Fairphone TWS earbuds in the test: sustainable and good?
The Dutch company Fairphone has made a name for itself with the smartphone of the same name. The current model is the Fairphone 4 5G. The coup: sustainability! Thanks to the modular design, the individual components can be replaced if necessary. The mobile phone does not have to be completely replaced with a new model, which should be easy on the wallet and nature. Fairphone now has the Fairphone TWS Earbuds in-ear headphones on offer, which are also said to be sustainable – and COMPUTER BILD has tested them.
The best true wireless in-ear headphones
LG Electronics
Details about the test
Per
Clear and unadulterated sound
Can also be used on the headphone output
Sony
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Per
good sound
Great noise cancellation
against
Only three sizes of eartips
KEF
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Per
Very clear and precise sound
High resolution
against
Complicated relationship
Chunky transport box
Samsung
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Per
First class sound
Active noise cancellation
against
Somewhat fiddly operation
Restrictions for iOS users
Samsung
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Per
Outstanding sound quality
Useful automatic functions
JBL audio
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Per
Clear and precise sound
Battery life of almost 8 hours
against
Touch operation reacts very sensitively
Phillips
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Per
Very detailed and balanced sound
Good, adjustable noise cancelling
against
Comparatively large and heavy
Large charging box
jabra
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good sound
Long battery life (7.5 hours)
against
Only three pairs of essays
Angry
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good sound
Very effective noise canceling
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Press continuously
Few replacement ear pads
Complete list: The best true wireless earphones
That’s how sustainable the Fairphone Earbuds are
Fairphone’s headphones are not made of bamboo or any other renewable material, but, as usual, of plastic. This applies to both the in-ear headphones and the charging and transport box. According to the company, it is made of 30 percent recycled plastic. The gold contained in the electronics and the contacts should come from fair trade. And the packaging is made entirely of paper and cardboard.
In contrast to the current Fairphone smartphones, however, no individual components can be exchanged on the in-ears. The battery is slowly but surely giving up the ghost after continuous use? As with almost all other in-ears, the TWS Earbuds cannot be exchanged. According to Fairphone, this is because it is the first in-ear generation, similar to the first Dutch cell phone. Although fair and sustainable components are included, repair or replaceable spare parts may be added in future generations. Apple is one of the exceptions when it comes to headphones. The US group offers battery replacement for its AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Apple charges between 55 and 85 euros for this (free with AppleCare+). The headphones can be used almost permanently and are not a disposable product – in contrast to the Fairphone TWS Earbuds.
The in-ears and the charging and transport box are relatively large.
Slightly chunky but comfortable
In terms of design, Fairphone is based on well-known patterns from the in-ear world. The headphones are completely wireless and stick in the ear canal with rubber attachments. The company includes three pairs of attachments for different ear sizes. Two short stems run down the ears. Thanks to the low weight of just five grams per in-ear, the wearing comfort is relatively high. However, the body is quite large and presses slightly in the ear. Especially in winter with a hat on your head, it gets rather uncomfortable because the earbuds actually press into the ear canal depending on the shape of your head and ears. So in winter it’s better without a hat over your ears. After all, this is not a problem insofar as the Fairphone buds can cope even in the worst snow flurry or rain thanks to protection against splash water from all sides (protection class IPX4).
In terms of design, the Fairphone TWS Earbuds make a good impression, and they also look valuable.
Simple control without an app
The headphones are controlled via touch surfaces on the in-ears. Each page reacts with different functions to short, long or multiple taps. If necessary, the user can skip a song, change the volume, answer phone calls or activate transparency mode or active noise cancellation (Active Noise Cancelling, ANC for short). This ensures that microphones in the headphones pick up the noise in the environment and emit opposing sound waves. An overlay creates a pleasant calm. In the test, the ANC worked properly, but noises on the train or at work could still be heard. So far, Fairphone has not offered an app for easier operation or for basic settings.
In-ears and charging box offer enough power for many hours of playback. The case is charged via USB-C.
Enduring battery
The battery of the Fairphone TWS Earbuds lasted quite a long time in the test. With active noise cancellation, it was enough for more than 6.5 hours of continuous use. A short pit stop of ten minutes in the charging socket was enough for another 1.5 hours of play time – good values. The rather large transport box offers power for a maximum of five charging processes. There is juice for the charging case via USB-C, wireless charging via the Qi plate is not possible.
Up and down with the sound
Of course, the sound also plays a central role in sustainable headphones. No matter how much the technology can protect the environment – if you don’t want to listen to music or podcasts with it, every headphone concept is doomed to failure. The Fairphone in-ears land in the middle in this discipline. The sound is a bit dull, the mids are emphasized. Voices have a slight hiss in the highs. The deep and powerful bass, on the other hand, really puts you in a good mood. However, there are competitors in this price range that sound much better, for example the very cheap Huawei Freebuds 4i, the robust Jabra Elite 4 Active or the JBL Tune 230 NC.
Good battery life
Solid noise cancellation
Sounded a bit dull
Charging box and in-ears quite bulky
Fairphone TWS Earbuds: Test conclusion
When it comes to sustainability, the Fairphone TWS Earbuds are something of a newcomer and pioneer in equal measure on the headphone market. And you can tell that from the product: the sound is still acceptable, the operation is easy, the battery life is actually really good. Apart from the material used, however, sustainability falls by the wayside because the batteries are not replaceable. test grade: 2.6.
