In this review, we are taking a look at Edifier‘s headphones, the ‘WH500‘.
These headphones are quite distinctive in this price range, featuring a stylish design, multipoint support, and a compact, lightweight on-ear form factor.
In this article, I have honestly reviewed and summarized the pros and cons of the ‘WH500’, so I hope this helps you!
Pochipp
- Sound quality beyond its price
- Compact & lightweight for convenience
- Game mode support
- Stylish design
- Hearing protection limit available
- No noise canceling
- No ambient sound mode
- Codec limited to SBC only
- Dedicated app is difficult to use
Basic Information
Specs
| Codec | SBC | Colors | White/Black/Blue |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | Driver | 30mm dynamic driver |
| Weight | Approx. 172g | Actual weight | 166.3g (measured by our site) |
| Max playback time | Up to 40 hours | Charging time | Approx. 2 hours |
| Size | 17.1 x 4.5 x 19.2 cm | Charging port | USB Type-C |
| ANC (Noise Canceling) | |
| Ambient Sound Mode | |
| Multipoint | |
| Wear Detection | |
| Game Mode (Low Latency) | |
| Dedicated App |
Ms.GadgetsSurprisingly, it supports multipoint at this price.
This is a very significant advantage!
While it supports noise canceling for calls, it does not support active noise canceling (the so-called ANC).
Ms.GadgetsPlease note that ANC, which is the type of noise canceling most people mean, is not included!
- Stylish design
- On-ear type
- Compact & lightweight
- Game mode support
- Multipoint support
I explain how to choose earphones, what IPX is, and Bluetooth versions in detail in this article.
Included Items
- Unit
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Instruction manuals
- Desiccant
Appearance
The charging port is, of course, Type-C!
The charging port is, of course, Type-C!
Mr.GadgetsIt has a simple and stylish design, which is great!
Ms.GadgetsThe bits of yellow-green here and there are a nice accent!
Usage Experience
Sound quality… Better than the price. Bass-focused.
Since I usually review earphones, it had been a while since I used headphones, but headphones are definitely great!
The thickness of the sound is different from earphones.
The bass is emphasized more than in other headphones, creating a dynamic, powerful sound.
The bass notes are solid, and the overall sound is very satisfying to listen to.
However, the bass is slightly blurry and boomy, so it might not be suitable for “serious music listening.”
The mid and high ranges have good resolution for this price, and aside from being slightly pushed by the bass, I think the sound quality is beyond reproach.
I recommend it for listening to music while working!
Codec… SBC only
| Codec | Features |
|---|---|
| SBC | The most standard codec. Basically supported by all devices. Sound quality and latency are standard, neither particularly good nor bad. |
| AAC | Often used in Apple products like the iPhone. Generally supported on Android 8.0 or higher. Lower latency and higher sound quality than SBC. |
| aptX | Mainly adopted by Android. Lower latency and higher sound quality than SBC and AAC. |
| aptX LL | LL stands for Low Latency. Even lower latency than aptX. Sound quality is equivalent to aptX, but it achieves ultra-low latency of less than 0.04 seconds. |
| aptX HD | Capable of high-resolution quality playback. Slightly higher latency than aptX. |
| aptX Adaptive | A codec that stabilizes and reduces latency for aptX HD. By changing from a fixed bitrate to a variable bitrate, processing is more stable and low latency is achieved. |
| LDAC | An ultra-high-quality codec developed by Sony. The highest sound quality among those introduced here. Generally supported on Android 8.0 or higher. Switchable between 3 sound quality modes, such as sound quality priority and connection priority modes. Higher latency than SBC. |
The ‘WH500’ only supports SBC.
It’s not that SBC itself is bad, but in reality, it is inferior to newer standards in terms of sound quality and latency.
Mr.GadgetsCodecs aren’t the only thing that determines sound quality or latency, but considering that they can be a major factor in sound quality and latency, it might be a bit underwhelming that it only has SBC…
I explain codecs and other information regarding wireless earphones in this article.
Noise Canceling… Not included (only for calls)
The ‘WH500’ does not include active noise canceling (so-called ANC).
It does include noise canceling for calls, which removes surrounding noise during calls to deliver clear audio to the other party.
Mr.GadgetsIt’s harsh to expect active noise canceling in this price range, but since some products do include it, it is a bit disappointing…
Ambient Sound Mode… Not included
Like active noise canceling, this is not included.
Mr.GadgetsPersonally, I don’t prioritize ambient sound mode when choosing headphones, but if you do, please be careful!
Fit… Not bad, slightly tight.
The fit is relatively good. The earpads are soft, and I had no particular complaints about the side pressure even after wearing them for a fairly long time.
Mr.GadgetsMy head is on the larger side, but I didn’t feel like they were tight, so most people should be fine!
However, since they are on-ear, the side pressure tends to be slightly strong, so there are times when it feels a bit painful while wearing glasses.
Also, it can be a hassle when taking off glasses, so those who wear glasses need to be careful.
Easily causes sweating
This is true for all headphones, but you do end up getting stuffy or sweaty if you use them for a long time.
Personally, I feel that over-ear types are more prone to stuffiness, but since on-ear types are directly attached to your ears, it feels less like “stuffiness” and more like the sensation of just sweating.
In particular, as I mentioned earlier, the ‘WH500’ has soft earpads, so the fit is very snug.
Since I am reviewing this in March, I didn’t mind it that much, but it seems like it will be tough once summer arrives.
Multipoint support at this price is GOOD!
The ‘WH500’ supports multipoint and can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
With up to two devices, you don’t need to disconnect and reconnect, allowing you, for example, to answer a phone call on your smartphone while watching YouTube on a tablet.
Mr.GadgetsBeing able to connect via multipoint at this price is wonderful!
Since many products that support multipoint are expensive, support at this price point is a major feature!
Compact & lightweight, making it easy to carry!
As you can see in the photo above, these are very compact headphones!
An iPhone 14 is 172g, so at 166.3g, it is roughly the weight of a smartphone.
Ms.GadgetsIt’s quite lightweight!
The size also fits in a bag, making it easy to carry.
On-ear type means sound leakage is likely
The common type of headphones is the over-ear type, which “covers the ears,” but the ‘WH500’ is an on-ear type, which, in other words, is headphones that “just sit on the ears.”
Therefore, airtightness and sound isolation are inevitably lower, making sound leakage more likely to occur.
Mr.GadgetsSound leakage is structurally unavoidable…
It’s a trade-off for the lightweight, casual nature that is characteristic of on-ear types!
Dedicated app is difficult to use
Compared to other companies’ apps, it is difficult to use.
There are points where I feel it is considerably inferior to other companies, such as not being fully localized into Japanese.
Mr.GadgetsWell, I’m grateful that there is an app in the first place, but I want them to improve the level of completion a bit more.
Can prevent listening at too high a volume
If you turn on the hearing protection limit in the app, you can limit the volume to less than 85dB.
Mr.GadgetsIn recent years, headphone-induced hearing loss has become a recognized problem, so this is a nice feature!
Game mode support!
A game mode that can suppress latency can be set.
Summary
Overall, not a bad choice. Recommended as your first pair of headphones!
The ‘WH500‘ headphones, optimized for casual use.
They are on-ear, easy to wear casually, lightweight, and perfect for carrying around! I also felt the design was stylish and wonderful.
Because of this price, there are some parts that are underwhelming, such as the codec, noise canceling, and the app’s performance, but if you accept that, I think it is a very good choice.
Considering that it supports multipoint, these are recommended headphones for those who use two devices outside or for those who want to carry headphones outside in the first place.
Also, considering it as a whole, the cost-performance is good, and because it is cheap, I think it is good as your first pair of headphones!
- Sound quality beyond its price
- Compact & lightweight for convenience
- Game mode support
- Stylish design
- Hearing protection limit available
- No noise canceling
- No ambient sound mode
- Codec limited to SBC only
- Dedicated app is difficult to use
Recommended for the following people
- Those using headphones for the first time
- Those who want to carry headphones outside
- Those who want headphones that support multipoint connection
Pochipp
Thank you for reading until the end!
- Product prices, information, etc., are information as of the time of writing the article.
- Please note that this site will not be held responsible for any inaccuracies in this information.
- Product and service names mentioned on this site are trademarks of their respective companies.
This article was originally written in Japanese and has been translated.
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