It has been three months since we launched the Fairbuds XL and we couldn’t be prouder. It’s been heartwarming to see the positive responses to the first audio product that we’ve developed from scratch to ensure it truly embodies everything that we stand for! However, it’s still early days for us in the audio space, which is why all the feedback you have shared is extra important to us in making the Fairbuds XL even better. 

One bit of feedback that we got over and over again was regarding the equalizer settings and how it would have been nice to have more control over them. Well, the wait is over; thanks to our new Studio EQ preset, you can now fully tune your Fairbuds XL exactly to your liking. For those of you who prefer sound-engineer approved presets, we still have our Signature EQ presets that you can switch through. Allow us to explain.   

Through our experiments in the audio space, we quickly learned that making good headphones isn’t… well, easy. That’s why we started looking for experts to tie up with, to help us come up with a sustainable solution that also scored in every department, from design and engineering to acoustics and sound quality. One of the many partners we collaborated with is Sonarworks, an industry leader in audio techonology innovation. They are the people who help musicians like Lady Gaga, Madonna and Coldplay always sound amazing, no matter what device you are using. (We’re not kidding. Their tech is used across 140,000 studios globally.) 

Short Circuit’s review of the Fairbuds XL
(Source: YouTube)

The people at Short Circuit thought our collab with Sonarworks was marketing fluff. Well, Adam, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We gave Sonarworks a bunch of our Fairbuds XLs and asked them to help us define how the Fairbuds would ultimately sound. Sonarworks had the added advantage of their own SoundID app, which gave them unique insights into user preferences across various headphone brands like Bose, Sony and B&O among others. This insight is what helped us craft our Signature EQ presets on the Fairbuds XL app. There are three tailormade presets inspired by the most popular headphone brands in addition to our bespoke ‘Amsterdam’ preset, unique to Fairphone. For those of you who have been asking for the Signature EQ preset frequency curves, here you go. Hopefully, this will help you really get the most out of your Fairbuds XL!

The frequency curves for the Signature presets on the Fairbuds XL
(Source: Sonarworks)

Of course, we won’t pretend that these presets work for everyone. One size hardly ever fits all. And that was the same feedback we heard from our reviewers. Which is why we’re happy to announce a brand new, fully customisable Studio EQ preset. You can use this to access a five band equalizer that helps you make the Fairbud XL’s sound completely your own.

So how do you activate it? Get the latest Fairbuds XL app, now available on the App Store and Play Store. If you already have the app, make sure you have the latest version installed. The latest update contains a firmware update for your Fairbuds XL as well. This will help you get the most out of your newly upgraded Fairbuds XL. Happy listening!