Edifier Comfo Run sports headphones can go the distance

I’ve made no secret of my admiration for Edifier audio products in the past few years, but the streak couldn’t go on forever. But it’s not you, Edifier. It’s me, maybe. I blame my oversized head and clunky glasses for standing in the way of my affection for your sleek new Edifier Comfo Run sports headphones. I just couldn’t get the fit quite right for the best sound.

But I could see all sorts of athletes, and really anyone who prefers to keep earbuds and other objects out of their ear canals, loving these things. They work by air conduction.

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Edifier Comfo Run Open Ear Wireless Sports Headphones

Edifier released its cool-looking Comfo Run Open Ear Wireless Sports Headphones in January 2024. They’re called “sports headphones,” but they seems closer to earbuds than traditional headphones. I’m a big fan of the company’s headphones, earbuds and speakers, generally.

Each earpiece attaches to a flexible loop that goes behind the neck. Each earpiece, with its big and powerful dynamic driver, loops over the ear and dangles at the ear canal’s opening, more or less. But if they came in a choice of sizes, I would have sized up.

Their design makes them comfortably secure, even during exercise. That’s what they’re for. I took them to the gym, went for walks, and stood up and sat down at my desk when I wasn’t pacing around in my apartment. They never seemed even close to falling off.

And naturally, Comfo Run aren’t noise-canceling headphones. That’s because of their open, air-conducting design. However, they are intended to reduce audio “leakage” through sound-direction technology, Edifier says.

Fit didn’t quite work for me

And that’s great, but Comfo Run headphones aren’t really for me. Even though they’re designed for everyone, including people who wear glasses and hats, I found them frustrating because of the fit. Essentially, not enough of their high-quality sound from those 16.2mm dynamic drivers got into my ears.

It was frustrating especially because I could tell great sound was there, but I only got enough of it when I pressed the ear pieces into a position they would not hold by themselves. So, too much sound leakage occurred, actually.

For the record, I have an exceedingly large head — finding a hat that fits comfortably is hard work — and a big neck, as well. Maybe that and my bulky eyeglasses are the problem when it comes to Comfo Run, maybe they’re not. I wondered if the elastic cord between the earphones needed to be slightly longer for me, or if a bit more adjustability in the ear loop would help keep the earphones from flaring away from my ear canals a bit too much.

In Edifier’s photos of athletes wearing the headphones, they look like they hang in the perfect position. Good for those sporty folks and their tiny little heads. It didn’t quite work that way for me, and it’s a shame, because they’re nice sport headphones. Their voice-call quality is quite good, too.

Clear and simple operation

Out of the box, Comfo Run headphones are easy to set up. I put them on a charger via their USB-A cable, which connects to the headphones magnetically (which is cool, but it also means you can only use that cable with these). Their Bluetooth connectivity is up to date, version 5.3.

I downloaded the app as instructed in the manual. At first I thought one of the two other Edifier apps I have on my iPhone 13 Pro would suffice, but nope. Now I have three (the new one is Edifier ConneX, plus Edifier Connect and Edifier Home). The Edifier ConneX app showed me battery capacity — 97% out of the box, very nice — and offered a couple of tweakable controls.

The two controls offered in the app are Sound effects and Game mode. Game mode is just an on-off option. Sound effects offers Classic and Bass boost options. I liked Bass boost on because it seems to goose the overall sense of volume. Edifier describes Classic as more balanced and Bass boost like this: “Deep, natural bass and strong vocals, clear and bright treble, suitable for jazz, rock and pop music, etc.” Fair enough. The app also has a pedometer you can turn on if you don’t track steps through an Apple Watch or other wearable.

The other mode of operation is, of course touch control on the headphones. The power button and up and down volume controls on either side of it each serve multiple functions through tapping and holding, like answering calls, adjusting volume, advancing tracks, etc. The functions work well, which is great if you use Comfo Run during exercise, when you don’t want to mess with your phone.

Edifier Comfo Run sports headphones features:

• Open-ear design adds comfort and reduces sound leakage.
• 16.2mm dynamic drivers deliver smooth highs and deep bass.
• Rated IP55 for dust, sweat and splash resistance.
• 17 hours of playtime and 15 minutes of fast charging equals 5 hours of use.
• Choose EQ settings in the Edifier ConneX app.
• Elastic, silicone-coated neckband allows a comfortable, secure fit.
• 80ms low latency enables smooth gaming audio.

More specifications:

• Bluetooth V5.3
• Bluetooth protocols: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
• Playtime: 17 hours
• Fast charging: 15 minutes = 5 hours
• Charging time: about 1.5 hours
• Input: 5V ⎓ 1A
• Audio coding: SBC, AAC
• 16.2mm dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Output sound pressure level: 90dB ± 3dBSPL(A)
• IP Rating: IP55

So, what’s the bottom line? Runners and other athletes — especially those who don’t like anything in their ears — could love Edifier’s Comfo Run sports headphones. They’re just not really for me.

And because you can get 15% off at Amazon right now, they’re a good value. They normally cost $79.99, but you can grab them for $67.99.

Where to buy: Amazon

Edifier provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

★★★☆☆