Fairbuds XL Review

The Fairphone brand has gained recognition for developing environmentally and ethically friendly smartphones. It has done a decent job of it so far, so the brand has decided to focus on the over-the-ear earphone market. The result is the launch of Fairbuds XL, with the XL not referring to the extra-large size; instead, it is actually a play on the world excel.

Design and build

You will find the Fairbuds XL available in two different combinations. First off, there is the standard black that you will find in most headphones and then there is green. They have also added some effect with some red, black and white on the ear-cups. It is quite cool and interesting if you are looking for something other than the usual black.

Vegan leather has been used for the cushioning, headband and the cups. It is comfortable and soft, while the arms are plastic, along with the ear-cups’ outer chassis. However, the earphones feel very sturdy. The controls can be found on the right cup, which include a button for switching between the different pairing and ANC modes.

There is also a gold mini-joystick control beneath it, which you can push right and left for changing tracks, up and down to control adjust volume or press for powering on and off. The underside of the cup also has a USB-C charging port and there are also indicator lights to warn about the low battery life, or about pairing mode. Since the arms are hinged, you can fold the headphones and store them easily.

The modular construction is their main selling point, which means you can replace almost every piece of these headphones. You can disassemble them and replace the parts, so they will not become useless. The quality is also good and you can get the parts easily.

Sound quality

The headphones are a bit tight, which may take some getting used to, but you can really hear your audio content without any interference from the noises in the environment. They offer good sound quality, as the frequencies are well-balanced and there are 40mm drivers within every speaker. You will enjoy rich tones and have no issues with the sound.

The Fairbuds XL come with the Fairsound app that offer you four EQ settings. Volume can go really high, but since active noise cancellation is available, you do not really need it on too high. You can change the mode with a tap on the right cup. Dual connectivity is also supported, which means you can use them with two devices simultaneously.

Battery life

There is an 800mAh battery and you can replace it later on. This capacity means that the Fairbuds XL can be used for long play time. You can enjoy 30 hours of playback without ANC and 25 with it. They also charge 100% within an hour, so you do not have to have a long wait.