Think of Beyerdynamic and you'll probably envision audiophile-grade over-ears such as the excellent DT 770 Studio/Pro revered by sound engineers, or the equally talented Amiron Wireless. But until today true wireless earbuds were nowhere to be found in its catalog.
Beyerdynamic hasn't wanted to rush things, but the historic audio brand’s hotly-anticipated true wireless earbuds debut is finally here and refreshingly, they look absolutely nothing like any of the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market; nor do they bear even a passing resemblance to Apple's AirPods Pro.
As you can see, the all-new earbuds aim to marry Beyerdynamic’s beloved premium sound quality with a design concept reminiscent of the classic guitar pick. And honestly, it's nice to see something original, unique, and just a little bit rock n roll – all designed and developed in Heilbronn, Germany.
Along with the strong aesthetic, you're getting active noise cancellation, large 10mm drivers (take note though, each earpiece weighs a relatively substantial 7g), the latest aptX Adaptive and AAC codecs plus a Transparency Mode, so you can go from an immersive soundscape to a meaningful conversation with a simple tap of an earbud.
Beyerdynamic hasn't scrimped on the accessories either; buyers can choose between five different silicone earpieces designed by Beyerdynamic’s acoustics specialists to ensure the best possible fit, plus three additional memory-foam earpieces intended for sporting activities – and Free Byrd is IPX4 splash-resistant.
Free Byrd’s speech intelligibility during phone calls or meetings should be of the highest quality too, thanks to the Qualcomm dual-mic cVc technology on each earpiece.
You're also getting Google Fast Pair, and gamers will be able to deploy Free Byrd’s Low Latency Mode, which promises perfect synchronization between image and sound.
Opinion: Beyerdynamic's updated sound tailoring will take aim Apple's AirPods
Arguably the most interesting feature here is Free Byrd's support for Beyerdynamic's updated MIY app. The “MOSAYC – Attention to Detail with Mimi Sound Personalization” (yes, it's a long name) starts with a listening test of two minutes, then tailors the sound and settings within the headphones, thus adapting them to the individual user’s hearing profile.
Elsewhere, there's something Beyer is calling a “Light Guide System” that helps facilitate different user operations (such as the Bluetooth pairing, say) mode by using different color LEDs.
The Beyerdynamic Free Byrd are impressive for juice, too, offering a competitive battery life of up to 11 hours on a single charge – although how many charges can be gleaned from the case isn't specified. Speaking of charging, the earbuds can be stored in their compact charging cradle/case at any time, powered via USB-C (which supports Qi wireless charging) with a quick 10-minute charge providing up to 70 minutes of listening pleasure.
The Beyerdynamic Free Byrd true wireless earbuds come in either Black or Gray and are available from today, priced at $249 (around £207, AU$365) which is a little hot considering Apple's AirPods 3 retail for $179 / £169 / AU$279, but then again, this is Beyerdynamic – and just look at those things…
We cannot vouch for the sound just yet. But watch this space…
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