Fairphone, the company behind some of the most durable technology products, has just launched its first over-ear headphones, the Fairbuds XL. Naturally, it stands out from other over-ear headphones by their modularity.
Indeed, you can disassemble the Fairbuds XL without any tools and replace one of the 11 parts yourself, including the battery! And although each component of the Fairbuds XL is removable, it is IP54 rated, making it resistant to splashing water and dust.
I love listening to music, and I really love listening to music with headphones that allow me to fully immerse myself in the song I’m listening to. So while Fairphone’s headset naturally emphasizes durability, does it offer as much value in terms of audio quality? That’s what we’re going to find out.
The design of the Fairphone Fairbuds XL
The Fairphone Fairbuds XL are available in black or green, and the ear cups are decorated with the brand’s signature flecks. The headset wires are visible where the headband meets the ear cups, but that was probably necessary for the self-repairing aspect.
The green version of the helmet. Jada Jones/ZDNET
On the right earbud of the Fairbuds XL is a joystick, a pin-sized indicator light, and an oval-shaped button. The joystick is my favorite part of the button design, as you can long-press it to pair the Fairbuds XL to multiple devices, short-press it to play or pause audio, and slide it left or right to repeat or skip a song.
This mechanism is far more functional (and less annoying to manipulate) than typical earbud buttons that require multiple presses to skip, replay, play, or pause songs.
The ear cups and the headband of the headband are made of 100% vegan leather, which is very pleasant to the touch and the eye and, of course, more environmentally friendly. Thanks to this leather-like texture, the headphones fit well in my ears: they don’t feel too loose and are comfortable to wear for several hours.
Sometimes in-ear and over-ear headphones can be too constricting and put too much pressure on my head, causing me to take breaks after an hour or two of use. It’s even worse when you wear accessories like earrings.
But I was able to sit at my desk and wear the Fairbuds XL for four hours straight, without needing to take a break.
For comfort alone, the Fairbuds XL are ideal for working at a desk, taking walks, or traveling by car, train, or plane. On the other hand, I wouldn’t wear them for an intense session at the gym or for a multi-mile run. They’re quite bulky and heavy, heavier than the Beats Studio 3 and Sony WH-1000XM4, but 55 grams lighter than the AirPods Max (which I also don’t recommend for heavy exercise).
What is the sound worth?
In short, the Fairbuds XL sound great, but it won’t be among our top headphone picks. I liked that the bass was deep and prominent enough to give me chills when listening to Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say,” and it didn’t shake me too much to the point of giving me a headache. or drown out voices.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
It’s also an ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) headset, and the noise canceling feature of the speakers works well with the headset cushions to seal in the music and block out outside noise. Does this headphone beat the offerings from Sony and Bose? Certainly not. But the ANC is good enough that you focus more on the sound than what’s going on around you.
Adjusting the Fairbuds equalizer settings in the companion app to a preset called “Tokyo” certainly helped improve the audio output. There are four presets in total, but Tokyo’s deep bass, clarity of vocals and instruments in the background, and full sound made this my new default preset when using this Fairbuds XL.
Durable by design
As I mentioned before, the Fairbuds XL are 100% modular, so if something breaks on the headphones, you can easily repair and replace the part instead of buying a brand new pair.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
In general, even if one part of a device is broken, the other parts are still working. These parts contain precious metals and reusable components, and when discarded, they are sorted as electronic waste in landfills.
Because repairability and durability go hand in hand, the former is central to Fairphone’s mission. A Fairbuds XL battery costs only €20, which is cheaper than buying a new headset.
Also, when you can repair a device yourself, you are able to use it for much longer. Although the Fairbuds XL can be taken apart by hand, it is certainly not for the faint of heart.
When I tried to pry, twist, and pull the removable parts, especially the ear cups, they were so tight that I sometimes feared breaking them. Everything is adjustable as described.
To summarize the handling of the Fairphone Fairbuds XL
This €250 headset (just like Fairphone’s other products) is available in Europe but not in the US.
I love the manufacturer’s initiative and wouldn’t hesitate to get their headphones over those of less durable competitors.
Source: “ZDNet.com”