Edifier WH950NB Review: Excellent Comfort and Style for Under $200

2 weeks ago

A awesome action for travelers, pinch up to 34 hours of ANC-enabled playback. But they person a fewer quirks, for illustration nan deficiency of beingness way controls.

Key Takeaways

The Edifier WH950NB offers awesome artillery life, lasting up to 55 hours of audio playback without Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) and 34 hours pinch ANC enabled. It is simply a awesome action for travelers.
The headphones person a balanced sound floor plan pinch decent bass, and nan EQ tin beryllium customized utilizing nan Edifier Connect app. The sound cancelation is not arsenic beardown arsenic immoderate high-end models but still performs good successful challenging environments.
While nan WH950NB lacks support for codecs for illustration AAC aliases AptX, arsenic good arsenic premium features specified arsenic on-ear detection, nan awesome drawback is nan absence of beingness way controls. Despite this drawback, for nether $200, nan headphones supply fantabulous comfort, style, and sound quality.

The Edifier WH950NB, priced astatine nether $200, are a compelling action for those seeking a equilibrium betwixt style, comfort, build quality, and awesome artillery life, moreover pinch its fantabulous ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) enabled. Coming successful astatine astir half nan value of my mundane Sony WH1000XM4, I was particularly funny to spot really good nan WH950NB could clasp up and if they could moreover afloat switch them.

Putting them to nan trial complete 2 weeks, I wore these connected respective short and longer haul flights, toured nan beautiful downtown Berlin pinch them, and exclusively utilized them for listening to music, watching movies, and editing videos connected my trip. What shocked maine most? I only had to complaint these 3 times successful that period. Although nan listening acquisition was excellent, and I amazingly didn't really find myself missing my much costly WH1000XM4s much, it became clear that achieving this little value constituent (while still not cheap) does travel pinch its adjacent stock of quirks and omissions, particularly for iPhone users for illustration myself.

Edifier WH950NB

The Edifier WH950NB connection awesome artillery life, lasting for up to 55 hours of audio playback without Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and 34 hours pinch ANC enabled, making them a awesome action for travelers. While nan WH950NB deficiency support for codecs for illustration AAC aliases AptX and premium features specified arsenic on-ear detection, nan awesome drawback is nan absence of beingness way controls. Despite this, for nether $200, nan headphones supply fantabulous comfort, style, and sound quality.

Brand Edifier

Battery Life 34 hours (ANC ON); 55 hours (ANC OFF)

Bluetooth 5.3

Noise Cancellation Active Noise Cancellation pinch Ambient Sound

Microphones Four

Weight 296g

Colors Black, White

Audio codecs LDAC, SBC

Folding/Storage Yes

Multipoint Two

Dimensions 193 x 169 x 82mm

Battery complaint time 1.5 hours for afloat charge; speedy 10 infinitesimal complaint for 7hrs playback

Driver 40mm

Pros

Impressive artillery life, moreover pinch ANC
Very comfortable
Neutral sound profile
Beautiful design
Users tin group timers to shutdown headphones

Cons

No way controls
Does not car powerfulness disconnected erstwhile not successful use
Limited codec support
No over-ear detection

Specifications

The WH950NB are powered by 40mm drivers pinch a wave consequence of 20Hz to 40kHz, offering a mostly neutral sound floor plan pinch a decent bass retired of nan container which tin beryllium tweaked wrong its companion app. The WH950NB usage Bluetooth 5.3, which lets you link to a superior root for playback and a secondary for audio calls simultaneously.

It has a USB-C larboard for accelerated charging and a 3.5mm relationship for wired, latency-free playback. Edifier claims that you tin execute up to 34 hours of playback pinch Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) enabled and a whopping 55 hours without ANC. As I ne'er noticed immoderate alteration to nan audio signature pinch it enabled, I almost exclusively utilized nan WH950NB pinch its ANC near on.

For calls, nan headset has 4 microphones pinch different levels of sound cancelation. Audio from my callers sounded fantabulous connected my end, while my sound value was reported to beryllium good, though they could still show I was utilizing a headset. Wind sound was little pronounced, though my sound came disconnected arsenic noticeably much washed out. Indoors, nan quality became little apparent, though users still preferred nan value of my iPhone 14 Pro Max speakerphone erstwhile we did a side-by-side comparison.

Build Quality and Feel

Design was intelligibly a priority, arsenic Edifier has managed to find a bully equilibrium betwixt aesthetics and comfort. The Edifier WH950NB headphones are disposable successful 2 classical colour options: achromatic aliases white, complemented by elegant golden accents, nan second of which is nan exemplary we're reviewing.

The outer earcups are made of a textured integrative aboveground which does springiness it a somewhat much premium look, though it's only really noticeable successful white. Complementing nan ray golden metallic arms recovered connected nan cups, we find nan Edifier logo connected nan bottommost sides of nan headband, too. This is somewhat much subtle connected nan achromatic color, whereas they opposition greatly against nan black.

More importantly, wearing these headphones doesn't disappoint, arsenic nan earcups and headband are generously padded to connection all-day comfort. The representation foam earpads are somewhat wider than my Sony WH-1000XM4s, which successful move allows larger receptor sizes to fresh without rubbing nan siding. Even though its headband doesn't usage representation foam, it still offers plentifulness of padding and has conscionable nan correct magnitude of hostility to enactment successful spot and remainder connected your head.

That said, I did announcement that these thin to descent disconnected my caput a small spot much easy from accidental bumps while I was adjusting my chapeau aliases glasses, whereas nan Sony's look to person a much robust clamp design.

Covering nan representation foam, we find faux leather. I'd reason that these are somewhat much breathable than nan WH-1000XM4s, though you still won't want to tally aliases workout successful these.

During a time of hectic travel, whether I was sprinting to my gross to drawback my formation pinch nan WH950NB hanging astir my neck, wearing these for 8+ hours consecutive connected my formation (mostly for their ANC to artifact retired nan sound crying babies and nan hum of nan motor to my side), aliases yet crashing dormant successful my edifice room, I could easy hide that I was moreover wearing these. Sure, my ears could astatine times get warm, particularly while I was exerting energy, but for nan astir part, these were amazingly comfortable to usage while traveling.

Edifier WH950NB - Wearing headset successful beforehand of Brandenburg

The Edifier WH950NB has a akin folding creation to nan 1000XM4 and a likewise shaped and sized carrying case.

Aside from its somewhat speckled lawsuit color, nan 2 cases are astir identical. One of nan benefits of nan Sony's is that it has an elastic nett pouch connected nan outside, though I don't deliberation I've ever utilized it.

On nan wrong nan Edifier's lawsuit has a Velcro pouch for your wires and adapters, whereas Sony has opted for a mini cutout successful its foam divider. Interestingly, Edifier could person installed a akin snug divider successful their lawsuit but alternatively utilized a elemental rectangle portion to forestall nan earcups from hitting each other. Aside from not securing nan headphones arsenic snugly arsenic nan Sonys, it besides feels very overmuch for illustration an afterthought aliases suggests that this lawsuit is being re-purposed from different model. It's a insignificant detail, though it's an easy measurement to make nan remainder of nan personification acquisition consciousness a small much premium.

Edifier WH950NB - Case comparison to Sony

Sound Quality and Performance

These headphones person an wide level sound signature, which whitethorn entreaty to those wanting a much "authentic" listening experience, not dissimilar nan reliable RØDE NTH-100 workplace monitoring headphones we reviewed past year.

In comparison, my Sony WH-1000XM4s were noticeably much bass-heavy and would request to trim their levels by rather a spot to lucifer nan WH950NB default sound. As such, retired of nan box, nan WH950NB whitethorn not beryllium arsenic breathtaking for galore users, particularly those who crave that heavy bass, though you tin move betwixt its different sound profiles wrong nan Edifier Connect app aliases customize nan EQ further.

Edifier WH950NB - Wearing headset pinch glasses

Its 40mm drivers connection clear mid-range tones, well-defined vocals, and capable low-end. Inching its measurement into nan $200 value point, these whitethorn not beryllium nan astir meticulous sounding, nor do they person nan widest sound stage, but I enjoyed everything I listened to pinch these.

Although astir popular aliases stone tracks use from its different EQ modes and travel much alive, I really alternatively liked really nan WH950NB sounds successful its "classic" mode without immoderate tweaks, arsenic everything felt well-balanced without nan fatigue you often acquisition complete clip pinch bass-heavy headsets.

You tin take betwixt high, low, upwind reduction, and ambient sound for sound cancelation. These modes tin each beryllium cycled done pinch nan fastener connected nan headphones, aliases you tin region unwanted modes from nan app truthful you tin much quickly prime from nan ones you do want.

Even though nan ANC capacity wasn't arsenic beardown arsenic Sony's, I felt it was still good, and it was surely powerful capable to thief maine autumn dormant connected my agelong flights, importantly reducing nan crisp shrieks of crying babies and nan debased drone of nan engines.

Switching to its ambient sound mode, I could much easy perceive my surroundings. Whether I was trying to perceive to nan formation captain's PA announcement, transverse a engaged intersection, aliases consciousness little tuned out, its ambient mode worked very well.

Lastly, if you want to usage these wireless headphones for gaming, an 80ms low-latency gaming mode is disposable successful nan Edifier Connect app. I personally couldn't announcement immoderate quality erstwhile utilizing its gaming mode, though its Bluetooth hold wasn't ever an issue, moreover pinch competitory online games for illustration Overwatch 2. Given their all-day comfort, I could spot this being a decent prime for much casual gaming sessions, but diehard gamers will undoubtedly for illustration faster 2.4ghz aliases wired solutions pinch amended built-in mics.

Battery Life

Battery life is wherever nan WH950NB genuinely shines. According to Edifier, you tin expect astir 55 hours of artillery life connected a afloat charge, aliases an further 7 hours from a speedy 10-minute charge, which is incredible. Interestingly, these deficiency an automatic inactivity shutoff feature, meaning they'll proceed to tally if you autumn dormant aliases hide to move them disconnected earlier you battalion them up.

I soon discovered this aft I'd been dormant for a bully 4 hours connected 1 of my flights, but realized that my telephone was still connected and nan headphones were still connected contempt having stopped my media playback earlier leaving consciousness. Obviously, this tin beryllium problematic erstwhile you've unexpectedly drained your remaining hours of complaint and can't usage your headphones nan adjacent clip you propulsion them out.

A metallic lining, however, is that I could return advantage of nan noise-canceling powerfulness of these headphones passim my full formation without putting connected a achromatic sound aliases low-volume way to support nan headphones moving arsenic you usually would.

Oddly, location doesn't look to beryllium a measurement to alteration this powerfulness setting, though Edifier does connection a Shutdown Timer wrong nan Connect App, which you tin group to 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, aliases 3 hours. This is awesome if you're falling dormant to a agelong ebook aliases podcast and cognize you'll beryllium dormant wrong a fewer hours, though it doesn't afloat excuse this elemental omission.

As hinted astatine earlier, this isn't its only quirk.

Limited Feature Set

Understandably, nan WH950NB lacks immoderate premium features that you'd find connected much costly headphones. The WH950NB headphones support nan LDAC and SBC codec, which are coagulated choices, but nan absence of AAC aliases AptX support could perchance time off immoderate users yearning for a much broad audio experience, particularly if utilizing an iPhone. But I wouldn't see myself an audiophile and successful truth, I would not person known it was missing had I not looked astatine nan spec expanse afterward.

Instead, coming from nan Sonys, I quickly noticed that these did not connection receptor detection, meaning that they can't automatically region aliases resume playback erstwhile taking them disconnected aliases putting them on. Depending connected really you usage your headphones, this mightiness beryllium 1 of those features that you've travel to expect pinch each pair. I surely missed nan convenience, but moreover this wasn't nan astir notable omission.

Although nan Edifier WH950NB uses a comparatively accepted three-button layout for media playback, adjusting volume, toggling betwixt different functions, and turning nan headphones connected aliases off, there's a awesome oversight successful that you can't skip tracks. I tried each operation aliases azygous presses, double, triple, and agelong presses, earlier I realized that this wasn't possible. With its different fantabulous personification experience, this inconvenience was particularly annoying erstwhile I was roaming astir without my telephone connected my person, aliases erstwhile I was half dormant and wanted to usage speedy on-headphone way navigation alternatively of pulling my telephone out.

While immoderate of nan different quirks I mentioned are forgivable astatine nan WH950NB's little value point, nan deficiency of specified a basal characteristic mightiness beryllium a woody breaker.

A Well-Rounded Pair of Headphones

The Edifier WH950NB headphones cheque respective boxes erstwhile it comes to audio quality, comfort, and style. They clasp their ain remarkably well, moreover erstwhile compared to pricier competitors for illustration my Sony WH-1000XM4s. I'd task to opportunity that for astir non-audiophiles, nan differences successful audio playback mightiness not beryllium easy discernible. For those who want a little level sound signature, these headphones connection elemental elasticity pinch their EQ profiles, allowing you to dial successful thumpier bass aliases a much pronounced attack.

While not rather connected par pinch immoderate high-end models, nan sound cancelation performs admirably, moreover successful much challenging environments for illustration planes aliases engaged streets. While nan absence of features for illustration on-ear discovery and nan constricted sound codec support mightiness beryllium notable to those who person travel to expect it, it's nan deficiency of beingness way controls that could beryllium nan biggest woody breaker for some.

Nevertheless, if your privilege is comfort, style, and awesome sound retired of nan box, nan WH950NB headphones connection fantabulous value. It's safe to opportunity that nan missing beingness controls are chiefly preventing them from being an moreover stronger proposal successful nan sub-$200 Bluetooth headset category.