Fairphone entered the headphone market with its TWS buds in 2021, now the corporate has launched its first over-ear headphones. This one feels nearer to the spirit of Fairphone because it’s not solely made out of recycled supplies, it’s very simple to restore too.
The design of the brand new Fairbuds XL is modular with 11 elements, so the headphones are simple to disassemble and restore. One thing like changing the ear cushions is straightforward and doesn’t even require instruments. You possibly can change the battery too, as soon as it begins dropping in capability (will probably be at 80% after 500 cost cycles). Right here’s a diagram exhibiting all of the elements:
Avoiding e-waste is one a part of Fairphone’s mission, one other sourcing supplies and elements responsibly. The Fairbuds XL are made out of 100% recycled aluminum and 80% recycled plastics and with a 100% recycled textile pouch. Even the electronics inside use 100% recycled tin solder paste.
That’s not all, Fairphone additionally takes care of the employees on the meeting strains – it tries to arrange good working situations for them and makes positive they’re paid a residing wage.
Okay, however how are the Fairbuds XL as headphones? They’ve 40mm drivers and use Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD (plus AAC and SBC), together with multi-point connectivity. They can be utilized in wired mode too via the USB-C port, although they don’t have a 3.5mm jack (and neither does the most recent Fairphone smartphone).
The headphones are powered with a user-replaceable 800mAh battery. It will final 26 hours with Lively Noise Cancellation enabled, 30 hours with out it. You possibly can tune the settings of the Fairbuds XL utilizing the Fairbuds app out there for Android and iOS.
The headphones weigh 330g and have an IP54 ranking for mud and splash resistance. They’ve a foldable design for straightforward transportation.
The Fairbuds XL are already out there in Europe via the Fairphone retailer at a value of €250/£220. Be aware that no charger is included within the retail package deal, not even a charging cable (any USB-C cable will do, although). Additionally, the spare elements aren’t out there simply but, so we don’t know their costs.