Review – Edifier W820BT Wireless Headset

In recent times as smartphones are alienating themselves from the ever-ubiquitous 3.5mm audio jack, we are left stranded from our wired headsets. That is where wireless headsets come into play as we enter the new age. The Edifier W820BT is one of those wireless headsets that do not cost a bomb – at just RM199.

Wireless headsets come with a different set of questions – how does it sound, perform, and last on battery? Those are the things we are here to find out in this review of the Edifier W820BT

Edifier W860NB Specifications

Below are the specs of the Edifier W820BT that we manage to find. Unfortunately, the battery capacity is nowhere to be found.

Frequency response	20-20,000 Hz
Bluetooth	4.1 with CSR
Impedance	32Ω
Driver unit	40mm NdFeB drivers
Supporting protocol	HFP, HSP, A2DP, AVRCP

Unboxing

The overall packaging and the overall unboxing experience is pretty much a very standard affair here. It comes in shrink wrapped plastic, and upon slicing the plastic open reveals that the packaging is made out of two parts – one sleeve and another one for all the contents.

The the front of the sleeve we can see the Edifier W820BT shown in red color. It comes in a total of 4 different colors – white, red, gold, and black. The one we have here is in black.

At the back, we can see the features listed in multiple different languages. The contents of the box is listed here as well.

Sliding off the sleeve reveals the Edifier W820BT itself and there is an accessories compartment at the bottom too.

Digging out everything reveals a user manual, micro USB cable, a 3.5mm audio jack, and also the Edifier W820BT wireless headset itself.

Build Quality & Design

The Edifier W820BT is supposed to be the successor of the W800BT, and with that in mind, we have to say that Edifier actually improved many things here.

Firstly, the build quality. Even though it is made out of plastic, it felt more solid and less cheap. Aesthetically, it looks a lot better than before.

It now comes with a headband that has markings on it so that you can immediately know how large I need it to be before I wear it. That is because every time I want to fold the Edifier W820BT, I will need to retract the headband first. Yes, the earcups are foldable.

Folding it makes things much more compact. Though I would be careful of the PU leather earcups since it can get damaged easily.

Speaking of the earcups, they are thick.

User experience

The Edifier W820BT is a fairly simple wireless headset that comes with basic set of controls. On the right earcup is where this list of ports found:

• LED indicator
• Power button
• Volume rocker
• Micro USB charging port
• Microphone

On the right side, that is where the 3.5mm audio jack is found.

The Edifier W820BT actually works even if Bluetooth is turned off. Just plug in the included 3.5mm audio jack and it works. However, only for listening music though. The microphone only works if the Edifier W820BT is connected via Bluetooth.

Speaking of the microphone, it’s just terrible. Don’t use it.

Sound Signature

As for the sound signature, the Edifier W820BT is obviously focused on the bass. However, there are a few things to point out here.

Although it is focused on bass, it is strong but lacks the punch that I desire. The lack in punch means that the sound produced just isn’t that much of a head-banger, but there is no distortion either.

When it comes to the mids, it once again suffers the fate of having the vocals range mixed together with the bass. When that happens, the audio just sounds muddy.

As for the highs, it is definitely lacking.

Battery Life

Edifier claims that the W820BT can last for up to 80 hours of playback time – and we actually believe them. For me, I played music on the Edifier W820BT for more than 10 hours in total and it is still going strong. I have never recharged it once ever since I got it.

Once again, if the Edifier W820BT ever runs out of battery, I can plug in the 3.5mm audio jack and it will work just fine.

Final Words

As we enter the age of wireless headsets, the Edifier W820BT is definitely one of the most affordable ones. Pricing in at just RM199 over at Edifier’s official LazMall store, there is no argument that people will buy it just because of its price.

While the sound quality is just mediocre at best, it still is a wireless headset that is superbly comfortable to wear even after many hours. Besides, the battery life is simply amazing for its price.