INTRODUCTION

   If you happen to enjoy listening to your favorite audio tracks while on foot (or when using public transportation) or while at home like i do chances are that you're always on the lookout for a brand new headphone set (again like i do). Unfortunately not only is the market overflowing with headphones (and has been for a long time now) but the really good ones usually cost quite a bit and thus are not what most people would call affordable. In the past we've seen some manufacturers attempt to develop budget-friendly headphones which they launched with audiophiles in mind but the end results weren't exactly what we had initially expected. Edifier is a manufacturer we've been following for years now but it wasn't until just recently that we managed to get in touch with them and so today we're testing their own "budget" audiophile oriented headphones the H850.

   Edifier specializes in premium sound systems that showcase technological innovation and design elegance. We deliver outstanding audio experience through a wide range of headphones, speakers and music systems, for personal entertainment and professional excellence. Established in May 1996 in Beijing, China, Edifier is the brainchild of a small group of enterprising music lovers. Guided by the principle “a passion for sound” over the past two decades, Edifier has emerged as a world-class designer and manufacturer of award-winning sound systems. Throughout our journey, we adapt to the way music is made, shared and enjoyed. We pride ourselves on products that showcase bold design and premium quality, but at the same time affordable. Today, Edifier serves music lovers worldwide through our distributors in over 70 countries, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. The growing Edifier family consists of 3,000 dedicated employees worldwide. Our state-of-the art manufacturing facilities produce 8 million units every year for home, consumer electronics and PC multimedia applications.

   At first glance the H850 headphones don't really stand out from the rest of the crowd since they too are based around two 40mm neodymium magnet stereo drivers that feature a frequency range of 20Hz-20KHz with 32Ohm impedance and 96dB sensitivity. However although the specifications sheet is nothing we haven't seen in the past with numerous headphones and headsets the H850 do stand out in one area, they were tuned by Phil Jones. Now if you don't know who Phil is let's just say that he's been around for as far back as i can remember (well over 3 decades now) and is the person behind the Acoustic Energy AE-1 and AE-2 compact monitor speakers (mid/late 1980's) and the Boston Acoustics Lynnfield floor standing loudspeakers (early 1990's) so he's no stranger in the audio industry. Now unfortunately i never had the chance to test or even just listen to one of the Acoustic Energy monitor speakers but an old friend of mine did have a pair of Lynnfield loudspeakers in his living room and even today i still recall being impressed not only by their looks and construction quality but also by their audio performance. Is however a tuning by someone like Phil Jones enough to give life to a pair of budget headphones targeted towards audiophiles? That's what we're here to find out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The H850 are shipped inside a small white box that has a large product picture at the front right beneath the company logo.

You can see the interior and exterior of the earcup on the two sides of the box.

4 pictures are used to showcase the main product features at the rear of the box (the specifications and features lists are printed in 4 languages).

The front of the box opens up to allow potential buyers to take a look at the headphones prior to purchasing them.

Contained inside the box are the H850 Headphones, cable with two gold plated 3.5mm plugs, 3.5mm to 7.5mm gold plated adapter and the warranty paper.

THE H850

Although the H850 feature an aluminum frame the exterior is primarily made out of plastic and so they weigh just 169g.

Typically to showcase the size of the H850 we used the compact REVO Wireless headset by Jabra.

The exterior of both earcups features a very thin layer of brushed aluminum on which Edifier has placed their logo.

Left and right markings are placed right over both earcups.

Unfortunately as mentioned earlier the exterior body is primarily made out of plastic.

The 3.5mm port is placed at the base of the left earcup and features a lock feature so you can't accidentally detach the cable.

Edifier has used very large (comfortable) earpads for the H850 covered with synthetic leather.

The earcups feature a fold flat feature which makes them easier to store and carry.

Edifier has also used synthetic leather to cover the earpads.

The headband extends up to 30mm (3cm) on both sides via 8 increments.

There are no visible increments on the exterior however while on the interior there are only 6.

CONCLUSION

   I've been testing headsets and headphones professionally for nearly 8 years now and i have to admit that 9 out of 10 times i say that consumers get what they pay for. You just can't expect miracles from relatively small dynamic stereo drivers and unfortunately that's what most manufacturers use since their main target audience is not audiophiles but regular every day consumers (as expected really). Well at first glance the H850 by Edifier also fit in that description since the specifications of the two 40mm neodymium magnet drivers offer nothing we haven't seen in the past by numerous similar models (not to mention that the H850 headphones have been around for over 3 years). However after using the H850 for a period of two weeks it seems that this is among the rare 1 out of 10 times. True i wasn't impressed with the exterior construction quality of the H850 since the plastic used doesn't seem to be very durable and as a matter of fact I’ve seen identical quality materials used in headsets that cost USD15-20 (however the interior aluminum/metal frame somewhat makes up for that). Where the H850 shine however is also where it counts the most so (probably) thanks to the tuning by Phil Jones highs and mids are very detailed and crisp while bass levels although not great are still surprisingly good especially since we are talking about a pair of 40mm drivers. The detachable cable is also a nice feature although it's a bit larger than what we'd like to see (the solution would be to include two cables with different lengths – still not really a drawback just a personal observation) while the large earpads combined with the lightweight design make the H850 very comfortable.

   The Edifier H850 Hi-Fi Headphone doesn't stand out from the crowd just because of its audio quality but also because of its price (perhaps more) since currently it retails for just USD59.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 49Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Needless to say really that although the H850 offer excellent price/performance ratio that doesn't mean it can go up against headphones and headsets that cost many times more. Sure we all think that the H850 are the best sub USD100/100Euros headphones in the market currently but if you are willing to spend a lot more for a pair then you should look for something else. For people however who are not willing to spend much (for whatever reason) the H850 Hi-Fi Headphones by Edifier will most likely be a pleasant surprise and since we too liked them a lot they get our Golden Award.

PROS

- Clear/Crisp/Accurate Mids & Highs
- Good Bass Levels
- EQ Tuned By Phil Jones
- Light & Comfortable
- Foldable Design
- Removable Cable With Gold Plated Plug & Lock Mechanism
- 3.5 to 7.5mm Gold Plated Adapter
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Overall Construction Quality