Colors like black and white for gadgets are classic, but when a company brings out a different color without it looking gaudy, they tend to stand out. That is what I felt when unboxing Fairphone’s new $229 Fairbuds XL over-the-ear headphones in the forest green shade.
The new headphones, which also come in black, compete with others on the market, like Nothing Headphones (1), Sony’s previous gen WH-1000XM5, and Sonos Ace. While some of those offer better sound and noise cancellation capabilities, Fairbuds XL would be a good bet if longevity and repairability matter more to you.
The new devices are an update to the Fairbuds XL with noise cancellation, first launched in 2023 and designed with repairability in mind.
On these headphones, owners can replace the battery, cushions, speaker covers, headband, and drivers on both the new and older models. To make repairs, you can easily open up the headphones with a guitar pick or a credit card and a basic screwdriver. The company has tutorials on its YouTube channel to guide you through the process.
The new iteration carries that same ethos but includes some subtle design changes as well as a driver upgrade to improve performance. Specifically, the company said that the driver size is still 40mm, but it’s been upgraded with better magnets for improved bass.
Despite installing new drivers with enhanced bass, the overall sound signature is largely neutral. Both mids and vocals came through while listening to songs. For instance, some of the tracks on the “K-Pop Demon Hunter” album have some bass-heavy sections, but that didn’t cloud the vocals or synth.
Image Credits: Fairphone
The design changes include making the speaker-to-speaker cable and the joystick green instead of orange. The company has new …