The W830BT is a good middle-of-the-road for those looking to enjoy headphones instead of sincerely investing in them. That isn’t a slight at all, rather it’s a compliment when compared to other headphones at this price point. I can see a lot of years out of these before moving on, as they deliver good quality sound, comfort, and are easy to use. Those three things are the most vital of headphones when I’m thinking about a sound delivery purchase.
This past week we have been trying out Edifier’s latest sound wonder with their W830BT headphones. Priced at around $69.97 (via Amazon.com), these headphones may not be replacing your Beats anytime soon, but for the bang, you’re going to get for the buck, you’re going to be quite happy with the end result.
Edifier is an interesting company I didn’t know much about until I did I deep dive into their business. They make stereo speakers, which you can find scattered all over Newegg.com, and a bevy of other wired and wireless sound products, including a Dolby driven 5.1 system called the e255 for a measly $999.99. The sound devices that Edifier produces are stylish, if you’re into that sorta thing (which I hear the kids are these days), and they are durable, which bodes well for their latest Bluetooth headphones.
The W830BT comes at you with simplicity, yet complication. A little more than an uptick from their W675BT on-ear headset, the simple style, functionality, and ease-of-use help to warrant the upgrade. Let’s dive right into these.
Design
When compared with the W675BT headphones, the W830BT is a considerable upgrade with design. The W830BT fits comfortably over the ears without much ear fatigue that comes with big bulky headphones of this type. When compared to the higher-end headphones, such as the W828NB, the only noticeable difference is the size (I know the quality is a bit better and the aux wired input is nice, but roll with me). I can see the W830BT’s like a more lightweight solution for folks not wanting to dip into the $99+ range and commitment. Edifier has built the W830BT to be more consumer friendly and comfortable, which they achieve with flying colors. I wore this headset for every walk, run, and household use this past week. It barely slipped from my head, it never made my ears sweat (Turtle Beach has been known to do this to me), and if I wasn’t playing music, I’m not sure I would have been immediately aware that I was wearing these. The design doesn’t impede my senses, which is what I want out of my headphones.
This is solid design for a simple headphone.
Functionality
The functionality here is impressive, yet won’t take a rocket scientist, or a headphone enthusiast, to figure out. The first thing you will notice is how well the 40mm drivers work. Edifier claims that the inclusion of 40mm drivers helps to produce a ‘rich deep bass’, and that is true. I found myself enjoying some heavy industrial techno while not hearing a distorted amount of bass, even with my iPhone at the max volume position. Having tried a range of headphones and earbuds with this same type of bass, and 50% giving me what I wanted, I was pleasantly pleased with what the W830BT delivered — solid bass with no distortion. However the drivers are built, they’re built well.
As for the clarity of said drivers, they’re pretty amazing. For example, while listening to Moby’s ‘Ooh Yeah’ song, which is purely synth driven, with occasional chorus involved, there were layers of the song I had never heard before but were revealed with the headphones. The music seemed to move and push the way it should from ear-to-ear, which again, is impressive for the size of the drivers. The song was clear, it was enjoyable, and I felt my sense engulfed by it. This is where I want to be when I wear headphones.
Related, the only knock I have against the sound is how loud it can get. There is a point where the music will just go no further with volume. I have tried multiple headphones before, multiple earbuds, and I like my music loud to the point where I hear ringing when it’s all said and done. I know that sounds incredibly irresponsible, but I enjoy loud music. It’s my jam. The headphones do have a limit with volume, which is probably good for normal consumers, but for me I enjoy drowning the world out. Since these are not the W828NB, which features active noise canceling, I want it to be loud, so the world doesn’t exist. I’m a video editor by trade, so I enjoy music and putting together scenes in my head with the music. We’re weird like that, folks. That said, the lack of volume doesn’t ruin the moment for me, nor is it a dealbreaker of any sorts, but having a little bit more control over the headphones’ limitations would have been nice. Maybe that’s a hardware limitation set by Edifier, I’m not sure.
Shifting back to the positives, on the ease-of-use side of things, the setup process is pretty standard. Hold down the power button until you see red/blue flash, then select the headphones on your Bluetooth device (in my case, my iPhone XS loved it). When you’re reconnecting the device, barring that you haven’t switched it over to another Bluetooth tech, you’ll just need to turn it on and go. The volume button is where the power button is located, the mic is on the opposite side of the same earpiece. The mic picks up voice surprisingly well, as I had a nice conversation with a friend as I was doing dishes with the water turned on. There was little to no interference from the background noise. This is great functionality.
On the topic of power, the battery is every bit of what was advertised. I charged this once a week or so ago, and I’m still on the same charge. It’s surprisingly efficient, which is rare these days when efficiency is advertised (see Mac equipment for examples). There is nothing more irritating than seeing an add about ‘X amount of hours with each charge’ and it being ‘W’ (because W is before X). This is not the case with Edifier’s W830BT. It’s what it says it is.
The functionality of these headphones is above expectations for me. It is easy to set up and easy to use. It sounds good and the battery lasts an insanely large amount of time. It’s what you want from consumer brand headphones.
Cost
The cost for a non-active noise canceling Bluetooth headphone with a mic is reasonable at $69.99. While I might pay an additional $30 for noise canceling, these are quite good for the price you pay. The battery and setup had me at the price point, as the rest was just delightful amenities.
Overall
The W830BT is a good middle-of-the-road for those looking to enjoy headphones instead of sincerely investing in them. That isn’t a slight at all, rather it’s a compliment when compared to other headphones at this price point. I can see a lot of years out of these before moving on, as they deliver good quality sound, comfort, and are easy to use. Those three things are the most vital of headphones when I’m thinking about a sound delivery purchase.
