Edifier W800BT Pro Review: budget ANC cans that punch above their price

I’ve been using the Edifier W800BT Pro Gift Edition as my main headphones for about two weeks, swapping them between work calls, commuting, and watching stuff on my laptop. I usually rotate between cheaper JBL on-ears and a much pricier Sony over-ear pair, so I had a pretty clear idea of what I was expecting from a budget noise cancelling model: basically, something that gets the job done without falling apart or sounding like a tin can.

The short version: they’re pretty solid for the money, especially if you catch them on sale around the £40 mark like some reviewers did. The ANC is better than I expected at this price, the sound is more than decent, and the battery life is frankly overkill in a good way. But they’re not magic, and if you’ve tried high-end Bose/Sony, you’ll feel the difference right away, especially in noise cancelling and build feel.

What surprised me most is that they don’t feel like “toy” headphones. Yes, they’re plastic, but they’re light, comfortable, and the Bluetooth connection is stable. I used them on a noisy bus and in a shared office, and I never felt like I had to fight with the connection or controls. For a daily workhorse pair, that matters more to me than fancy features I’ll never touch.

So if you’re wondering whether these are worth it as a main pair or a backup to throw in a bag, I’d say they land in that good middle ground: not mind-blowing, not trash, just a good value workhorse with some nice extras like the app and dual-device connection. The rest of this review goes into the details: design, comfort, performance, battery, durability and overall value.

On the value side, these headphones make a lot of sense if you buy them at the lower end of their price range. Several buyers mentioned paying around £39, and at that price, it’s honestly hard to complain. You’re getting hybrid ANC, long battery life, decent sound, dual-device connection, and app support. Many big-brand competitors in this bracket either have weaker ANC or worse battery, or skip the app entirely.

At full price (which can be higher depending on where you buy), it’s still a fair deal, but the competition gets tougher. You start bumping into older discounted models from Sony, JBL, and others. Those might have slightly better build or more polished ANC, but usually with worse battery or fewer features. So the W800BT Pro sits in that sweet spot where it’s not flashy, but you’re getting a pretty complete package for the money.

Where they save costs is obvious: all-plastic build, no carrying case, no 3.5 mm jack, and no water resistance. If those things are important to you, factor that into your decision. Personally, I think the trade-off is reasonable: I’d rather have strong battery and usable ANC than a fancy case in the box. The included stickers and gift box are a nice extra if you’re buying these as a present, but they don’t really change the core value of the headphones themselves.

So in plain terms: if you mainly need something for work, commuting, and home use, and you spot these on sale, they’re good value for money. If the price creeps too close to mid-range Sony/Bose deals, I’d stop and compare carefully, especially if top-tier ANC or more premium materials matter a lot to you.

Design-wise, the W800BT Pro keeps things pretty simple. Mine is the "Gift Edition" color, which is basically a clean, matte look without flashy chrome or weird shapes. If you’ve seen other Edifier over-ears, this follows the same style: rounded earcups, smooth plastic, and minimal branding. It doesn’t scream “premium”, but it also doesn’t scream “kid’s toy”, which at this price is already a win.

The headphones fold flat and also fold inward, so you can collapse them to take up less space in a bag. There’s no hard case in the box, just the rigid outer packaging, so if you plan to travel a lot with them, I’d suggest buying a cheap generic case. The hinges feel okay – not metal-tank solid, but not wobbly out of the box. I folded and unfolded them many times during this test, tossed them into a backpack, and nothing rattled or loosened.

Controls are all on one earcup: physical buttons for power, volume, and ANC. Personally, I prefer this over touch controls because I don’t accidentally pause my music when adjusting the headphones. The buttons have a clear click, but they’re small, and at the start I did need a day or two to remember which one did what by feel. Once you get used to the layout, it’s fine.

In short, the design is practical and low-key. If you’re looking for something flashy or super stylish, this won’t impress you. But if you just want a pair that looks decent in the office, on the train, or at home without drawing attention, it does the job. My only real wish would be a slightly more robust-feeling headband and maybe a basic soft pouch in the box.

The battery is one of the big selling points here, and it’s not just marketing fluff. Edifier claims up to 45 hours with ANC off, and a 10-minute charge giving around 8 hours of use. Obviously that depends on volume and ANC usage, but in my testing, it’s in the right ballpark. I used them around 4–5 hours a day for a full week (mixed ANC on/off), and I didn’t have to charge them once until the end of the week. That’s rare at this price.

With ANC on most of the time and volume around 60–70%, I’d estimate real-world battery at roughly 25–30 hours. Still very good. If you mostly use them at lower volume and occasionally toggle ANC, you’ll stretch it closer to the advertised number. The nice part is that you stop thinking about battery anxiety; you just plug them in once every few days or even once a week depending on your usage.

The fast charging is genuinely useful. I tested from almost empty: 15 minutes on a USB-C charger gave me enough juice for a full afternoon of work without any problem. There’s no wireless charging or anything fancy, but I don’t expect that at this price. The LED indicator and the app both help you keep track of battery level, so you’re not surprised mid-commute.

Overall, in terms of battery, these are very practical daily drivers. If you travel, work long shifts, or just hate having to charge things constantly, this is one of the main reasons to consider this model. The only small downside: the battery is obviously built-in and not user-replaceable, so after a couple of years of heavy use, capacity will probably drop, like any other Bluetooth headset.

Comfort is one of the areas where these headphones do quite well. They’re surprisingly light, which you really feel after a few hours. I wore them for full workdays (around 7–8 hours with breaks) and also a couple of 3–4 hour gaming sessions. No heavy hot spot on top of the head, and the clamping force is moderate – tight enough to stay on, but not so tight that your skull feels squeezed.

The ear pads are soft and reasonably thick. They’re not as plush as premium Sony/Bose pads, but they sit nicely around the ear rather than pressing directly on it. My ears didn’t touch the drivers, which is usually my main complaint with cheaper headphones. After about 2–3 hours, I did start to feel some warmth and a bit of sweat around the ears, but that’s pretty standard for over-ear closed-back headphones. If you wear glasses, like I do sometimes, the arms of your glasses will be slightly pressed into your head after a while, but again, that’s normal for this style – not worse than other models I’ve tried.

The headband has padding and a bit of flexibility. Edifier talks about a "multi-direction adaptive structure" – fancy wording, but in practice it just means the cups tilt and swivel enough to fit different head shapes. I let a friend with a bigger head try them, and they still fit without maxing out the extension, which is a good sign. No weird pressure points on the jaw or top of the ears.

For actual daily use – walking, working, calls, watching movies – I’d rate comfort as a strong point for these. Not luxury-level, but very easy to live with. If you’re sensitive to weight or usually get headaches from heavier headphones, this lighter build is a plus. Just keep in mind the pads are synthetic and will get a bit warm in hot weather, like most closed headphones.

Let’s be honest: these feel like mid-range plastic headphones, not a metal tank. The frame is mostly polycarbonate with some metal reinforcement inside the headband (you can feel a bit of metal when you extend it). The upside is that they stay light and comfortable; the downside is that they don’t give that tough, rugged feeling you get from more expensive models with more metal parts.

In two weeks of use, I tossed them in a backpack without a case, used them on public transport, and hung them on my monitor when not in use. No cracks, no strange creaks, and the hinges are still tight. The matte finish does a decent job of hiding fingerprints and minor scratches. If you’re the type to drop things a lot, I’d still be a bit careful – they’ll probably survive a few falls, but repeated hard drops on tile or concrete will eventually leave marks or worse.

The ear pads feel okay, but like most synthetic leather pads in this range, I don’t expect them to last forever. After a year or two of heavy daily use, they might start to peel or flatten. The good news is that the overall design looks like it could allow pad replacements, but that depends on availability of spares from Edifier or third parties. The headband padding seems less likely to peel quickly, but only long-term use will tell.

One important point: there is no water resistance rating. So I wouldn’t risk using these in heavy rain or throwing them into a gym bag soaked in sweat. Light drizzle while walking is probably fine, but don’t treat them like sports headphones. In short, durability is acceptable for the price: not fragile, but also not built for abuse. Treat them reasonably well and they should last; if you’re rough with your gear, you might want something tougher.

Let’s start with the sound. Out of the box, the W800BT Pro has a bass-leaning but fairly balanced profile. Bass is present and has some punch, especially for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music, but it doesn’t totally drown the mids. Vocals come through clearly, and the highs are clean enough without being harsh. If you’re used to super flat studio headphones, these will feel a bit boosted in the low end, but for casual listening and streaming, it’s actually quite pleasant.

I tested them with Spotify on a phone, YouTube on a laptop, and some Netflix shows. For the price range, they hold up very well. Details like background instruments and voices in movies are easy to pick out. At high volumes, the sound does get a bit compressed and loses some clarity, but again, that’s typical for this budget. With the app EQ presets, you can nudge the sound more towards bass or more towards clarity, but don’t expect studio-level tuning controls.

On the ANC side, Edifier claims up to -44 dB hybrid active noise cancellation. Marketing numbers aside, in real life it does a good job of cutting constant low noises: bus engine, air conditioner, office hum. On a busy street, car noise and low rumbles drop a lot, and voices get slightly reduced but not completely removed. It’s not on the same level as high-end ANC from Bose or Sony, but for commuting and office use, it’s honestly more than enough. I could listen at lower volume in the bus and still follow podcasts easily.

Call performance is decent. The AI noise reduction keeps your voice understandable even with some background noise, but it’s not magic – in very noisy places, the person on the other end will still hear some of the environment. For normal indoor calls and occasional outdoor calls, it’s fine. Overall, sound and ANC performance are good value, especially if you grab them on discount. If you’re a hardcore audiophile or want top-tier ANC for long flights, you might feel the limitations, but for everyday use, they absolutely get the job done.

Out of the box, the W800BT Pro Gift Edition gives you: the headphones, a short USB-C charging cable, a small sheet of stickers, and the manual. No audio cable because these are Bluetooth-only for wireless and USB-C-only for wired Hi-Res. If you’re hoping to plug into a 3.5 mm jack on a plane or older laptop, forget it – you’ll need an adapter or just rely on Bluetooth. The box itself is a bit more playful than usual, clearly targeting the gift angle, but once you’ve opened it, it’s just normal headphones.

The app part is called EDIFIER ConneX. To be honest, I expected it to be clunky, but it’s fairly straightforward. You can:

• Switch ANC / transparency / normal modes
• Pick preset EQs (no super advanced tuning, but enough to tweak the sound a bit)
• Change button behavior and check battery

Nothing life-changing, but it’s convenient, especially for ANC control. One thing to flag: if you don’t like installing extra apps, you’ll lose some of the flexibility. You can still use ANC from the headphones, but the app makes it easier to see what mode you’re in.

Overall, in terms of features for the price, you’re getting a decent package: hybrid ANC, Bluetooth 5.4, dual-device connection, 45h battery on paper, USB-C wired Hi-Res, and app support. On the downside, there’s no water resistance at all, no carrying case, and no 3.5 mm jack. So it’s clearly built more for office, home, and commuting than the gym or rough outdoor use.