Edifier WH500 | Recommended easy-to-use headphones for beginners

This time, I’m reviewing the Edifier headphones, the “WH500“.
These headphones are quite distinctive in this price range, with a stylish design, multipoint support, and being small and lightweight on-ear headphones.

In this article, I’ve honestly reviewed the pros and cons of the “WH500” and summarized them, so I hope it’s helpful!

I received a product sample from Edifier when writing this article.(Please excuse the lack of honorifics)
Furthermore, I strive to provide a fair review in accordance with the Content Creation Policy.

Basic Information

Specifications

Codec	SBC	Color	White/Black/Blue
Bluetooth	5.2	Driver	30mm Dynamic Driver
Weight	Approx.172g	Actual Weight	166.3g (measured by our site)
Maximum Playback Time	Up to 40 hours	Charging Time	Approximately 2 hours
Size	17.1 x 4.5 x 19.2 cm	Charging Port	USB Type-C

I’ve explained in detail about how to choose earphones, what IPX is, and Bluetooth versions in this article.

Included Accessories

Exterior

Usability

Sound Quality… Exceeds the Price. Bass-Focused.

I’m used to reviewing earphones, so it’s been a while since I touched headphones, but headphones are still good!
The sound has a different thickness than earphones.

Compared to other headphones, the bass is emphasized, creating a dynamic and powerful sound. The bass is solid, and the overall sound is enjoyable.

However, the bass is slightly muffled and boomy, so it may not be suitable for “serious music listening”.

The mid and high ranges have good resolution for this price, and are slightly overshadowed by the bass, but the sound quality is not objectionable.

I recommend it for listening to music while working!

Codec… Only SBC Supported

Codec	Features
SBC	The most standard codec. Basically, all devices support it. The sound quality and delay are neither good nor bad, but standard.
AAC	Often used in Apple products such as iPhones. Android 8.0 or later generally supports it. Better sound quality and less delay than SBC.
aptX	Mainly adopted by Android. Better sound quality and less delay than SBC and AAC.
aptX LL	LL stands for Low Latency. It has even lower latency than aptX. The sound quality is the same as aptX, but the delay is less than 0.04 seconds, achieving ultra-low latency.
aptX HD	Supports high-resolution equivalent sound quality. It has a slight delay compared to aptX.
aptX Adaptive	A codec that stabilizes and reduces the delay of aptX HD. Changing from a fixed bitrate to a variable bitrate has made processing more stable and reduced latency.
LDAC	A high-quality codec developed by Sony. The best sound quality among the ones introduced so far. Android 8.0 or later generally supports it. It has 3 sound quality modes: quality priority, connection priority, and balanced. It has a larger delay than SBC.

The “WH500” only supports SBC.

SBC itself isn’t bad, but newer standards generally offer better sound quality and less delay. Considering that the codec can be a major factor in determining sound quality and delay, SBC alone may be a little disappointing.

I’ve explained about codecs and other wireless earphone-related information in this article.

Noise Cancelling… Not Supported (Only Call Noise Cancelling)

The “WH500” does not support active noise cancellation (so-called noise cancelling).
It supports call noise cancellation, which cancels out ambient noise during calls to deliver clear audio to the other party.

Ambient Sound Mode… Not Available

Similarly, it does not support ambient sound mode.

Comfort… Not Bad, Slightly Tight.

The comfort is pretty good. The ear pads are soft, and I didn’t feel any particular discomfort from the clamping force even after wearing them for a long time.

However, since these are on-ear headphones, the clamping force tends to be slightly stronger, so it can be a little painful when wearing glasses. It can also be a bit difficult to remove the glasses, so people who wear glasses should be careful.

Prone to Sweating

This is true for most headphones, but they tend to get stuffy and sweaty after prolonged use.

Personally, over-ear headphones tend to get stuffy, but on-ear headphones feel more like a normal sweating sensation because they directly touch your ears.

In particular, the “WH500” has soft ear pads, so the fit is tight.

I’m reviewing this in March, so it’s not a big concern, but it’s likely to be tough in the summer.

Good That It Supports Multipoint for This Price!

The “WH500” supports multipoint and can connect to 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously. If you connect to 2 devices, you don’t have to disconnect and reconnect them, for example, you can watch YouTube on a tablet and answer a phone call.

Small and Lightweight, Easy to Carry!

As you can see in the picture above, it’s a very compact headphone! It weighs 166.3g, which is about the same as a smartphone.

It’s also easy to carry because it’s small enough to fit in your bag.

Sound Leakage is Prone Because It’s an On-Ear Type

There are two main types of headphones: over-ear headphones, which “cover the ears”, and on-ear headphones, which “sit on the ears”. The “WH500” is an on-ear type.

Therefore, the sound isolation and noise reduction are inevitably lower, and sound leakage is more likely to occur.

Dedicated App is Difficult to Use

It’s difficult to use compared to apps from other companies.

There are some points that are significantly inferior to other companies, such as the fact that it’s not fully translated into Japanese.

Can Prevent Listening at Too High a Volume

If you turn on the hearing protection limit in the app, the volume will be limited to less than 85dB.

Game Mode Supported!

Summary

The “WH500” is a headphone that prioritizes ease of use
It’s easy to put on because it’s on-ear, lightweight, and easy to carry! The design is also stylish and nice. Although there are some parts that are lacking, such as the codec, noise cancellation, and the quality of the dedicated app, it’s a good choice if you can overlook those points.

I recommend it to people who use 2 devices outdoors or to people who want to carry headphones outdoors.

Overall, it’s a good value for the money and a good first headphone!

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Thank you for reading until the end!

• The price and information of the product are as of the time of writing the article.
• Please note that this site is not responsible for any inaccuracies in this information.
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