How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight on-ear headset with a detachable boom mic for meetings and calls, choose Maxell ANC Headphones; if you need serious noise cancellation, marathon battery life and hi-res wireless audio, choose Edifier W820NB.
• Maxell ANC Headphones — biggest strength: the detachable boom mic plus a built-in mic, which makes it a genuine headset for virtual meetings, classes and hands-free calls, not just a music pair.
• Maxell ANC Headphones — biggest trade-off: modest noise reduction (about 20dB of ANC) and short battery figures of 10 hours with ANC on, 15 hours with it off.
• Edifier W820NB — biggest strength: far stronger ANC at up to -49dB, up to 88 hours of playtime (49 hours with ANC), LDAC hi-res audio and a 40mm titanium driver in a foldable over-ear design.
• Edifier W820NB — biggest trade-off: it's a listening-first headphone, so it relies on AI call handling rather than giving you a dedicated boom mic you can position at your mouth.
• Who each is for: Maxell for the person who talks more than they listen — office, school, home desk. Edifier for the person who listens more than they talk — commuting, flights, long workdays.
The Maxell ANC Headphones are built around a simple idea: one pair that works as a headset first and a music headphone second. The 40mm dynamic drivers cover a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, which is the standard full-range window for everyday listening — podcasts, pop, video calls, streamed audio. Nothing exotic, but nothing missing either.
What separates it from most headphones in this shape is the mic situation. You get a detachable boom mic that plugs in when you're on a call and comes off when you're not, plus a built-in microphone for quick hands-free answering. If your day is a mix of Zoom meetings, online classes and phone calls, that boom mic is the feature you'll actually notice. A boom sits closer to your mouth than an internal mic, so your voice arrives more directly. The tap/touch media controls handle playback and call management without you reaching for your phone, and Bluetooth 5 with a 10-metre range is plenty for a desk or a small room.
Buy it if you want a wireless headset with a proper boom mic, touch controls, a protective case and a 1-year warranty, and you mostly work in a quiet-to-moderate space. Skip it if you fly often, need all-day battery, or want your headphones to double as a hi-res music rig.
Edifier W820NB: Who It's For
The Edifier W820NB (W820NB Plus Gen 2) is a different animal. This is an over-ear, foldable, Navy-finished headphone weighing 247g with memory foam ear cushions, and every spec points at long listening sessions rather than meeting rooms.
Start with the headline number: hybrid ANC rated up to -49dB, with multiple modes you can switch using physical buttons or fine-tune in the EDIFIER ConneX app, which adds presets for sport, office and travel. That's a big step up from the Maxell's roughly 20dB of reduction, and it's the kind of cancellation that changes a commute. The 40mm titanium driver runs 20Hz–40kHz with 40-ohm impedance, and LDAC support means you can stream hi-res audio wirelessly rather than settling for a basic codec.
Battery is the other headline. Up to 88 hours of continuous use, or 49 hours with ANC on, and fast charging that gives you 15 hours of playback from a 15-minute top-up. A 2-hour full charge rounds it out. For a daily commuter or someone who works from a café, that's the difference between charging weekly and charging constantly. Bluetooth 6.1 with multipoint lets you stay connected to a laptop and a phone at once, and the USB-C port handles wired listening when you want it.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancellation → Edifier W820NB. Up to -49dB hybrid ANC versus about 20dB on the Maxell.
• Best for battery life → Edifier W820NB. Up to 88 hours (49 with ANC) against 10 hours ANC / 15 hours off.
• Best for calls and meetings → Maxell ANC Headphones. The detachable boom mic is a dedicated voice tool, not an app feature.
• Best for hi-res music → Edifier W820NB. 40mm titanium driver, 20Hz–40kHz, LDAC and multipoint.
• Best for portability → Edifier W820NB. Foldable over-ear with memory foam cushions at 247g.
• Best for a simple desk setup → Maxell ANC Headphones. Bluetooth 5, touch controls, protective case, boom mic that pops off when you're done.
• Best for travel and commuting → Edifier W820NB. Stronger ANC, spatial sound, travel and office modes in the app.
• Best for a wired option → Edifier W820NB. USB-C audio input; the Maxell is wireless-only with no jack.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Edifier W820NB. The gap in noise cancellation, battery life and audio capability is too wide to ignore, and the foldable over-ear design with memory foam cushions suits the way headphones actually get used — commuting, working, travelling, listening for hours. The Maxell is the better pick in exactly one scenario, and it's a scenario that matters: if your priority is speaking clearly on calls and you want a boom mic you can attach and remove, I'd recommend the Maxell ANC Headphones. Everyone else gets more headphone for the money with the Edifier. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since both sit in the budget-to-mid range and value shifts with whatever deal is live.
what is 40mm driver in headphones
A 40mm driver is the circular speaker unit inside the earcup, measured across at 40 millimetres. Both headphones here use one: the Maxell uses 40mm dynamic drivers, and the Edifier uses a 40mm titanium dynamic driver. It's a common size for over-ear and on-ear headphones because it moves enough air for full-range sound without making the cups bulky.
what are 40mm drivers in headphones
They're the electro-mechanical part that converts the audio signal into sound waves you hear. In these two models the 40mm driver is paired with a wide frequency range — 20Hz–20,000Hz on the Maxell and 20Hz–40kHz on the Edifier. The Edifier's titanium coating is a materials choice aimed at keeping the driver rigid during fast movement.
which driver is best for headphones
There's no single best driver size — it depends on the headphones and what they're tuned for. Driver diameter, the material used and the tuning all shape the result. A 40mm driver is a sensible middle ground: large enough for decent bass and full-range sound, small enough to keep the headphone light enough to wear for hours.
is 40mm driver good for headphones
Yes, 40mm is a good all-round size for over-ear and on-ear headphones. Both products on this page use one and both cover at least 20Hz–20,000Hz. If you want more low-end weight or higher-resolution detail, look at how the driver is built and what codecs the headphone supports — the Edifier's LDAC support matters more for audio quality than the 40mm figure alone.
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