In this latest review, we are covering the Edifier W820NB ANC headphones these are the first pair of over the ear headphones I have reviewed from this brand after checking out the Neobuds Pro, TWS NB2 Pro & TWS1 Pro. The Edifier W820NB are currently available for £59.99 from Amazon and are only currently available in black.
Considering the price the stand out features of these headphones is:
- ANC
- Lightweight
- 49-hour battery
- Hi-Res Audio Quality
- Ambient & Gaming Mode
Unboxing
Considering these are a budget option their wont be any awards for the packaging it’s fairly basic there is an image of the headphones on the front of the box with specifications listed on the back.
Open the box and you get the headphones, USB-C charging cable and a very simple user guide. Now if you are all about saving the planet that large plastic insert that keeps the headphones securely in the box might not please you.
Who is Edifier?
Edifier are a brand we have been getting to know quite well over this last year (Thanks Guys!) They have been around for the last 20 years now and you are most likely to find them online instead of in-store.
Not only do they produce headphones but we have reviewed their latest gaming headphones the Edifier GX High Fidelity And have recently received the Edifier S200MKIII Which the review will be live soon.
Edifier pride itself on good quality audio paired with an affordable price tag and head over to shows such as CES and Edifier is an award-winning brand.
Design
The design of the Edifier W820NB looks quite similar to that of a pair of Sony WH-100XM4. They are not identical but not fair off in terms of design when you start looking closer you notice the edifier model have slight differences.
The headband only has padding at the point it touches your head instead of being all the way down the band. The band also does not fold for storage which is a little annoying when you want to store them. However, the ear cups do twist inwards so you can twist them flat 90°. Meaning putting them in my bag was slightly easier when not in use. The pivot does aid with comfort as well.
The headphones considering the cost are made of plastic and they come in three colours:
- Black
- White
- Grey
In this review, we have been given the black matte version. The plastic feels cheap which over time could damage easier. The headphones are lightweight coming in just 220g and the build does feel robust. Moving to the earcups they are made of faux leather and are soft to touch with soft memory foam and also offer a decent level of padding and even with long periods of use. They felt comfortable with very little clamping force.
Moving to the controls everything is positioned on the right earcup such as the volume buttons that also double up as track control. You also have a power button which also doubles up as the play/pause The buttons are all rubberized and come with a tactile click. The W820NB also have a Bluetooth button that can also change the audio modes which I will discuss later in this review.
Battery Life
In terms of the battery life, I was impressed you get up to 29 hours of playback when you use the ANC function and without the ANC it increases to 49 hours which lasted me the whole week when just using these for my daily commute. When charging the headphones you only need to charge them for 1.5 hours to get a full charge.
Sound Quality
I have been testing these headphones for the last few weeks and was impressed with the audio quality they produce. The W820NB is built with 40mm dynamic titanium diaphragm drivers and provided a balanced sound signature without an overly strong bass that will affect other parts of the sound signature. I also found that even with ANC provides the user with a consistent sound.
When listening to a wide range of music I found you got a warm sound with a slightly elevated bass. The sound signature provides more emphasis on the mid-bass along with some sub-bass. The bass in general gives you a punchy sound without being too much damage to the overall sound. It’s not the most textured bass but it’s well-controlled.
Moving to the midrange it offers a full-bodied sound that was really clear without feeling too mucky. The mids are fairly forward and the vocals sound nice and articulate.
The treble offers a smooth laid back sound that is ideal for long listening sessions. The treble is crisp enough and slightly rounded and is positioned towards the back of the mix.
Active Noise Cancellation
The ANC turned on automatically when you power the headphones. The ANC works to a degree it’s not the best I have experienced as it did let through some noise for example if am on the train and a group of ladies are chatting having the W820NB I could still hear a little of the chat. However, when in the office the sounds of a PC fan or keyboard taps are removed instantly. The design of headphones with the use of memory foam earpads do also provide passive noise isolation so 99% of unwanted noise is removed.
Ambient Mode
This mode actually works quite well or it could be the fact the ANC is not the best am a little unsure. The Ambient sound mode allows you to listen to outside noise at the same time as listening to your music. This is ideal for when walking down a busy road or waiting for a train and needing to hear an announcement. You can also adjust the amount of outside noise via the app if you wish.
Built-in Mic and call Quality
When making calls or using them for online gaming I had no issues the sound was nice and clear and also loud when required. Ideal for when I have used them for one of the many Zoom calls I have had for work.
When using the Edifier W820NB for gaming it has a low latency this provides you with an excellent gaming experience it was also useful for when I wanted to watch a show on Netflix.
Connectivity
The Edifier W820NB connect with ease and this is due to the Bluetooth 5.0 and has a distance of up to 10 meters. When testing these there were no signal drops even at Liverpool St station where the signal is normally bad with a number of headphones I have tested.
Edifier App
The Edifier App is available on both IOS and Andriod and within the app it allows you to control the ANC, Ambient Mode, Gaming Mode. Although the ANC & Ambient mode can be switched on via the headphones as well as the app the gaming mode can only be activated via the app.
So if you did not want to download the app and was not worried about the gaming mode you could skip the app as you don’t have any customised EQ modes within the app.
Verdict
If you are on a budget and are looking for a pair of headphones for Christmas then the Edifier W820NB are not a bad option if the price is the number one consideration. These headphones are comfortable and lightweight and do look just like the Sony WH-100XM4. Audio Quality and battery life are features that make these a very good buy.
If you want a pair of headphones but don’t want to break the bank these are a great Christmas present idea.
Product Rating:
Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
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Hello. I found your article most useful. I bought a pair of EDIFIER W820NB. Coming tomorrow. My present pair have developed a thumping noise.
Hi, are you sure these can be used wired? It seems like there is only a type c connector. How to use onboard a flight without a 3.5 jack? Thank you
Apologies that must have been an error on our side there is not a 3.5 jack and I have updated the review.