Closer Examination

The previous two wireless headphones reviews were of the uncanny looking HIFIMAN HE-R9 (with the Bluemini adapter) and the flashy Focal Bathys to where both are bulky and attention-seeking in public. I'd say even the Edifier STAX SPIRIT S3 approaches this but is toned down plenty enough to where I have used it outdoors often. There's still something to be said about a clean looking, face-hugging set of headphones though and this is also why the likes of Apple, Sony, and Sennheiser sell a lot of their wireless headphones too. The WH950NB from Edifier falls in this design language segment easily, at least for the black color version I have here. It comes folded inward with the pivot at the ear cups as we saw before and can be easily flat packed too, or rotated outward for different views of the headphones. The headband has an exposed steel band on the outside with plastic sections on the side and a protein leather padding on the underside that has memory foam filling for comfort. The plastic inserts have the truncated Edifier logo facing outward for branding with the pivot joint on the inside for an otherwise clean look.


There are L/R markings on the inside of the ear cups to help indicate the left and right channels, respectively. The steel band has cutouts in the middle on either side that the plastic inserts can be maneuvered up or down to help with vertical sizing as seen above. There are discrete steps with subtle clicks to also help you align both sides easily. Sizing options are plenty and the headband flexible enough to where these should fit head sizes small and large alike.


Given the pivot joint used on the plastic frame, the Edifier WH950NB has extensive ear cup swivel and rotation options. It can be folded inward for easier transportation as well as around the ears enough to easily fit anyone interested in the set. The rotation is also smooth without feeling loose, although the ear cups do have a tendency to wiggle around slightly to where perhaps the C-clamp could have been better adjusted on this set. Note also the cutout on the inner side to not interfere with the frame as well as the vent for the dynamic driver inside.


It somewhat irks me that the clamp around the ear cups is glossy and comes off a lighter black than the rest of the ear cup and the plastic on the bottom. I do understand why it happened given the upper part is moving around and it's likely the budget and engineering requirements dictated the different material there. The rest of the ear cups employ a soft touch finish to the plastic which is also textured to feel more premium than it is, and the gold accent around the back vent at the bottom also helps break up the monotony without coming off obnoxious. This is a closed-back set with the vents not breaking the isolation much and the ear cups and pads themselves are about average in size for such wireless portable headphones to where they are still going to be an over-ear set for most folks, except perhaps those with significantly larger or wider ears. The ear pads are installed in place via interlocking plastic tabs and are easy enough to remove and push back inside, although replacement pads may not be easy to find. Removing them provides a closer look at the 40 mm dynamic driver used here, with a metal mesh insert for further protection on top of the fabric lining that has L/R markings as seen before. I also disassembled the ear cups after testing to see what's inside, although Edifier uses strategically placed tape and foam to make it harder. All I can tell you is there are PCBs on both sides, the controllers appear to be on the left side, and the battery on the right side. The foam can contribute to the acoustic signature of the headphones here so I did not want to take it out and risk affecting it accidentally.


These are some cheap—not just inexpensive—ear pads! I suppose I've seen worse used on headphones in the price range the Edifier WH950NB belongs to, and I'll also throw Focal under the bus here for its cheap Bathys pads too here given it costs nearly four times as much. These are pleather pads with memory foam lining similar to the section on the headband and can get your ears warm after 30-45 min of use, to where I had to remove the headphones to get some air in for a couple of minutes before resuming. The ear pads are otherwise oblong shaped without any mesh on them and a plastic ring on the inside has the locking mechanism for the ear cups. No contouring to see here either as you have to rely on the ear cups to get these over the ears and maintain a good seal all around with the clamp force.


The under side of the ear cups have inputs and external controls, which I appreciate. The left ear cup has a vent for the microphone to pick up your voice and help with ANC, in addition to the 3.5 mm jack for the cable provided should you wish to use the WH950NB in a purely passive mode to save on battery life. The right side has more going on, including another vent for the microphones, a Type-C charging port and indicator LED, a multi-functional three-button rocker, and a mode button. The indicator LED turns red when charging and blinks red to indicate low battery, turning blue when the headphones are on following by blinking blue for BT pairing. The 3-button rocker is what you will probably use the most, including to power on and pair the headphones as well as for volume/media playback control. The mode button switches between a few different sound modes as we will see next.