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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless vs Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Fairphone Fairbuds XL
Fairphone Fairbuds

Tested using Methodology v1.7

Updated Oct 23, 2024 01:46 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Oct 23, 2024 01:40 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Picture

Variants

  • Fairbuds XL (Black)
  • Fairbuds XL (Green)
  • Fairbuds (Black)
  • Fairbuds (White)

Our Verdict

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless

Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless

The Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless and the Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless are both built out of easily repairable components and recycled materials. Both have great noise isolation. The choice comes down to your use case: the Fairbuds XL are over-ears and can be used wired, while the Fairbuds True Wireless are small, portable earbuds that will still be comfortable during moderate exercise.

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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

7.6
6.4

Treble Accuracy 
 

7.2
1.9

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.3
0.8

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.8
7.3

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.9
9.5

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

6.4
9.1

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Design Picture 2
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
In-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Truly Wireless

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Comfort Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.73 lbs
0.03 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1 lbs
0 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

7.6
7.6

Controls Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Controls Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Decent
Decent

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant

Show text

Breathability 
 

Breathability After Picture  

Avg.Temp.Difference  

Portability 
 

5.9
9.4

Portability Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Portability Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Portability Picture

 

5.6" (14.1 cm)
1.2" (3.1 cm)

 

7.0" (17.9 cm)
1.6" (4.1 cm)

 

3.0" (7.6 cm)
0.8" (2.0 cm)

Volume  

119.54 in³ (1,958.98 cm³)
1.55 in³ (25.42 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

6.5
8.0

Case Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Case Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Pouch
Hard case

 

8.0" (20.4 cm)
2.6" (6.5 cm)

 

8.5" (21.7 cm)
2.6" (6.5 cm)

 

0.1" (0.3 cm)
1.1" (2.7 cm)

Volume  

8.10 in³ (132.80 cm³)
7.07 in³ (115.83 cm³)

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.5
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Build Quality Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.0
7.5

Stability Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Stability Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Angled Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Side Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Front Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Rear Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Top Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless In The Box Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

500 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

0.72 dB
-0.5 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.84 dB
-7.7 dB

Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

6.4
9.1

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.78 dB
0.19 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.9
9.5

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.54 dB
2.2 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
20 Hz

Low Bass 
 

1.91 dB
-0.83 dB

Mid Bass 
 

-0.02 dB
-2.7 dB

High Bass 
 

0.9 dB
2.11 dB

Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.8
7.3

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.59 dB
2.63 dB

Low Mid 
 

0 dB
2.74 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.65 dB
-0.36 dB

High Mid 
 

1.09 dB
-2.71 dB

Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.2
1.9

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

4.13 dB
9.11 dB

Low Treble 
 

-1.91 dB
-8.77 dB

Mid Treble 
 

1.68 dB
-6.34 dB

High Treble 
 

-10.35 dB
-20.92 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.7
6.9

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

2.32 dB
1.7 dB

Dips 
 

1.34 dB
2.51 dB

Show text

Imaging 
 

8.1
8.7

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.2
0.28

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

15.34
2.19

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.42
1.02

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.94
1.26

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.3
0.8

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

4.85 dB
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

6.85 dB
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

9.54 dB
N/A

Openness 
 

1.5
1.6

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

2.6
1.7

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

6.9
7.6

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.638
0.406

WHD @ 100 
 

0.239
0.132

Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

V90
V65

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth

Codec 
 

aptX HD, 24-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

Amsterdam
Main

ANC 
 

On
On

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Silicone (small)

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated

Show text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

8.4
8.4

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Overall Attenuation 
 

-22.10 dB
-21.91 dB

Bass 
 

-15.91 dB
-18.70 dB

Mid 
 

-19.06 dB
-24.73 dB

Treble 
 

-32.98 dB
-22.67 dB

Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

7.5
9.2

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-17.66 dB
-21.94 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-17.99 dB
-20.36 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-19.21 dB
-23.19 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show text

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

ANC Wind Noise 
 

Show text

Leakage 
 

7.7
8.5

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

35.54 dB
30.13 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

6.9
0.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

403.18 Hz
N/A

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.67 dB
N/A

HFE 
 

6,267.15 Hz
N/A

Weighted THD 
 

1.084
N/A

Gain 
 

28.65 dB
N/A

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

5.4
4.2

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless SpNR

SpNR 
 

19.53 dB
N/A

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
N/A

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

6.0
4.0

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

4.5
4.5

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

7.6
6.0

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

28.4 hrs
4.9 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
4.2

Total Battery Life 
 

28.4 hrs
25.5 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.2 hrs
0.9 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
No

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

USB-C
USB-C

Show text

App Support 
 

6.0
6.0

App Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless App Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Fairphone
Fairphone

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

8.9
0.0

Cable Picture  

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless Cable Picture
Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

USB-C
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
No

Length 
 

N/A
N/A

Connector 
 

USB-C
No Wired Option

Latency - Analog 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - USB 
 

18.5 ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency Connection  

USB
No Wired Audio

Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

7.5
6.1

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.1
5.3

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No
No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

206.69 ft (63.00 m)
141.08 ft (43.00 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

271 ms
459 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

265 ms
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

aptX HD
SBC

AAC Support 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
No

Wired USB 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

No
No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
2.2

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
Charging Case

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
Yes

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
USB-C

Show text

Check Price

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless

Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

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