Edifier WH950NB Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
Edifier WH950NB Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones – LDAC Codec with Hi-Res Audio and Custom EQ via App after 55H Playtime with Foldable Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth V5.3 Headphones – Black
From the brand
Established in 1996, Edifier specializes in premium audio solutions that showcase technological innovation and design elegance.
We deliver outstanding sound experience through a wide range of sound systems for personal entertainment and professional excellence.
Edifier products are now enjoyed by customers from over 70 countries.
Right, ill start at the point where i was about to return them and then what i did to get it sound amazing. I use Xiaomi mi 11 ultra that supports hi-res sound.
Out of the box they sounded flat and honesly horible. Tired their eq and dynamic clasic eq set up and just couldnt get the sound well. So at this point thought i will return them as they just dont perform well.
After a week i thought to give ago again thru settings and see if i missed anything:
LDAC set to 96kHz seems to have interference and music keeps crackling (that was main reason thinking of returning) i have dropped to the 48/44.1kHz and crackling stopped but still sounded as flat as it was.
Then tried mingling with phone eq that did nothing wither.
The main thing that changed the sound signature was setting sound to earphones on phone sound settings and trying each preset there is for different headphones/earphones. Once found the sound signature i was looking i am enjoying these Edifier headphones beyond expectations. Trully exeptional sound. Also compered against Sony mdr A1 and that Sony is now soitting on my shelf, Edifier outperformed them with a massive leap. Trully great headphones once you find how to set them up well.
Hope this helps to the rest.
Oh and ANC is phenomenal.
I can’t claim to be an audiophile so can only say that for me they sound good, definitely not over-bassed like so many seem to be nowadays. I have some Creative in-ear buds that I really like but am paranoid about losing one if I fall asleep with them in so wanted some over-ear that I won’t be able to lose!
They pair easily to two devices, because of this I’ve also started using them for taking calls through my work laptop while music is playing through my phone – sound is clear on calls for both myself and the caller and it was easy to set up. This is a big plus as I hadn’t been factoring this in while looking at which ones to buy.
I’ve also used multi point with phone and tablet – this wasn’t so easy to set up but that was due to Samsung peculiarities (googled the issue – Samsung asks for an app to be able to connect – it’s been a long standing BT issue with Samsung it seems!). Problem was not these headphones and they’ve not had any problems connecting with anything else.
The noise cancellation is good within the house but I don’t need it for noisy commutes or plane trips so not sure how well they work in those situations.
There doesn’t seem to be much sound leakage, I can’t hear anything out of them if I drop them round my neck (I’ve checked they’re actually still playing as thought had accidentally hit pause). And my other half says he can’t hear anything when I’m wearing them.
They’re comfortable – I can wear them for an entire work shift no problems.
Battery life is amazing.
The only thing somewhat negative is I’m an adult female and have them on the smallest band setting and they could still do with being able to go a bit smaller – it’s not been a deal breaker but I don’t think I have a particularly small head so maybe something to be aware of. That’s why I’ve knocked a star off as would have preferred a 4.5 rating.
To explain, as best I can, third hand, headphones pretty much usually give you “richer, fuller sound” by just amplifying the bass a lot, which tends to drown out the top end/treble (hi-hats and piano and all the tinkly little noises), and the mid-range sounds (like vocals and other instruments) to do that. This means that sure it SOUNDS beefier, but you’re losing a lot of the actual melody and character.
A fully “flat” profile for headphones is perfectly balanced across the board, but again, isn’t necessarily what you want for your ears. This is why equaliser settings are accessable on most music players, so you can tweak as necessary.
However, these headphones in particular managed to, even at max volume, play Scarlet Fire by Otis McDonald at high volume for the whole song, and not only was the bass nice and rich, I could still make out all the treble and mids with crystal clarity, without anything sounding “flat”. Beautiful rich sound, no crackling or muddiness.
Further to this, they are EXCEPTIONALLY comfortable to wear for long periods. The construction feels sturdy as well, and they’re not so heavy that they weigh down on your head. The earpads feel like fantastic quality, and their battery life so far is exceptional, and I don’t think we’ve had to charge them at all yet.
Finally, they are exceptionally good value for money because with all this quality, you’d expect a big price, but the cost is exceptionally reasonable. Definitely a brand to look out for!
The Bluetooth sound quality is decent enough on Android, thanks to LDAC. However…. Apple’s AAC codec is not supported. This means that using the headphones on an MacBook / iPad / iPhone in bluetooth mode will result on slightly noticable lower sound quality. Connected to those devices with the cable will solve the problem.
Aside from that, the headphone’s build quality is decent, it comes with all the standard accessories. The App is okay, but not really necessary. All in all, a worthy pair of headphones for the price.
I tried two other headsets (Anker Q30s and Anker Space Q45s) and ended up sending them back. The main function I needed was the microphone to cancel back ground noise in a busy office. There can be music playing and also some loud conversations due to open plan working areas.
Wow. The mic is extremely good at cancelling out all that!
The reviews for most headsets all seem to focus mainly on the user experience for the person wearing them rather than the person on the recieving end of them, I can vouch for these and tell you they are not only fantastic for me, extremely comfortable, noise cancelling is decent and the microphone is the best I’ve found in this price range. The audio can be a little bassy in default but that can easily be adjusted in the app.
All in all, worth its weight! I recommend…
I like them!
Much better sound and somewhat better ANC than Souncore q45 at ~100, granted at ~150 the Edifiers are more expensive, but also a more worthwhile and long-term purchase you wont regret. These also do a better job with clearing your voice from a noisy background during calls and have a great mic. Q45s do have more ‘physical’ bass than these but only with the bass on EQ turned up and the extra bass mode on. Without that, the Q45s sound like a 30-40 tinny headphone pair imo. These also have a better seal with my large ears and unlike both the Sonys and the Q45s, I can actually wear them for hours at a time. They also feel much better and more premium and fit sleeker and closer to your head/less wide than the soundcores.
The Sonys do have slightly better sound, mic and ANC but cost double or more and can’t fold, have a massive case and are less comfortable on both my ears and head.
Big win for Edifier as they more than hit the sweet spot for good value.
All 3 apps are alright, Sony’s app can do more stuff and all 3 multipoint connections work, most of the time, with some issues with my work laptop. The Sony’s freaked out with work laptop and their mic never worked on there.
Highly recommend these.