How many headphones have you tried that simply don’t have the sound profile to justify the price? How many appear comfortable only to cause aches after an hour? And, like me, are you sick of constantly needing to charge different devices?
The Edifier S3 is the One Ring of headphones that aims to fix a host of problems found in both budget and high-end alternatives. How does the Stax Spirit S3 stack up in a world full of choice? I’ve been using them for over a month and have a good idea of who they’re aimed at and what makes them my go-to device for listening to music.
Audio Quality
The Edifier S3 achieves something few headphones can: The cutoff point is nearly zero; each pulse of audio creeps in at lower volumes before crescendoing and evaporating. Compare the S3 with something like a high-end gaming headset and the difference is even more noticeable. One of the main reasons I seldom use gaming headsets for music is due to the poor cutoff points. Gaming headsets rarely capture the lower or higher end of the spectrum, resulting in audio that starts and finishes abruptly. The S3 is able to replicate both ends of the spectrums with surgical precision, resulting in a sound mix that misses nothing.
It’s the Planar Magnetic Drivers found in the S3 that really steal the show. Planar Magnetic Drivers are less prone to harmonic interference than Dynamic Drivers, meaning the S3 can keep things clear at all times. The end result here is bass that thuds with a delicious warmth, melodic mids, and crystal clear highs that don’t suffer distortion at normal listening levels.
The S3 has become my go-to headphones for highs. Bass slaps, but I still prefer the overwhelming nature of my Soul Emotion Max headphones for the more bass-heavy tracks. For highs, though, nothing beats the S3, to the point where elements like mouth pops are noticeable on certain recordings! I can’t think of any other headphones I’ve tested that can pull off this feat. It goes to show just how much experience tuning Edifier brings to the table.
Comfort and Design
I have a total of eight piercings over my ears. That means trying to find headphones that offer comfort isn’t ever easy. That’s also why I avoid budget headphones most of the time. Normally in the lower price bracket, comfort is the final consideration. It’s what Dan saw in the Monoprice BT-600.
The Stax Spirit S3 manages to feel comfortable, even during day-long sessions. The padded ear cups have just about enough movement so they feel like they’re resting on my ears instead of compressing my head like a vice.
The overall design isn’t going to be for everyone. Although the G5BT and GX05 took some big risks in the design department, the S3 looks tame in comparison. They are fairly generic in terms of style, and that’s OK! I’m sure some care about style over substance, but I’m always going to recommend going with something that sounds and feels great over some sort of cutting-edge fashion statement. Headphones are for listening to, not showing off. The focus should always be on what it does, not what it looks like.
The King of Battery Life
I’m someone who’s sick and tired of having to charge different devices. At any given time, I could need to charge my keyboard, mouse, vape, video game controller, headset, headphones, laptop, mobile phone, Steam Deck, and that’s just off the top of my head. Point is, I feel like I’m always having to charge something. It’s annoying, and I’ve only got so many charging outlets.
That’s why I’m such a fan of devices with god-like batteries. The S3 can’t fix this problem fully, but it sure does help alleviate the constant need for USB-C cables thanks to a massive 80-hour battery. That’s why this review has taken so long to get out. When a set of cans can last 80 hours, and you need to discharge them several times, it takes ages to test them. But that’s a good problem to have, and from my own testing, I can confirm that 80 hours claim is accurate. What’s more, the S3 can charge to full capacity in just 90 minutes. So even when you do need to charge them, they aren’t going to be on for long. What’s not to love?
Ease of Use
Connecting the S3 is a simple process. Turn them on for the first time and they’ll start searching for a host. Head into your Bluetooth settings and they’ll appear ready to be synced to the device in question. To resync them to another device, just power them down and when turning them on, hold down the power button until you hear the S3 say “syncing.” That will reset the S3 and put it back into pairing mode.
As for the buttons, there are three: Power on/off, volume up, and volume down. All three buttons offer up a nice amount of bounce and what impressed me is despite being in one continuous layout, the notch on the power button means I’m never fumbling for the right button. It’s easy to make out which is which just by the feel, which isn’t something I can say for a lot of headphones. Far too many modern headphones still have buttons in awkward places or don’t offer enough feedback, so it’s nice to see Edifier get this one mostly right, even if I did find myself pressing the volume up button by accident when trying to power it down. It’s not a perfect setup by any means, but there are much worse options out there.
Alternatives to Consider
At $399.99/£329.99, the Edifier S3 comes in at the mid-range price point. From all of the headphones I’ve ever tested, that price is justified thanks to the luscious sound profile alone. And if I’m being honest, I’ve used headphones twice the price of the S3 that aren’t half as expressive.
In terms of alternatives, if you’re after something cheaper in earbud form, the Tozo X1 is a solid choice but suffers from a popping problem. I’d personally just pay the extra and grab the super-clear NeoBuds Pro 2. For headphones, the best cheaper option is the Edifier WH950NB (my review is off-site here). Although I do need to stress, while the WH950NB are the best budget headphones out there, the sound profile isn’t as deep and varied as the S3.
Verdict
I won’t bore you with a bunch of specs few understand. Instead, all you need to know is the Edifier S3 is a set of cans with one of the best sound profiles I’ve tested. Bass is the weakest of the three main areas, but it’s still better than 90 percent of the headphones I’ve tested. Sick of needing to charge devices? The S3’s 80-hour battery life trumps most leading headphones. In fact, the battery is four times that of the Apple Airpods Max.
The hardest part of reviewing the S3 is that there isn’t anything major to gripe about. Sure, the design is a little uninspired, but most audiophiles I’ve spoken with don’t care for style, especially when the sound profile is so on-point. The price is likely to be the biggest barrier for most, but if you can get past it, the S3 is going to be your new favorite headphones for the next few years.
How I tested
As noted, before I started working on writing up my findings I spent time discharging the Edifier S3 to make sure that they lived up to the 80 hours per charge claim and that there weren’t any obvious problems with the battery charging.
I also used the S3 over different music genres to get an idea of how different instruments and electronics sounded in the headphones. Below are my top tracks I recommend listening to to understand the S3’s sound profile. That’s not every song I listened to, obviously, but these should give you a good idea of the lows, mids, and highs.
- Sub Urban – Cradles.
- Olivia Rodrigo – obsessed.
- Jefferson Starship – Jane.
- Labi Siffre – I Got The…
Disclosure: Review unit provided by PR on behalf of Edifier | To learn more about our review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
