Edifier W830NB

Budget-Friendly ANC Headphone with built in PEQ​

The Edifier W830NB is positioned as a budget-friendly option in middle of Edifier’s Bluetooth ANC headphone lineup, priced around $80 below the flagship W950NB and above the basic W700NB (which I also recently reviewed recently).



As the successor to the W820NB, it comes packed with features that make it a strong contender in the affordable ANC headphone market but one feature for me stuck out more than the others, for the first time I believe in a budget Bluetooth ANC headphone with the ability to customise with built-in PEQ (not just the typical 10-band EQ). For an PEQ nerd such as myself this is a very tempting proposition, so I had to buy one, and I thought I would share my findings.

Edifier are well known for delivering quality sound with balanced tones, but I did find the W700NB was pretty poor with bloated bass and no method of any EQ as it didn’t have a ‘companion’ mobile Application to allow any tweaking, but the W830NB while typically only $20 more expensive is a totally different proposition, it is not only more comfortable headphone, has with better battery life and ANC but for the purposes of this brief review it key feature IMO is the ability to be fine-tuned with PEQ.

But there are some limitations with the W830NB which I will get into in this review, but first lets get into what you get in the box:

Unboxing and Build Quality​

The Edifier W830NB arrives with nice packaging, with all essential accessories, including a USB A to USB-C cable for charging and wired listening:

The build quality is excellent for this price range, with matte plastic that feels sturdy and high-end, complemented by comfortable padding around the headband and ear cups and good extension for the headband, though this mechanism does seem a little cheap. The buttons are very responsive and easy to navigate.

The headphones are designed for comfort, with well-cushioned ear pads that ensure a snug fit, making them suitable for long listening sessions.

And I do like that they can fold both down flat or alternatively compacted into a small size:

Though lacking a carrying case, the overall packaging, build and design are impressive for the price.

Next lets get into the features:

Features​

The W830NB features are mostly controlled via the companion Connex App.

Battery Life​

The battery life is a very good, offering up to 94 hours of playtime, with the Fast charging option supporting up to 10 hours of use on a 15-minute quick charge. Every ANC headphone should have level of battery as you can almost forget about needing to charge it.

ANC​

This was considerable better than the previous Edifier W700 that I reviewed previously which had terrible ANC. But while competitive in its price range it is still poor compared mid-priced ANC headphones like the Sennheiser Accentum Plus that I also reviewed recently.


You can control the ANC modes within the App (as well as via the buttons controls):

Microphone Quality​

I found the microphone quality to be good indoors for work calls but outdoors it was price appropriate so not particular good but acceptable.

Companion App​

The companion app controls most of the features of the Headphone.

Including multi-point connections:

Spatial Audio and Sound modes​

Spatial Audio for a bit of fun but this seems more like a gimmick than something anyone would really use especially as you have to use the App for this spatial feature.

Customized Sound and PEQ​

But for me the most important aspect of the capabilities of the App are within the “Customized Sound” capability. So the typical high level EQ switching capabilities are available:



But crucially that “Customized Sound” opens up an “almost” full-featured “PEQ” editor. So this was part of my “Harman customisation”:


The limitation (and I hope Edifier remove these in future models) are that you can have one PEQ filter for each of the 4 ‘zones’, so low bass, mid-bass, midrange and treble. But at least you have a Q-Factor, SPL level as well as way to select a specific frequency within one of these zones for each of the 4 filters.

I did like the idea that people can share their PEQ customization via a QR code, this is this the “Harman-like” PEQ settings I picked for my W830NB:

Bluetooth Codecs​

The W830NB supports LDAC for high-quality wireless audio, making it a great choice for audiophiles using compatible devices and streaming services.

Sound Impressions​

These sound impression are based on the sound signature after applying the PEQ I shared above.

Bass​

The bass on the W830NB is well-extended and delivers a warm, rich sound that is typical of Edifier’s tuning. It is punchy without being overwhelming, making it suitable for a wide range of music genres. Sample Track: Daft Punk - “Lose Yourself to Dance”

Midrange​

The midrange is smooth and clear, offering excellent vocal and instrumental separation. This makes it ideal for tracks with rich vocal arrangements. Sample Track: Adele - “Someone Like You”

Treble​

The treble is detailed up to a point but not overly bright, maintaining a good balance that avoids harshness. However, it lacks the sparkle found in higher-end models, you can see this lack of sparkle in the measurements below. Sample Track: Fleetwood Mac - “Go Your Own Way”

Soundstage and Imaging​

The soundstage is average for closed-back headphones, providing decent width but nothing extraordinary. Imaging, on the other hand, is precise, allowing for clear placement of instruments within the sound field. Sample Track: Pink Floyd - “Money”

Specifications and Measurements​

Measurements:​

Note: These measurements were taken on my KB501X soft ear pinna with a 711 clone coupler.

Frequency Response:​

The Edifier “classic” sound signature is the default and its not bad:



Note: One major problem is the total lack of treble beyond 13K, I can only imagine this is to make sure the W830NB cannot match their top of the range headphones.

But after my PEQ tweaking I got it a little nearer “Harman OE2018” hence why I think you can configure an excellent sound signature on this Edifier:


Some other out of the box EQ options:



One thing to bear in mind though is the PEQ gets tweaked in the different ANC or transparency modes:


Most ANC bluetooth headphones will push the bass higher once ANC is enabled I believe this is because the general assumption is once you enable ANC you are in an environment with deep bass already (like public transport or an airplane) so it needs more bass to block the outside bass (especially when the ANC is not flagship level).

Distortion​

Finally, the distortion is reasonable with nothing too dramatic even when playing over 100 dbSPL (which you should not play this loud):

Rating​

The Edifier W830NB earns a 4.5 pragmatic rating for its exceptional value with decent sound after PEQ editing. While there are better Bluetooth ANC headphones, none in the sub-$100 range offer such a complete package. With impressive battery life, decent ANC and after some PEQ tweaking exceptional sound quality for this price range and a host of other features, the W830NB is a standout in its price range. I have taken off 1/2 a point due to that lack of upper treble but in every other way this is an amazing headphone for the price.

Conclusion​

The Edifier W830NB is an outstanding choice for those seeking a budget-friendly yet feature-packed headphone. With its excellent build quality, extensive battery life, effective ANC, and good sound quality, it outperforms many competitors in its class. It’s a highly recommended option for anyone looking for a reliable and versatile set of ANC headphones under $100.