Headphones — Whizzer 1969S

The 1969S is a lightweight wireless headphone from Whizzer, the brand of Shenzhen Weize Technology Co., Ltd. in China. Its name and styling refer back to consumer electronics of the 1960s to 1990s, and the design combines metal cavity panels with composite materials so that the finished headphone weighs only 135 g.

Key specs that matter

Whizzer fits a 40 mm dynamic driver that Whizzer calls its 7th-generation pressure-field phase design into each 1969S cup. The diaphragm is a very thin metallised film built for long excursion, with a stroke of 0.8 mm. The link to the source runs over Bluetooth 6.0. A single charge gives more than 75 hours of playback, and a 5-minute quick charge adds up to 3 hours of listening when the battery is flat. Whizzer's MultiAcceler 2.7 low-latency mode brings the delay down to roughly one twentieth of a second, which matters for video and mobile games. The earpads are made of a soft composite material and press lightly against the ear in an on-ear fit.

Engineering and use context

The metal cavity panels are produced by electrochemical machining combined with conventional mechanical processing, and they carry a dual-texture overlay that gives the retro-futuristic finish its look. Inside the cup, an anti-direct-impact mesh sits in front of the driver and the output passes through a lattice-style grille. Whizzer also builds internal acoustic chambers based on a dipole principle. According to the maker, this structure is there to cut the amount of leakage heard by people nearby and to raise isolation above what an on-ear design usually achieves, without relying on active noise cancelling circuitry. The low mass, together with the soft pads, is intended for long periods of wear on commutes and while travelling, where the long battery life means charging is needed only occasionally.

Pairing

The 1969S carries its own Bluetooth receiver, DAC and amplifier, so it connects directly to a phone, tablet or laptop that supports Bluetooth, and a recent source device can take advantage of the Bluetooth 6.0 radio. No separate headphone amplifier or DAC is involved in normal use, and the low-latency mode can be switched on when watching films or playing games on the same device.

Alternatives

Buyers who want active noise cancelling and a full-size fit can look at the Whizzer W1S, a wireless over-ear model rated for up to 130 hours of playback.