The Chinese language firm Edifier has been placing out inexpensive high-quality audio gear for greater than 25 years. I usually discover it hits the “high-value” button with lots of its merchandise, providing nice sound and strong options at comparatively low costs. The corporate appears to stake out that very same territory with its W820NB ANC Bluetooth Stereo Headphones.
Edifier despatched me a pair of the cans to check out. Whereas they’re not more likely to blow anyone away, they get the job performed properly, with high quality sound, robust lively noise cancellation and lengthy battery life.
If you need good sound at an excellent value, they could possibly be for you. However in the event you’re an exacting audiophile or on the hunt for luxurious appointments, look elsewhere.
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Edifier W820NB ANC Bluetooth stereo headphones evaluate
Out of the field, the Edifier W820NB ANC Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are easy, easy and no-nonsense. That’s a pleasant means of claiming the packaging and product aren’t fancy.
You get the headphones, a USB-C to USB-A cable and a quick instruction pamphlet. There isn’t a carrying case. There isn’t a audio cable for wired listening.
And except for the froth within the smallish ear cups and on the underside of the adjustable head band, the outside of the product is all plastic, together with the management buttons on the correct ear cup.
Cheap however not ‘low-cost’
However that simply makes headphones cheap, not “low-cost.” And the proof of that’s within the sound high quality, vary of options and strong, light-weight construct high quality.
Whereas I like metallic and leather-based and so forth, plastic helps preserve the cans light-weight. That helps make it simpler to put on them for a very long time. I at present have 4 over-ear headphones kicking round that go for $150 to $350, and the Edifiers are the second-lightest of them. And the Edifiers can compete on sound high quality regardless of their modest value level and cheaper feel and look.
So, regardless of being cheap, they’re not “lightweights.” And as soon as I simply linked them to my MacBook Professional and iPhone 14 Professional by way of Bluetooth 5.0, I discovered they labored as marketed.
Hello-res audio
Edifier payments the headphones, with their 40mm dynamic drivers, as hi-res audio-worthy in addition to highly effective within the noise-cancellation division.
“W820NB headphones are Hello-Res Audio licensed by JAS and might attain a frequency response of 40KHz,” Edifier advised Cult of Mac. “They’re constructed to ship skilled studio-grade sound. Additionally, it has hybrid ANC know-how that reduces noise by as much as 38dB.”
Music comes throughout as balanced and flat within the headphones, which depend on the commonplace SBC audio codec (not any of the fancier ones) and obtain a frequency vary of 20Hz-40KHz. You don’t get a way of emphasis on both bass or treble, as you do with some headphones.
And when you hear loads of element, you don’t actually get a way of an expansive soundstage, largely as a result of the sound is so centered, with no overtones or echo. Somebody utilizing headphones in a studio setting would in all probability worth that, whereas others want to really feel they’re in on the center of a whole lot of (distracting) motion.
Positive name high quality, succesful ANC
Constructed-in microphones with deep neural community (DNN) noise cancellation make calls on the headphones sound clear. A single faucet of the ability button solutions a name. The voice in my ears sounded clear and centered, with no distortion, and I used to be advised I got here throughout loud and clear on the opposite finish.
Whereas Edifier’s upgraded ANC is just not shockingly good, it’s robust sufficient. The settings are Commonplace (off), Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode. The corporate mentioned the ANC diminished noise by as much as 38 decibels of sound, which is actually the extent of a close-by quiet dialog.
As with many headphones, ambient lets essentially the most sound filter by means of. Off is middling, with simply the pure noise cancellation of the ear cups blocking noise (they match snugly, providing a reasonably good seal across the ear). And ANC turned on largely blots out voices on a close-by TV, conversations within the subsequent room, wind sound and the like. I’ve heard higher noise cancellation, however the W820NB headphones do fairly properly.
Lengthy battery life
One other promoting level is lengthy battery life, with a claimed 49 hours of playback with ANC off and 29 hours with it on. That prolonged battery life, seen on this product and different latest releases, is now getting lengthy sufficient that’s it’s difficult to check. You possibly can pay attention for days or even weeks and neglect that they’ll want charging sooner or later.
After they do want a recharge, you’ll hear a voice in your ear telling you so. You then simply use the USB-C cable with any charger. A full recharge takes about 90 minutes.
Restricted app usefulness
I at all times prefer it when headphones and earbuds connect with an app I can use on my iPhone as an alternative choice to faucet controls on the product. So I used to be glad to search out I may hook up the W820NB headphones to the Edifier Join app on my iPhone, however I wasn’t thrilled with the performance.
All you are able to do within the app with these headphones is choose between Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound or flip Sport Mode (with low latency) on or off. You don’t get an EQ or music presets to play with.
Picture: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Edifier W820NB specs:
- Bluetooth model: V5.0
- Audio codecs: SBC
- Driver unit: 40mm dynamic driver
- Sound stress degree: 91±3dB SPL (A)
- Frequency vary: 20Hz-40KHz
- Product Weight: 220g (web weight)
- Charging port: USB-C
- Charging time: About 1.5 hours
- Playback time: ANC on: about 29 hours; ANC off: about 49 hours
- Colours: black, grey and white
Picture: Edifier
The retail value of the headphones is $79.99, although you will get them for somewhat as $59.49 on Amazon. And that makes these cans a very good worth for many who don’t need or must shoot for the excessive finish.
The place to purchase: Amazon
Edifier supplied Cult of Mac with a evaluate unit for this text. See our evaluations coverage, and take a look at different in-depth evaluations of Apple-related objects.
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