At a look
Professional’s Score
Execs
- Nice sound
- Respectable ANC
- Extremely-repairability
- Stable battery life
Cons
- ANC isn’t class-leading
- Some stitching points
- Primary app
Our Verdict
The modular nature of the Fairphone XL is a welcome change in as of late of obvious deliberate redundancy in merchandise. It’s not nearly that although, as they ship strong audio efficiency with the added bonus of first rate noise cancelling.
Fairphone is a model often related to ethically and environmentally pleasant smartphones. These gadgets, such because the latest Fairphone 4, buck the present development of irreparable handsets that dominate the tech panorama – or ought to that be landfill? – by making them modular, permitting just about the whole lot to get replaced.
It is going to even promote you the spare elements instantly so that you don’t need to scour eBay or AliExpress for reasonable knockoffs that will or could not match.
Now, the model is popping its consideration to the over-the-ear headphone market with its Fairphone XL – the title a play on the phrase excel reasonably than denoting an additional massive dimension. So, do they sound nearly as good as their intentions? Let’s have a pay attention.
Design & Construct
- Intelligent modular development
- ‘Joystick’ button
- Stitching a bit messy
Fairphone gives the XL in two distinct liveries. There’s the usual black that adorns most headphones, however in the event you’re feeling a bit extra colourful, then there’s the inexperienced pair like those I’ve right here.
In addition to the general two-tone impact, there’s additionally some black, pink and white dapples on the skin of the ear-cups, including a bit Jackson Pollock to proceedings and a sign of the eco-friendly development. It’s all neat and fairly cool in order for you one thing extra fascinating than flat black.
With these headphones, just about any piece may be changed, that means that you just gained’t have an costly set of cans develop into unusable simply because an affordable plastic half fails
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The headscarf and cushioning are coated in vegan leather-based, as are the cups. It’s mushy and cozy, though the outer stitching is a bit messy the place the headscarf meets the metallic bands that home extendable arms. This may very well be down to those being pre-production examples although, so you’ll want to test this space in the event you intend to purchase these headphones.
The arms themselves are plastic, as are the outer chassis of the ear-cups, however they really feel sturdy and don’t flex in ways in which would alarm. The proper cup is dwelling to the controls, that are made up of a button for switching between the varied ANC and pairing modes.
Beneath it is a gold mini-joystick management which can be very acquainted to anybody who has ever seen or used sure Marshall headphones, such because the Marshall Monitor II ANC. This may be pushed both up or down to regulate the amount or left and proper to skip tracks, whereas urgent it in and holding to energy on or off. It’s a good way to pack loads of choices in a tiny house.
You’ll additionally discover a USB-C charging port on the underside of the cup, plus a number of indicator lights to let you understand if the battery is operating low or when the XLs are in pairing mode. Sadly, there’s no 3.5mm jack, so in the event you have been hoping to make use of a wired connection you’ll want a unique set of cans.
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The arms are hinged although, so you’ll be able to fold the headphones for storage within the offered waterproof bag.
After all, the principle promoting level of the Fairphone XLs is the modular development. With these headphones, just about any piece may be changed, that means that you just gained’t have an costly set of cans develop into unusable simply because an affordable plastic half fails. I can let you know that this is a wonderful strategy, as my very own Marshall Main III headphones suffered this precise destiny.
Even after contacting buyer providers a number of occasions, all in quest of a small bit that will have price subsequent to nothing, I used to be instructed that the corporate didn’t promote spares, and that I ought to principally purchase a alternative set of headphones. Appalling service from the Marshall headphones crew, however this shouldn’t be a problem with Fairphone.
The headphones may be disassembled with a small Phillips-style screwdriver, and the cable that attaches to the cups has a USB-C connector at every finish, making it a easy job to plug and unplug.
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Checking the Fairphone web site, plainly the costs are honest certainly, with issues just like the arms that connect to the cups costing round €20 (all costs are listed in that forex), the batteries are the identical, whereas the costliest half is the fitting speaker module at €80 because it additionally homes the controls.
Fairphone makes a giant deal of its dedication to the surroundings too, with the corporate utilizing 100% recycled aluminium and plastic for the development. To not point out that it pays its employees a residing wage, which isn’t one thing that may very well be mentioned for many outsourced processes in tech corporations.
So, they’re good high quality headphones, which shouldn’t make you’re feeling responsible about their manufacturing which is refreshing as of late. Oh, and I ought to have talked about that they’re additionally IP54 rated, so that they’ll survive the rain with out trying out.
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Sound High quality & Options
- Nice sound
- Respectable ANC
- Ambient mode can battle in windy situations
After all, not one of the moral practices can be value that a lot if the product isn’t any good. Fortunately, that isn’t the case with the Fairphone XL.
The headphones they maintain on fairly tightly, which generally is a little uncomfortable for many who put on glasses and intend on lengthy listening periods. However, the upside is that you just get an enclosed house by which to listen to your audio content material, with little in the best way of noises from the encompassing surroundings.
Sound high quality is superb, with a pleasant stability of frequencies throughout the board, all emanating from the 40mm drivers inside every speaker
Martyn Casserly
Sound high quality is superb, with a pleasant stability of frequencies throughout the board, all emanating from the 40mm drivers inside every speaker. If I’m being super-picky, then the higher mids really feel barely much less distinguished than others, however that may very well be extra as a result of guitar-heavy music I hearken to which requires these frequencies to actually come out.
It’s marginal, so don’t let that put you off, I nonetheless loved the music and benefitted from the wealthy tones of the Fairphone XL. Plus, my ears have spent a few years only some toes away from enthusiastic drummers, so it may very well be me reasonably than the headphones.
There’s an accompanying app, known as Fairsound, which provides you entry to 4 EQ settings, however I didn’t discover an enormous distinction between all of them. Sadly, you’ll be able to’t regulate the settings manually, so that you’re caught with what Fairphone has selected the presets.
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Quantity will get up loud sufficient to do some harm, so perhaps go straightforward on that half in the event you don’t wish to be mistakenly mis-hearing frequencies later in life like some individuals. However, there’s no have to deafen your self to drown out nearby-noise, because the Fairphone XL options energetic noise cancellation (ANC).
Merely tapping the button on the fitting cup will interact the expertise, with a notification letting you understand what mode you’re in. The ANC is first rate, though you shouldn’t anticipate absolute silence in the event you’re in a very noisy place. Saying that, it would take the sting off the din and offer you some blessed reduction, which is par for the course at this worth level.
The ambient mode makes use of the microphones on the headphones to introduce a low stage of sound out of your environment, making it helpful in the event you’re ready for an announcement or simply need to concentrate on what’s happening round you. It really works nicely however, as a result of microphone placement, it does battle when it’s windy. Naturally, you’ll be able to change the ANC off at that time, and change it again on once more as soon as the climate improves.
The Fairphone XL does help twin connectivity with gadgets (being actively paired with two on the similar time) however it may be a bit clumsy in getting it going. Principally, when you’re linked to 1 machine, press and maintain the ANC button to re-enter pairing mode.
Though it says it has disconnected to the primary one, that’s not true, and when you pair the second machine you’ll have the ability to change between them simply by simply hitting the play button on both machine. Hopefully, this can be made a bit tidier by way of a software program replace.
Battery Life & Charging
- 800mAh detachable battery
- As much as 30 hours listening time
- Affordable recharge occasions
Fairphone matches an 800mAh battery within the XL, with the added bonus that it’s replaceable if it ever develops an issue or reaches the tip of its pure lifespan.
The capability additionally delivers an extended quantity of play time, with the corporate promising as much as 30 hours of playback with out ANC, with that determine dropping by about 5 hours if the noise cancelling is enabled.
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Clearly, I couldn’t check that in a single sitting, however throughout my two weeks with the headphones I solely needed to recharge them as soon as, which sounds about proper as I used to be utilizing them about two or three hours a day.
Getting again to 100% took round an hour, so that you gained’t have to attend too lengthy to get them again in motion.
Value & Availability
Fairphone launched the XL headphones on 11 Might, though they’re solely accessible in mainland Europe and the UK, so US prospects would wish to import them from any collaborating retailer.
Costs are according to different high quality over-the-ear headphones with ANC, at £219/€249 (approx $277).
This places them within the vary of the superb Razer Opus which you’ll decide up for round $269/£200 or the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones ($200/£150), each of which function ANC however not the moral benefits supplied by Fairphone.
Take a look at extra choices in our greatest headphones and greatest noise cancelling headphones charts.
Verdict
In purely sonic phrases, the Fairphone XL won’t have the ability to duke it out with different premium headsets, however they nonetheless ship satisfying audio that may please most customers.
The ANC is nice, if not class-leading, and the battery life is nice. It’s a pleasant package deal that delivers nicely on its ambitions.
What it’s essential to issue into the pricing right here is the flexibility to repair just about something that goes fallacious. When you’re the type of particular person that wishes to make use of the identical tech for years, then Fairphone may very well be the most effective headphones for you, particularly in the event you’re in search of an moral possibility, as they’re skinny on the bottom.
Specs
- Modular development with folding arms
- 40mm speaker drivers
- ANC
- 800 mAh detachable battery
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Supported codecs: AAC, SBC, APTX HD
- IP54 ranking
- USB-C (for charging, digital and analog music)
- 330g