We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-01 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a purpose-built TV listening kit that keeps audio and picture in sync, choose Avantree HT5009; if you need audiophile-grade wireless sound built around aptX Adaptive and high-resolution codecs, choose Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit.
• Avantree HT5009's biggest strength: a complete, matched system — headphones, Bluetooth transmitter and a cordless charging dock — engineered for TV audio with low-latency Qualcomm chipsets on both ends and a Clear Voice mode for dialogue.
• Avantree HT5009's biggest trade-off: it's a Bluetooth-only, TV-first tool with no wired jack and no active noise cancellation — not a hi-fi listening device for critical music enjoyment.
• Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit's biggest strength: planar magnetic drivers plus Snapdragon Sound with LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless over Bluetooth 5.4 — a seriously capable wireless audio platform.
• Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit's biggest trade-off: it's a Renewed unit backed by a 90-day limited warranty, and it's on-ear placement with a closed-back design — so fit and long-term coverage demand more thought than a new sealed product.
• Who each pick is for: Avantree HT5009 for someone who wants simpler, synced TV listening for themselves or a hard-of-hearing family member; the Edifier STAX Spirit for a listener who prioritizes codec quality, planar-driver detail and long battery life.
The HT5009 Plus is not really a pair of headphones you buy for music. It's a small ecosystem. You get the over-ear headphones, a Bluetooth transmitter, and a charging dock that Avantree ships as a bundle with an extra set of memory-foam earpads. The whole point — and the reason both the headphones and the transmitter use Qualcomm chipsets — is to cut audio delay so lips and voices stay together on screen. That's the classic failure mode of generic Bluetooth headphones on a TV, and it's exactly what this product is designed to solve.
The second job it does well is dialogue. Clear Voice mode lifts on-screen speech, and the overall volume is boosted, which is why this thing exists in living rooms with a hard-of-hearing viewer or someone who just can't parse mumbling dialogue over a soundtrack. Pass-through support is the feature I'd point out to families: you can run audio through an external soundbar or speaker and through the headphones at the same time, so one person listens privately while everyone else hears the TV normally. Battery is rated at 40 hours, and the cordless charging base means you drop them on the stand rather than hunting for a cable. Frequency response is a standard 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, the fit is over-ear, and there's no headphone jack — it's wireless only. Controls are touch-based, and the noise control is sound isolation, not active cancellation.
Buy it if your goal is straightforward: synced TV audio, louder and clearer speech, easy charging, and sharing sound with someone else in the room. Skip it if you want a wired backup, active noise cancellation, or a headphone that doubles as a serious music-listening rig — this one is a TV tool first.
The STAX Spirit S5 is the opposite philosophy — it's a wireless headphone built for sound quality above all. The core of it is a planar magnetic driver with an EqualMass diaphragm and a second-generation symmetric wiring structure, which is the engineering story behind low distortion, fast response and uniform drive across the diaphragm. If you've only heard conventional dynamic drivers, that's the difference you're buying into here: a driver type more often associated with high-end wired headphones, now running over Bluetooth.
The wireless platform is where it gets interesting for codec-focused listeners. A Qualcomm QCC5181 SoC with Snapdragon Sound supports LDAC, LHDC, and the full Snapdragon codec suite including aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. aptX Adaptive in particular is the one that matters for mixed use — the spec sheet cites up to 24-bit/96kHz with an end-to-end latency of about 89 ms, so it's designed to hold high-resolution audio together while keeping delay low enough for video and gaming. Bluetooth 5.4 adds stability and dual-device connection, and Google Fast Pair speeds up Android pairing. There's also USB-C and a 3.5 mm AUX jack, so you're not locked to wireless.
Battery is a headline number: up to 80 hours of playback, with a 10-minute charge giving roughly 11 hours. The fit is listed as on-ear with an over-ear earpiece shape, closed-back, with adjustable headbands and genuine lambskin pads, plus a foldable frame and carry case. Dual-mic Qualcomm cVc handling and active noise cancellation round out the everyday features, and the Edifier ConneX app adds EQ presets and customization.
Buy it if you care about codec quality, planar-driver character, long battery life and app-based tuning, and you're comfortable with a Renewed unit carrying a 90-day limited warranty. Skip it if you need a simple, guaranteed-fresh TV accessory or you'd rather not think about warranty coverage at all.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for TV and movie watching → Avantree HT5009. Matched transmitter, low-latency chipsets on both ends, and pass-through so the room can listen along.
• Best for music quality and codec support → Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit. aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC and LHDC with planar magnetic drivers.
• Best battery life → Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit. Up to 80 hours versus 40 hours, plus a 10-minute charge for about 11 hours.
• Best for wired flexibility → Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit. USB-C and 3.5 mm jacks; the HT5009 is wireless-only with no jack.
• Best for sharing audio in the room → Avantree HT5009. Pass-through lets speaker and headphones run together.
• Best for private, quiet listening → Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit. Active noise cancellation plus a closed-back design.
• Best for a no-fuss charging routine → Avantree HT5009. The cordless charging dock means you just set them down.
If I were buying for myself, I'd take the Amazon Renewed Edifier STAX Spirit — I'd rather have the planar magnetic driver, aptX Adaptive and the codec stack, and 80 hours of playback is genuinely useful. But I'd go in with clear eyes about the Renewed status and the 90-day limited warranty. The Avantree HT5009 is the better answer for a very specific job: synced, louder, clearer TV audio that another person in the room can share. Pick by the job, not by the spec sheet. If price matters to your decision, check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
aptX Adaptive is a Qualcomm Bluetooth audio codec that adjusts bitrate and latency based on what you're doing — higher quality for music, lower delay for video and gaming. On the Edifier STAX Spirit, the spec sheet lists aptX Adaptive within the Snapdragon Sound suite, alongside aptX HD and aptX Lossless, with up to 24-bit/96kHz and roughly 89 ms end-to-end latency. The Avantree HT5009 doesn't list aptX Adaptive; instead it uses Qualcomm chipsets in both the headphones and transmitter to minimize delay for TV audio.
Do I need a transmitter for the Edifier STAX Spirit?
For TV specifically, I'd pick the Avantree HT5009. It's designed around synced audio, Clear Voice mode for dialogue, and pass-through so a soundbar and the headphones can play at once. The STAX Spirit will work over aptX Adaptive with low latency, but it isn't built around TV sharing or dialogue-boosting features.
You can — it's a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz over-ear Bluetooth headphone — but it's tuned for TV: boosted volume, Clear Voice mode and sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation. If music is your priority, the planar magnetic STAX Spirit is the stronger pick.
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