Edifier W830NB

The high level of shielding of the Edifier W830NB from the outside world was noticeable, but so was the heat build-up around my ears, and with the closed system, this was particularly noticeable in the warmer months of the year. The fit was neither too tight nor too loose, and the headphones did not slip during mobile use. The swivelling and tilting ear cups ensured good adaptability, especially as the size adjustment of the headband meant that these headphones could be worn by a range of head shapes, from small to very large.

Battery life of the Edifier W830NB

In standard mode, these Bluetooth over-ears achieved an impressive runtime of 81 hours at a high volume when the AAC codec was used. If you use the noise cancellation in the maximum setting, you can expect a listening time of up to 51 hours. In addition, a ten-minute quick charge provided capacity for a further six hours (without ANC), while the headphones were fully charged again after just under two hours. Although the LED indicated a fully charged battery after just 90 minutes, this was not entirely correct, as the battery level was 83 per cent, according to the app. The headphones can also be used while charging from a laptop, for example, which was a nice practical feature. A USB-C to USB-A cable with a length of 120 centimetres is supplied for this purpose.

Bluetooth specs

With version 5.4, the Edifier W830NB support the latest Bluetooth standard and the wireless connection was stable during our test, both outdoors and when walking through several rooms and changing floors. It was possible to make multipoint connections with two devices at the same time. Audio codecs are available in the form of SBC, AAC and LDAC.

Operation

To control playback, make phone calls, adjust the volume and call up a voice assistant, a classic set of three buttons is located on the right ear cup and this also enables track navigation. A separate Bluetooth button can be used to switch to low-latency gaming mode or immersive sound reproduction, as well as to switch between basic, transparency and ANC modes. Different variations of environment control can be selected via the app, but otherwise, the button assignment is fixed.

The controls can also be used via USB cable in a slightly customised form and functions such as noise cancellation, transparency mode and spatial sound are also available, and this was a nice feature that was well implemented. The only thing that you can’t have when using via cable is the app connection, as parallel Bluetooth operation is not possible.

Edifier ConneX app

The environment control in the app (for Android and iOS) is divided into three ANC operating modes ‘High’, ‘Medium’ and a variant for wind noise cancellation during outdoor activities. The transparency mode also offers seven intensity levels for customisation.

A further central element of the app is the sound control, which offers four preconfigured settings to choose from: ‘Classic’, which corresponds to the standard setting, ‘Classical’, ‘Heavy Bass’ and ‘Rock’. The ‘Customised’ option also features a 4-band EQ for your own settings, which can be saved as pre-sets and shared with friends via the app. You can also switch to immersive playback and gaming mode in the ‘Sound Modes’ section.

A timer, volume control and a search function are also available via the headphone settings, which can help you find the over-ears using a beep. The app can also be used to switch multipoint connections on or off and carry out firmware updates. The LDAC codec can also be activated on Android devices.

Voice intelligibility when making calls

According to the manufacturer, the Edifier W830NB use AI-supported microphone technology including DNN (Deep Neural Network) noise cancellation to ensure clear and intelligible speech even in windy or busy environments. We can confirm that wind noise was virtually cancelled out, which was helpful in many situations and improved intelligibility. However, stronger gusts of wind were an exception to this, as the intensive filtering had a negative effect on the flow of speech and your own voice was transmitted in a rather choppy or even fragmented manner. In louder environments, this worked more smoothly, with background noise being slightly attenuated for the other person.

Noise cancelling (ANC) and transparency mode

Wind noise suppression also proved to be effective in noise cancelling mode, and this effectively minimised wind noise when on a bike, for example. In addition, both ANC modes significantly reduced low-frequency sources of interference, while the high-level variant had noticeable strengths in the upper-frequency range. In contrast, the noise cancellation was rather mediocre for voices, which were slightly reduced and faded a little more into the background. The advantage of the medium ANC level was the low background noise, which increased slightly in the maximum setting.

In contrast, the noise was noticeably stronger in transparency mode, and this was particularly noticeable in the upper levels. However, the intensity of the amplification was already sufficient at the low setting to be able to hold a conversation during paused playback without having to take off the headphones. The middle levels might be useful for increasing external perception when listening to music.

Immersive listening experience

The Edifier W830NB’s more spatialised playback option did not seem quite as wide and expansive as we expected it to be. However, the sound quality via USB cable was a positive surprise, given the price range. There was significantly more atmosphere conveyed, both when gaming and watching films, as well as when listening to sports broadcasts. Apart from bass-orientated productions, the results when listening to music were also promising. Tracks such as Yello’s ‘Till Tomorrow (feat. Till Brönner)’ from the Swiss electro-pop duo’s anniversary album ‘Yello 40 Years’ sounded both spacious and surprisingly precise. However, the Spatial Sound function with macOS was limited to a maximum resolution of 24Bit/48kHz in combination with Qobuz as a player, while up to 24Bit/96kHz was supported in standard mode. With Bluetooth, you have to use the AAC format, as LDAC was not compatible, and this was clearly more diffuse compared to cable operation.

This is how the Edifier W830NB sound

In Classic mode (the default setting), the Edifier W830NB gave an impression of tidy, harmonious sound, which did not create a feeling of narrowness even with more complex productions. The bass range was slightly emphasised and reached far down; it sounded pleasantly defined when listening to modern music styles or watching action-packed films. The mid-range also had a well-balanced energy and reproduced vocals, film dialogue or spoken content clearly with a pleasant warmth. In the upper registers, accents were also emphasised without overshooting the mark.

Classical mode seemed somewhat brighter and had a leaner bass foundation. Lead instruments and vocals seemed a little more present, especially as the treble reproduction had more vigour and sounded livelier. However, there was no discernible tendency towards harshness, especially as sibilants were neatly rounded.

In heavy bass mode, a darker, richer reproduction was the order of the day. The boost in the low bass was particularly noticeable, with the sound having more fullness and high density all around.

The fourth option, rock mode, also offered a rich bass reproduction, which was more controlled and powerful compared to the heavy bass version. In addition, the upper-frequency range conveyed a more present impression, which opened up the full, warm presentation and made it seem much more expansive.

Conclusion

The Edifier W830NB are characterised by a long battery life and a powerful, clear sound reproduction that can be adjusted to suit your own preferences if required. These foldable Bluetooth over-ears are also versatile thanks to the option of using them with a USB cable. The spatialisation of the Spatial Sound function was particularly impressive when used wired. However, the rather high background noise in transparency mode was something that could be improved. The heat build-up on the ears might also turn out to be a particular disadvantage in summer temperatures.