vivo just introduced the TWS 2 ANC and TWS 2e true wireless stereo earbuds that offer studio quality audio!
Find out if the new TWS earbuds are what you have been looking for!
vivo TWS 2 ANC + TWS 2e Earbuds : All You Need To Know!
vivo just introduced two new true wireless stereo earbuds – the TWS 2e and the TWS 2 ANC with active noise cancellation!
They both come with 12.2 mm speakers offering super strong bass, in a pair of feather-light earbuds.
Here is what you need to know about the new vivo TWS 2 series earbuds…
Comfortable Fit
Both vivo TWS 2 ANC and TWS 2e earbuds are ultra-light at just 4.7 grams. But more importantly, they were designed with a G3 curvature that conforms to the contours of your ears.
They also feature an innovative vent design, with front and rear chamber flow to help equalise pressure. You will hardly remember they are there!
Super Strong Bass
Both vivo TWS 2 models come with a large 12.2 mm speaker, which features a carbon fibre composite diaphragm to deliver powerful bass, with crisp mids and highs.
Active Noise Cancellation
The vivo TWS 2 ANC can continuously monitor and cancel the background sound, eliminating up to 40 dB of noise!
You can rely on its smart noise algorithm to intelligently adjust the degree of noise cancellation, or manually choose from three levels – high, normal and low.
It doesn’t matter how loud traffic gets – you will always hear every song and conversation crystal clear!
And a single tap activates the Transparency Mode which lets you clearly hear outside sounds, letting you hear announcements and chat with people as if you were not wearing the earbuds at all.
Microphone Noise Cancellation
Both models come with two external beam forming microphones to eliminate background noise while picking up your voice.
Their duct design also improves wind noise reduction by an astounding 148%, so your voice will always be clear even if you are running or cycling.
The TWS 2 ANC model has an additional microphone hidden within the earbud. This microphone has a high SNR to help pick up your voice even in the noisiest environment.
Multipoint Connection
Both vivo TWS 2 models can simultaneously connect to two devices, and switch seamlessly between them – like your vivo X70 smartphone and a laptop, for example.
If you receive a call on your phone while watching a video on your laptop, the earbuds will automatically stream the call and switch back to the video after you hang up.
Ultra-Low Latency
Both models have been enhanced with vivo’s dual-coupled antennas to reduce wireless latency, which is critical for online games.
The TWS 2e has a wireless latency of just 117 ms, while the TWS 2 ANC goes as low as 88 ms!
Battery Life
Both models have a battery life of about 7 hours, and 29-30 hours when used with the charging case.
With active noise cancellation enabled, the TWS 2 ANC has a 4 hour battery life on a single charge.
vivo TWS 2 ANC + TWS 2e Earbuds : Specifications
To make it easier for you to decide between the two models, we created this table to compare their key specifications :
Specifications
TWS 2 ANC
TWS 2e
Design
In-Ear Earbuds
IP Rating
IP54
Speaker Unit
12.2 mm voice coil
Frequency Range
20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Active Noise Cancellation
Yes
No
Microphones
3
2
Voice Call Noise Cancellation
Yes, 3-Mic
Yes, 2-Mic
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2
Dual-Channel Transmission 2.0
Wireless Latency
88 ms (min.)
117 ms (min.)
Wireless Codec
aptX Adaptive / AAC / SBC
AAC / SBC
Wear Detection
Two capacitive sensors
None
Google Fast Pair
Yes
Controls
Pressure +
Touch
None
Battery
45 mAh (each earbud)
505 mAh (charging case)
Battery Life
(Noise Cancellation Off)
7.3 Hours
7.6 Hours
Battery Life
(Noise Cancellation On)
4.1 Hours
–
Charging Time
60 minutes (earbuds)
110 minutes (charging case)
Charging Port
USB Type C
Earbud Dimensions
23.8 x 22.2 x 30.2 mm
Charging Case Dimensions
60.0 x 24.3 x 45.4 mm
Earbud Weight
4.7 g per earbud
Charging Case Weight
41.9 g
vivo TWS 2 ANC + TWS 2e Earbuds : Price + Pre-Order Deals
The vivo TWS 2e is priced at RM269 – approximately US$64 / £47 / A$88 / S$87.
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The Edifier W860NB and W828NB are both active noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones, with an over-ear design.
In this article, we will compare both models to find out how they differ, and where they are similar. Find out which is the best option for you!
Edifier W860NB Primer
The Edifier W860NB is their first active noise cancelling Bluetooth headphone, targeted at the value premium market. Hence, it sports a premium design with touch controls.
It also has folding ear cups with neodymium drivers, NFC support and a complete set of accessories including a hard travel case.
Edifier W860NB vs Edifier W828NB : What’s The Difference?
The Edifier W860NB has a more refined design, while the W828NB has a sportier design.
They can both be folded for more compact storage, but the ear cups of the W860NB can further be tilted inwards to fit its hard travel case.
If touch controls are important, then obviously you will prefer the W860NB, but the W828NB has a BIG advantage – Bluetooth 5.0.
Bluetooth 5.0 is more than twice as fast as Bluetooth 4.1, letting the W828NB avoid audio synchronisation issues. It is also more power efficient, which means a longer battery life.
Edifier W860NB vs Edifier W828NB : Our Recommendations
If you prefer an all-in kit or a more premium build and arguably better audio and noise cancellation performance, you should definitely get the W860NB.
But if you want the best possible Bluetooth connectivity for better audio synchronisation and battery life, then get the W828NB.
One thing is for sure – they are both very affordable active noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones, and offer great value for your money.
Edifier W860NB vs Edifier W828NB : Specifications
Specifications
Edifier W860NB
Edifier W828NB
Type
Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
Ergonomic Features
Adjustable Headband (up to 6 cm total)
Padded headband and ear cups, with faux leather covers
Noise Cancellation
Yes, Active Noise Cancellation
Connectivity Options
Wireless : Bluetooth 4.0
Wired : 3.5 mm audio cable
Wireless : Bluetooth 5.0
Wired : 3.5 mm audio cable
Touch Controls
Yes
No
NFC Support
Yes
No
Bluetooth Codecs
Qualcomm aptX
A2DP SBC (sub-band coding)
Qualcomm aptX
A2DP SBC (sub-band coding)
Bluetooth Range
10 meters / 30 feet
Audio Drivers
40 mm Neodymium Drivers
Not specified
Impedence
32 Ohms
24 Ohms
Frequency Response
20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity
97 dB
100 dB
Battery
1,400 mAh lithium-ion battery
1,400 mAh lithium-ion battery (estimated)
Rated Battery Life
Standby : 1,500 hours
Music without ANC : 45 hours
Music with ANC : 25 hours
Standby : 1,500 hours
Music without ANC : 80 hours
Music with ANC : 25 hours
Rated Charging Time
4 hours @ 5 watt USB
Edifier W860NB Price + Availability
The W860NB has a recommended retail price of US$ 119.99 in the US, and RM 499 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
The Edifier W828NB has a recommended retail price of US$ 89.99 in the US, and RM 399 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Edifier W828NB is their latest Bluetooth headphones to offer active noise cancelling capabilities, at a very low price point.
Edifier seems to believe that everyone should be able to afford a decent pair of wireless active noise cancelling headphones, with the W828NB as a more affordable alternative to the excellent W860NB.
In this review, we will take a close look at the Edifier W828NB and share with you our tests of its noise cancelling capabilities. Find out if this is the wireless ANC headphones for you!
Why Active Noise Cancellation?
One of the most important gadgets any frequent traveller must have is a good pair of headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) capability. Whether you want a good night’s sleep, listen to music or watch a movie during a flight or a road trip, active noise cancellation is the way to go.
Passive noise cancellation using over-ear headphones or in-canal earphones may be sufficient for use in an office, but is quite useless on a flight. You can turn up the volume to hear through the noise, but that could damage your hearing.
The best way to listen to music or a conversation in a movie is to use active noise cancellation to literally “erase” the ambient noise. Then you can hear without actually turning up the volume!
Edifier W828NB Gold Specifications
Let’s kick this review off with a quick look at its key specifications :
Specifications
Edifier W828NB
Type
Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
Ergonomic
Features
Adjustable Headband (up to 6 cm total)
Padded headband and ear cups, with faux leather covers
Noise Cancellation
Yes, Active Noise Cancellation
Connectivity
Options
Wireless : Bluetooth 5.0
Wired : 3.5 mm audio cable
Touch Controls
None
NFC Support
No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Range
10 meters / 30 feet
Audio Drivers
Not specified
Impedence
24 Ohms
Frequency Response
20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity
100 dB
Battery
1,400 mAh lithium-ion battery (estimated)
Rated Battery Life
Standby : 1,500 hours
Music without ANC : 80 hours
Music with ANC : 25 hours
Rated Charging Time
4 hours @ 5 watt USB
Edifier W828NB Price + Availability
The Edifier W828NB has a recommended retail price of US$ 89.99 in the US, and RM 399 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) comes in a large premium cardboard box. Let’s unbox it and see what we find inside!
Once you fully unbox it, this is what you will find inside :
One pair of Edifier W828NB active noise cancelling headphones
One Edifier W828NB user manual
One soft travel pouch
One USB Type A to micro-USB 2.0 charging cable
One 3.5 mm audio cable
The soft travel pouch is big enough to fit the Edifier W828NB headphones, as well as its cables.
Unfortunately, the package does not include a 3.5 mm aircraft plug adaptor, which means you won’t be able to connect it to the audio system of older airliners.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Edifier W828NB Up Close!
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) is a sturdy-looking pair of wireless headphones. Designed for travel, it can be folded for compact storage inside its travel pouch.
If you are used to gaming headsets, you may find its ear cups on the small side, but that’s because they are designed to hug your ears.
The build quality is good, with a blend of quality plastics, metal and faux leather. We like the choice of a smooth matte finish that is fingerprint smear resistant. Overall, it feels like a premium pair of cans.
Unlike the excellent but more expensive Edifier W860NB (US | UK | AU | SG | MY), the W828NB lacks touch controls or a hard travel case. On the other hand, it supports Bluetooth 5.0 and is 25% cheaper!
Let’s delve deeper and see what we find, shall we?
Edifier W828NB Controls
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) saves cost by doing without the W860NB‘s touch controls.
The ANC switch at the bottom of the left ear cup controls its active noise cancellation circuitry. You can actually turn on its ANC feature on without playing any music, if you just want some peace and quiet.
On the right ear cup, you will find the Power button which turns on its Bluetooth connectivity, and the Volume control buttons.
You can actually use the W828NB without “turning it on”, or if it runs out of battery power. Just plug in the provided 3.5 mm audio cable and you are good to go!
But note that the Volume control buttons only work when you are connected to your smartphone or music player using Bluetooth.
Edifier W828NB Audio + Charging Port
You will find the 3.5 mm audio port at the bottom of the left ear cup, which allows you to connect the W828NB directly to your smartphone or music player, or the airplane’s audio jack.
Unfortunately, while Edifier provides a long 3.5 mm audio cable, they did not include an aircraft port adaptor. You will need to purchase a separate adaptor, if you wish to connect to the audio systems of older airliners.
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) is rated to last for 25 hours, with ANC turned on and music playing wirelessly through Bluetooth. You recharge its battery through this micro-USB port at the bottom of the right ear cup.
Edifier did not include a USB charger, only a USB cable which you can connect to your computer, your smartphone’s USB charger or even a power bank.
According to Edifier, it will fully recharge in 4 hours using a 5 watt USB charger or USB 3.0 port. If you are recharging it using an older USB 2.0 port though, it should take twice as long.
How Comfortable Is The W828NB?
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) has an adjustable headband that is padded at the top, and wrapped in soft faux leather.
The headband can be extended by 3 cm on each side, in 9 steps. When fully retracted, it is small enough to fit a child of about 8-9 years of age.
Its ear cups are amply padded and covered in faux leather. Being designed for travel, the ear cups are on the small side. The good news is that they hug your ears, preventing slippage even when you shake your head to the music.
On the other hand, faux leather does not breathe like real leather. So it will get humid inside the smaller space pretty quickly if you are wearing them in warmer weather.
The ear cups can be folded inwards, for a more compact form factor that allows it to fit into the soft travel pouch.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Edifier W828NB Active Noise Cancellation Capability
Active noise cancellation is conceptually simple. One or more microphones pick up ambient noise, which is used to generate opposing sound waves that cancel out the noise before it reaches the user’s ears.
However, it has not been easy or cheap to implement. For one thing – noise detection and the generation of its opposing sound waves happens in real-time.
It is complicated by the need to mix the noise-cancelling sound waves with the actual audio output (of your song or movie), and deliver the output without any noticeable lag.
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) is one of the few affordable wireless headphones to boast active noise cancellation. It has an ANC microphone at the side of each ear cup, pointing backwards.
From what we can tell, the W828NB uses analogue negative feedback circuitry to generate its noise cancelling sound waves.
Analogue noise cancellation is simpler and cheaper to implement, but limits its active noise cancellation to the lower frequencies.
For active noise cancellation of higher frequencies, they would need to add a fast digital signal processor to handle the complex noise cancellation algorithms.
Edifier W828NB Noise Cancelling Performance
We tested the Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) on seven flights, recording its noise cancellation capability using a cardioid microphone, the best examples of which you can see in this video.
Before you watch the video, please keep in mind that it was quite impossible to fully isolate our microphone in the ear cup. So the actual effect is more pronounced than what you’ll hear in this video.
In the airplane cabin clip, you can distinctly hear how the W828NB cuts out the low-frequency rumble, but the higher-frequency sound of the air-conditioning is still audible.
Turning on active noise cancellation will markedly reduce low-frequency noise. This gives you a better appreciation of whatever you are listening to. However, this includes voices of people around you. In fact, airline announcements were clearer with ANC turned on, than turned off.
However, we noticed some static feedback whenever the plane landed. It always happened right after the plane touches down – it’s as if the static feedback is caused by the sound of the airplane’s tyres. It tapers off as the plane slows down.
Bluetooth 5.0
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) has a big advantage over the more premium Edifier W860NB – Bluetooth 5.0.
Its Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity is more than twice as fast as the W860NB‘s Bluetooth 4.1, allowing it to deliver audio data at lower latencies. It also uses less power.
This should let the W828NB avoid audio synchronisation problems that sometimes affects Bluetooth 4.x devices.
It is also the reason why the W828NB can wirelessly play music for 80 hours (without ANC), compared to just 45 hours for the W860NB.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Edifier W828NB : Our Verdict
Anyone who has ever tried using headphones with active noise cancellation on a flight will appreciate what a difference they make.
They will also realise just how useful noise cancellation can be in other applications – better audio clarity at lower volumes, concentrating better in a noisy office, sleeping better, etc.
The key impediment for the widespread adoption of active noise cancellation can be summed in one word – COST.
Headphones with active noise cancellation are generally much more expensive than regular headphones, and some are prohibitively so. This is where the Edifier W828NB comes in.
Priced at just $89.99 / S$157 / A$119.99 / RM 399, it is incredibly affordable. In fact, you can equip a family of three with W828NB wireless headphones for the same price you would pay for a single pair of Sony 1000XM3 (US | UK | MY) headphones!
But just how effective are its noise cancellation capabilities?
The Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) is best at cancelling out low-frequency noise. At higher frequencies, it is limited to passive noise reduction courtesy of its over-ear design and padding.
That means it will effectively cut out most of the annoying rumble of jet engines and road noise; leaving voices quite audible.
If you really need to cut out the higher frequencies, then you need to splurge on headphones that perform digital noise cancellation like the Sony WH-1000XM2 (US | UK | MY) or the latest Sony 1000XM3 (US | UK | MY) headphones.
The ability to block voices may or may not be a good thing, depending on your point of view. It may be nice to cut out annoying chatter and crying babies, but that may mean you won’t be able to hear important announcements or alerts.
We also noticed that it has a static feedback issue whenever a plane lands. Edifier should definitely look into this problem.
However, we love that the Edifier W828NB used Bluetooth 5.0, with a large battery with enough battery life to last even the longest flight and then some. We also like its classy matte finish, and excellent build quality.
Overall, the Edifier W828NB (US | AU | SG | MY) offers a great combination of features, at a great price point. It really punches above its weight.
Edifier W828NB : Where To Buy?
The Edifier W828NB has a recommended retail price of US$ 89.99 in the US, and RM 399 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
We managed to get our hands on the award-winning Edifier W860NB Bluetooth ANC headphones in both the regular Black colour, and the more exclusive Gold edition.
Check out our colour comparison of the Black and Gold colours, and let us know which you prefer!
The Edifier W860NB ANC Bluetooth Headphones
One of the most important gadgets any frequent traveller must have is a good pair of headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) capability.
Whether you want a good night’s sleep, listen to music or watch a movie during a flight or a road trip, active noise cancellation is the way to go.
The Edifier W860NB is one of the few affordable Bluetooth headphones with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) capability.
Turning on its ANC feature literally “erases” ambient noise, letting you listen to music or the conversation in a movie without turning up the volume!
Edifier W860NB Specifications
The Edifier W860NB in both Black and Gold colour options have the same specifications :
Specifications
Edifier W860NB
Type
Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
Ergonomic Features
Adjustable Headband (up to 6 cm total)
Padded headband and ear cups, with faux leather covers
Noise Cancellation
Yes, Active Noise Cancellation
Connectivity Options
Wireless : Bluetooth 4.1
Wired : 3.5 mm audio cable
Bluetooth 4.1 with support for :
– Qualcomm aptX
– A2DP SBC (sub-band coding)
Bluetooth Range
10 meters / 30 feet
Audio Drivers
40 mm Neodymium drivers with titanium dome diaphragms
Impedence
32 Ohms
Frequency Response
20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity
97 dB
Battery
1,400 mAh lithium-ion battery
Rated Battery Life
Standby : 1,500 hours
Music without ANC : 45 hours
Music with ANC : 25 hours
Rated Charging Time
4 hours @ 5 watt USB
Edifier W860NB Colour Comparison
Let’s take a close look at both Black and Gold colour options, and compare them side-by-side :
Now that you have seen both Edifier W860NB models side-by-side, which colour do YOU prefer? Black or Gold?
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Edifier W860NB Black + Gold Colour Purchase Options
The Edifier W860NB has a recommended retail price of US$ 119.99 in the US, and RM 499 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Are you looking for an affordable pair of active noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones? The Edifier W860NB Gold might just be what you are looking for.
It is one of the few Bluetooth headphones in the market that offers active noise cancellation capabilities at an affordable price point.
In our in-depth review of the W860NB Gold active noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones, we will show you why it won our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Why Active Noise Cancellation?
One of the most important gadgets any frequent traveller must have is a good pair of headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) capability. Whether you want a good night’s sleep, listen to music or watch a movie during a flight or a road trip, active noise cancellation is the way to go.
Passive noise cancellation using over-ear headphones or in-canal earphones may be sufficient for use in an office, but is quite useless on a flight. You can turn up the volume to hear through the noise, but that could damage your hearing.
The best way to listen to music or a conversation in a movie is to use active noise cancellation to literally “erase” the ambient noise. Then you can hear without actually turning up the volume!
Edifier W860NB Gold Specifications
Let’s kick this review off with a quick look at its key specifications :
Specifications
Edifier W860NB Gold
Type
Over-Ear Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
Ergonomic Features
Adjustable Headband (up to 6 cm total)
Padded headband and ear cups, with faux leather covers
Noise Cancellation
Yes, Active Noise Cancellation
Connectivity Options
Wireless : Bluetooth 4.1
Wired : 3.5 mm audio cable
Bluetooth 4.1 with support for :
– Qualcomm aptX
– A2DP SBC (sub-band coding)
Bluetooth Range
10 meters / 30 feet
Audio Drivers
40 mm Neodymium drivers with titanium dome diaphragms
Impedence
32 Ohms
Frequency Response
20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity
97 dB
Battery
1,400 mAh lithium-ion battery
Rated Battery Life
Standby : 1,500 hours
Music without ANC : 45 hours
Music with ANC : 25 hours
Rated Charging Time
4 hours @ 5 watt USB
Edifier W860NB Gold Price + Availability
The Edifier W860NB Gold has a recommended retail price of US$ 119.99 in the US, and RM 499 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Edifier W860NB Gold Up Close!
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY)) is an elegant-looking pair of wireless headphones. We like how Edifier chose to use a very nice smooth matte surface that is fingerprint smear resistant.
The W860NB Gold is also very well-built, with a good blend of quality plastics, metal and faux leather. It has a good heft, and feels like a premium pair of cans.
Nestled in both ear cups are 40 mm neodymium drivers with titanium dome diaphragms, designed to deliver strong bass with a wide soundstage.
Despite its modest price point, the W860NB Gold boasts touch controls, as well as a very nice and tough storage case and all the accessories you’ll ever need.
Overall – this is a nice hassle-free buy-and-enjoy package, but let’s delve deeper and see what we find, shall we?
Edifier W860NB Gold : Buttons + Touch Controls
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) has two separate power controls on the right ear cup.
The Power button turns on its Bluetooth connectivity and touch controls, while the ANC switch turns on its active noise cancellation circuitry.
They actually work independently of each other. You can turn on the active noise cancellation capability without “turning on” the W860NB Gold.
In fact, you can also listen to music using the 3.5 mm audio cable without, yes, “turning it on” using the Power button. Similarly, you can turn on its Bluetooth connectivity and listen to music, without turning on ANC for a longer battery life.
Its touch controls are also on the right ear cup. But they only work when you are connected to your smartphone or music player using Bluetooth.
The touch controls allow you to change tracks and volume, or accept and end calls, without touching your smartphone or music player.
Just swipe right or left to skip ahead or backwards, and swipe up and down to control the volume. Tapping the centre twice pauses and resumes your music, or accepts and ends a phone call.
Edifier W860NB Gold : Audio + Charging Ports
On the left ear cup, you will find the 3.5 mm audio port. It allows you to connect the W860NB Gold directly to your smartphone or music player, or the airline’s audio jack, using the provided aircraft port adaptor.
Hidden under a rubber cover is a micro-USB port that serves as a charging port. Edifier did not include a USB charger, only a USB cable which you can connect to your computer, your smartphone’s USB charger or even a power bank.
They say that it will fully recharge in 4 hours using a 5 watt USB charger or USB 3.0 port. If you are recharging it using an older USB 2.0 port though, it should take twice as long.
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How Comfortable Is The W860NB Gold?
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) has an adjustable headband that is padded at the top, and wrapped in soft faux leather.
The headband can be extended by 3 cm on each side, in 9 steps. When fully retracted, it is small enough to fit a child of about 8-9 years of age.
Its ear cups are also padded and covered in faux leather. Being designed for travel, the ear cups are on the small side. The good news is that they hug your ears, preventing slippage even when you shake your head to the music.
On the other hand, faux leather does not breathe like real leather. So it will get humid inside the smaller space pretty quickly if you are wearing them in warmer weather.
Incidentally, the ear cups can be folded inwards, for a more compact form factor if you prefer not to keep it in the hard case, which is admittedly quite bulky.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Edifier W860NB Gold’s Active Noise Cancellation Capability
Active noise cancellation is conceptually simple. One or more microphones pick up ambient noise, which is used to generate opposing sound waves that cancel out the noise before it reaches the user’s ears.
However, it has not been easy or cheap to implement. For one thing – noise detection and the generation of its opposing sound waves happens in real-time.
It is complicated by the need to mix the noise-cancelling sound waves with the actual audio output (of your song or movie), and deliver the output without any noticeable lag.
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) is one of the few affordable wireless headphones to boast active noise cancellation. It has an ANC microphone at the side of each ear cup, pointing backwards.
From what we can tell, the W860NB uses analogue negative feedback circuitry to generate up to 97 dB of noise cancelling sound waves.
Analogue noise cancellation is simpler and cheaper to implement, but limits its active noise cancellation to the lower frequencies.
For active noise cancellation of higher frequencies, they would need to add a fast digital signal processor to handle the complex noise cancellation algorithms.
Its Noise Cancelling Performance
We tested the Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) on eight flights, and many road trips. We tried to record the effect of its noise cancellation capability using a cardioid microphone, the best examples of which you can see in this video.
Before you watch it, please keep in mind that it was quite impossible to fully isolate our microphone in the ear cup. So the actual effect is more pronounced than what you’ll hear in this video.
In the airplane cabin clip, you can distinctly hear how the W860NB cuts out the low-frequency rumble, but the higher-frequency sound of the air-conditioning is still audible.
In the car cabin clip, when active noise cancellation is turned on, the low-frequency road noise is cut out. But you can still hear the higher-frequency wind noise, and even the radio music in the background.
Turning on active noise cancellation will markedly reduce low-frequency noise. This gives you a better appreciation of whatever you are listening to. However, this includes voices of people around you. In fact, airline announcements were clearer with ANC turned on, than turned off.
Edifier W860NB vs. Sony WH-1000XM2
This is a grossly unfair comparison, to be sure. But this is something quite a few of our readers will want to know – how does the Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) compare against a premium ANC wireless headphone that costs 3X as much – the much vaunted Sony 1000XM2 (US | UK | MY)?
Based on our subjective tests using the awesome Sony ZX300 Walkman (US | UK | MY), here is how the W860NB Gold compares in active noise cancellation performance to the Sony 1000XM2, in our opinion :
about 80% as good in the lower frequencies, and
about 50% as good in the higher frequencies.
This is very good performance. Impressive actually, when you consider their large price difference.
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Qualcomm aptX Support
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) supports the proprietary Qualcomm aptX audio codec. When used with smartphones, music players and other devices that support aptX, it can deliver lower latencies and better audio quality.
The aptX audio codec is more efficient than the default SBC (Sub-Band Coding) Bluetooth audio codec, delivering a higher bit rate with lower latency. The lower latency is especially important when you watch a movie with wireless headphones, because nothing is more distracting than a movie with unsynchronised audio!
However, make sure you enable aptX on your smartphone or player, or you will end up using SBC. Most smartphones, for example, default to SBC, even if they officially support aptX. In fact, you may need to make the change in Developer Options.
The W860NB does not support the newer and more advanced aptX-HD, which delivers HD Audio over Bluetooth; or aptX Low Latency, which promises a very low latency for better video and gaming performance. This is something for Edifier to look into adding into the next version.
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Edifier W860NB Gold : Our Verdict + Award
Anyone who has ever tried using headphones with active noise cancellation on a flight will appreciate what a difference they make.
They will also realise just how useful noise cancellation can be in other applications – better audio clarity at lower volumes, concentrating better in a noisy office, sleeping better, etc.
The key impediment for the widespread adoption of active noise cancellation can be summed in one word – COST.
Headphones with active noise cancellation are generally much more expensive than regular headphones, and some are prohibitively so.
This is how the W860NB Gold stands out above its competitors. Its affordable price point allows you to literally equip a family of three with W860NB wireless headphones for the same price you would pay for a single pair of Sony 1000XM3 (US | UK | MY) headphones!
But just how effective are its noise cancellation capabilities?
The Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) is best at cancelling out low-frequency noise. At higher frequencies, it is limited to passive noise reduction courtesy of its over-ear design and padding.
That means it will effectively cut out most of the annoying rumble of jet engines and road noise; leaving voices quite audible.
If you really need to cut out the higher frequencies, then you need to splurge on headphones that perform digital noise cancellation like the Sony WH-1000XM2 (US | UK | MY) or the latest Sony 1000XM3 (US | UK | MY) headphones.
The ability to block voices may or may not be a good thing, depending on your point of view. It may be nice to cut out annoying chatter and crying babies, but that may mean you won’t be able to hear important announcements or alerts
The W860NB Gold also impressed us in other ways. it has very useful touch controls on its right ear cup, and a large battery with enough battery life to last even the longest flight and then some. We also like its classy matte finish, and excellent build quality.
Overall, the Edifier W860NB Gold (US | UK | AU | SG | MY) offers a great combination of features, at a great price point. It really punches above its weight.
We are so impressive with its value proposition, we gladly award it our Reviewer’s Choice Award! Great job, Edifier!
Where To Buy The W860NB Gold?
The Edifier W860NB Gold has a recommended retail price of US$ 119.99 in the US, and RM 499 here in Malaysia. Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
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