Lindy BNXe wireless ANC headphones

Introduction

Lindy’s BNX range goes from strength to strength with the latest evolution, the BNXe. Having recently reviewed the Focal Bathys MG at £999 a pair, this is going to be an interesting one; both are wireless over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling. Given that these Lindy BNXe are just £79.99 a pair on their site, can they possibly compete with the Bathys MG?

Design

These Lindy BNXe are over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones.  Their key feature is a lengthy 55-hour internal Lithium Polymer battery life (500 mAh) with a splash and dash 10-minute charge, giving you an extra 4 hours of use. The battery use with ANC on is an extremely impressive 32 hours. The Lindy BNXe is charged using the latest USB-C connector.

Sonically, the Lindy BNXe have a standard frequency response of a claimed 20 – 20kHz from a 40mm high-definition neodymium driver.

The BNXe uses Bluetooth 5.3, which can support the best Bluetooth codecs like LDAC that carry the most audio data. 5.3 can support multi-device support.   No codecs are discussed on the Lindy site, though I am advised aptX is used here (supporting 352kbps).

A hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is available that can be On, Off or swapped to Transparency mode to hear a conversation.  The ANC is controlled on the right ear cup or in the new Lindy App.  There is an EQ in the App as well as a ‘Find my BNXe’ option that you can use to locate your headphones.

The ear cups have the ‘foldable’ tech to collapse the cups tightly in the carry case, minimising space in transport.  Of note, too, are the replacement parts available on the website, hinting at sustainability.

Quality

The headphones come with a smaller carry case that supports the lightweight foldable design of the BNXe. They are light and made of ‘recycled GRS-certified plastic’, and they feature vegan-friendly protein leather earpads.

The Lindy BNXe definitely looks the part with an understated stealth style logo on the outer earcups and a clear L/R design on the inside red cover over the drivers.

Specification and Price

Performance

Review Equipment

I’m using mainly my Pixel 8 Pro with the dog in tow on longer walks.

Physically

If you’re used to the BNX range, the controls are very familiar; otherwise, they’re intuitive.  On power up, the headphones tell you very usefully Power On, Battery Full (or Medium or Low), Connected.  The battery status is useful.

On the head, these BNXe are light, plastic and comfortable; they survive a vigorous headshake and stay on well.

Active Noise Cancellation, ANC

By the same motorway as when I reviewed the Focal Bathys, ANC is good.  I did note that there is no EQ in ANC, which I guess is about right. The active noise cancellation works well by the motorway with a podcast at only moderate volume, which is very welcome.

Find my BNXe

The Find my BNXe feature works well and lets off a shrill alarm. It activates from the App, and the headphones need to be on, which is, I guess, obvious.  It is a valuable feature to have on those occasions when you’re struggling to get out of the house.  In a rucksack, for example, this is a great feature.  The fact that the battery lasts so long means you could reasonably leave it on for this feature.

Sound Quality

The audio in here is very good in my view. If you go to ‘atmospheric’ tracks for transients, Nils Frahm’s Solo album has it all there. The bass response is very good indeed. Listen to Frahm’s Chant (FLAC download, 24-bit, 96kHz); that’s a showstopper, and it sounds very impressive in these Lindy BNXe.  The exit of London Grammar’s Rooting for You is similarly deeply impressive.

Midrange vocals too are extraordinary at this price point.  Current favourites Jack & Daisy on YouTube with their stereo version of America have all the detail, finger slides and resolution you could wish for.

Battery

With difficulty, I ran the battery with ANC ON flat out. It took me just over four days, well over the 32 hours claimed on the website blurb. I then did the splash and dash, 10 minutes on this, and got a further 6 hours out of it. The splash and dash is extremely impressive, as is the basic battery life.

Thoughts

The BNX range has consistently been good over the piece at a price point that no one has the right to go near for this level of technology. These Lindy BNXe compete with the 100XTs (which I still have here) in terms of sound quality. For comfort, I personally prefer the 80s with their oval shape. These Lindy BNXe have everything packed in, and they would be almost perfect if wear detection were built in, as well, like on the premium 100s.

Overall

Lindy, everyday quality, at a crazy price, with crazy good performance.