Edifier ES850NB Review

Introduction

It’s beginning to feel a lot like… the time of year where premium wireless headphones routinely breach the £300 barrier. That’s quite the outlay for a Christmas present, so consider Edifier’s ES850NB — loads of features, sensible pricing, and no marketing hyperbole.

There are no exotic materials, celebrity endorsements, or prime-time advertising campaigns. What they do offer is a comprehensive list of features typically reserved for headphones costing twice as much: Hi-Res Audio certification (both and wireless), proper hybrid ANC, multipoint pairing, and a battery life so substantial it’ll see you through Twixmas… betwixt… that bit between Christmas Day and the New Year, without plugging in. 

Edifier has been quietly building a reputation for delivering solid audio equipment at sensible prices. The ES850NB feel like the culmination of that philosophy — ambitious specifications without ambitious pricing. At £150, they’re positioned to take on everything from Sony to Sennheiser, while eyeing up the lower end of the premium market with surprising confidence.

The question isn’t whether the ES850NB can compete at this price point; it’s whether they can make you question why you’d spend more. Let’s find out.

Design

• Premium feel without the premium price
• Thoughtful touches throughout
• Foldable practicality

First impressions matter, and the ES850NB arrive in packaging that suggests Edifier are taking this seriously. Open the box and you’re greeted with a genuinely nice hard-shell travel case — not the floppy fabric pouches some brands toss in as an afterthought.

The case is rigid, compact when the headphones are folded, and features the Edifier logo embossed on the front. It’s the sort of case you’ll actually use.

My review unit came in sophisticated brown, with black, ivory and pink as your other options, giving you some choice beyond the usual neutral palette. Build quality is reassuring without feeling indestructible. The head-band is predominantly plastic with a soft, padded top section wrapped in faux leather.

It’s not going to survive being run over by a lorry, but it feels robust enough for daily use and the occasional shove into an overstuffed bag.

The ear cups are generously sized ovals with plush padding that’s genuinely lovely against the skin. They’re almost too soft — like memory foam pillows for your ears. The cups rotate flat for the foldable design, which works with a satisfying click and tucks everything neatly under the headband.

At 265 grams, they’re not the lightest headphones around, but you wouldn’t call them heavy either. For context, that’s about 15 grams more than Sony’s WH-1000XM5, but given they cost more than double, I’ll call it even.

Controls live on the right ear cup: a power button, volume rocker, and the USB-C charging port. There’s also a multi-function button for pairing and playback control. It’s all intuitive and well-placed, though the buttons are a touch small if you’ve got chunky fingers.

Notably absent: a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can use these via USB-C, but if you’ve got a device with only a traditional aux port, you’re out of luck. Given the battery life, this is unlikely to be a dealbreaker for most.

Features

• Hi-Res Audio Wireless with LDAC
• Hybrid ANC that actually works
• Multipoint pairing for modern life

The ES850NB are certified for both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless. To achieve this, Edifier has included LDAC codec support, Sony’s technology that transmits three times more data than standard Bluetooth. You’ll also get AAC for Apple devices and SBC as a fallback.

Bluetooth 5.4 offers stable connections up to about 10 metres. In practice, you can wander around the house without dropouts, and the connection proved rock-solid even on busy train platforms where Bluetooth devices usually wage war for bandwidth.

Multipoint pairing is brilliant for anyone juggling multiple devices. Connect your phone and laptop simultaneously, and the ES850NB will intelligently switch between them. Take a call on your mobile while watching something on your computer, and everything just works.

Active Noise Cancellation is hybrid, meaning it uses both feedforward and feedback microphones to capture and cancel ambient noise. Edifier claims up to -45dB of noise reduction, which is respectable if not class-leading. You get three ANC modes (high, low, off) plus an ambient mode for when you actually want to hear the world around you.

The touch-to-chat feature is clever if laggy: press and hold your hand over the right ear cup, and your music pauses, eventually, while ambient mode kicks in. Great for ordering coffee without removing your headphones. Release your hand, and music resumes automatically.

There are two companion apps available: Edifier ConneX for mobile devices and TempoHub for desktops. ConneX handles EQ adjustments, ANC settings, and control customisation. TempoHub with a USB connection to your computer is required for firmware updates, which is genuinely baffling.

The Edifier ConneX app connects reliably and offers a clean, uncluttered interface. You can cycle through Noise Cancellation Controls (High, Medium, Wind Reduction, Ambient Sound, Noise Cancellation Off), toggle touch-to-chat sensitivity, enable multipoint pairing, and check battery percentage.

A word on the EQ settings, where Edifier has opted for a pincer approach. Pick from three Sound Modes (Music, Game, and Spatial Sound), then choose from four Sound Effects (Classic, Heavy Bass, Rock, Customised).

Select Customised and you’ll be presented with a four-band EQ including something called Q Factor (short for quality). This refers to the size of the centre of the frequency relative to the bandwidth. The larger the Q value, the narrower the bandwidth, and vice versa. 

What does this mean in practice? A high Q Factor precisely removes harsh frequencies and boosts bass like using a scalpel. A low Q Factor works like a paintbrush, making gentle adjustments across the frequency spectrum. 

Call quality is solid. The built-in microphone with AI noise cancellation does a commendable job of isolating your voice, even in moderately noisy environments. You’ll sound clear on Zoom calls or phone chats.

Battery life

• Genuinely impressive longevity
• Fast charging when you need it
• Week between charges is realistic

Here’s where the ES850NB properly embarrass headphones costing twice as much. Edifier claims 92 hours of playback with ANC off, and having run them nearly flat over the review period, that figure is bang on. That’s almost four full days of continuous listening, or realistically, over a week of normal use.

With ANC engaged at maximum, you’re looking at 53 hours — still more than two full days of continuous playback, or several days of typical use. Even Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM6, at more than double the price, can only muster 30 hours with ANC on.

In real-world testing with mixed use — music, calls, video content — and ANC set to high about 70% of the time, the ES850NB comfortably lasted five days of fairly heavy use (roughly 6-8 hours per day) before needing a charge.

For most people, charging once a week will become the routine, assuming you use them for a couple of hours daily.

Fast charging actually lives up to its name. Edifier claims 15 minutes of charging delivers 11.5 hours of playback (with ANC off), and my testing bore this out. Charging to 100% takes around two hours via USB-C.

The headphones will alert you with a voice prompt when the battery is low. One minor grumble: you can’t listen whilst charging, which is standard for most Bluetooth headphones but still mildly annoying.

Sound Quality

• Balanced tuning across the spectrum
• Detail that belies the price
• Surprisingly spacious presentation

Edifier has tuned the ES850NB for accuracy rather than excitement, and it shows. These are balanced headphones that don’t overemphasise any particular frequency range, making them versatile across different genres.

The 40mm titanium-coated composite drivers deliver a sound that’s best described as even-handed. Bass is present and punchy without being overbearing. Kick drums have weight and definition, and bass lines are easy to follow without drowning out everything else. If you’re a bass head, you might want more thump, but for most listeners, it’s just right.

Mids are clear and slightly forward, particularly with vocals. Listening to Adele’s Someone Like You, her voice sits front and centre with excellent clarity and emotion. Instruments occupy their own space, and there’s a pleasing sense of separation between elements.

Treble is crisp and detailed without ever becoming harsh or fatiguing. Hi-hats and cymbals have shimmer, and the overall tonal balance means you can listen for hours without ear fatigue. The extended frequency response (up to 40kHz) likely contributes to the sense of air and space in the upper registers.

Testing across genres, the ES850NB equip themselves admirably. Massive Attack’s The Spoils showcases their ability to handle demanding sub-bass rumbles with poise. Hope Sandoval’s vocals float ethereally, and all those intricate production details remain distinct.

At the other end of the spectrum, Foo Fighters’ Everlong has the energy and drive rock music demands, with Dave Grohl’s vocals cutting through whilst guitars retain their bite.

There’s a genuine sense of space and three-dimensionality that makes orchestral music particularly engaging. Listening to film scores like Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack, the ES850NB create a convincing sense of scale and depth.

With LDAC enabled (on compatible devices), there’s a noticeable uptick in detail and clarity compared to standard codecs. It’s not night and day, with well-recorded music becomes more apparent.

Active Noise Cancellation does affect sound quality slightly when engaged at maximum, but it’s subtle enough for most listening scenarios. The passive isolation is excellent even without ANC. The generously padded ear cups seal well around your ears.

Should you buy it?

FAQs