Beyerdynamic Free Byrd earbuds evaluate: hovering sound and lengthy battery life

Similar to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wi-fi 3s I not too long ago reviewed, Beyerdynamic’s new Free Byrd earbuds are squarely geared toward those that prioritize sound high quality over virtually every part else. When you think about that these are the corporate’s first-ever set of true wi-fi earbuds, I’ve been pleasantly stunned at how nicely additionally they stand out in different respects: the $249 Free Byrds ship marathon battery life, good energetic noise cancellation, and have a design that breaks from the usual, unmemorable system.

Nice sound high quality is simply the place to begin of a formidable first effort. And I can’t ignore the title, which is clearly a nod to the Lynyrd Skynyrd traditional — and a really cliche live performance request. However no set of earbuds is ideal, and the Free Byrds are introduced down considerably by unintuitive controls and a bodily design which may show troublesome for smaller ears.

The Free Byrds aren’t small or understated. They weigh a hair lower than Sony’s 1000XM4 earbuds however are an excellent deal heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, Apple AirPods Professional, and different earbuds that present an ethereal really feel and extended consolation. Beyerdynamic’s buds are extra chunky by comparability, and specifically, there’s a bulbous center space of the earbud design which may make the Free Byrds uncomfortable in small ears. I don’t match that description, so I by no means skilled any soreness or ear fatigue.

I ought to have anticipated as a lot from an audio model, however Beyerdynamic features a beneficiant assortment of ear suggestions with the Free Byrds. There are 5 units of silicone suggestions to decide on between (XS, S, M, L, XL) and three pairs of foam-style suggestions. I all the time gravitate towards foam when accessible, and there’s one thing concerning the mild grey end of the earbuds mixed with the orange foam ear suggestions that appears nice. Inform me you’re an audiophile with out telling me you’re an audiophile — that’s the sort of vibe these challenge. (The Free Byrds additionally are available black.) The wi-fi charging case is on the taller facet however feels nicely made. I haven’t had any situations of those earbuds remaining related whereas within the case, which is one thing I’ve encountered increasingly from the Sennheiser Momentum True Wi-fi 3s post-review.

Sound high quality is detailed and crisp however doesn’t go shy on bass. However there’s no muddiness or harshness wherever within the frequency vary. On Maggie Rogers’ new music “Horses,” her vocals come by clearly with heat and resonance, whereas the crunchiness of electrical guitars beneath is well-preserved. Muna’s “Unfastened Garment” is a pleasant demo monitor for the soundstage, with vocals and strings floating between the left and proper channels in the course of the music, and the drums and cymbal faucets are nonetheless completely distinct with their very own spot within the combine. Every part concerning the Free Byrds feels partaking and refined. With Beyerdynamic’s cellular app, you may take a listening to check to personalize the sound profile or select from presets like “heat” or “v-shaped,” however there’s presently no method to fully customise the EQ. Total, I nonetheless favor the constancy of Sennheiser’s newest pair over these, however they’re not wildly far aside.

For codecs, these Bluetooth 5.2 earbuds assist aptX Adaptive on Android — permitting for higher-bitrate wi-fi playback — and the usual AAC on Apple units. Sadly, they don’t provide multipoint Bluetooth for pairing with two audio sources without delay, however handoff between units may be very fast and doesn’t require disconnecting from one supply earlier than you may change to a different. The Free Byrds do embody assist for Quick Pair on Android, elective Alexa integration, and you need to use both bud standalone in mono. There’s additionally a low latency mode that may be activated when enjoying cellular video games, and the Free Byrds are rated IPX4 for water resistance, making them appropriate for train.

Energetic noise cancellation on the Free Byrds is above common, if not fairly on the extent of Sony, Bose, or Apple. There’s a really faint hiss that you simply may decide up on in completely quiet environments. Some persons are extra delicate to this than others, and I by no means seen it when audio was truly enjoying. Transparency mode is a bit more run of the mill however serves its objective in the event you want a fast check-in with the surface world. Name high quality is passable however not mind-blowing; Beyerdynamic favors letting extra of your voice by with out aggressively gating it to chop down on background noise. This works nicely on calls at house however is much less splendid open air.

Beyerdynamic’s contact controls might use some revising, nevertheless. I favor bodily buttons the place potential however can accept faucet gestures so long as they make sense and work constantly. The essential Free Byrd instructions are nice: you faucet as soon as to play or pause, twice to change between ANC and transparency mode, or thrice to skip tracks or return. Quantity is the place issues get somewhat awkward, requiring two faucets and a maintain after the second to regulate loudness. It really works okay when you get the sequence down, however it’s not what I’d name an intuitive gesture — and I’d sometimes pause the music by mistake these occasions after I didn’t nail it. It’d be good in the event you might customise every of those gestures to your desire, however that’s not potential in the meanwhile.

Battery life is an sudden power, with the Free Byrds capable of attain round eight hours of enjoying time with ANC enabled and as much as 11 with it off. That’s greater than sufficient for many wants, and the charging case supplies an added 19 hours (with ANC disabled), so you may doubtlessly attain a complete of 30 hours in eventualities the place you don’t require the noise cancellation.

For the corporate’s first swing, Beyerdynamic’s Free Byrd earbuds ship implausible sound with element and depth, top-tier battery life, and good noise cancellation. I admire the overabundance of ear suggestions that come included, and at the least for my ears, they match nicely and stayed snug over time. However that final level will differ for each individual, and I can foresee instances the place these earbuds can be somewhat too stout for some. What’s here’s a sturdy debut within the wi-fi earbuds marketplace for a longtime audio model. I like to recommend the Free Byrds as they’re so long as your ears are the correct match. However with some refinements to the onboard controls and perhaps a smaller type issue subsequent time round, Beyerdynamic can be proper up there with the perfect gamers within the sport. That’s assuming, in contrast to within the music, this Byrd can change.

Images by Chris Welch / The Verge