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SimplyAmplifying

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What the experts found, in one honest verdict

Fairphone Fairbuds XL (Gen. 2) review roundup: an early verdict from one outlet

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by

Jarna Rik

in

SimplyAmplifying score: 6.8/10 · Confidence: Low · Based on 1 in-depth review(s) from 1 outlet, and 3 article(s) read in full

First published 13 October 2026 · We update this page as new reviews come in

Early verdict: only a few in-depth reviews are out so far. We update this page as more reviews are published.

The verdict

This is an early verdict. We found only one in-depth review, from NotebookCheck, so nothing here has been cross-checked against other outlets. It describes mixed headphones: clear mids, low distortion and exceptional repairability, offset by lean bass, middling noise cancelling and a heavy, firmly clamping fit. They suit buyers who care about repairability more than top-tier sound or ANC.

Best for: Buyers who put repairability and replaceable parts ahead of bass, class-leading noise cancelling or a light fit.
Skip it if: You want strong bass, top-level noise cancelling, or light headphones for long sessions, or you’d rather wait for more reviews.

Scores by category

CategoryScoreConfidenceOutlets
Sound quality6.8/10Low1
Noise cancelling6.4/10Low1
Comfort & fit6.9/10Low1
Battery life–Too little evidence1
Call quality6.8/10Low1
App & connectivity7.3/10Low1

Not scored yet (no reviews covered it): Value.

What reviewers liked

  • Clear, forward mids that give vocals and instruments good intelligibility (NotebookCheck)
  • Low harmonic distortion, measured at 0.053% THD
  • Nine replaceable components, including a tool-free removable battery, for exceptional repairability
  • Soft, breathable fabric ear cushions and a secure, adjustable headband
  • Joystick controls that respond reliably with clear tactile feedback

What they didn’t

  • Lean sound with sub-bass that lacks punch and weight
  • ANC cuts steady noise but isn’t class-leading; transparency mode sounds muffled and unnatural
  • At 330 grams, among the heaviest Bluetooth headphones, with strong clamping force
  • No LDAC, Auracast or wear detection, and a basic five-band EQ in the app

In detail

Sound quality: 6.8/10

Only NotebookCheck gave a sound verdict, so there is nothing to compare it against. It found the tuning lean, with sub-bass that lacks punch and weight, so kick drums and electronic bass hit with less impact. On the plus side, it found the midrange pushed forward, which makes vocals and instruments easy to follow. NotebookCheck also measured total harmonic distortion at 0.053%, which it called low. Overall the sound is mixed: clear and clean in the mids, but light for bass-heavy music. Treat this as an early read until other outlets weigh in.

Noise cancelling: 6.4/10

NotebookCheck is again the only outlet covering this. It found the noise cancelling reduces steady ambient noise, but said performance is not class-leading, and voices stay clearly audible through it. It also described the transparency mode as somewhat muffled and unnatural, though it did not present that as a measured result. With one outlet, there is no second opinion to confirm or challenge these points. If effective noise isolation is your main reason to buy, this is a weak spot to check further.

Comfort & fit: 6.9/10

NotebookCheck is the only outlet that commented on comfort. It liked the fabric ear cushions, calling them soft and more breathable than the previous faux-leather model. It also found the fit secure, with an adjustable headband that has plenty of range. The downside is weight: at 330 grams, NotebookCheck says these are among the heaviest Bluetooth headphones available. Combined with strong clamping force, that can become noticeable in longer listening sessions. These comfort observations were not part of a formal test, and no other outlet has weighed in.

Battery life: too little evidence to score

There is too little evidence to judge battery life. NotebookCheck listed the rated figures: up to 30 hours of playback without ANC and 26 hours with ANC on. These are the stated ratings, and we found no real-world battery testing in the reviews we read. NotebookCheck separately noted that the battery can be removed without tools, which matters for long-term ownership. We are not scoring this category until measured results are available.

Call quality: 6.8/10

NotebookCheck measured the microphones and found decent voice quality in quiet surroundings. Intelligibility gets worse when there is background noise, so calls in busy places may be less clear. This is the only call-quality verdict we found, so there is no comparison with other outlets. Treat these headphones as fine for calls at home or in the office, and be more cautious about using them outdoors or in noisy spaces.

App & connectivity: 7.3/10

NotebookCheck found the joystick controls intuitive and reliable, with clear tactile feedback, and this was one of its tested positives. It listed Bluetooth 5.1 multipoint and aptX HD support, but no LDAC or Auracast. The companion app has a five-band equalizer and presets but lacks common features such as wear detection, and NotebookCheck found it basic. Overall this reads as average for the category. Only one outlet covered it, and we have no price from the reviews we read, so we have not assessed value.

Sources

How we put this together

We read the reviews and articles listed above and weigh each by how much it should count: in-depth, hands-on testing with measurements counts most; launch news and press-release rewrites count least; sponsored content is penalised. Category scores are our trust-weighted summary of what those sources found, set to the same 10-point scale reviewers use; the reviewers’ own scores, where published, are listed above. This page was compiled with AI assistance and checked against the source notes. All findings belong to the outlets credited above; follow the links to read their full reviews. How we score.

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