Fairphone refreshes its good-looking, repairable headphones

Fairphone has refreshed its Fairbuds XL headphones, available in a distinctive forest green alongside black, emphasizing repairability and longevity over cutting-edge sound features. These headphones allow users to easily replace key components such as the battery, cushions, speaker covers, headband, and drivers using simple tools like a guitar pick or screwdriver, supported by detailed repair tutorials on Fairphone’s YouTube channel. The updated model retains the 40mm driver size but features upgraded magnets for improved bass while maintaining a largely neutral sound profile that preserves vocal clarity and mids. Design improvements include a color change for the speaker cable and joystick from orange to green, and new mesh ear cushions that enhance comfort and voice isolation for extended wear. Controls are managed via a tactile button and joystick, allowing media playback, volume adjustment, noise cancellation mode switching, and pairing. While the active noise cancellation is robust, it does not match the level of premium models like Apple’s AirPods but performs well in typical noisy environments. Fairphone’s CTO highlighted