What you need to know
- Fairbuds XL are the new headphones designed by Fairphone.
- Like its phones, these headphones are also modular, making them sustainable.
- They come with ANC and other premium features costing €249.
Fairphone has debuted its first pair of over-the-ear headphones dubbed Fairbuds XL. Like the company’s sustainable phones, these headphones are also environmentally friendly with modular functionality.
It is good to see the company expanding its product portfolio yet retaining its sustainability character. The Fairbuds XL appears to be the first step in the right direction we wish other OEM makers follow. The modularity of the new wireless headphones involves 11 removable parts, which are claimed to be easily repairable by users.
The parts are also said to be easily replaceable; however, the spare parts are yet to be made official, but the company assures they are coming soon. Such flexibility means these headphones can likely last longer than some of the best headphones available in the market today.
The design involves a mix of recyclable plastic and aluminum build, which comes in Green and Black colorways and further includes colorful plastic speckles that give these headphones a unique look. The headphone ear cushions and headband are made of vegan leather. Additionally, they come with a foldable design making them portable.
The Fairbuds XL also come with ANC (which has a dedicated button on the headphone) to avoid distraction aided by an ambient mode. Inside, they feature 40mm dynamic drives promising clear highs, warm mids, and deep bass.
They connect through Bluetooth 5.1 and support multi-point connection, allowing users to connect to two devices simultaneously. Fairbuds XL equips an 800mAh battery, which is replaceable and promises a 30-hour battery life with ANC turned off.
Enabling ANC will give users around 26 hours of playback support. It charges through USB Type-C, and the headphones don’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, so users would have to rely on Type-C for charging and audio if they run out of battery.
The latest headphones are accompanied by the Fairbuds XL app, through which users can choose from four EQ presets, update the firmware, go through tutorials, and contact support if required. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices. The Fairbuds XL also supports digital assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple Siri.
Fairbuds XL are available for purchase on the Fairphone website and retails at €249.00. The company provides additional accessories like USB-C 3.2 Long Life Cable for €34.95 and Fairbuds XL Headphones USB-C – mini jack 3.5mm Cable for €12.95.
