SimplyAmplifying score: 7.0/10 · Confidence: Low · Based on 1 in-depth review(s) from 1 outlet, and 1 article(s) read in full
First published 2 November 2026 · Last updated 2 November 2026 · Updated 1 time as new reviews came in
Reviewers’ own scores: SoundGuys 7.6/10
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 SoundGuys, which gave the Fairbuds 2 a 7.6/10. It found comfortable wear, decent noise cancelling and strong codec support. It also found battery life short of the claim, a basic app and a weak microphone outdoors. Sound quality and value weren’t covered in the material we read, so treat this as provisional.
Best for: Buyers who want easily replaceable batteries and a comfortable, light earbud with LDAC and multipoint, and who can wait for more reviews.
Skip it if: You need long battery life, reliable calls outdoors, or a customizable app and controls.
Scores by category
| Category | Score | Confidence | Outlets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | 7.3/10 | Low | 1 |
| Comfort & fit | 7.9/10 | Low | 1 |
| Battery life | 5.6/10 | Low | 1 |
| Call quality | – | Too little evidence | 1 |
| App & connectivity | 6.9/10 | Low | 1 |
Not scored yet (no reviews covered it): Sound quality, Value.
What reviewers liked
- Replaceable button cell batteries in the earbuds, which SoundGuys says can be swapped without tools
- Comfortable for several hours at a time in SoundGuys’ testing
- Supports Bluetooth 6.0 with SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC, plus multipoint for two devices
- Decent noise cancelling: SoundGuys measured about 81% of ambient noise cancelled
- Light at 5.8g per earbud, with IP54 dust and moisture resistance
What they didn’t
- Measured 5 hours 29 minutes with ANC on, short of the 6-hour claim
- Microphone struggles in wind and outdoors, so it is poor for walk-and-talks
- Basic app and fixed tap controls with no customization
- High-pitched sounds leak through the noise cancelling
- Only one outlet reviewed it, so the picture is thin
In detail
Noise cancelling: 7.3/10
Only SoundGuys covered this, so there is nothing to compare against. It measured the earbuds isolating about 54% of outside noise and actively cancelling about 81% of ambient noise by average perceived loudness. That is decent overall. The weak spot is high frequencies: SoundGuys says the design gives up some high-frequency attenuation for comfort, so high-pitched sounds get through. It described the transparency mode as standard. It works for staying aware of your surroundings but doesn’t convincingly sound like wearing no earbuds. Evidence here is thin: one outlet, one set of measurements.
Comfort & fit: 7.9/10
SoundGuys is the only outlet we found on fit, and its view was mostly positive. The reviewer wore the earbuds for several hours at a time before any discomfort began. The short nozzles reduce the tickling sensation some earbuds cause in the ear. The caveat is that they may feel loose in larger ear canals. SoundGuys also lists the weight at 5.8g per earbud. Comfort is personal, and with one reviewer we can’t say how well this holds across different ear shapes.
Battery life: 5.6/10
This is the clearest weakness in the review we read. SoundGuys got 5 hours 29 minutes in its standardized test with ANC on, short of the manufacturer’s 6-hour claim. On the plus side, the earbuds use replaceable LIR 1054 button cell batteries. SoundGuys says you can swap them by peeling back the silicone and opening a battery drawer, with no tools. The case battery is harder to reach and needs a T4 Torx bit. Replaceability is a design strength, but it doesn’t change the runtime. Only SoundGuys covered this.
Call quality: too little evidence to score
We have too little evidence to score call quality. Only SoundGuys commented, and it described this as an impression rather than a test. It found the microphone acceptable for calls in ideal conditions. It struggled to reject noise in wind and outdoors, and SoundGuys said it is not well suited to walk-and-talks. If you take many calls on the move, this is worth checking in further reviews before you buy.
App & connectivity: 6.9/10
SoundGuys found strong connectivity but a bare-bones app. The earbuds support Bluetooth 6.0 with SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC, and multipoint connects to two devices at once. Pairing was straightforward, apart from one occasion when the left earbud paired without the right and needed a factory reset. The app offers EQ presets, Find My and ANC settings. The 5-band EQ slider can’t adjust each band’s center frequency. Tap controls are fixed: single tap plays or pauses, double tap skips forward, triple tap skips back. They can’t be customized. This is one outlet’s view.
Sources
- SoundGuys: We lab tested the world’s most maintainable earbuds: Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review · Full review
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.
Header image: AI illustration by SimplyAmplifying, drawn with reference photos of the product as a guide (not a copy of any one photo); scores drawn from this page’s data.
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