Over the last few weeks, I’ve been using these. They are the W830NB headphones from Edifier. I believe they are Edifiers entry-level active noise cancellation headphones, with a retail price of around 80 dollars or 60 pounds, which is very appealing.
Before I begin, the last pair of headphones I reviewed from Edifier were in fact the WH950NB, which is one of their top-of-the-range pairs, and really quite good. I just got back from a trip to the US and wore them for the entire flight, they were great. Anyway, I digress.
Opening the headphones up for the first time, they look similar to those 950HBs. They come in three different colours, black, grey and sand white, which is this creamy colour I have here. I think they look quite smart and they certainly have a premium look & feel to them. Over-the-ear cups, with thick soft cushions, and adjustable headband with plenty of flex. Each cup rotates in both directions and flips in for easy storage. Controls are to the right earcup, power on/off, play pause, track control, Bluetooth and USB C port. There is no headphone port, but you can use the USB C port for a hardwired connection if the device you’re connecting to accepts that.
In the box, you get the headphones, instructions and a USB cable for charging. These do not come with a case, unfortunately, which is a shame but understandable at this price point. Therefore durability over a long period of time, will depend on how well you look after them. I imagine if they get chucked into a backpack loose with other items, there is potential there for them to get damaged if not careful. I’m sure you can buy a case online somewhere though if you wanted.
In terms of specs and features, these include active noise cancellation, so they will actively help you remove external sounds and they do a pretty good job of it too. They’re Hi Res certified and support L-DAC, they offer up to 94 hours with ANC off, 54 hours with ANC on. Built-in microphones, with what they’re calling AI noise cancellation, which helps with call quality. Multi-point connection, ie the headphones can be connected to your phone and laptop simultaneously and they can be paired with the Edifier app, giving you a few extra options and settings.
Via the app, you can adjust the noise cancellation level between high, medium, wind reduction, ambient sound and off. You’ve then also got options for EQ, being classic which is default, classical, heavy bass, rock or customised, where you can adjust sliders up and down to suit your needs. Sound modes too, music, game and spatial sound. You can also change button controls and various other things via the app too if needed.
As for performance and noting the cost of these at around 60 pounds, it’s really good. Yes you can spend more money and yes you’ll get better performance but if you’re on a tight budget, these are a great choice. Listening to various tracks, and different genres, the sound is well balanced, vocals are clear, sounds are defined, and I can hear various parts of guitar and drums. The bass is punchy, but it’s not overpowering. This is all based on the default settings and EQ. I switched it up to the Rock EQ and there was a noticeable change, for the better and that is now how I leave the headphones for day-to-day use.
As for the noise cancellation, it was equally as impressive at this price point. There are various settings you can adjust, how much cancellation there is, and how much external sounds you want to allow in, which is handy. For example, if you’re walking down the street and you want to be aware of what’s happening around you, you can drop the ANC down to suit. If you want to get away from it all, you can. I kept the ANC on high, plus the over-ear design and thick cushions, my kids can be chatting away with me and i wouldn’t have a clue. I’ll be travelling abroad soon, so I’ll let you know how the ANC performs on the plane.
They’re very comfortable, with plenty of cushion to each cup and headband. Plenty of flex too. I could sit with them on for a couple of hours quite comfortably without having the urge to remove them. The controls work as expected, no thrills but they do what they need to do. Battery life, I’ve charged them twice, and I think the 54hrs with ANC on is ambitious, you should expect to get slightly less than that but that’s still good in my opinion. Microphones, no complaints, I made calls with these, plus also be on the receiving end and yeh, sounded clear, no problems.
So there we have it, they were the W830NBs from Edifier. I think they offer great value for money and it will be hard to find a competitor offering the same performance and features for that price.
