Updated September 30, 2026 · GizmoCue Editorial Team
Bowers & Wilkins vs Edifier
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier ReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $249 | $7.99Lower |
| Battery life | 30 hours | 49 hoursHigher |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 to 2 years |
| Markets | US, CA, AU, CN, JP, GB, BE, FR, DE, AT, NLCovers more | US, CA, AU |
| Multi-room | Yes | Not confirmed |
| IP rating | IP54 | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Noise cancelling (Yes).
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Key differences
- Edifier scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 8.7.
- Price from is lower at Edifier: $7.99 vs $249.
- Battery life is higher at Edifier: 49 hours vs 30 hours.
- Support channels: only Bowers & Wilkins offers Chat.
- Support channels: only Edifier offers Email.
- Bluetooth codecs: only Bowers & Wilkins offers Aac, Aptx, Aptx adaptive.
- Bluetooth codecs: only Edifier offers Ldac.
- Markets: only Bowers & Wilkins offers CN, JP, GB.
Our verdict on each
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins sells across headphones, earbuds, speakers, portable speakers, soundbars and hi-fi, so it suits buyers building a full setup rather than a single product. Entry pricing sits at $249, and the warranty of 2 years lands near the top of the brands compared.
Edifier
Edifier suits shoppers who want a single audio name covering personal listening, gaming and home speakers, and who weigh entry price more heavily than long cover. Its overall score is 9.4, and the catalogue starts at $7.99 for the cheapest items listed.
Score breakdown
| Area | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.3Entry sits at $249 with a warranty of 2 years, and price from ranks 57 of 64. | 10.0HigherEntry price of $7.99 puts Edifier near the front of the cheapest brands on the site. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherNoise cancelling and multiroom both land, and the range covers headphones, earbuds and speakers with support on help centre, phone and chat. | 9.1Noise cancelling, 49 hours of battery and ldac codec support inside a catalogue of headphones, earbuds and speakers. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.0Warranty of 1 to 2 years, US, CA and AU markets and support on email, phone and help centre. |
Choosing between them
Pick Bowers & Wilkins if markets matter most.
Pick Edifier if cost, price from, and battery life matter most.
If neither fits
Adorama has price from at $6.99, against $249 for Bowers & Wilkins and $7.99 for Edifier.
Adorama reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier |
|---|---|---|
| Headphones and earbuds | 17 of 117 | 7 of 117 |
| Speakers and soundbars | 14 of 81 | 5 of 81 |
| Hi-fi and turntables | 6 of 38 | 2 of 38 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Headphones, Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers, Soundbars, Hi fi | Headphones, Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers, Soundbars, Hi fi |
| Bluetooth codecs | Aac, Aptx, Aptx adaptive | Ldac |
| Legal entity | B&W Group Ltd. | Edifier International Limited |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | China |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1996 |
| Support channels | Help centre, Phone, Chat | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Gaming gear
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Not confirmed | Pc, Playstation, Switch, Mobile |
| Wireless peripherals | Not confirmed | Yes |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $249highest quarter | $7.99lowest quarter | $65.97 |
| Battery life | 30 hoursbelow the median | 49 hoursabove the median | 45.5 hours |
| Warranty | 2 yearsat the median | 1 to 2 yearsat the median | 2 years |
Median across 64 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Bowers & Wilkins
Pros
- Product types run to headphones, earbuds and speakers, so a single maker covers travel and home listening.
- A warranty of 2 years compares with a site median of 1 years.
- Noise cancelling and multiroom are both supported, so commuting and whole-home playback share the same app.
Cons
- Entry price of $249 places the brand at 57 of 64 on price from, and the earbuds are the cheapest way in.
- Battery life of 30 hours falls short of the site median of 40 hours, ranking 36 of 61.
- Support runs on help centre, phone and chat, and email is not among them, so buyers who prefer writing need another route.
Edifier
Pros
- The catalogue spans headphones, earbuds and speakers, where HyperX lists headphones and earbuds and CORSAIR lists headphones.
- Entry pricing of $7.99 ranks 2 of 64 brands, near the front of the field on starting cost.
- Noise cancelling is available and the listed battery figure of 49 hours sits just above the 40 hour median across the site.
Cons
- Warranty runs 1 to 2 years, so entry models carry the shorter term rather than the longest cover on offer.
- The direct store serves US, CA and AU, so buyers in other markets buy through a different route to the same range.
- Turntables sit outside the Edifier line, while JBL covers them within headphones, earbuds and speakers.
Who each suits
Bowers & Wilkins
Who it suits
- Buyers who want earbuds, speakers, soundbars and hi-fi from a single maker rather than mixing brands.
- Households planning multiroom listening, since multiroom is supported alongside noise cancelling.
- Long-warranty shoppers: 2 years against a site median of 1 years.
Who should look elsewhere
- Headphone-only buyers: HyperX covers headphones and earbuds and CORSAIR covers headphones, and neither needs the wider shelf.
- Turntable shoppers: JBL lists headphones, earbuds and speakers, and turntables sit outside the range here.
- Long-trip listeners: 30 hours of battery trails the site median of 40 hours.
Edifier
Who it suits
- Shoppers building a single audio setup across headphones, earbuds, speakers, soundbars and hi-fi under one name.
- Gamers on PC, PlayStation, Switch or mobile, since the gaming range covers pc, playstation and switch and wireless is supported.
- Buyers in the US, Canada or Australia, where the direct store serves US, CA and AU.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want turntables: JBL covers headphones, earbuds and speakers, which runs past the hi-fi end of the Edifier range.
- Buyers who only need personal audio can compare HyperX at headphones and earbuds or CORSAIR at headphones rather than a catalogue that also carries speakers and hi-fi.
Country by country
| Country | Bowers & Wilkins | Edifier |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| China | Yes | No |
| France | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
| Japan | Yes | No |
8 of 11 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Bowers & Wilkins
What does Bowers & Wilkins cost to get started?+
Earbuds start at $249, the lowest entry price across the range. On the ranking that puts the brand at 57 of 64 on price from, so the cheapest product sits well above the floor of the list. Headphones, speakers, soundbars and hi-fi all start higher.
How long is the warranty?+
Warranty runs 2 years, ahead of the site median of 1 years, and it ranks at 4 of 56 brands on warranty years. The same term applies across the range, so anything added to the setup later carries the same cover as what you already own.
Edifier
How much does Edifier cost at the cheapest end?+
The catalogue starts at $7.99, taken from the store's lowest priced listings rather than from a flagship pair. That entry figure ranks 2 of 64 brands on starting price, so the budget end is where Edifier is most competitive. Pricier tiers sit above it.
Does Edifier make noise cancelling headphones?+
Yes. Noise cancelling is listed for the over-ear headphones, and that model also carries 49 hours of battery with ldac codec support. The feature is recorded against the headphone rather than the whole catalogue of headphones, earbuds and speakers, so check each model before buying.