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Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review – For Life on the Go

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
Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Image Tech for Travel

Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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.

Comfortable secure fit Image Edifier

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.

Physical controls USB C charging Image Tech for Travel

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.

Clean smooth edges Image Tech for Travel

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 ButtonVolume 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 ButtonVolume down single press
Previous track press & hold
Bluetooth ButtonMode Switch single press to toggle;
– Ambient sound mode
– Noise-cancelling mode
– Standard mode
Game mode double press
Bluetooth pairing press & hold
W820NB Controls

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 Connect app Image Tech for Travel

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.

Expandable headband Image Tech for Travel

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.

Three colours to choose from Image Edifier

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!

Super soft ear cushions Image Tech for Travel

Edifier W820NB ANC Headphones Review// Specification

W820NB Headphones
Dimensions180 x 200 x 80mm (open)
Weight240g
Colour OptionsBlack
Grey
White
Audio CodecsAAC | SBC
Driver40mm
FeaturesGame mode
Hybrid ANC
Foldable & Lightweight
Titanium Diaphragm
Ambient Sound Mode
PlaybackANC – 29 hours
ANC off – 49 hours
Charge Time1.5 hours
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.0
USB-C
In the BoxW82ONB 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.

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