Review: Edifier W820NB Headphones with ANC (under US $60)

Review unit provided by Edifier

The Edifier W820NB is a Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancelling and High-Res Audio standard at a budget price of under US $60. Here in Singapore, it's SGD 79 at the time of this review and I've seen reviews report prices as low as SGD 55 (US $39) during promotion days.

There are countless reviews for this headphones online because Edifier is huge on influencer marketing. The unit I have is also a review unit but this is not a paid review. I'll just present my findings and you can decide whether this is worth your money.

Here are the specifications:

• Bluetooth version: V5.0
• Audio codecs: SBC
• Driver unit: 40mm dynamic driver
• Playback time: 29 hrs with ANC, 49 hrs without
• Charging time: ~ 1.5 hours
• Battery capacity: 400mAh
• Frequency response: 20Hz - 40kHz
• Sound pressure level: 91±3dB(A)
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Charging port: USB Type-C

Bottom line
The audio quality for me is 3.5 out of 5 stars when compared to other higher quality headphones. Without comparing to other headphones, the audio quality would be 4/5 and is considered really good for budget headphones standard.

The discreet design looks good enough, is lightweight and comfortable to wear. It has long battery life of at least 29 hours with ANC. Downsides would be the plasticky build quality (expected), only audio codec is SBC, the treble lacking brightness or sharpness, the lack of EQ options with the app, ANC is effective enough for low frequency background noise but doesn't do well with loud noises. I do enjoy listening to music on this headphones and I feel it does provide good value for money simply because of its affordability.

The items included in the box are:

• 1.2m USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• Quick start guide and safety info
• Headphones

The design actually reminds me of the Sony WH1000XM series headphones. The design is discreet looking and is now quite a generic design -- same can be said about the Sony headphones.

The earphones are available in black, gray, blue and white. if you want something more eye catching, perhaps go with the blue or white.

The build quality is solid enough but feels plasticky because everything is made with plastic, including the slider. I've only tested these headphones for a week so I can't say much about long term durability.

The weight is just 220g, which is considered lightweight for headphones. The ear cups with soft padding are comfortable. Clamping force is just right. These are earphones I can wear for long periods of time without discomfort. It's easy for me to forget I'm wearing them after a few minutes.

The padding is made with memory foam and held together with PU leather. There's no sound when I placed the ear cups on my ears.

Interestingly, when I had the Sony WH-1000XM4 over my ears, the padding sounds like plastic bags. I'm not kidding. Maybe it's because I bought a secondhand unit and the PU leather has worn out (doesn't look like it) but even so it should not sound like putting plastic bags over your ears.

The headphones is matte textured throughout. The part connecting the slider can be sharp with the pointy end.

All the control buttons, USB-C ports, microphone are on the right ear cup.

Buttons are raised and have extrusions so it's easy to know which button is which. The buttons work well.

Shortcuts depend on how many times you press and how long you press the buttons.

Audio quality

The Edifier W820NB headphones is said to be High-Res Audio certified. The audio quality is good for budget headphones standards, but it's definitely not High-Res Audio standards when compared to higher quality headphones.

The High-Res Audio label is something you can ignore in the future as it will lose its meaning just like the word "pro" has lost its meaning.

The only audio codec supported is SBC.

The mids and bass sound good. There's some thumping with the bass but don't expect heart pounding effect you get with drums in your face. Treble is not has sharp or bright compared to better quality headphones. Overall audio sounds good with some sound stage. There's no muddy effect. It's just that everything could use a bit more definition, especially the treble.

Let me emphasis that the audio quality with the W820NB is very good when you consider the budget price point. The audio quality is very good if you don't compare it with other headphones.

The downside regarding the treble means instruments with high treble are affected, e.g. violins, cymbals, ringing of the guitar. If you listen to instruments, orchestra, then perhaps the audio quality may not be good enough, again relatively speaking. Voice sounds great.

The Edifier Connect app does not have EQ adjustment. The headphones have been out since 2021 and there's still not EQ adjustment so that's probably not a feature that will ever come. The app allows you to adjust ANC and toggle game mode which you can already do with the buttons on the ear cup.

You can get 29 hours of battery life with ANC, 49 hours without, so battery life is great so it's not necessary to check the battery level with the app. Just make sure to power off the headphones when not using because there's no power saving or auto-sleep functionality.

There's actually no point installing the app.

Nosie cancelling works fine for ambient noise. Loud noises are just made softer but still audible. You can still heard people talking just at lower volume. FYI, the Edifier Neobuds Pro (2x more expensive) I reviewed recently has excellent noise cancelling by comparison, and the ANC is so good I can't hear my wife who's standing and talking next to me.

Call quality is alright, similar to quality you can expect with wired headset earphones. When there's background noise, there will be distortion and occasionally a few words may be dropped.

Conclusion

As a budget headphone, the Edifier W820NB has reasonably good audio quality. If you're looking for a no-frills headphones while on a tight budget, the W820NB is a good option to consider. It does provide good value for money simply because of its low price point. And if you can find this cheaper on promotion days, it's a fantastic deal.

Downsides would be the treble lacking sharpness/brightness, only SBC audio codec, ANC good for background but not loud noises and the app isn't very useful. The build quality is plasticky but you should have expected that.

Availability

You can find these headphones on Amazon (US | CA | UK | DE | FR | ES | IT | JP)

Here in Singapore, you can find it on Shopee SG and Lazada SG.

Here are the direct links on Lazada SG: Coupon | Shop | Product