At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Nice sound
- First rate ANC
- Extremely-repairability
- Stable battery life
Cons
- ANC isn’t class-leading
- Some stitching points
- Fundamental app
Our Verdict
The modular nature of the Fairphone XL is a welcome change in as of late of obvious deliberate redundancy in merchandise. It’s not nearly that although, as they ship strong audio efficiency with the added bonus of first rate 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 pattern 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 should even promote you the spare elements instantly so that you don’t should scour eBay or AliExpress for reasonable knockoffs which will or might 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 moderately than denoting an additional giant measurement. So, do they sound pretty much as good as their intentions? Let’s have a pay attention.
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 somewhat 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, crimson and white dapples on the surface of the ear-cups, including somewhat 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 fascinating than flat black.
With these headphones, just about any piece could be changed, that means that you just received’t have an costly set of cans turn into unusable simply because an affordable plastic half fails
Martyn Casserly
The scarf and cushioning are coated in vegan leather-based, as are the cups. It’s delicate and cozy, though the outer stitching is a bit messy the place the headscarf meets the steel bands that home extendable arms. This could possibly be down to those being pre-production examples although, so you should definitely test 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 correct cup is residence to the controls, that are made up of a button for switching between the varied ANC and pairing modes.
Beneath this can be a gold mini-joystick management which can 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 plenty of choices in a tiny house.
You’ll additionally discover a USB-C charging port on the underside of the cup, plus just a few indicator lights to let you understand if the battery is working 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 unique set of cans.
Martyn Casserly
The arms are hinged although, so you may fold the headphones for storage within the supplied waterproof bag.
In fact, the primary promoting level of the Fairphone XLs is the modular development. With these headphones, just about any piece could be changed, that means that you just received’t have an costly set of cans turn into unusable simply because an affordable plastic half fails. I can inform you that this is a superb strategy, as my very own Marshall Main III headphones suffered this actual destiny.
Even after contacting buyer providers a number of occasions, all seeking a small bit that may have price subsequent to nothing, I used to be informed that the corporate didn’t promote spares, and that I ought to mainly purchase a substitute set of headphones. Appalling service from the Marshall headphones group, however this shouldn’t be a difficulty with Fairphone.
The headphones could 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 foreign money), the batteries are the identical, whereas the costliest half is the proper speaker module at €80 because it additionally homes the controls.
Fairphone makes an enormous deal of its dedication to the setting too, with the corporate utilizing 100% recycled aluminium and plastic for the development. To not point out that it pays its staff a dwelling wage, which isn’t one thing that could possibly be stated for many outsourced processes in tech firms.
So, they’re good high quality headphones, which shouldn’t make you’re feeling responsible about their manufacturing which is refreshing as of late. Oh, and I ought to have talked about that they’re additionally IP54 rated, in order that they’ll survive the rain with out trying out.
Martyn Casserly
Sound High quality & Options
- Nice sound
- First rate ANC
- Ambient mode can wrestle in windy situations
In fact, not one of the moral practices can be value 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 generally is a little uncomfortable for individuals who put on glasses and intend on lengthy listening classes. However, the upside is that you just 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 setting.
Sound high quality is excellent, with a pleasant stability of frequencies throughout the board, all emanating from the 40mm drivers inside every speaker
Martyn Casserly
Sound high quality is excellent, with a pleasant stability 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 take heed to which requires these frequencies to actually 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 only some toes away from enthusiastic drummers, so it could possibly be me moderately than the headphones.
There’s 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 simple on that half in the event you don’t need to be mistakenly mis-hearing frequencies later in life like some individuals. However, there’s no must deafen your self to drown out nearby-noise, because the Fairphone XL options energetic noise cancellation (ANC).
Merely tapping the button on the proper cup will have interaction the expertise, with a notification letting you understand what mode you’re in. The ANC is first rate, though you shouldn’t anticipate absolute silence in the event you’re in a very noisy place. Saying that, it would take the sting off the din and offer you some blessed reduction, which is par for the course at this worth 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 properly 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 similar time) however it may be somewhat clumsy in getting it going. Principally, 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 have the ability to swap between them simply by simply hitting the play button on both gadget. Hopefully, this can be made a bit tidier by way of 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 check 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 received’t have to attend too lengthy to get them again in motion.
Worth & Availability
Fairphone launched the XL headphones on 11 Could, though they’re solely obtainable in mainland Europe and the UK, so US prospects would wish to import them from any taking part retailer.
Costs are in step with different high quality over-the-ear headphones with ANC, at £219/€249 (approx $277).
This places them within the vary of the wonderful Razer Opus which you’ll decide up for round $269/£200 or the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones ($200/£150), each of which characteristic ANC however not the moral benefits provided by Fairphone.
Take a look at extra choices in our greatest headphones and greatest noise cancelling headphones charts.
Verdict
In purely sonic phrases, the Fairphone XL may not have the ability to duke it out with different premium headsets, however they nonetheless ship fulfilling audio that can please most customers.
The ANC is sweet, if not class-leading, and the battery life is nice. It’s a pleasant bundle that delivers properly on its ambitions.
What you want to issue into the pricing right here is the power to repair just about something that goes incorrect. In the event you’re the form of individual that desires to make use of the identical tech for years, then Fairphone could possibly be the perfect headphones for you, particularly in the event you’re in search of an moral possibility, 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
