True Wireless
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
85Outstanding
$110
Full review dataHuawei FreeBuds Neo vs Sabbat E12: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Huawei FreeBuds Neo comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 85. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Huawei FreeBuds Neo - Outstanding overall at around $109.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Huawei FreeBuds Neo leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Huawei FreeBuds Neo
- Sabbat E12
HearWiki score
85
50
Sound
8.0
5.6
Noise cancelling
8.0
-
Battery
8.0
5.0
Calls
8.0
5.4
Value
9.0
5.8
Price (USD)
$110
$74
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
New platform
Huawei FreeBuds Neo (2026) against Sabbat E12 (2019). The Huawei FreeBuds Neo is the newer platform here: Top codec LDAC against aptX and ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app and Water resistance IP55 against IPX5.
- FreeBuds Neo20267 yr newer
- E122019
What differsFreeBuds NeoE12
- Top codec
- LDAC
- aptX
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- No
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Companion app
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
FreeBuds NeoE12
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $110
- $74
- HearWiki score
- 85
- 50
- Released
- 2026
- 2019
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- dynamic
- 10 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- -
- 10 mm
- Drivers per side
- -
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 120 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.0
- Codecs
- LDAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- No
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 10 h
- 6 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 6.5 h
- -
- Battery incl. case
- 40 h
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 60 min
- Wireless charging
- -
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- No
- Companion app
- Yes
- No
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Wear detection
- -
- No
- Controls
- touch
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- -
- Siri
- Weight
- 4.8 g
- 4.5 g
- Case weight
- -
- 54 g
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
- USB-C
- -
- Yes
- Microphones
- 4
- 1
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- -
- cVc 8.1
What reviewers said
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
The Huawei FreeBuds Neo are lightweight, comfortable true wireless earbuds with adaptive active noise cancellation and a robust feature set for their price. They offer solid call quality, a lively sound signature, and practical extras like transparency mode and app support, making them a versatile mid-range option for travel and daily use.
- Pro:Comfortable and lightweight fit
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC
- Pro:Good call quality with 4 mics
- Con:Battery life with ANC is modest
- Con:May not satisfy audiophiles seeking specialized tuning
- Con:Touch controls may require adjustment
Sabbat E12
The Sabbat E12 are budget true wireless earbuds that prioritize practicality with physical controls on each bud and a solid microphone for calls. They deliver a bass-forward sound with decent battery life, though they lack advanced features like ANC or app support. With IPX5 water resistance and wireless charging, they are a functional choice for casual listening rather than low-latency gaming or TV use.
- Pro:Bass-forward, lively sound
- Pro:Good call quality for the price
- Pro:Compact and comfortable fit
- Con:High latency, not good for gaming or video
- Con:No active noise cancellation
- Con:Occasional hiss and build quality concerns
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
Compare something else
Swap either side out, or start again from the picker.