Review: Edifier H690

These days there’s a standard term for the bag you carry around every day — EDC, short for Every Day Carry or whatever. Point is, it’s the stuff you haul around daily. By that definition I’ve got an EDC bag too, usually with a work ThinkPad and some accessories inside, plus a portable pair of headphones so I can plug into the laptop.

The first pick was the AKG K420, until a family member took it. Then I switched to the JVC SR500. Honestly the JVC isn’t as good as the K420 — portability alone is a problem. Folded up it feels loose and floppy, and the sound has no real highlight; the highs aren’t transparent enough.

So after a year and a half of service, the JVC SR500 finally broke! (Why do I say “finally”?)

Thus the hunt for a successor began. Requirements: 1) portable; 2) decent sound; 3) comfortable; 4) under 200 yuan; 5) closed-back.

So I bought the Edifier H690.

The Edifier H690 looks vaguely familiar — no idea whose design it’s copying, if any. In the 200-yuan bracket the widely praised pick is usually the JVC S500, but wearing it is miserable. It clamps your head, and it’s especially unfriendly to glasses wearers. Even if the sound is good — and at this price it’s not that good — for an on-ear meant to pair with a laptop all day, comfort matters way more than that last bit of sound quality. I’m not spending every day listening to music through a torture device.

Wearing the Edifier H690 is the most comfortable experience I’ve had recently. More comfortable than the Creative Live!, the Grado SR225, the Q701, the Koss PP, and the K420. Supposedly the earpads are made of some protein material with foam inside. They sit light and secure, don’t make my ears particularly hot, and — more importantly — leave room for glasses temples. I wore them for an entire afternoon with zero discomfort. It was warm today too, and my ears didn’t feel hot at all; breathability is surprisingly good. Comfort-wise the H690 completely blew past my expectations.

So how does it sound? The H690’s tuning leans slightly bright. Compared with the K420’s bass emphasis, the H690’s mids and highs stand out. The soundstage isn’t as wide as the S500’s, but damn it, I’m not listening to symphonies every day — who the hell would put up with head-clamping pain for a tiny bit of extra soundstage? I only tried a handful of tracks, the usual comparison ones. Mari Tamari’s Clover Heart and Yui Horie’s Sweet & Sweet CHERRY both satisfied me. Bass isn’t plentiful but it’s not absent either, highs are fairly transparent, mids have good density — at least it sounds comfortable. Not disgusting like the SR500, and not bass-bloated on certain songs like the K420.

The H690 goes on sale often; on JD it’s dropped as low as 169 yuan. I paid 199, and it fully meets my requirements, so it can go into the EDC bag for long-term duty with peace of mind.