Edifier, who have owned Japanese electrostatic audio company STAX since 2011, recently released their latest wireless headphone using the high-end moniker. Named the STAX Spirit S5, it comes in at $100 more than its predecessor, the STAX S3, and still doesn’t feature active noise-cancelling.
Much like the S3, the S5 has been marketed towards audiophiles who want to experience superior sound quality without a wired connection. It’s worth mentioning that the S5 also uses planar-magnetic drivers, a rarity in the wireless audio space.
Consisting of a 2 micrometer-thick Polyethylene substrate layer with 1 micrometer-thick wiring embedded within, Edifier reckon that the lightness of the diaphragm has improved sound quality compared to its predecessors. We will find out if this is true in this review.
Coming in at $499, can the planar magnetic STAX Spirit S5 make up for its hefty price tag and the omission of ANC that has become a standard feature on the majority of its competition?
Features & Tech
Whilst lacking ANC, the S5 is packed with plenty of features. What impressed me most was its battery life; at 80 hours I formed all of my listening impressions on a single charge.
When it came to replenishing the battery of the S5 I appreciated the super fast charging speed; ten minutes were enough for around ten hours of further use. A couple of hours later and it was back up to 100%.
Of course, you get access to all of the latest Bluetooth codecs including LDAC and LHDC courtesy of the Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset and Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite.
The accompanying Edifier ConneX was easy-to-use and offers just the right amount of customisability. After specifying which earpads are installed on your S5, you can choose between three sound modes (Original, Dynamic, Monitor) or use a four-band EQ to tweak the sound to your taste. Finally, there is a Game mode which reduces wireless latency and elevates the upper mids and lower treble slightly to help with spatial awareness in competitive video games.
The onboard microphone sounds great too, at least according to several of my friends and family members to which I made a series of phone calls.
Design & Comfort
Included with your S5 is a hard-shell carrying case. While it feels sturdy, I do wish it was a little thinner to make it easier to pack into a bag. You also get two sets of ear pads; the lambskin pair is pre-installed but it is simple to switch them out for the mesh ear pads.
I personally preferred the mesh ear pads for their cooling properties, and they also altered the sound ever so slightly compared to the leather ones, but I’ll get to that in the sound section of this review. Bear in mind that passive noise isolation is better with the leather pads though; with this combination I was able to use the S5 comfortably on hikes and public transport.
The comfort level is acceptable; both pads are plenty soft but the low clamp force resulted in a hotspot on the top of my head after extended listening. It’s also heavier than its competition, almost 100 grams more than the Sony WH-1000XM5 at 347g, which adds to the discomfort after around two hours of constant use.
Edifier have nailed the aesthetics of the STAX Spirit S5 in my opinion. Gone are the flashy gold and carbon fiber accents of the S3, in comes an understated, professional glossy logo with leather-backed cups which just looks more serious and refined.
My only design gripe is the metal headband. It looks great, but picks up fingerprints no matter how clean your hands are.
Listening Notes
Overall, the Spirit S5 deliver a dynamic, punchy sound which never strays towards muddiness or bloat.
In a market of wireless headphones full of boomy and bass-heavy models, including the aforementioned Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max, the S5 is truly a breath of fresh air that not only excels from a tuning standpoint, but also a technical one. The fact that it bests several of my wired pairs of closed-back headphones is somewhat telling about the advancement of wireless headphones.
All listening impressions were made using the “Original” sound profile on the Edifier ConneX app.
Bass
The S5 has a subtler, less pronounced bass boost when compared to other wireless over-ear headphones, which is a welcome change for someone such as myself and many other audiophiles who prefer a more neutral sonic signature.
Compared to the Harman 2018 Target, the Edifier’s mid-bass is a little higher whilst the sub-bass does drop down in amplitude ever so slightly. But I still found the bass to be well textured without encroaching into the lower midrange.
Anyone coming from a pair of the popular Sony WH-1000X series of headphones (and many other consumer-grade wireless headphones) will find the sound coming out of the S5 to be remarkably clear as a result.
Midrange
Despite the subtle bass boost, the midrange of the STAX Spirit S5 has just the right amount of presence and sticks relatively close to neutral throughout.
There is a slight elevation as the bass transitions into lower midrange, which results in a smooth and rich midrange tone which is very pleasing to listen to as it adds weight to many instruments and vocals.
Texture and clarity were rather good throughout the range.
Treble
No intrusive peaks or troughs in the upper frequencies, although the upper treble above 10kHz is elevated.
This results in a wonderful sense of air and spaciousness to certain songs, although the flipside to this is listening fatigue for those that are sensitive to this region.
Imaging and Soundstage
Imaging and soundstage are also remarkably solid, especially for a wireless pair of headphones.
You can pick out the precise location of certain instruments and vocals in a decently-sized space. It’s not particularly wide-reaching in any direction, but localization is pinpoint accurate.
More Sound Notes
Transient response is something that Edifier worked on when tweaking the planar-magnetic drivers used in the STAX Spirit S5, and you can certainly tell. The diaphragm is 2 micrometres thick and therefore very light, which translates to an impressive sense of attack in the leading edge of notes and superb macrodynamics. This also makes the S5 sound highly detailed, especially for a wireless pair of headphones.
I thought I’d quickly describe the differences in sound between the lambskin and cooling mesh pads. I hear a scooping out of the lower midrange using the lambskin pads, which brings male vocals back in the mix and thins out snare drums and guitars. This is why I preferred the mesh pads, which filled out this area of the frequency spectrum and brought back the body that was missing with the other pair.
The Bottom Line
Listening to the Edifier STAX Spirit S5, I often completely forgot that they were a wireless pair of headphones. With all the limitations of having no wires, I didn’t expect the S5 to sound as accomplished as they do. You expect there to be some kind of compromise for the added convenience of wireless, but the S5 dismisses this notion with excellent tuning and superb technical performance.
Pros:
- Impressive battery life
- Remarkable imaging and soundstaging capabilities
- Best-in-class detail retrieval
Cons:
- No ANC
- Hefty price tag
Rating: 9/10
Where to buy:
For more information: edifier-online.com
Related Reading:
- Edifier Stax Spirit S3 Planar Magnetic Wireless Headphones Review
- Edifier R1700BTs Wireless Speakers Review
- Edifier’s NeoDots Wireless Earbuds Are Feature Packed: Preview
