Fairphone’s Fairbuds XL ($316.89, or €249 officially) aren’t typical noise-cancelling headphones. First off, they’re modular, meaning you can replace parts if they break over time rather than purchase a brand-new pair. Fairphone also claims it manufactures the headphones from fairly sourced, recycled materials, and that it pays its employees a living wage. Those are all good points for ethical consumers, and the Fairbuds XL also manage to produce rich bass and crisp highs. Merely decent active noise cancellation (ANC) and the lack of adjustable EQ are downsides you must weigh, however.
Note that you can’t order the Fairbuds XL directly from Fairphone if you live outside of the UK or continental Europe. As of this writing, there are listings for the headphones on eBay and Amazon through third-party sellers but for far more than their actual price. Because they aren't officially available in the US, we aren't giving them a star rating.
Sustainability First
The circumaural Fairbuds XL are available in black or green with speckled details on the outer side panels. As mentioned, Fairphone says they are made of recycled materials: 100% recycled aluminum, 100% recycled tin solder paste, and 80% recycled plastics. The headphones also notably have a modular design which means you can replace pretty much any part, including the ear cushions, the headband cover, the battery, the earcap covers, the headband, the headband base, the speakers, and the speaker-to-speaker cable. In testing, I had no trouble taking the headphones apart and putting them back together into a working state. This is all great news for sustainability, though I can't comment on their long-term durability.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)Internally, 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz, with an impedance of 32 ohms. The headphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.1 and support the AAC, AptX HD, and SBC codecs.
The earpads fit snugly thanks to their plush memory foam padding, and the headband also features generous cushioning. I never felt the headphones get hot or uncomfortable even over long testing sessions.
As for on-ear controls, there's a button on the right earcup that cycles through ANC On, ANC Off, and Ambient modes (press it once), as well as summons your voice assistant (press it twice). An additional joystick-style button handles playback, calls, track navigation (push it forward or backward), and volume (push it up or down). If you tap the joystick button twice, a vocal prompt reads out the remaining battery level. The joystick works well, but you might find the audible confirmations for various actions annoying because you can't disable them.
An IP54 rating means the headphones offer moderate levels of dust and water resistance. They can withstand light sprays from any direction, so neither sweaty workouts nor light rain should be an issue. That said, you might find earphones more suitable for exercise.
You don't get a USB-C charging cable or charger in the box, so that's a cost you must factor in if you don't have one or both already. I understand that the company doesn't want to create more waste by sending a cable to people who already have one, but other users might not appreciate this omission. In any case, you can buy a durable cable from Fairphone or a third-party manufacturer if you want. The box does include a recycled textile pouch for storage at least.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)Fairphone estimates that the Fairbuds XL can last roughly 26 hours (with ANC on) or 30 hours (with ANC off) per charge, but your results will depend on your typical volume level and codec choice. Roughly three hours of charging should bring them up to full power from empty. They don't support wireless charging.
Fairbuds XL App Experience
The Fairbuds app (available for Android and iOS) is a letdown in light of the premium price. Essentially, you can name your headphones, see a battery readout, apply various EQ presets, download firmware updates, and access a setup guide. The app denotes EQ presets with such unhelpful city names as Amsterdam, Boston, Copenhagen, and Tokyo; they offer varying degrees of warmth and brightness.
(Credit: Fairphone)I don't mind that the app doesn't go overboard with features, but I would like more granularity in the available options. An adjustable EQ rather than just presets, for instance, would go a long way. The lack of ANC controls is disappointing, however.
Semi-Effective Noise Cancellation
The Fairbuds XL offer decent noise cancellation. They dial back low-frequency rumble fairly well, though some of those sounds still come through. They reduce the volume of lows and mids from a recording of a busy restaurant, but the higher frequencies still make it past their circuitry.
The class-leading Bose QuietComfort 45 ($329) headphones are more effective against deep lows and especially the varied highs from the cafe recording. Those sounds all but disappear with the QC45, but they remain at least partially audible with the Fairbuds XL. All of this is to say the Fairbuds XL are serviceable for blocking distracting noise, but not nearly exceptional.
Mainstream Sound
I tested the Fairbuds XL with the default EQ preset, Amsterdam (the city where Fairphone's headquarters are), but the other presets are worth trying. If you seek a little extra bass depth, for instance, select the slightly less bright Tokyo option. Again, the inability to tweak presets to taste or create a custom preset is a letdown at this price.
Nevertheless, on tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones produce a robust low-frequency response. The lows don't distort at maximum volume levels and still sound full at more reasonable settings.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)The Fairbuds XL didn't have any problem reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty” with a sense of rumble. The deepest of these synth bass notes are in subwoofer territory, so this performance is a testament to the pair's low-end prowess. But there's plenty of high-mid presence here, too; the various vocals sound clear and fully present.
On Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a far less bass-heavy track, the drums get some extra low-end thump, but never come across as unnatural. Callahan’s baritone vocals get a pleasant blend of low-mid richness and high-mid clarity, while the acoustic strums and bright percussive hits receive plenty of high-frequency presence. Overall, this isn't a flat sound signature, but the combination of the boosted bass, scooped mids, and sculpted highs is in line with most consumer headphones.
On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain their prominence. The drivers push the lower-register instrumentation forward slightly, but I hear a little less of that emphasis on stereo, acoustic recordings like this compared to typical pop mixes.
The mic array works decently well. I didn't have any trouble understanding every word from a recording on my iPhone and the signal sounds crisp, with a slight emphasis on vocals.
Headphones for the Future
The Fairphone Fairbuds XL are a dramatic step in the right direction for sustainable headphones—they are built to last, use eco-friendly materials, and are easy to repair. They also sound quite good. Our main complaint is that the bare-bones app doesn't include an adjustable EQ and that the noise cancellation isn't anything special for the price. We wish more tech companies thought like Fairphone though and we hope the company’s sustainable approach catches on. And if you're looking for eco-friendly headphones that are more readily available in the US, you should check out $199 Urbanista Los Angeles, which you can charge via solar power.
