Review: Edifier W830BT Wireless Headphones: Crazy Battery Life
4 min read
Edifier W830BT
RM 299
Pros
- Good build quality
- Good accessories
- Good sound quality
- Excellent battery life
- Good value
Cons
- Stiff buttons
- Questionable button controls
- Muddy mids
Bluetooth earphones and headphones are on the rise, no thanks to smartphone manufacturers dropping 3.5 mm audio jack from their phones. Today what we have in the labs is the Edifier W830BT Bluetooth Wireless Headphone. It has received numerous updates from the previous W800BT. Let’s find out.
Edifier W830BT Specifications
| Edifier W830BT | |
| Driver Unit | 40 mm |
| Impedance | 24 Ohms |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±12 dB) |
| Supported Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP |
| Bluetooth version | 4.1 |
| Battery | 1500 mAh |
Unboxing
Clean box design with plenty of product information at the back.
The package comes with a hardshell travelling case.
What comes in the box:
- Edifier W830BT Bluetooth wireless headphones
- Hardshell travelling case
- USB-A to Micro USB charging cable
- 3.5mm AUX cable
- User manual
Build Quality & Design
There are two colour variants for the W830BT – Black/Silver and White/Gold. Obviously, the one we received from Edifier is the White/Gold edition. While some might call it beige, it is hard to ignore the gold trims on the headphones. Do let us know what do you think of the colour combination.
While the PU leather ear pads may not be as breathable as any other cloth type ear pads. Unless you sweat easily, otherwise, the soft cushion alone should be comfortable enough for long music listening sessions.
The hinge has a rotating and folding mechanism for compact storage while travelling. Given if you think the hard shell case takes up too much space.
The hinges are sturdy and offer additional fitting adjustment for different head sizes, all for that comfort fit.
Even the headband extension has a clean finishing at the interior plastic parts. Just like the ear pads, the headband is soft and comfy.
Tucked away at the top of the cans are the bass reflex channels for the earphone drivers to improve the bass performance.
User Experience
There’s an NFC chip on the left ear-cup that supports a faster pairing process. Only works with Android phones though as Apple has yet to allow the use of iPhone’s NFC reader for purposes other than Apple Pay.
Micro USB port for charging and there’s even a 3.5mm audio jack in case you plan to use the headphone on other devices that don’t support Bluetooth.
On the right is the control buttons for the Bluetooth headphone control. If you recall our review for the W293BT, we’re not particularly a fan of the control scheme where we need to long press to skip/rewind the track. If you get the timing wrong, you’ll end up adjusting the volume instead. Hence we really hope Edifier would use double press scheme next time.
Sound Signature
So the build quality has been pretty solid so far but what about the sound quality? Colour me impressed, for the price you’re paying, they sound great. While I can’t exactly describe the sound profile to be balanced since the bass on this pair of cans is obviously more pronounced than the treble. For everyday listening and lifestyle focused wireless headphones, it is perfectly alright and I believe some of you bass-heads out there would definitely enjoy listening to this.
Critically, I do have some dissatisfaction with the sound profile – muddy mids & vocals. While the added lows improved the overall soundstage, but they would often overlap with the mids and make the vocals sound dull. It is more obvious in those songs with very pronounced background music. Ultimately, it depends on your choice of music and listening preference.
Battery Life
The battery life on this pair of headphone is phenomenal. Edifier claimed that a full charge would last up to 95 hours of playing. I was sceptical about the claim and proceed with an impromptu test – looping my playlist aiming to achieve the 95 hours benchmark. In my first run, the W830BT died at somewhere around 70-hour mark with the volume set at 50%. I lowered the volume to around 15% and it did hit the 95 hours of play time.
Final Words
For the price of RM 299, frankly speaking, I don’t think you’ll find any other offering that would give you this kind of audio quality and listening comfort. Granted, the bass is slightly too much for my auditioning taste, but for everyday listening on public transit, it works wonders.
