Edifier W240TN review - Quality in a small package

I was initially a sceptic of wireless earbuds, having sworn them off for years as being unnecessary and obviously flawed hardware, with my go-to for listening to music being the Edifier WH950NB, a pair of over-ear headphones that pack a punch when it comes to audio quality and features. 

However, over the past month of using the Edifier W240TN wireless earbuds, I've seen the light so to speak, and the appeal of a more discreet, smaller, high-quality audio listening device has made them a mainstay for daily use - especially in the summer months.

...and out come the buds

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The Edifier W240TN earbuds are considered to be budget-priced, coming in at roughly £70/$90. Still expensive for those who can't just drop that sort of money on a luxury, but with how much some of these devices go for, the price-to-quality ratio here almost makes this a steal compared to its contemporaries. 

For this review, I received the black version, which comes with a sleek boot design with a glossy black finish, accented by silvery plates on the outside, where the controls and Edifier logo can be found. 

Like any pair of wireless earbuds, it also comes with a small case that fits comfortably into your pocket and protects the earbuds while charging them up. The front of this case features a small LED light that displays the current charge, while you can find the USB-C charging port and pairing button on the back. 

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Ill communication

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When it comes to using the Edifier W240TN, the set-up was super simple, and I was up and running within seconds as it connected right to my phone. Subsequent uses made this seamless too, as just taking one earbud out of the case connects it, while slipping them both back in instantly disconnects the Bluetooth, meaning I never had to worry about messing with settings.

It supports a Bluetooth 5.3 connection, meaning you'll get the most modern version, but a downside is that it only supports the SBC codec, which is the lowest quality available. For anyone who isn't an audiophile, this won't be an issue and the sound quality will be more than enough to enjoy the bassy lows and cutting highs in music, with mids being the most affected here.

I struggled at first to find the right fitting tips, which led to one of the buds falling straight out of my ear the first time. Luckily, the package comes with four different-sized tips, and after picking the right one for me, the earbuds fit snugly in my ear and felt stable the entire time once my fear of them falling out again went away.

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Wireless soundscapes

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Once I was on my way listening to music, it almost felt like I was wearing my typical earphones again, with a strong audio quality and clarity, and noise cancellation that let me easily shut out the world around me. I was surprised at how good this sounded, but it's worth noting on particularly windy days the noise would cut into the mix and drown it out.

With noise cancellation turned off, the sound regressed back to the typical muddled mix you'd expect in louder environments, forcing me to turn the volume right up to hear the music clearly. Because of this, I would only recommend using it without noise cancellation when you can guarantee silence around you, otherwise, you may need to turn it up louder to counter the noise, which is where you risk damaging your hearing.

It's also worth pointing out how noise cancellation affects the battery, as the feature only reduces the total amount of charge time by a few hours compared to having it off. With only ten mins of charge easily getting you a typical day of use as well, it was never an issue for me to constantly keep it on.

The box claims you'll get around 25 hours of usage out of the Edifier W240TN before it requires a charge, which seems to roughly check out based on my usage, though for most users you'll never need to use it for that long without being able to get a quick charge in.

Another key feature of the Edifier W240TN that makes it one of the stronger budget wireless earbuds out there is its IP rating. For those not in the know, this is the Ingress Rating, which indicates how well a piece of hardware does with exposure to dust and water. The Edifier W240TN has an IP rating of 55, meaning it's water and dust resistant, essentially meaning that as long as you don't fully submerge them in water, they can easily brush off harsh rain or exposure to dusty environments, all while looking brand-new the entire time. 

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The Verdict

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The Edifier W240TN earbuds are a pair of reliable and high-quality wireless earbuds that come with a rich set of features for a fairly affordable price that makes them easy to recommend to anyone in the market. 

They can take some getting used to if you aren't a regular user of these types of listening devices, and without noise cancellation activated the sound is too easily drowned out, but a fantastic battery allows you to easily make use of the feature during everyday use with minimal charging during downtime.

4/5

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