Edifier W860NB Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Check All the Boxes

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The new Edifier W860NB over-the-ear headphones are my new favorite for commuting, by far. They feature Bluetooth 4.1, Active Noise Cancellation, aptX, NFC, and smart touch controls on the side of the right ear cup. These fashionable black headphones are comfortable, easy to use, and last a seriously long time before needing to be recharged.

Photo courtesy of Edifier

The W860NB have a classic style to them, with all-black finishes from the plush pillowy leather-like ear cups to the headband and cushion. What you can’t see from the outside are the controls, which are seriously smart. You simply double-tap the right ear to play or pause, swipe left or right to skip songs in either direction, or swipe up and down to raise or lower the volume. It’s a really easy, quick way to control your music.

The 40mm drivers sound amazing and produce the quality of sound you’d expect from a $169.99 pair of headphones. The active noise cancellation is some of the best I’ve heard as it really makes you feel like you’re in your own world. The W860NB come with a hard clamshell case to secure your headphones while traveling and they also come with a 3.5mm auxiliary connector for wired listening in case you run out of battery.

Speaking of running out of battery, Edifier claims that you can get up to 25 hours of listening using ANC and up to 45 hours of listening without ANC. I’ve been using these bad boys during my commute for around 2.5 hours per day, usually without ANC, for over four weeks and I can’t remember the last time I charged them, so I can confirm the battery life is outstanding.

The comfort of these headphones is ridiculous. Like I said, I’ve worn them for at least 2.5 hours per day for the last four weeks and they feel like clouds every time. I fall asleep all the time on the bus while using them, that’s how comfortable they are. I could wear them all day if I didn’t have to communicate with anyone else!  Plus, they’re great for winter months to do double-duty as earmuffs.

The clamshell case is a nice touch for traveling, although I don’t use it on a daily basis. It’s a nice way to keep all of the accessories, like the USB charging cable and 3.5mm aux cable together as well.

Taking calls with the W860NB works surprisingly well too. I’m used to most headphones being fairly so-so at taking calls, with the other party not being able to hear me, however with these, I haven’t had any complaints. My only complaint is that due to the over-the-ear style, it’s sometimes hard to hear myself and therefore I might talk louder than I need to.

Overall, I can’t recommend the Edifier W860NB over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones enough. They’re a great set of headphones for the price range and they check all the boxes for me, including sound, ease of use, comfort, and battery life. They’re going to be my new everyday headphones, no doubt in my mind.

You can purchase your Edifier W860NB headphones directly from Edifier.com.

Source: The Edifier W860NB headphones were a manufacturer supplied review sample.

What I Like: Classic design; Great sound quality; Easy to use controls; Very comfortable; Excellent battery life.

What Needs Improvement: I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like.

 

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About the Author

Perry Brauner
I'm an architect by trade, but the overarching theme of my life has always been trying to keep up with the newest, coolest technology. Ever since I picked up an NES controller, I've been hooked on the latest and greatest gadgets, gizmos, and toys. Whether it's gaming, mobile phones, and accessories, or PCs and Apple products, I'm interested. I use many Apple products in my daily life, such as the iPhone, iPad, and my MacBook Pro. I've also built a few PCs in my day, so I'd like to say that I'm a pretty well-rounded techie.