Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review – with a 49-hour battery and seamless ear pads, you could wear these headphones from the moment you leave home until you arrive at your hotel.
{Tech} for Travel
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Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review
Frequent travellers take their choice of headphones very seriously. Some stick with a brand, whilst others may go for the most features or the newest model.
Edifier, recently, has muscled its way into the audio travel market from the budget-friendly X3 in-ear buds up to the astonishingly good NeoBuds Pro.
With the latter even making this year {Tech} for Travel Best Travel Gadgets list! So, the new W820NB headphones have a lot to live up to.
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Features
Inside and out, these Active Noise Cancelling Headphones offer real value for money and are certainly punching above their weight in terms of performance.
Made from a hard plastic composite, the Edifier W820NB come in a choice of three colours and is completed with soft, smooth earcups and a headband.
For controls, Edifier has opted for physical buttons instead of touch-sensitive panels, and additional configurations and options can be found on the Edifier Connect App (Android | Apple).
Along with the ANC technology, the biggest draw for travellers will be the 49-hour battery performance. That’s almost double the time of others such as Bose, Sony and Apple… but with a catch!
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Performance
Overall, the audio experience delivers above the $79 price tag, but this is not just due to the drivers and titanium diaphragms. They’re so comfortable, I enjoyed wearing them and listening to my music a bit more than usual.
I could notice the difference in my audio as I moved through the different modes, and whilst these may not deliver ANC on par with the more expensive headphones, they performed well.
An average aircraft cabin can be around 78-80dB of background noise, and the W820NB headphones can reduce that by up to 38dB with its ANC technology.
There are two sides to the listening experience; music & ANC, and then hands-free & gaming.
Sound
The good news is that the music sounds rich, detailed and has plenty of bass with the Edifier W820NB headphones.
With Active Noise Cancelling switched on, I enjoyed my music without external disturbances, even on a busy London high street!
Unlike other Edifier headphones, there are no more technical audio configuration options other than switching through the modes.
If, however, you make plenty of hands-free or video calls, you’ll possibly find the voice recognition just okay with these headphones. I didn’t receive any comments or complaints from others, but the sound was a bit shallow on recorded voice tests.
The W820NB headphones have a low-latency Game mode which I didn’t find to make much of a noticeable difference
Battery Performance
Edifier has somehow managed to include a battery that delivers 49 hours of use for such a light and relatively compact size.
I needed ANC turned off to achieve this and for a week of office only use, I took them off charge Monday morning and didn’t need to worry about power until the weekend.
But travellers want and need ANC. I managed around 27 hours of playback with ANC from a full charge, which is 1.5-2 hours under what Edifier claimed.
Charging is done via USB-C and takes 1:30hrs from flat.
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Controls
While the physical buttons might disturb the overall smooth appearance of the earcup compared to the touch-sensitive panels, I found them easier to use and take control of the W820NB headphones.
On the lower edge of the right earcup are two control buttons.
| Up Button | Volume up single press Next track press & hold |
| Power Button | Power on press & hold 3 sec Power off press & hold 3 sec Voice assistant double press Accept/end call single press Decline call double press |
| Down Button | Volume down single press Previous track press & hold |
| Bluetooth Button | Mode Switch single press to toggle; – Ambient sound mode – Noise-cancelling mode – Standard mode Game mode double press Bluetooth pairing press & hold |
A small single Bluetooth pairing dot and a long 3-in-1 rocker button. Both are well-positioned and easily accessible without bending fingers or reaching for them unnaturally.
Edifier Connect App
If you prefer, you can use the Edifier Connect App to control some aspects of the headphones.
Sadly, I found the support from the app was minimal compared to the experience during the review of the newer NeoBuds Pro.
The appp gives you the option to switch between modes and adjust the volume/track but no fine-tuning of audio that I know it can do so well.
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Design
Overall, I was impressed with the sturdiness of the W820NB headphones. Sadly they don’t fold in on themselves, but the ear cups can swivel 90° to the headband.
This means they can lay flat around your neck or in larger carry pouches, something these headphones don’t come with.
But, at this price, it’s not an issue.
Thanks to the prongs being able to swivel in both directions, Edifier has delivered a comfortable fit with these headphones. And, with the lightness of the frame and soft ear cushions, you can wear them for hours.
Colour Options
I don’t often favour white headphones, but the W820NB did appeal to me in this style during the review. They come in either Black, Grey or White.
If you opt for the White, they can pick up dirt stains! Probably no more than the other two colour options, but obviously more noticeable and mainly around the button area.
A final point on the White colourway is that I did review these for a bit longer than I usually would for a pair of headphones and long enough to notice an ever-so-slight colour change on the prongs holding the ear cups and the headband.
I don’t think it was down to dirt as it didn’t wipe clean, and funnily enough, the inside of the headband stayed immaculately white.
Oh So Soft…
Bose recently launched the QC45, and one of the new features on those $300 headphones can be found on the Edifier W820NB too.
Smooth, pleat free earpads.
Even if you wear glasses whilst using these headphones, the softness of the pads and pressure of the headband were just right for me over a long period of use.
And, with up to 49 hours of playtime, you need them to be!
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Specification
| W820NB Headphones | |
| Dimensions | 180 x 200 x 80mm (open) |
| Weight | 240g |
| Colour Options | Black Grey White |
| Audio Codecs | AAC | SBC |
| Driver | 40mm |
| Features | Game mode Hybrid ANC Foldable & Lightweight Titanium Diaphragm Ambient Sound Mode |
| Playback | ANC – 29 hours ANC off – 49 hours |
| Charge Time | 1.5 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 USB-C |
| In the Box | W82ONB ANC Headphones USB Charging Cable Manuals |
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Pricing
The Edifier W820NB ANC headphones are $79/£79 from your local Amazon store.
