The Chinese company Edifier has made a name for itself in this country primarily through loudspeakers. As a rule, not only the quality and the sound are right, but also the price – for example with the Edifier G200 gaming loudspeakers (test report).
But now let’s take a closer look at the Stax Spirit S3 Bluetooth headphones, which contain the knowledge and technology of three audio experts. In addition to Edifier itself, the manufacturer Stax is also on board, which, among other things, builds electrostatic (and outrageously expensive) headphones and was recently taken over by Edifier. Third in the group is the headphone specialist Audeze, which contributes to the refinement of the sound image with licensed technology.
The great feature of the Stax Spirit S3 is the magnetostatic driver, which is superior to a dynamic driver commonly used in this price range. To put it simply, Edifier’s latest over-ear flagship comes with sound technology for around 300 euros, which can cost 1000 euros and more. Sounds like a really good deal. However, when you look at other important criteria, this lead is quickly evened out – for example due to the lack of ANC. On the other hand, if you want over-ear headphones with ANC, you should take a look at our list of the best: The 10 best over-ear headphones with ANC.
Design and comfort
Visually, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 presents itself in a very puristic and inconspicuous guise: everything is black, apart from a few logo and lettering details in golden yellow. Lots of plastic, except for a few elements like the genuine lamb leather ear pads. In short: the high price of the headphones is not obvious.
The processing is flawless. After all, when it comes to wearing comfort, the first “Oha!” comes out of our mouth. Even after hours of wearing, there is no noticeable pressure on the ears or head. Everything just feels good. With a weight of around 330 grams, the over-ears also sit quite securely and the bracket does not slip forward when leaning forward. Practical: The – quite bulky – ear cups can be screwed in for transport and folded into the bracket.
Edifier Stax Spirit S3 pictures
equipment and service
The carrying bag that comes with it has a checkered fabric look and is correspondingly compact. The accessories can also be stowed here, consisting of a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, a 6.35 mm adapter and a 3.5 mm jack cable, which can be used, for example, to connect to an Xbox and PlayStation controller can be used. A small highlight are two additional ear pads with a cooling mesh fabric cover as an alternative to the leather version, which is more prone to sweating.
The first commissioning and coupling works perfectly. The app is quickly installed and set up, but its range of functions can be reduced to just four core features: In addition to switching game mode on and off (for lower latency), you can specify whether the leather or ear pads are attached to adjust the sound profile accordingly. There are also three sound presets (Classic, HiFi and Stax) that can be switched between, but no equalizer to adjust the sound to your own liking. A real shortcoming!
Finally, the function of the multifunction button on the right ear cup can be determined in the options. The operation via the three buttons works well and intuitively. Edifier has dispensed with touch controls.
Edifier Stax Spirit S3 screenshots
Technology and battery power
The planar magnetic driver mentioned at the beginning is the flagship of the Stax Spirit S3. This is joined by Bluetooth 5.2 and a well-rounded aptX codec package (aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive) with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound (QSS). AAC, on the other hand, is not supported, which means that iOS users are basically completely excluded when it comes to Hi-Res audio and have to be content with the outdated SBC codec, which does not play to the strengths of the headphones.
Another KO criterion for many is the lack of ANC technology, which has actually already established itself as a must-have feature in high-end Bluetooth headphones. When traveling in a noisy environment or on a plane, the passive shielding via the ear cups alone must be sufficient, but it is not really effective.
It looks completely different when it comes to battery performance: With a fantastic 80 hours, the Stax Spirit S3 can unabashedly count themselves among the marathon runners among Bluetooth headphones. This is made possible by a 1500 mAh battery and particularly energy-efficient technology. For comparison: The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (test report) already stand out from the crowd with 60 hours of playtime, but they also provide additional features, such as ANC or an Aware mode, which the Stax Spirit S3 does not offer.
The cheapest BT over-ears with ANC, AptX and AAC in price comparison
Edifier can really show off in the supreme discipline, as long as everything fits. If high-resolution music is paired with the aptX codec, the Stax Spirit S3 are among the best in terms of sound that we have had in the area of wireless over-ears without ANC. Especially with classical music and live recordings, the planar-magnetic drivers flex their muscles.
On iOS devices, the missing AAC codec reverses the process, as expected. The fact that only three predefined sound modes are available and there is no equalizer that can be used to personalize the sound is particularly annoying. That too is actually a must-have in this price range – and with these headphones, which rely so much on good sound, it feels like a kind of bondage.
The sound quality and intelligibility when making calls is okay for both sides, as long as you are not in a noisy environment. There is no noticeable latency in films and games – also thanks to the switchable game mode.
Price
Edifier’s recommended price for the Stax Spirit S3 is a whopping 379.95 euros. At the time of testing, the street price seems to have leveled off at around 300 euros.
Conclusion
With the Stax Spirit S3, Edifier is pursuing the idea of a compact Bluetooth headphone that bridges the gap between sound quality between (cheap) dynamic and (expensive) electrostatic models while remaining relatively affordable. A magnetostatic headphone at this price is something special – and in ideal conditions they sound like one too. However, the red pencil was used for this trick in some important upper class features.
The most bitter thing for many is the lack of an ANC mode, which often proves to be very useful on the go. iOS users are excluded from the high-res sound anyway because of the missing AAC. The Apple AirPods Max (test report) are clearly the better choice here.
It’s worth taking a look at our list of the best: The 10 best over-ear headphones with ANC – all of which also sound good. The Edifier Stax Spirit S3 is definitely worth recommending for anyone who puts sound quality first and can do without the missing features.
