Edifier, founded in 1996, is headquartered in Beijing. It specializes in the design and manufacture of premium audio products prioritising innovation and design excellence and has worked on the development and implementation of audio technology.
Providing a wide range of home and professional speakers and automobile audio, it has become a leading brand in the home electronics industry, and since acquiring the premier Stax brand has begun to focus on more high-end products. The WH950NB is the latest model in its range of wireless headphones and features active noise cancellation, Hi-Res wireless certification and Google fast pair.
The Packaging
The WH950NB comes in a fairly large box with a full colour slip cover bearing an illustration of the headphones against a pattern of curved lines. It also features the model number plus branding, Bluetooth and Hi-Res logos.
The simple plain black box inside slides out from the bottom of the slip cover, inside this you will find the hard zipped case which has a grey textile finish and Edifier branding. The folded headphones nestle in the case and the accessories are stored in a pocket in the lid. The contents comprise:
- Edifier WH950NB headphones
- USB A to USB C charging cable
- 3.5mm jack to 3.5mm angled jack audio cable
- Airplane adaptor
- Documentation
Build and Design
The headphones are very solidly built from quality materials. The earpieces have a leather effect finish and there is a small microphone aperture with a gold border. The fully adjustable headband is constructed from steel and is very sturdy. There is an Edifier logo on the side supports and the ear cups are very soft and comfortable, featuring leather and memory foam pads.
Channel identification is marked on the inside of the drive units and the earpieces fold and rotate for storage. The controls for power on, play/pause, previous/next track, volume and ANC modes can be found on the lower part of the right earpiece and below these is the USB C charging port. A 3.5mm socket for wired operation is located on the bottom of the left earpiece and a small vent on the top of each earpiece is provided for tuning of the dynamic drivers. The headphones are light in weight and facilitate a long listening session.
The Technology
The WH950NB features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Four modes are available, High Noise Cancellation, Low Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound Mode and Off, with four microphones being used for efficiency and voice clarity.
Bluetooth is version 5.3 and supports SBC and LDAC codecs with Hi-Res Wireless certification. Google Fast Pair is also supported for Android users. It would have been useful to have support for apt-x or other high quality codecs. The headphones connected successfully with my Huawei smartphone but strangely, I was unable to pair with any of my other devices such as DAPs or dongle.
The “composite titanium film” dynamic drive units are 40mm in diameter with an output sound pressure level of 91dB and the quoted frequency response is 20Hz – 40kHz, thereby earning a Hi-Res Audio certification. Charging is by USB type C with a playtime of 34 hours (ANC on) and 55hrs (ANC off) claimed. A full charge takes 1.5 hours but 7 hours playtime can be obtained with a 10 minute fast charge.
Edifier Connect App
The app is very comprehensive, works smoothly and allows the user to enable extra functions. As well as the ANC modes, wind reduction can be selected. On the Home page, a settings icon enables LDAC settings, dual device connection and also the user manual. Swiping right accesses the sound effects menu where you can choose between “Classic”, Dynamic” and “Customised” modes.
Tapping the “Customised” icon twice brings up a four band equaliser with 100Hz, 2KHz, 4KHz and 8KHz centre frequencies, each of which can be adjusted in 1dB increments. In addition, an individual Q factor can be adjusted for each band. Swiping right again reveals the “Sound Mode” menu where “Music” “Theatre” and “Game” modes are available. A voice confirmation accompanies each selection.
For this review, the “Music” and “Classic” settings were used with the noise cancellation switched off. “Classic” was more neutral in presentation whereas “Dynamic” mode changed the sound to a more “V” shaped profile.
Moving on to the sound modes, “Music” retained a natural tonality, “Game” increased the bass and widened the staging, and “Theatre” mode produced a rather strange effect with the perspective flattening, the volume increasing and the midrange well forward. More subtle effects can be obtained with the “Customised” equaliser.
Comfort and Isolation
Light in weight and well balanced on the head, the WH950NB proved to be extremely comfortable and stable and once the earpieces were adjusted to align the drivers with the ears, the best sound was obtained. The ear pads were very soft and moulded themselves to my ear profile and the padding on the headband was also very soft.
Isolation, even without ANC, was very good, but enabling ANC showed how effective this system can be. Low Noise Cancellation mode was effective in removing background noise. Ambient mode reduced the background noise but still allowed a sense of what was happening around the listener but in High Noise Cancellation mode virtually all outside sounds were removed letting even the quietest passages in the music to be discerned.
Tonality
The headphones were left to burn in for a period of 72 hours and the sound impressions were obtained using an Xduoo X20 DAP via the wired input. I did find that they were easy to drive, only needing to dial the volume up to 33% to obtain the best result but via Bluetooth I had to turn up the volume on my smartphone to maximum.
Initially there was a mid bass emphasis which dominated but after burn-in the bass tightened, the treble became clearer and brighter and the staging expanded. Overall there was a well-balanced tonality which suited a wide range of genres. The timbre was impressive at both ends of the spectrum with solid, punchy bass and sparkling, airy treble.
The overall profile was U shaped and largely neutral in character with a gentle recession in the midrange and a smooth, relaxed presentation. Detail was well rendered and soundstage wide and spacious. Via Bluetooth there was an increase in bass depth and a general attractive softness which encouraged extended listening.
Bass
The low frequencies were reproduced very well with good speed and texture. The timbre was authentic and the decay very natural. The mid bass was more emphasised and this did bleed a little into the midrange, imbuing it with some extra warmth. Listening via Bluetooth extended the bass and added some extra weight.
“Return to Half Moon Street” from Don Harriss’s “Mysterium” is an entertaining electronic piece featuring catchy melody lines and imaginative key changes. The punchy and impactful bass supported the lead voices and quirky rhythms, providing a solid foundation for the piece with precise and incisive transients. There was a good balance between the low frequencies and the accompaniment which helped to give the piece some cohesion.
In the Minnesota Orchestra’s version of Ravel’s “Alborada del Gracioso” the WH950NB gave a very convincing picture of the timpani with a crisp strike and quick decay. The bass drum also displayed good speed and there was a good impression of depth. Double basses were warm in tonality with just a hint of softness in the transients. The fine extension allowed the hall ambience to be reproduced accurately.
Midrange
The midrange was just a little below the level of the bass and treble which pushed it back in the mix, though detail was still well represented. The tonality was a little warmer than neutral in the lower region where a little influence from the bass remained. The upper midrange was brighter allowing more detail to come through. Vocals stood out from their backing tracks well retaining the sense of perspective in more complex pieces.
“High Hopes” from Pink Floyd’s “Division Bell” impressed with Dave Gilmour’s moody vocals nicely displayed with good reproduction of studio reverb. The lyrics were clear and well defined above the dense arrangement of church bells, piano chords and nature sounds. Even in the most dynamic passages the vocals remained clearly audible and the powerful guitar solo near the end of the track had superb impact.
Eva Cassidy’s beautiful cover of Sting’s “Fields of Gold” received a wonderful rendition from the WH950NB. Her voice was clearly positioned in the centre stage with guitars left and right. Subtle details such as breath and lip sounds brought the performance to life while the ambience of the studio recording was realised faithfully. The dynamic shading in her vocals was handled very well.
Treble
With a Hi-Res certification, the expectation of extended treble was high. I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. The high frequencies were clear, clean, bright and extended yet also smooth with no harsh peaks. Detail retrieval was high and there was a good sense of “air” in the upper region.
Jeff Clarkson is a New Age musician from New Zealand. “Atlantis” from the album “Peace and Quiet” begins with smooth synth patches and a gentle bass rhythm. The woodwind-like lead voice meanders through an attractive melody with sparkling sound effects set in a wide and spacious environment. The details in the high frequencies and the texture of the lead synth were conveyed really well with a palpable sense of atmosphere which was testament to the fine treble extension.
The tonality in the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra’s performance of Rossini’s “String Sonata No. 1 was very natural with the harmonics of the lead violin clearly audible endowing the instrument with a believable timbre. The clarity of the reproduction allowed the interplay of the violin and the counterpoint to be appreciated with the balance between the sections of the ensemble nicely judged.
Soundstage and Imaging
Soundstage is one element in which headphones excel and which is rarely equalled by IEMs. The WH950NB was no exception, presenting an expansive picture of the recording in three dimensions. The generally neutral profile ensured no particular part of the spectrum was unduly emphasised resulting in a very good balance in width, depth and height. The detailed treble and midrange helped with the layering and separation whilst the extended bass produced a natural reproduction of ambience.
Liadov’s “The Enchanted Lake” is an imaginative evocation of a fairytale for large orchestra. In the version conducted by Charles Gerhardt the orchestra was laid out authentically with a real sense of depth. The deep brass and double basses, accompanied by harp in the introduction set the scene for the main theme with lateral imaging very effective and layering easy to discern. The dynamic shifts in the climaxes were very well portrayed with a “live” feel.
“Rosetta” by the late, great Vangelis is a suite of pieces celebrating the comet probe of the same name. “Exo Genesis” is a complex rhythmic piece featuring a staccato theme with broken arpeggios, metallic percussion and pizzicato string patches. The piece gelled beautifully on the WH950NB with each element clear and separate yet blending effectively together. Supported by deep bass, the whole track was set in a wide reverberant acoustic space.
Conclusion
The WH950NB enters a competitive market, up against established brands like Bose and Sony but acquits itself very well. With fine build quality and very comfortable with a comprehensive app, the excellent sound quality is the icing on the cake. The overall impression was of an even-handed and smooth profile adapting itself to any style with musicality being the keyword. The soundstage, as befits a good set of headphones, was particularly notable.
I would have liked to see support for high definition Bluetooth codecs such as aptX, but the Bluetooth performance with SBC was above average in quality.
The WH950NB is a very good product and should certainly be on your shortlist if you are shopping for fully-featured wireless headphones.
Specifications:
- Bluetooth V5.3
- Bluetooth Protocol A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
- Audio Coding LDAC, SBC
- Frequency Response 20Hz – 40kHz
- Driver Ф40mm Dynamic
- Output Sound Pressure Level 91dB ± 3dBSPL(A)
- Playtime
- ANC On: 34 hours
- ANC Off: 55 hours
- Charging Time 1.5 hours
- Charging Port USB-C (Type-C)
- Input 5V ⎓ 1A
- Weight 296 ± 1g
- Dimension (L x W x H mm) 193 x 169 x 82mm
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