Professional's Score
Execs
- Nice sound
- First rate ANC
- Extremely-repairability
- Strong 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 lately of obvious deliberate redundancy in merchandise. It’s not nearly that although, as they ship stable audio efficiency with the added bonus of respectable noise cancelling.
Fairphone is a model normally related to ethically and environmentally pleasant smartphones. These units, such because the current 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 every part to get replaced.
It would even promote you the spare elements instantly so that you don’t need to scour eBay or AliExpress for affordable 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 fairly than denoting an additional giant measurement. So, do they sound pretty much as good as their intentions? Let’s have a hear.
Design & Construct
- Intelligent modular development
- ‘Joystick’ button
- Stitching a bit messy
Fairphone presents the XL in two distinct liveries. There’s the usual black that adorns most headphones, however in the event you’re feeling just a little 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, purple and white dapples on the skin of the ear-cups, including just a little Jackson Pollock to proceedings and a sign of the eco-friendly development. It’s all neat and fairly cool if you would like one thing extra attention-grabbing than flat black.
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The headscarf and cushioning are lined in vegan leather-based, as are the cups. It’s smooth and comfy, though the outer stitching is a bit messy the place the scarf meets the metallic bands that home extendable arms. This could possibly be down to those being pre-production examples although, so make sure you verify 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 fitting cup is dwelling to the controls, that are made up of a button for switching between the assorted ANC and pairing modes.
Beneath this can be a gold mini-joystick management which shall 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 manage the quantity 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 quite a lot of choices in a tiny house.
You’ll additionally discover a USB-C charging port on the underside of the cup, plus a couple of indicator lights to let you realize 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 distinct set of cans.
Martyn Casserly
The arms are hinged although, so you may fold the headphones for storage within the supplied waterproof bag.
After all, the principle promoting level of the Fairphone XLs is the modular development. With these headphones, just about any piece will be changed, which means that you simply gained’t have an costly set of cans turn out to be unusable simply because an inexpensive plastic half fails. I can let you know that this is a superb strategy, as my very own Marshall Main III headphones suffered this precise destiny.
Even after contacting buyer companies a number of occasions, all in quest of a small bit that may have value subsequent to nothing, I used to be informed 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 staff, however this shouldn’t be a difficulty with Fairphone.
The headphones will 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.
Martyn Casserly
Checking the Fairphone website, it appears that evidently 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 most costly half is the precise speaker module at €80 because it additionally homes the controls.
Fairphone makes an enormous 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 dwelling wage, which isn’t one thing that could possibly be mentioned for many outsourced processes in tech firms.
So, they’re good high quality headphones, which shouldn’t make you are feeling responsible about their manufacturing which is refreshing lately. Oh, and I ought to have talked about that they’re additionally IP54 rated, in order that they’ll survive the rain with out testing.
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Sound High quality & Options
- Nice sound
- First rate ANC
- Ambient mode can wrestle in windy situations
After all, not one of the moral practices shall be price 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 could be a little uncomfortable for individuals who put on glasses and intend on lengthy listening periods. However, the upside is that you simply get an enclosed house through which to listen to your audio content material, with little in the way in which of noises from the encompassing surroundings.
Martyn Casserly
Sound high quality is superb, with a pleasant steadiness 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 could possibly be extra as a result of guitar-heavy music I hearken to which requires these frequencies to essentially 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 just a few toes away from enthusiastic drummers, so it could possibly be me fairly than the headphones.
There may be an accompanying app, referred to as Fairsound, which provides you entry to 4 EQ settings, however I didn’t discover an enormous distinction between all of them. Sadly, you may’t modify the settings manually, so that you’re caught with what Fairphone has selected the presets.
Martyn Casserly
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 folks. 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 precise cup will interact the know-how, with a notification letting you realize what mode you’re in. The ANC is respectable, though you shouldn’t anticipate absolute silence in the event you’re in a very noisy place. Saying that, it'll take the sting off the din and provide you with some blessed reduction, which is par for the course at this value 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 occurring round you. It really works nicely however, as a result of microphone placement, it does wrestle when it’s windy. Naturally, you may swap the ANC off at that time, and swap it again on once more as soon as the climate improves.
The Fairphone XL does help twin connectivity with units (being actively paired with two on the identical time) however it may be just a little clumsy in getting it going. Mainly, when you’re related to at least one gadget, 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 gadget you’ll be capable of swap between them simply by simply hitting the play button on both gadget. Hopefully, this shall be made a bit tidier through a software program replace.
Battery Life & Charging
- 800mAh detachable battery
- As much as 30 hours listening time
- Cheap recharge occasions
Fairphone suits an 800mAh battery within the XL, with the added bonus that it’s replaceable if it ever develops an issue or reaches the top of its pure lifespan.
The capability additionally delivers a protracted 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.
Martyn Casserly
Clearly, I couldn’t take a look at 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.
Worth & Availability
Fairphone launched the XL headphones on 11 Might, though they’re solely out there in mainland Europe and the UK, so US clients would want to import them from any collaborating retailer.
Costs are consistent with 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 be able to choose 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 finest noise cancelling headphones charts.
Verdict
In purely sonic phrases, the Fairphone XL won't be capable of duke it out with different premium headsets, however they nonetheless ship pleasing audio that may please most customers.
The ANC is nice, if not class-leading, and the battery life is nice. It’s a pleasant bundle that delivers nicely on its ambitions.
What you could issue into the pricing right here is the flexibility to repair just about something that goes improper. In case you’re the sort of particular person that desires to make use of the identical tech for years, then Fairphone could possibly be the most effective headphones for you, particularly in the event you’re searching for an moral choice, 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 score
- USB-C (for charging, digital and analog music)
- 330g