Colors like black and white for gadgets are classic, but when companies bring different colors without looking big, they stand out. That’s what it feels like when you don’t open the Fairphone Headphones $229 New over-ear Headphones in the green shade of the forest.
The new headphones, which also come in black, compete with others on the market, such as no headphones (1), Sony’s previous Gen Wh-1000XM5, and Sonos Ace. While some offer noise and noise cancellation capabilities, the Fairbuds XL will be a good bet for longevity and repairability.
The new device is an update to the Fairbuds XL with noise cancellation, so it was launched in 2023 and was designed with that in mind.
In these headphones, owners can replace the battery, cushions, include speakers, headband, and drivers in both new and old models. To fix it, you can open the headphones with a guitar pick or a credit card and a basic screwdriver. The company has a tutorial on its YouTube channel as your direction.
The new setup carries the same ethos but includes subtle design changes as well as driver upgrades to improve performance. Specifically, the company says that the driver size is still 40mm, but it has been updated with better magnets for better bass.
Despite installing new drivers with enhanced bass, the overall sound signature is mostly neutral. Both MIDS and vocals come through when listening to a song. For example, some tracks on “K-Pop Distun Hunter” have bass-heavy parts, but no vocals or synths.
The design changes include speaker-to-speaker cables and green instead of orange. The company has new ear cushions with mesh material for more comfort. He said that the softer ear cusonians allow you to isolate the sound, but the mesh also makes it more comfortable for long-term wear.
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While I haven’t had a chance to test the headphone measurements, I’ve worn the current pair for hours on end and haven’t felt sweaty or uncomfortable.
Fairphone has integrated tactile buttons and a joystick to control media and switch between different noise cancellation modes. You can use the joystick to play and pause, control volume, and switch to the next or previous track. The button also doubles as a switch for pairing mode and lets you cycle through noise cancellation mode.
Fairphone isn’t just about prioritizing functional buttons. Other hardware manufacturers, like nothingFor now, the focus is now on adding easy-to-use buttons to the headphones, and that’s a welcome move.
Fairbuds XL offers very powerful sound reproduction. When I work from home, there is a lot of noise in the neighborhood, and I prefer to wear ear canceling or headphones. You won’t get over-the-air noise cancellation on the device, but the experience is still great.
Fairphone Cto Chandler Hatton said the headphone release cycle and backwards compatibility was a conscious choice.
“We can release products faster. It’s a clear decision to do it slowly. We like to show the industry something new, because it calls for a planned cycle,” he said.
The company notes that it uses mined and recycled materials to build this pair of headphones. To reduce packaging waste, the box only contains a simple protective pouch and the headphones themselves, along with a quick guide.
The company claims the device’s battery life is up to 30 hours, but this is reduced if you enable active noise cancellation.
The lack of Headphone Jack opting for USB-C bugged me a little. Even if you don’t want to add additional accessories to the package, adding support for the standard audio jack is what makes the headphones compatible with more audio devices. (You can pick up a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle from fairphone for about $15.)
Fairphone has passed Some executives changes over the past two years. The company says its new managers want to prove it can produce and distribute gadgets at scale, and that US expansion is part of the plan. The headphones are one of the company’s first products to be fully available in the US and will include support for replacement parts and a three-year warranty.
While consumers can purchase the Fairbuds XL on the Fairphone site, the device will launch on Amazon later this month for US customers, along with the company’s $99 wireless earbuds.