In our house we all like different types of music, and we don’t necessarily like listening to each other’s choices. Therefore, headphones are used quite a bit so that we can enjoy our own music in peace without someone complaining (if I had to listen to the things the kids like playing, I think I would quite literally lose my mind). The children (age 10 and 13) like to use wired headphones (as they always forget to charge wireless ones) but I prefer wireless ones as they offer so much more freedom with no wires getting in the way to catch on things. Therefore I was delighted when Edifier sent us a pair of their WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones to try out – they are wireless, lightweight and foldable.
The Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones feature:
- 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
The Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones may be a budget-friendly, lightweight pair of headphones but they are packed with high-end features such as up to 40 hours of continuous play extended battery life, 6 hours playback with a 10 minute charge, 2 hours to fully charge, Bluetooth v5.2, precise voice pick up, music and game modes, safe listening function, dual-device connection and foldable design for easy space-saving storage.
Straight out of the box they look like quality headphones with their simplistic design (but they don’t have the massive price tag). The first thing that we liked was the pale blue colour, they just looked cool (they are also available in black and white). Also very noticeable was the weight, they are super lightweight weighing in at approx. 172g.
These are wireless headphones so obviously have a battery in them. They are charged using a fast USB-C connection, taking only 2 hours to fully charge from flat (as already mentioned, this will give you up to a massive 40 hours of continuous play depending on volume and other settings you use/configure). Whilst we received them with power in them, we put them on charge anyway to make sure that they were fully charged.
Whilst the headphones were charging, we added them to the Edifier Connect app on a phone. The Edifier Connect app is available for iOS and Android and 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 (so much easier to read in the app that in the little booklet that is in the box).
Once charged, they needed pairing to the phone or tablet – this is really easy, and we had no issues. Once we switched them on they entered pairing mode and we just selected the EDIFIER WH500 option from the devices on the phone and they were connected. If you do need to pair again or pair them on another device, 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). It couldn’t be easier.
The Edifier WH500 headphones also feature dual-device connection which allows you to pair them to two devices and switch seamlessly between the two. We love this function, being able to use them on the tablet to watch a streaming service but then being able to use them to take a call on the phone, all with the press of a button, is excellent. Multitasking headphones made easy!
Now for the really important parts – the fit, comfort and sound quality. The fit is excellent, and they have an adjustable band to customise the fit. With them being so lightweight they feel really comfortable over the top of the head and the padded earpads don’t feel heavy on the ears (they sit on the ears rather than going over the ears) – they are perfect for wearing for extended periods of time. The sound is brilliant, crystal clear when playing back music and audio from movies and games and has clear treble and full mid-range to strong bass. The sound when making and receiving telephone calls is perfect, again crystal clear on both ends. For a sub £50 pair of wireless headphones, they are much better than their price suggests.
Overall, the Edifier WH500 wireless headphones are absolutely excellent. We loved the foldable design (the earpads fold inwards) as they reduce space in a bag by a lot more than you think so are prefect for everyday use and travelling around. We were also really impressed with the 6 hours playback from just a 10 minute charge – that is a feature that will be used a lot in our house!
The battery life is excellent with up to 40 hours of continuous use (depending on your settings and usage – taking calls, high volume etc.) from a 2 hour charge and they seem to hold the battery life quite well when switched off so they won’t have to be charged that often (unless you listen to them all day, every day of course) and the 10 minute charge for 6 hours use is a perfect feature, especially for forgetful teeanagers, for when you need them in a hurry and have forgot to charge them (you can give them a quick charge whilst popping your shoes on before you leave the house).
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.
We love the Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones. They are really comfortable to wear, you can easily forget that you are wearing them, and they do the job they are designed to do very well – 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.
Between the easily accessible buttons on the earcup and the customisable setting in the app they are easy to use, to flick through different tracks, take phone calls or even switch between two devices. 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.
The blue colour of the headphones is great and the kids and adults in our house all love it – the only problem now is finding which child has decided to use them when I need them as they think that they are “cool”.
The Edifier WH500 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are excellent budget-friendly wireless headphones packed with features, are a really comfortable fit and easy to wear, but best of all, have great sound for music, watching videos and playing games.
We think they are just perfect.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £44.99
For more information, visit www.edifier.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
