When I am out and about I love to use my Edifier W320TN Noise Cancellation True Wireless Earbuds, but when I am at home I tend to use wireless over the head, on-ear headphones. But whether I am using earbuds or headphones I do prefer the wireless options as they offer so much more freedom with no wires getting in the way to catch on things. As a big fan of Edifier, I was happy to try out their WH500 Wireless On-Ear Foldable Headphones.
The Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are a pair of foldable wireless headphones with a massive 40 hours of playback battery life. They are available in different colour options and have plenty of features, even for a budget pair of wireless headphones.
Features:
- Bluetooth v5.2
- 30mm dynamic driver
- 2 hours full charge for 40 hours music playtime
- Fast charging: 6 hours playback in just 10 minutes
- Customize EQ and select various music modes via Edifier Connect app
- Double protection for safe hearing: volume <85dB and a cut-off timer
- Foldable and lightweight design. Ideal for daily use and travel
- Trendy colour options for users to match their style
Edifier’s WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are available in three different colour options: black, white and blue. They are a lightweight pair of over the head, on-ear headphones that are packed with high-end features. Apart from sounding great, they are capable of up to 40 hours of continuous play extended battery life from a 2 hour full charge. You can also achieve up to 6 hours playback from a quick 10 minute charge! They also feature Bluetooth v5.2, precise voice pick up, music and game modes, safe listening function, dual-device connection and a foldable design for easy space-saving storage.
Anyone that knows me well knows that I prefer black, white or grey – I am not really one for bright colours. When I received these headphones, the first thing I noticed was how cool they looked in their pale blue colour and their simplistic design and I actually liked it and as happy that I hadn’t received the black or white option. I also noticed the weight; they are super lightweight weighing in at approx. 172g. And the last thing I noticed straight from the box was that these headphones go over the head with the earpads sitting on the ears rather than cupping/surrounding the ears.
The headphones arrived with charge in them, but I put them on to charge anyway so that I knew they fully charged before trying them out. They are charged using a fast USB-C connection, taking only 2 hours to fully charge, giving you up to a massive 40 hours of continuous play depending on volume and other settings you use/configure. A quick ten minute charge will give you up to 2 hours use.
Whilst they were charging it gave me time to briefly read through the instructions and download the Edifier Connect app, which is definitely worth having.
The Edifier Connect app is a free app available for iOS and Android devices which allows you to personalise your sound. Within the app you can fine-tune your listening experience by customising the EQ pre-sets (Classic or Dynamic) to suit your listening preferences, switch between game and music modes, enable the safe listening function (never exceed 85dB), set a shutdown timer to turn off the headphones after a set period of time and even view the manual (and so much easier to read in the app than in the little booklet that is in the box).
Once the headphones were fully charged, it was time to try them out. Like any Bluetooth device, they need pairing to the device you want to use them with such as a phone or tablet. I wanted to use them on my phone and tablet and discovered that they feature dual-device connection. This meant I could pair to both devices and easily switch between the two (I love this function as it means that I can watch something on my tablet whilst using the headphones but easily switch to take a call on the phone, all with the press of a button). Anyway, back to pairing. Straight out of the box they are already in pairing mode, so all I needed to do was turn on Bluetooth on my phone and select EDIFIER WH500 from the discovered Bluetooth devices and they connected easily with no messing about. If I do need to pair again or pair them on another device, it is just as simple, whilst they are switched off just press and hold the power button for 6 seconds and they will enter pairing mode (the LED will blink blue). They couldn’t be easier to pair with devices and will remember the last device they were paired with so will automatically connect if that device is within range.
Now for the important parts – the fit, comfort and sound quality! After a while, I find that wearing over the head headphones can start to get uncomfortable after extended use. That could be down to a poor fit, the weight or a combination of the two (or maybe I just have an odd-shaped head?). The Edifier WH500 headphones are lightweight, and I found the fit to be excellent, especially with the adjustable band to customise the fit. As they are so lightweight, they feel comfortable to wear and the padded earpads don’t feel heavy on the ears making them perfect for watching a movie or for using on long journeys – I haven’t yet felt them uncomfortable when wearing them for longer periods of time. As for the sound quality, well they sound fantastic – the audio is crystal clear when playing back music, movies and games and they have clear treble and full mid-range to strong bass. The sound when making and receiving telephone calls is perfect, again crystal clear for both parties on the call. For a sub £50 pair of wireless headphones, they are much better than their price suggests.
Overall, I think that the Edifier WH500 wireless headphones are fantastic, especially for their price. I love the foldable design (the earpads fold inwards) as they reduce space taken up in my desk drawer or in my bag if I do take them with me (and by a lot more than you think, so they are prefect for everyday use and travelling around). I was also really impressed with the 6 hours playback from just a 10 minute charge – perfect for if I forget to charge them and I need to pop out for a short while!
The battery life is excellent with up to 40 hours of continuous use (depending on your settings and usage – taking calls, high volume etc.) so you can be assured of all day use if needed. And they only take 2 hours to fully charge. They hold the battery life extremely well when switched off and the 10 minute charge for 6 hours use is an excellent feature.
The WH500 headphones are absolutely perfect for all day comfort with excellent sound for music and video, but the features don’t stop there. The also feature:
- Music and Game Modes – you can switch between these modes with a press of the multi-function button on the headphones. Music Mode enhances every music listening session, and handles it extremely well – music is crisp, clear and sounds great. Game Mode is complete with ultra-low latency of 80ms. This allows you to experience a smoother, faster, and more immersive gameplay with no noticeable lag between what is happening on the screen and the sound reaching your ears.
- Precise Voice Pick Up – this is when on a voice call. The built-in microphones and advanced audio signal processing accurately differentiate environmental noise from the human voice and pick up sound precisely even in noisy environments. This was something that I didn’t think would work that well, but it does, you can hear the person you are talking to extremely well, even when walking down a busy road!
- Safe Listening Function – this is an excellent function. Having music that is too loud pumping directing into your ears can damage your hearing. Enable the Safe Listening function and the maximum volume limitation is up to 85dB. This allows you to safely listen to music at a good level and without worrying about hearing damage / loss.
- Shutdown Timer – I think this is a great function as I do occasionally like to listen to something when I am going to sleep (how much of I actually get to hear is a different matter). You can set a timer of 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 3 hours so that the headphones will turn off after this amount of time. Listening to a 1 hour podcast? Set a timer for 1 hour and the headphones will turn off once it has finished and conserve your battery life.
Whilst I still prefer wireless earbuds when travelling, I do love the Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones for when I am at home. They are comfortable to wear, and the light weight of them means you can easily forget that you are wearing them. They do an excellent job of keeping audio personal whilst having excellent sound. Then there are all the extra features mentioned above that just make them a joy to use and make them stand out among other wireless headphones.
With easily accessible buttons on the earcup and the customisable settings in the app, they are easy to use. They make skipping through different tracks, taking phone calls and even switching between two devices a doddle. The foldable design is perfect, taking up less space when put in a bag, drawer or even just left of the desk and the design seems sturdy and durable for constant folding in of the earpads.
In my humble opinion, I think that the Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Foldable Headphones are an excellent budget-friendly pair of wireless headphones. They are packed with features, have a comfortable fit and are easy to wear, but best of all, they have great sound for music, watching videos and playing games. What more do you need?
I think these wireless headphones are great. Fantastic sound and battery life, comfortable to wear even over extended periods, feature a simplistic but stylish design and at a great price.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £44.99
For more information, visit www.edifier.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.