Edifier ES850NB Noise-Cancelling Headphones Evaluation

Edifier has been persistently releasing nice headphones at an reasonably priced worth. Whereas they might not fairly match flagship ANC headphones from the likes of Sony or Bose, they usually come shut whereas being significantly cheaper, offering a greater bang on your buck in comparison with the massive manufacturers.

The newest launch is the Edifier ES850NB, which sits close to the highest of the Edifier product vary and has a really spectacular battery lifetime of as much as 92 hours with an upgraded ANC system that Edifier claims to supply as much as -45dB noise cancellation.

Associated Evaluations

Specification

Options

All-day Consolation

The light-weight and ergonomic design offers a snug, pressure-free match appropriate for all-day use, permitting for hours of listening with out discomfort.

Wealthy Particulars

Help for the LDAC codec allows Hello-Res Audio Wi-fi, transmitting as much as thrice extra knowledge than customary Bluetooth codecs. This enables for an in depth, high-fidelity listening expertise.

• ‘Hello-Res Audio’ and ‘Hello-Res Audio Wi-fi’ logos are used below licence from the Japan Audio Society.
• LDAC and the LDAC emblem are emblems of Sony Company.

Premium Audio

A 40 mm dynamic driver, that includes a titanium-coated composite diaphragm, reproduces audio with clear excessive frequencies, detailed mid-ranges, and highly effective bass.

Personalised Sound

Choose from three distinct pre-set sound profiles to create a personalised audio expertise tailor-made to various kinds of leisure.

Noise Cancelling

Hybrid lively noise cancellation (ANC) works in tandem with the over-ear design’s passive noise isolation to scale back ambient sounds by as much as -45 dB. This creates an immersive listening surroundings, even in noisy environment.

Clear Fingers-free Calls

An AI-driven algorithm isolates the human voice from background noise, guaranteeing that your hands-free calls are clear for each you and the individual you’re chatting with.

Energy for Days

A most battery lifetime of 92 hours offers over every week of energy based mostly on eight hours of every day listening, making the headphones appropriate for prolonged journey.

• Battery life knowledge was obtained within the Edifier Lab, examined utilizing the SBC codec at 50% quantity. Precise efficiency could fluctuate based mostly on the listening surroundings, gadget, quantity, and audio content material.

Contact-to-Chat

Quickly pause your audio and activate ambient sound mode by touching and holding the appropriate ear cup, permitting for straightforward conversations. Releasing your contact will resume playback.

• This perform is offered solely in Bluetooth(R) mode.

Wi-fi and Wired Connection

Outfitted with Bluetooth(R) V5.4 for a steady wi-fi connection. A wired connection can also be attainable through the included USB-C to USB-A cable, appropriate to be used with computer systems and different appropriate units.

• Connecting the cable will disable Bluetooth(R) mode.
• The Bluetooth(R) phrase mark and logos are registered emblems owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by EDIFIER is below licence. Different emblems and commerce names are these of their respective homeowners.

Multipoint Connection

Join to 2 separate Bluetooth(R) units concurrently and change between them seamlessly. For instance, you may transfer from listening to music on a laptop computer to answering a name in your telephone with out re-pairing.

Foldable for Portability

The headphones characteristic a completely foldable design for compact storage. An included journey case offers safety, making them straightforward to move.

Apps for Extra Capabilities

Additional options can be found by way of the EDIFIER ConneX cell app and the EDIFIER TempoHub laptop software. These embody:

• Customise EQ settings
• Change between sound results
• Regulate management settings
• And extra

Design and Consolation

The ES850NB look trendy however isn’t showy. The usage of plastics is straight away noticeable; though purposeful and light-weight, they lack the density and polish of higher-end opponents. I discovered the extension arms quite dated in implementation – extra trendy cans have a tendency to cover the mechanism, whereas Edifier has caught with seen, sliding arms. There’s a slight flex and creakiness when stretching them, which doesn’t instil a lot confidence.

Edifier provides these headphones in a muted cream end, which is nice and modern, however the precise color shade varies barely from what’s proven in advertising supplies. The earcups use gentle protein leather-based pads, which really feel comfy on first use, though can get a bit heat after prolonged listening. On nearer inspection, the fake leather-based, laborious plastic and lack of actual steel touches make it plain that Edifier has prioritised performance and low weight over luxurious.

One small frustration is discovering the left and proper markers. They’re barely seen, mixing into the body – a easy distinction patch may have solved this.

Weighing in at round 265 grams, these headphones are comparatively gentle in comparison with most opponents. The scarf padding is beneficiant, with a gentle higher layer.

I discovered them very comfy to put on, because of the beneficiant padding and a reasonable quantity of power clamping the headphones to my head. Like most closed headphones, particularly with fake leather-based, I discover my ears begin to really feel scorching comparatively rapidly, which might begin to really feel a bit uncomfortable (I overheat simply).

The earcups additionally comfortably match over my massive ears and supply stage of passive isolation.

Edifier Connex App

The Edifier ConneX app offers entry to the headphones’ numerous options and customisation choices. While you open the app, you might have fast entry to the primary features you’ll doubtless need, noise cancellation, sound results and sound mode.

The app provides you 4 ANC ranges to select from: off, low, medium, and excessive. In observe, I discovered little cause to make use of something apart from the excessive setting. The distinction between the degrees is noticeable, however when you’re going to make use of ANC in any respect, you may as properly use it at most effectiveness. The app means that you can customise which modes can be found while you cycle by way of them utilizing the bodily controls, which is a pleasant contact if you wish to simplify the choices.

For sound customisation, you get three preset EQ profiles plus the flexibility to create your individual utilizing a four-band equaliser. The customized EQ consists of Q issue and frequency adjustment throughout the complete vary, which offers extra granular management than the easy bass/treble sliders you discover on some opponents. If what you’re doing with EQ settings, that is genuinely helpful. Should you don’t, the presets work properly sufficient.

There’s additionally a sound mode selector providing music, sport, and spatial choices. These are primarily further EQ presets quite than true gaming modes with diminished latency. The spatial mode makes an attempt to create a wider soundstage, although I discovered it added a synthetic high quality that I didn’t notably get pleasure from, which is true for all different headphones I’ve used with this characteristic. Your mileage could fluctuate relying in your preferences and the kind of content material you’re listening to.

Further options within the settings menu embody the flexibility to toggle the touch-to-chat perform on or off, remap the bodily controls, allow multipoint connectivity, and use a “discover my headphones” perform. The management remapping is pretty restricted however covers the fundamentals. Multipoint works reliably, permitting you to connect with two units concurrently and change between them with out handbook re-pairing.

Sound High quality

The sound signature of the ES850NB is the place these headphones genuinely impress. Edifier has tuned them with a balanced profile that gives good protection throughout the frequency vary, and that is truly one of many extra nice surprises I’ve encountered on this worth bracket.

Beginning with the bass response, you’re getting what I’d describe as a high-resolution presentation quite than a thick, rumbling low-end. The bass is well-defined and articulate, with good separation between the mid-bass and sub-bass frequencies. When listening to tracks with deep sub-bass content material, the headphones deal with them competently with none sense of pressure or distortion. The bass rumbles subtly within the background quite than dominating the combo, which works properly for many genres however may disappoint absolute bass-heads searching for skull-rattling low-end.

I discovered the bass efficiency notably spectacular when listening to digital music and trendy hip-hop, the place the kick drums and bass strains remained distinct and punchy with out bleeding into the midrange. There’s sufficient texture and element to fulfill most listeners, although when you’re particularly after that thick, enveloping bass response you’d get from one thing just like the Sony XB sequence, you’ll want to spice up the low-end within the EQ.

The midrange sits at a pleasant center airplane – not recessed again into the combo, however not pushed aggressively ahead both. Vocal copy is clear and pure, with good readability for each female and male voices. I examined this extensively with Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You,” and there’s a piece round 2:58 the place a deeper backup vocalist is available in that I’d genuinely by no means observed earlier than with different headphones. This stage of element retrieval at this worth level is genuinely commendable.

Acoustic devices fare properly too. Guitars have good physique and resonance, pianos sound full with out changing into boomy, and string sections preserve their particular person voices quite than mixing into mush. The midrange doesn’t have fairly the identical finesse you’d get from premium headphones within the £300+ vary, nevertheless it’s aggressive with anything round £150.

The highs have a slight sharpness to them, which offers a extra detailed sound. I are usually fairly delicate to highs, however these headphones are usually not too harsh and you may tweak the settings within the EQ to dial them down a bit.

Lively Noise Cancelling

The lively noise-cancelling efficiency of the Edifier ES850NB is efficient general, particularly contemplating its worth level. The headphones use a hybrid ANC system, which mixes microphones on the within and outdoors of the earcups to detect and counteract ambient noise. That is augmented by the passive noise isolation from the well-fitting over-ear design. Edifier claims this technique can scale back noise by as much as 45 dB.

In observe, the ANC performs very properly towards low-frequency, fixed noises. It’s fairly profitable at decreasing the rumble of highway noise or the drone of an airplane cabin, making journey and commutes extra nice. The noise discount in these situations is substantial, and when mixed with even gentle music playback, it creates a really efficient barrier towards the skin world.

All ANC headphones battle with higher-pitched and extra irregular sounds. These can’t compete with premium choices from Bose and Sony, however they fare properly. There’s a reasonable discount in highs and I’ve discovered the ANC efficiency is greater than adequate for all of the situations I’ve used them in.

Microphone

For making hands-free calls, the Edifier ES850NB is provided with a microphone system that makes use of an AI-driven algorithm to separate the person’s voice from background noise. The objective is to ship clear communication for each events in a dialog.

The system does a tremendous job at eliminating background noise, however this will add a slight distortion to my voice. It nearly sounds a bit wobbly, like the quantity is fluctuating.

Battery Life

I haven’t had a problem with the battery lifetime of headphones in years; they final considerably longer than earbuds with most providing properly over a days’ price of playtime.

The ES850NB excels with its reported 92 hours of playback with ANC off, and as much as 53 hours with ANC enabled. These figures have been examined at 50% quantity utilizing the SBC codec, so your precise outcomes will fluctuate based mostly in your utilization patterns.

I didn’t time my playback, however with LDAC enabled and the quantity at round 55-60% quantity with ANC enabled, I used to be getting a full week’s price of playback with me utilizing them all through the day in my workplace, so round 8 hours per day.

Fast charging can also be supported, with quarter-hour of charging offering roughly 11.5 hours of use with out ANC. That is genuinely helpful for these moments while you’ve forgotten to cost and have to sprint out the door. A full cost takes round two hours through USB-C.

Worth and Various Choices

The Edifier ES850NB have an RRP of £150 and has been as little as £128 on Amazon.

The Edifier WH950NB Gen 2 is the flagship product, and these retail for £180 however have been as little as £152

The earlier technology Sony WH-1000XM4 can be improve that are at the moment out there for £199.

Or for the same worth, the Soundcore Area One Professional are glorious at £150.

General

The Edifier ES850NB is one other glorious pair of ANC headphones with a properly rounded set of options.

The sound high quality is genuinely spectacular for the value, with a balanced signature that works properly throughout completely different genres. The battery life is outstanding and can simply outlast most opponents. Construct high quality and design selections might be higher, however nothing feels prone to truly break with affordable care.

The ANC efficiency is nice for the value level, and I discovered it appropriate for all of the conditions I attempted them. It is just while you use some flagship Sony headphones are you able to inform that these don’t fairly compete. In case you have by no means used them, you’ll suppose the ANC on these is great.

I feel the RRP is affordable, however maybe a bit too near the discounted worth of the Sony WH-1000XM4. On the discounted worth of £128, I feel they’re very good.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Obsessed with all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cell, wearables, and sensible dwelling units.

As a health fanatic who loves working and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My various pursuits permit me to convey a singular perspective to tech running a blog, merging life-style, health, and the most recent tech developments.

In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Info Methods Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior examine additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the expertise curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high expertise blogs within the UK. With my dedication to expertise and drive to share my insights, I intention to proceed offering my readers with partaking and informative content material.

Final replace on 2025-10-27 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photographs from Amazon Product Promoting API