I've been using them for the past few months, at $169.99 they offer great value for money but there is strong competition at this price point these days.
Key specs: đ” 40 mm dynamic drivers đ” -45 dB Active Noise Cancellation đ” 92 h battery life (53 h with ANC) đ” AI noise reduction for calls đ” Bluetooth 5.4 đ” SBC / LDAC đ” Touch-to-Chat đ” Game mode đ” Spatial Audio đ” Foldable for portability đ” $169.99 / ÂŁ149.99
[Design] Edifier is sticking to their familiar design with a metal headband encased in plastic. But the leather-like material covering the outside of the ear cups does give them a more interesting look and feel than youâd typically see. Build quality is on par with what youâd expect at this price with no creaky headband nor any super premium materials. The silver accents on this âIvoryâ colour provide a nice pop of contrast to this otherwise minimal and sleek looking set. You can also get these in Black, Pink and Brown. The ear cups fold inwards for easier transport and will also rotate flat in one direction to pack into the included semi-hard shell carry case.
[Comfort] The padding is very soft, thick and plush on both the headband and the ear cushions and at just 265 g these are a very comfortable and light pair to wear for hours at a time. Edifier describes âskin-friendly leatherâ though itâs unclear how much genuine leather is used in the construction here. The clamping force is around average but thereâs not too much pressure at the crown of your head. Ideally iâd prefer some more space inside the ear cups to reduce ear warming - thereâs not much depth there and your ears will likely brush up against the soft fabric liner - but thatâs not a big issue. The overall comfort is very good and thereâs a good range of headband extension to suit even very large heads. Conversely, those with very small heads may struggle with these.
[Controls / app] Edifierâs typical 3-in-1 volume up, down plus multifunction button returns along with a single, separate button used for changing the ANC mode, sound mode or entering Bluetooth pairing. You end up with a lot of functions on the headphones at once, which is good, and the buttons are all clicky and tactile. I still find the multifunction button centred between the volume keys a little hard to distinguish, despite its slightly raised appearance. I find myself fumbling to hit pause sometimes, but overall the controls are fine. Thereâs sadly no wearing detection here - I really think this should come as a standard now, especially at this price. One small saving grace is the âtouch-to-chatâ feature: touching and holding the right ear cup will pause your music and turn on ambient sound mode as youâre holding (everything reverts back as soon as you let go). Itâs not the smoothest implementation of this feature, itâs a little slow to activate despite immediately resuming once you let go. Good to have though and helps these stand out at this price.
These pair up with Edifierâs ConneX app which includes toggles for the ANC mode, EQ or sound mode (either Music, Game or Spatial). You can also customise the multifunction button behaviour, touch-to-chat sensitivity, codec selection, prompt volume and multipoint toggle. So the app is a little more involved than something super basic, but youâve also not got too much reason to keep revisiting it. I have to criticise Edifierâs choice to stick with the same EQ options though. You get 4 basic presets, but the custom EQ is both overly complicated and too simplistic at the same time. You only get 4 bands to play with, but Edifier justifies this in letting you set specific Q factor and frequency adjustments - in effect giving you far more control than most EQs. In practice though itâs overly complicated and frustrating to use, especially the average consumer these headphones are marketed towards. I never feel I can tune my music exactly as iâd like to here. Iâd much prefer to have an 8 or 10 band EQ with fixed frequencies (as a lot of the competition offers).
[Battery / connectivity] For connectivity we have Bluetooth 5.4, SBC and LDAC codecs and multipoint support. No Google Fast Pair. Thereâs also a pretty effective Game Mode that reduces the latency quite noticeably (it doesnât remove it entirely but will help out most casual gamers). The battery life is the standout feature though at a very impressive 92 hours. This drops down to 53 hours when using ANC, but thatâs still very good. A 15 minute fast charge will get you up to 11.5 h of playback too. Thereâs also passive listening via USB-C for when the battery runs out or just general wired listening.
[ANC / Transparency] There are multiple ANC modes to choose from: Medium or High ANC, a dedicated wind noise reduction, ambient sound or âoffâ. In âHighâ mode, the ANC does a good job of removing the low end frequencies especially, but struggles a bit more with mid-highs like voices (as expected). The performance is on par with most competitors at this price point, probably slightly above most actually, and overall these do a decent job of blocking out surrounding noise. But it wonât blow you away nor is it the best youâll find at this price. The transparency mode is again roughly average in performance and amplifies reasonably well. I do find myself cranking the slider up to +3 and still wanting a little more though.
[Mic] In typical Edifier fashion, the mic quality is above average here and these isolate your voice well whilst minimising background noise. Itâs not overly aggressive as to clip and muffle your voice though. There are some competitors that sound a bit more ânaturalâ but almost all cost considerably more. In general these are a good option for phone calls.
[Sound] The ES850NB are not a huge departure from Edifierâs previous, similarly-priced options in terms of sound quality. Though these are perhaps the most balanced pair yet. Previously, theyâve all had a slightly V-shaped tuning, or were at least a little bass-heavy, and thatâs where the ES850NB are different from most of the competition. The bass is a lot more natural-sounding, tight and controlled. To the point where bass heads, or those used to the more typical consumer-friendly tuning, may even find it slightly lacking here. I think those people will find even the âHeavy Bassâ EQ preset doesnât go far enough. Your music has just enough body and weight to not sound thin but the bass doesnât reach boomy (or muddy) levels either. This is balanced with a clear mid range where vocals shine through (slightly forward without disrupting the balance too much) and some crisp treble to round things out. The treble never reaches harsh or piercing levels, even when cranked up with the EQ - so you get a relaxing listening experience. Iâd personally prefer a little more scope with both the lows and highs, but the lack of that may be down more to the limitations of the custom EQ. Still, I did push both of the upper EQ bands slightly to get the little extra brightness that my ears prefer. Thereâs good detail and instrument separation here and these certainly offer better sound quality than most competitors at this price.
I do have a couple of complaints though: firstly the volume levels. The max volume simply doesnât get high enough (in either SBC or LDAC modes). I can comfortably listen at max volume whereas I think headphones should have the scope to reach at least uncomfortable levels. And secondly, the âSpatial Soundâ mode only diminishes the sound quality. Weâve seen this countless times before in similarly priced headphones. You can hear a slightly widened soundstage, but this comes at the cost of an echoey quality and the mid range and vocals become distant. Oddly, the bass seems more enhanced - you gain a more V-shaped tuning. But you loose a sense of immersion in the music and I donât think itâs worth using.
[Verdict] To summarise, I should start by saying that the ES850NB are clearly a very capable pair of headphones with good performance across the board. Theyâre fairly priced at $169 / ÂŁ149 and youâd be getting good value for money. One of the things that struck me when testing these was just how many (very similar) models Edifier has in the lineup. It can make things quite confusing. I wouldnât say these are so drastically different, feature or performance-wise, from their other mid range options that these are the new go-to. However, these do outperform the older 830NB, 700 series, 900 series and are Edifierâs best option under $200 right now. I still really wish theyâd bring wearing detection to the lineup, but that doesnât eliminate them from competing in a âbest under $200â competition - a video I may well make if people want it.
That sad truth though is that theyâre far from winning. Soundcoreâs Space One Pro (a Headphones Awards finalist this year) are available for the same price right now and frankly blow these out of the water. They offer superior sound quality, comfort, ANC and mic performance, and feature set. I simply donât know how I could reasonably recommend people go for Edifier instead whilst theyâre the same price. The 850NB wins for battery life, but thatâs not enough. Iâm not trying to talk Edifier down or suggest the ES850NB arenât good headphones - they are. But I have a duty to use my knowledge and experience in this field and make a fair, informed recommendation to buyers. It just isnât possible to overlook the strong competition right now.
Edifierâs best bet is in offering better value for money through discounts, which they very often do. So keep your eyes open with places like Amazon to try and nab these on the cheap. Iâll leave my affiliate link below to take you straight to their page with the current pricing and discounts. If you use that, I may earn a small commission, but it costs you no extra at all.
InsideTech
Edifier ES850NB Headphones Review
I've been using them for the past few months, at $169.99 they offer great value for money but there is strong competition at this price point these days.
Key specs:
đ” 40 mm dynamic drivers
đ” -45 dB Active Noise Cancellation
đ” 92 h battery life (53 h with ANC)
đ” AI noise reduction for calls
đ” Bluetooth 5.4
đ” SBC / LDAC
đ” Touch-to-Chat
đ” Game mode
đ” Spatial Audio
đ” Foldable for portability
đ” $169.99 / ÂŁ149.99
[Design]
Edifier is sticking to their familiar design with a metal headband encased in plastic. But the leather-like material covering the outside of the ear cups does give them a more interesting look and feel than youâd typically see. Build quality is on par with what youâd expect at this price with no creaky headband nor any super premium materials. The silver accents on this âIvoryâ colour provide a nice pop of contrast to this otherwise minimal and sleek looking set. You can also get these in Black, Pink and Brown. The ear cups fold inwards for easier transport and will also rotate flat in one direction to pack into the included semi-hard shell carry case.
[Comfort]
The padding is very soft, thick and plush on both the headband and the ear cushions and at just 265 g these are a very comfortable and light pair to wear for hours at a time. Edifier describes âskin-friendly leatherâ though itâs unclear how much genuine leather is used in the construction here. The clamping force is around average but thereâs not too much pressure at the crown of your head. Ideally iâd prefer some more space inside the ear cups to reduce ear warming - thereâs not much depth there and your ears will likely brush up against the soft fabric liner - but thatâs not a big issue. The overall comfort is very good and thereâs a good range of headband extension to suit even very large heads. Conversely, those with very small heads may struggle with these.
[Controls / app]
Edifierâs typical 3-in-1 volume up, down plus multifunction button returns along with a single, separate button used for changing the ANC mode, sound mode or entering Bluetooth pairing. You end up with a lot of functions on the headphones at once, which is good, and the buttons are all clicky and tactile. I still find the multifunction button centred between the volume keys a little hard to distinguish, despite its slightly raised appearance. I find myself fumbling to hit pause sometimes, but overall the controls are fine. Thereâs sadly no wearing detection here - I really think this should come as a standard now, especially at this price. One small saving grace is the âtouch-to-chatâ feature: touching and holding the right ear cup will pause your music and turn on ambient sound mode as youâre holding (everything reverts back as soon as you let go). Itâs not the smoothest implementation of this feature, itâs a little slow to activate despite immediately resuming once you let go. Good to have though and helps these stand out at this price.
These pair up with Edifierâs ConneX app which includes toggles for the ANC mode, EQ or sound mode (either Music, Game or Spatial). You can also customise the multifunction button behaviour, touch-to-chat sensitivity, codec selection, prompt volume and multipoint toggle. So the app is a little more involved than something super basic, but youâve also not got too much reason to keep revisiting it. I have to criticise Edifierâs choice to stick with the same EQ options though. You get 4 basic presets, but the custom EQ is both overly complicated and too simplistic at the same time. You only get 4 bands to play with, but Edifier justifies this in letting you set specific Q factor and frequency adjustments - in effect giving you far more control than most EQs. In practice though itâs overly complicated and frustrating to use, especially the average consumer these headphones are marketed towards. I never feel I can tune my music exactly as iâd like to here. Iâd much prefer to have an 8 or 10 band EQ with fixed frequencies (as a lot of the competition offers).
[Battery / connectivity]
For connectivity we have Bluetooth 5.4, SBC and LDAC codecs and multipoint support. No Google Fast Pair. Thereâs also a pretty effective Game Mode that reduces the latency quite noticeably (it doesnât remove it entirely but will help out most casual gamers). The battery life is the standout feature though at a very impressive 92 hours. This drops down to 53 hours when using ANC, but thatâs still very good. A 15 minute fast charge will get you up to 11.5 h of playback too. Thereâs also passive listening via USB-C for when the battery runs out or just general wired listening.
[ANC / Transparency]
There are multiple ANC modes to choose from: Medium or High ANC, a dedicated wind noise reduction, ambient sound or âoffâ. In âHighâ mode, the ANC does a good job of removing the low end frequencies especially, but struggles a bit more with mid-highs like voices (as expected). The performance is on par with most competitors at this price point, probably slightly above most actually, and overall these do a decent job of blocking out surrounding noise. But it wonât blow you away nor is it the best youâll find at this price. The transparency mode is again roughly average in performance and amplifies reasonably well. I do find myself cranking the slider up to +3 and still wanting a little more though.
[Mic]
In typical Edifier fashion, the mic quality is above average here and these isolate your voice well whilst minimising background noise. Itâs not overly aggressive as to clip and muffle your voice though. There are some competitors that sound a bit more ânaturalâ but almost all cost considerably more. In general these are a good option for phone calls.
[Sound]
The ES850NB are not a huge departure from Edifierâs previous, similarly-priced options in terms of sound quality. Though these are perhaps the most balanced pair yet. Previously, theyâve all had a slightly V-shaped tuning, or were at least a little bass-heavy, and thatâs where the ES850NB are different from most of the competition. The bass is a lot more natural-sounding, tight and controlled. To the point where bass heads, or those used to the more typical consumer-friendly tuning, may even find it slightly lacking here. I think those people will find even the âHeavy Bassâ EQ preset doesnât go far enough. Your music has just enough body and weight to not sound thin but the bass doesnât reach boomy (or muddy) levels either. This is balanced with a clear mid range where vocals shine through (slightly forward without disrupting the balance too much) and some crisp treble to round things out. The treble never reaches harsh or piercing levels, even when cranked up with the EQ - so you get a relaxing listening experience. Iâd personally prefer a little more scope with both the lows and highs, but the lack of that may be down more to the limitations of the custom EQ. Still, I did push both of the upper EQ bands slightly to get the little extra brightness that my ears prefer. Thereâs good detail and instrument separation here and these certainly offer better sound quality than most competitors at this price.
I do have a couple of complaints though: firstly the volume levels. The max volume simply doesnât get high enough (in either SBC or LDAC modes). I can comfortably listen at max volume whereas I think headphones should have the scope to reach at least uncomfortable levels. And secondly, the âSpatial Soundâ mode only diminishes the sound quality. Weâve seen this countless times before in similarly priced headphones. You can hear a slightly widened soundstage, but this comes at the cost of an echoey quality and the mid range and vocals become distant. Oddly, the bass seems more enhanced - you gain a more V-shaped tuning. But you loose a sense of immersion in the music and I donât think itâs worth using.
[Verdict]
To summarise, I should start by saying that the ES850NB are clearly a very capable pair of headphones with good performance across the board. Theyâre fairly priced at $169 / ÂŁ149 and youâd be getting good value for money. One of the things that struck me when testing these was just how many (very similar) models Edifier has in the lineup. It can make things quite confusing. I wouldnât say these are so drastically different, feature or performance-wise, from their other mid range options that these are the new go-to. However, these do outperform the older 830NB, 700 series, 900 series and are Edifierâs best option under $200 right now. I still really wish theyâd bring wearing detection to the lineup, but that doesnât eliminate them from competing in a âbest under $200â competition - a video I may well make if people want it.
That sad truth though is that theyâre far from winning. Soundcoreâs Space One Pro (a Headphones Awards finalist this year) are available for the same price right now and frankly blow these out of the water. They offer superior sound quality, comfort, ANC and mic performance, and feature set. I simply donât know how I could reasonably recommend people go for Edifier instead whilst theyâre the same price. The 850NB wins for battery life, but thatâs not enough. Iâm not trying to talk Edifier down or suggest the ES850NB arenât good headphones - they are. But I have a duty to use my knowledge and experience in this field and make a fair, informed recommendation to buyers. It just isnât possible to overlook the strong competition right now.
Edifierâs best bet is in offering better value for money through discounts, which they very often do. So keep your eyes open with places like Amazon to try and nab these on the cheap. Iâll leave my affiliate link below to take you straight to their page with the current pricing and discounts. If you use that, I may earn a small commission, but it costs you no extra at all.
đđŒ amzn.to/4ojaB7Z
Any further questions on these headphonesâŠjust let me know!
1 month ago | [YT] | 25