These Repair-Friendly Headphones Let You Swap Out Almost Everything

Fairphone is back with an upgraded version of its modular, eco-friendly wireless headphones, which is also theoretically an upgrade for its previous headphones. The second-generation Fairbuds XL bring a few nice-to-haves to Fairphone’s sustainable/repairable wireless headphones, but arguably the biggest addition is the use of new drivers.

This time around, Fairphone says it’s introducing dynamic 40mm drivers in the Fairbuds XL, along with a new tuning that should improve sound quality. Maybe the best part about that upgrade isn’t the drivers themselves, but the fact that Fairphone—in keeping with its modular ethos—is also selling the drivers separately so that they can be used in the 2023 version of the Fairbuds XL as well. Thanks, modularity! Those drivers will cost 61.95 euros (about $72) for the left and 39.95 euros (about $46) for the right, though they won’t go on sale in the U.S. until 2026, according to The Verge.

In addition to new drivers, the second-gen Fairbuds XL come with new fabric on the headband and earcups, which is designed to be more breathable and durable, and an automatic shut-off feature that powers down the wireless headphones when they’re inactive for 30 minutes and active noise cancellation (ANC) is toggled off. Fairphone says the new version is completely compatible with the old version, so any of the purchasable and replaceable parts are usable on the first-gen headphones.

If sustainability is top of mind, Fairphone also says it’s improving on the eco-friendliness this time around and is using 100% “recycled rare earth metals†in the magnets for its drivers in addition to using 100% renewable energy for its assembly process. And let’s not forget about new colors; the new Fairbuds XL will come in Forest Green and Horizon Black, which are just updated versions of the regular old green and black in the previous generation. Don’t expect a layman like me to recognize the subtle differences in hue.

Outside of those updates, there’s a lot of carry-over from the previous generation. The battery is still replaceable, but it also still lasts 30 hours on a single charge with ANC on. There’s still USB-C. The “joystick†for controlling playback and volume is still around, and they carry an IP54 water resistance rating, making them resistant to light rain and sweat. I would have liked to see a beefier battery this time around, but it’s hard to be mad with this much modularity and sustainability in one package.

The new Fairbuds XL are the same price as the original and are on sale globally starting today for 249 euros (about $290), which is also a welcome change since the previous Fairbuds XL took years to come stateside. As always, if you’re a right-to-repair kind of person, these could be the wireless headphones for you.