Edifier WH950NB Review

It’s been a while since I last reviewed an Edifier product. I enjoyed their Neo Buds S quite a bit, and I’m excited to see what else they can bring to the table. You might have already heard a lot of good things about their over-ear Bluetooth headphones, and now I’ve finally gotten the chance to listen to them for myself. The WH950NB looks to be a more affordable wireless option that still holds the latest Bluetooth features. For $179, can the WH950NB meet all your wireless needs?

What You Get

• WH950NB Headphones
• Carrying case
• USB Type C charging cable
• 3.5mm auxiliary cable
• Airplane adapter
• User manual

Look & Feel

While its construction emulates other popular headphone designs, the WH950NB comes into its own. Their earcups remind me of Sony’s mainline headphones, but the frame on the WH950NB actually feels more durable. The hard plastic is supported by a steel headband, which gives the WH950NB a stable feel. It also maintains a simple elegance, not appearing too bland or flashy. The earpads are really soft too, and they’ll fit snugly around your ears with minimal fatigue.

Design & Functionality

Within the WH950NB is a 40mm dynamic driver that does a good enough job of outputting a strong gain. I thought they gave you enough headroom to adjust to a comfortable loudness. The WH950NB is chock-full of features, which are best found on the three main screens of the Edifier companion app. On the main screen, you can switch between a few different noise-canceling and environmental sound options. You have high and low ANC options that are both admirable for the price but have their weaknesses. High-frequency noise is the most troublesome for isolation. There are also wind reduction and ambient sounds that invite all the sounds around you into your music. Similar to the Neobuds S, the WH950NB has a dynamic feature, as well as EQ control where you can adjust Q size. Lastly, there are music, game, and theater modes that all have their own application based on what media you’re consuming,

Bluetooth

If you’re looking to dabble in some of the latest Bluetooth technology, then the WH950NB is worth considering. These headphones support Bluetooth 5.3 for fast transmission and a stable connection. You’ll also be able to stream audio using LDAC as long as you have a device that supports it.

Battery Life

You’ll be impressed to find that the WH950NB has a monster of a battery life. You’ll be able to enjoy these headphones for around 55 total hours without ANC, and 34 hours with ANC. Every time I thought I was running low on battery I actually had more than I thought. It was more than enough time to try out all the features in one session, and it’ll be perfect for multiple days of commuting.

Soundstage 

The WH950NB relies on its natural stereo output to communicate its soundstage. At some points, you can sense grander width, but I think too many sound elements try to fight for the middle. It doesn’t sound too compact though, as the WH950NB does a good job stacking layers behind and on top of each other. This results in more of an open dome of spatial imaging, although it’s not always made apparent. Busier tracks tend to lose themselves in the shuffle, but more minimal mixes articulate their positions quite well. If you put the WH950NB in dynamic mode, I think the soundstage expands a bit more, clearing out those disorganized middle patches, and adding more separation.

Low End

While EQ will really determine how much you get out of the bass on the WH950NB, it’ll still provide a balanced response. This is mostly a surface-level bass that has a particularly warm timbre to it. Its tone can be quite thick, especially with EQ boosted and Q increased. However, the punch of the mid-bass is tight and controlled enough not to feel too foggy. I wouldn’t say it’s entirely clean, but the frequency content finds its space well without causing issues.

Mids

I was expecting some sort of dip in the midrange, but it became hard to point out. There’s more expression here than I thought, as the midrange here exhibits clean instruments and vocal performances. It doesn’t bring out a ton of details, but the general response is quite accurate to the mix. Once again, the WH950NB struggles with busy tracks, as there are some elements that get forced into the background. However, the mids become really dominant with certain performances, especially vocals. There is a ton of drive for both male and female voices, and it can make the response pretty powerful.

Highs

The treble felt like the most spread-out region in this frequency response. There’s a clear high-end detail to be had here, as the output in this range has the most texture. You’ll get some nice air and wispiness out of the timbre here, and it all appears very crisp and pleasant.

Summary

There is a lot to like about the WH950NB. It has a simple elegance that is hard to pass up for the price, and that battery life is more than you’ll get from even the best headphones on the market. You’ll get a ton of great features too, all of which have different flavors of sound performance. The sound signature has more strong points than it does flaws, but some of those sections have a harder time even responding to EQ. For $179, you’ll get a pair of headphones that stand up to some of the best for less.

The Edifier WH950NB is available from Amazon.