These Edifier headphones are shockingly good for what you pay

I’m what could possibly be described as a laid-back audiophile. My musical upbringing and research in music manufacturing and engineering have given me an enormous appreciation for good sound high quality. I’ve acquired a really strong deal with on what to pay attention for in a superb audio combine.

I’m not as choosy as a number of audiophiles, however my final two pairs of on a regular basis headphones had been the Beats Solo 3 and Microsoft Surface Headphones 2, which price greater than $200 every. I used every of them till the metaphorical wheels fell off they usually stopped working. These are massive footwear to fill, I completely beloved utilizing them for the a number of years that I did.

I’m additionally a working mother on a humble finances, and changing both of these headphones isn’t an possibility for me proper now. Quite a lot of people are feeling the burn in our present financial state, which is why I used to be so excited to seek out an reasonably priced pair of headphones that meets my requirements for on a regular basis, informal listening.

Edifier’s V80 Hybrid lively noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones have taken me completely abruptly. I initially borrowed a pair from a good friend when my Floor Headphones 2 bit the mud, however ended up buying a pair for myself for an inventory of causes.

To begin with, the worth is so proper. At $70 common value (and on sale for $45 on the time of writing), they’re positively budget-friendly. Within the beneath $50 value level, you’re not going to seek out a number of big model names, however the Edifier V80s are an ideal instance of why that’s not a foul factor.

I hadn’t heard of Edifier earlier than making an attempt out the V80s, and doubtless wouldn’t have taken a second take a look at them if I hadn’t been capable of attempt them out earlier than shopping for.

Soft consolation

The very first thing that impressed me concerning the Edifier V80s was how snug they’re. The ear cushions and headband cushion are so delicate. I put on glasses, and have had issues with headphones that press the arms of my glasses into my head giving me complications. I haven’t had that problem in any respect with these headphones. The end on the cushions feels nice on the pores and skin. It’s virtually silky, however they don’t slip off my head in any respect.

Different headphones have additionally given me issues when utilizing them on the health club frequently. Sweating in my Beats Solo 3s did ultimately trigger the ear cushions to disintegrate, however I’ve since began utilizing earbuds on the health club as an alternative to keep away from the identical drawback with the Edifier V80s. They’re simply too fairly to threat it.

I like the brown color of the Edifier V80s. Sometimes, I’ll go for black as a result of it’s simply the simplest to fashion, however this terra cotta-adjacent shade is simply impartial sufficient that it really works with most of my outfits as effectively. Switching it up has been good, and I get compliments on them on a regular basis.

Good sound, with some tweaks

As for the precise sound high quality, the Edifier V80s actually impressed me. They’re not good, however they’re greater than adequate for the worth level. They sounded just a little bit skinny out of the field, which is often an indicator that they want a little bit of a lift on the decrease frequencies (often between 16-250 Hz). The Edifier ConneX app made it straightforward sufficient to make that change. You get 4 frequency ranges which you can alter by 0.5dB increments. What sounds finest will rely in your preferences and the kind of music you hearken to, as audio mixes can differ lots throughout genres.

For me, the Edifier V80s wanted what’s known as a low-pass filter. Merely put, it permits decrease frequencies to move by means of, and limits increased frequencies (2kHz-6kHz). For skinny, hollow-sounding audio, this could simply give your headphones a richer, full-bodied combine. You may also set it and neglect it – as soon as I tailor-made the sound, it caught even once I related to a different system.

Quite a lot of headphones and earbuds have an accompanying app nowadays, and most streaming platforms even have built-in EQ settings. Don’t be scared to get in there and fiddle till you discover a sound you want.

Cellphone calls are very clear on the Edifier V80s, and the Bluetooth vary can also be fairly spectacular. It appears to chop out round 30 toes, however I’m not usually that distant from my telephone, so it’s not likely a priority. In addition they reside as much as their low-latency claims. I haven’t seen any lag when gaming or watching movies, however they do include a USB-C to three.5mm audio cable should you do have points, or should you’ve nonetheless acquired a telephone with a headphone jack and like a wired connection.

So far as lively noise cancelling (ANC) goes, these headphones are nice. They’re not the strongest, however they positively suffice. I typically put on them and activate ANC with no music enjoying simply to chop down a bit of additional background noise whereas nonetheless having the ability to hear what’s taking place round me.

I’ve by no means had fun with contact controls on headphones. One factor I actually like concerning the Edifier V80s is the tactile buttons. There are solely 4 buttons, and the management scheme is straightforward sufficient, with some customizability included on the multi-function Bluetooth button.

Glorious worth

They do have fairly intense sound leakage, so should you like your music actually loud (which you shouldn’t as a result of it should completely injury your listening to over time), that’s one thing to be aware of in public areas.

Lastly, I’m very impressed with the battery life on these headphones. A full cost yields about 40 hours of listening on regular mode, or 26 hours with ANC. Charging for quarter-hour will get me by means of most of an eight-hour workday in a pinch, although frustratingly, you possibly can’t hearken to music and cost the headphones on the similar time.

Usually, the Edifier V80s are a stellar deal. They haven’t any enterprise being nearly as good as they’re for the worth. Am I going to make use of them for mixing and mastering? Most likely not. However I’ll completely proceed utilizing them day-after-day for music and telephone calls. I can forgive what they lacked in wealthy audio as a result of it was straightforward to repair. They’re cute, snug, and cheap, which is definitely greater than may be stated for a lot of higher-end manufacturers.

The Edifier V80 Hybrid headphones are available on Amazon Canada for $69.99, however on the time of writing had been on sale for $44.98.