at all.

Bluetooth

Star Rating 4.0 Great

You can expect excellent connection stability, minimal video lag on Android, but no multipoint support.

As with many other Bluetooth 5.0 compatible devices, Aukey’s exhibit a reliable connection over a one brick wall. When you try to pass, the second wall audio begins to cut off, making the earbuds impossible to use.

Pairing is super easy. You have to open the case and place both buds out. That is when you hear a female voice saying “pairing”, after which EP-N5 appear inside your Bluetooth menu.

There is a small delay when using touch controls on the stems. You need to wait for about a second before the action gets registered. Some other true wireless earbuds offer a faster response time.

Multipoint?

Unfortunately, these lack multipoint support. If you want to skip between a phone and a tablet, you must first disconnect them from a previously used device.

Is There a Video Delay?

Aukey EP-N5 only supports SBC Bluetooth audio codec, with no special chip or other proprietary technology to minimize lag. Although you don’t see the difference in audio quality, the video lag is somewhat noticeable.

When watching YouTube on Android, the lag is there, but you get used to it. Almost to the point of not seeing it after a minute or so. iOS performance is much worse since the earbuds lack AAC. So much, that is impossible to watch videos.

Battery

Star Rating 4.0 Great

These can easily last your though a day. Of course, if you don’t use the active noise-cancellation too much.

The manufacturer claims the battery life of 7.5 hours with ANC turned off. That appears to be accurate, which is more than enough for a day or two of use. There are another 28 hours waiting inside the charging case.

Enabling ANC does take its toll on the battery life, lowering the playtime to around 5 hours (which is 30 minutes more than advertised), which is still respectable for true wireless buds.

They come with a USB-C charging port and quick-charge capabilities, although Aukey doesn’t say how much you get for a few minutes of charging. It takes around 2 hours to charge them from 0 to 100% entirely.

There is no way of knowing how much of the battery is still inside the earbuds. The only indicator is the 4 LEDs on the charging case that lit up when you open the lid.

Also, since the case has a large surface area, it would be nice to have wireless charging. But for the price, you can’t complain much.

Durability

Star Rating 4.0 Great

Although you can’t tell by only looking at them, they appear quite solid, with IPX5 water protection to make them more versatile to use.

Earbuds are constructed from hard plastic that doesn’t feel cheap. Seams are also tightly sealed, so the housing won’t open in half if it falls on the floor.

They’re more than capable of enduring heavy workouts, with earbuds getting all soaked in sweat. An IPX5 rating means you can even use them in light rain, although fully submerging them isn’t advisable.

The charging case itself looks reasonably durable, although the hinge might break off easily if you’re too rough. It’s small and lightweight, sounding a bit hollow if you knock on it.

Thankfully, Aukey offers a 2 years warranty if anything malfunctions on the earbuds, or the case.

Features

Star Rating 3.5 Almost Great

For the price, you get much more compared to the competition. These features might not work flawlessly, but at least there is an option.

The biggest thing is the active noise-cancellation. We already covered this feature under a “noise isolation”, so let’s summarize.

Since these earbuds don’t have the deepest seal, the ANC feature helps eliminate that extra noise that could have been eliminated by pushing the ear tips deeper into the ear canal.

However, comfort would be slightly worse by doing so, so Aukey made the right decision here. Of course, since there is the real noise-cancellation, you’re also getting rid of constant humming, like cooling fans, airplane engines, and bus engines.

The effect of cancellation is relatively small but still noticeable. To enable the feature, you need to hold the controls for 2 seconds until you hear a beep.

You can control the earbuds by using the touch-sensitive stems. They feel responsive, although there is a little bit of lag, about a second.

Sadly the commands aren’t remappable, so you’re stuck with whatever Aukey decided is the best. For instance, you can’t control the volume, so you need to use your phone, or summon the smart assistant.

Aukey EP-N5 controls:

Play/pause – one press on either side

Accept – one press on either side

End call – tap and hold on either side for 2 seconds

Reject call – tap and hold on either side for 2 seconds

Next song – double press on the right side

Restart/previous song – double press on the left side

Voice assistant– triple tap on either side

Activating ANC – press and hold on the right side for 2 seconds

Sound

Star Rating 4.0 Great

Aukey surprised us with genuinely good audio quality on these. The sound is full and punchy, with great bass extension and detail.

Since we’re looking at AirPods lookalike, we didn’t expect much in the sound department. We were so wrong. These sound great, especially at the price of under $70.

Despite the shallow fit, the bass is full and well-controlled, even when exposed to more demanding bass-heavy tracks. It’s punchy and fast enough for those rock and metal souls out there. Almost as good as best bass earbuds.

Of course, the midrange gets colored by the bass. However, there is hardly any muddiness present. Vocals seem a bit forward in the mix, sounding very natural. Instruments are slightly lacking the necessary bite, which makes the listening experience a touch too laid-back.

Treble feels balanced with the midrange, providing a sparkle when needed. Even though the extension isn’t that great, it’s still decently detailed, with no metallic shimmer.

Soundstage and imaging are decent, but you can get better performance from some other in-ear monitors.