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Edifier’s Stax Spirit S5 headphones supply unparalleled sound high quality, with clear highs and ample bass.
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These wi-fi headphones help Bluetooth excessive bit price codecs and have a battery lifetime of as much as 80 hours.
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Whereas the controls are pretty tiny and complicated, the spectacular sound high quality and construct make the Stax Spirit S5 definitely worth the funding.
Once we reviewed Edifier’s flagship headphone, the Stax Spirit S3, we had been merely blown away. Utilizing planar magnetic drivers, the headphones ship such superior sound high quality that the choice to ditch ANC from the headphones not solely is smart, however is healthier. Regardless of how spectacular it’s, there’s all the time room for enchancment, and Edifier’s new model, the Stax Spirit S5, has finished a superb job.
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Edifier’s planar magnetic headphones supply the perfect sound I’ve ever heard
The Edifier Stax Spirit S3 would not attempt to compete with the big-name producers by way of ANC high quality, however as an alternative focuses on producing full, clear audio.
After testing them over the previous few weeks, I can confidently say that as an audiophile, these are the perfect wi-fi headphones I’ve ever heard. Learn on to study extra.
Editor’s Alternative
Edifier Starks Elf S5
The Edifier Stax Spirit S5 stand out as probably the perfect wi-fi headphones available on the market in the present day designed particularly for music listening. Planar magnetic expertise and an ultra-wide frequency response vary deliver wealthy sound to this new flagship headphone.
- Crystal clear excessive frequencies and ample bass
- Helps Bluetooth excessive bitrate codecs
- Direct connection to digital audio units through USB
- The management buttons are small and straightforward to make errors
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Value, availability and specs
The Edifier Stax Spirit S5 headphones can be found now on the Edifier web site and Amazon for $499.99. That price ticket places it in a great spot amongst high-end wi-fi headphones, nonetheless dearer than the brand new $449 Sonos Ace over-ear headphones, and fewer than the AirPods Max’s typical $549 tag.
The standout spec of the Spirit S5 is undoubtedly the planar magnetic drivers, which use skinny conductive diaphragms sandwiched between magnets to ship extraordinarily correct sound that’s typically higher than normal dynamic drivers.
Moreover, the headset is provided with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, permitting the headset to deal with an extended checklist of lossless and excessive bitrate codecs over Bluetooth, together with some Snapdragon-proprietary codecs, in addition to others extra generally utilized in client units codec, akin to AAC normal iPhone.
Talking of battery life, these headphones last as long as 80 hours, which I discovered to be true in my testing, making them excellent for all-day listening. Along with Bluetooth connectivity, the Edifier ConneX app permits for extra particular management.
Why I like Stax Spirit S5
distinctive voice
After an preliminary have a look at the Stax Spirit S5’s spec sheet, I can not wait to push them to their limits. I began by listening to some music on my iPhone and located the Spirit S5 to be snug, luxurious, and straightforward to function. The primary track I performed was my designated “check highs and lows” quantity, We Are All We Want by Above and Past. Zoë Johnston’s angelic voice was loud and clear, and when the bass kicked in, I used to be impressed by the vary the planar drivers delivered. Nevertheless, I do know that my iPhone’s AAC codec units some limits, because it makes use of 16-bit depth to stream music to headphones at a 44.1 kHz pattern price. So I plugged the headphones into my pc through USB-C and launched Tidal.
There are numerous digital audio gamers that benefit from the big variety of lossless and Hello-Fi codecs supported by the S5, however sadly, the iPhone shouldn’t be one in all them.
I began listening to M83’s seminal 2011 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming on my Home windows PC, and albeit, I used to be blown away. When Intro began taking part in, I simply sat there and smiled, making an attempt to grasp that I may hear such nice sound from consumer-focused earmuffs. Synth- and reverb-heavy sounds have a “crisp” high quality that I often solely hear when performed loudly on hi-fi audio system. Audio sounded clear, one thing no headphone I’ve ever examined may do.
Finally, these headphones deserve the best high quality audio information you will get.
Whereas planar expertise won’t ever produce the form of heart-pounding bass present in some wi-fi headphone designs, it might make the general soundstage extra balanced.
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Every time I check new headphones I hear to those albums and tracks
These are my go-to songs and albums after I check new headphones, they usually inform me every thing I must find out about sound high quality.
When Midnight Metropolis performs, the planar drivers carry out precisely as they need to, with unparalleled readability and accuracy. Finally, these headphones deserve the best high quality audio information you will get.
Construct high quality over days
I have been listening to music on the S5 for a number of hours now, and I’ve but to search out them uncomfortable. The lambskin earpads are very snug, with sufficient cushioning to offer wonderful passive noise cancellation with out placing an excessive amount of strain in your ears. These headphones have some weight to them; they’re solidly constructed, they usually’re nice for lengthy listening periods.
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Conscious of your environment, high-quality audio and a cushty listening expertise with these top-tested open-back earbuds.
Nevertheless, in case you discover that your ears and head get too heat after utilizing the lambskin earpads for prolonged intervals of time, the Stax Spirit S5 additionally comes with a set of earpads made out of cooling mesh. I additionally like that it has an simply adjustable cushioned headband that does a pleasant and steady job on high of my head.
What I don’t like about Stax Spirit S5
Tiny controls I’ll by no means use
This could be a bit nitpicky, however I discovered the controls on the headset tough to make use of. The buttons are very restricted, every has a number of capabilities, and are very small. Nearly each button does one motion if pressed as soon as, one thing else if pressed twice, and one thing else if held down. It is too advanced to be of a lot use.
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Why I like listening to Bluetooth headphones on my Android telephone
To get probably the most out of your new Bluetooth headphones, you will want to make use of the Android working system as an alternative of the restricted iOS.
Since I will be utilizing these completely on my PC or iPhone, I simply need to press the play, pause, subsequent, and so forth. buttons on the machine the track is taking part in on, however for these of you preferring to regulate the observe whereas it is taking part in This is usually a bit annoying if the machine is in your pocket or out of attain. In the long run, that is actually not a giant subject, as I discover the buttons on the facet of recent headphones to be largely redundant, though they’re there in a pinch.
Conclusion: Do you have to purchase the Stax Spirit S5?
Edifier’s Stax Spirit S5 are the perfect wi-fi headphones I’ve ever used. I have been sporting them for hours, together with as I write this assessment. They make listening to music enjoyable in a method that I often solely expertise when listening loudly on hi-fi bookshelf audio system.
Editor’s Alternative
Edifier Starks Elf S5
Anybody with a eager style for high-quality audio available in the market for wi-fi headphones ought to strongly contemplate these, though they’re actually a splurge. Edifier continues to point out that they’re a producer value taking severely, as is a reputation we extra readily acknowledge in the USA, and as phrase of its high quality spreads, the Stax Spirit S5 will undoubtedly develop into a profitable flagship for the Chinese language model.
