German audio brand Beyerdynamic has announced its first foray into the true wireless earbud market with the launch of its Free Byrd headphones.
The Free Byrd are designed to resemble the shape of a guitar pick and come in two colours: Black and Gray (both with a black stripe). The true wireless earbuds come with five silicone earpieces and three memory foam ones, and are sweat and water resistant up to IPX4.
However, its the audio quality that takes up much of Beyerdynamic’s focus here. The earbuds feature a unique acoustic design with a 10mm driver and support for the latest aptX Adaptive and AAC codecs, which Beyerdynamic claims delivers brilliant highs and powerful bass – though you’ll have to wait for our review to read our verdict on that.
There’s hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to suppress distractions, along with a Transparency Mode to let environmental sound in when needed.
The Free Byrd also take advantage of Qualcomm’s dual 2-mic cVc technology for clear calls, as well as a Low Latency Mode to reduce lag when you’re gaming and streaming video. There’s voice assistant support for Alexa and Siri and connecting to Android devices is particularly fast with help from Google Fast Pair.
The Free Byrd have a battery life of up to 11 hours and the charging case supports both wireless charging and fast charging, with a 10-minute charge offering up to 70 minutes of playtime.
Finally, there’s Beyedynamic’s MIY app with MOSAYC – Attention of Detail with Mimi Sound Personalization, which allows you to customise the sound and settings of the earbuds on your phone. Other app features include Sidetone to amplify your own voice during calls and an equaliser with a number of presets to choose from.
“We are not the first company to release true wireless earbuds”, said CEO Edgar van Velzen.
“However, we are the first to release true SOUND wireless earbuds with the MOSAYC – Attention to Detail with Mimi Sound Personalization. We’re proud to have prioritized sound quality over market pressures, and with this time taken, have successfully achieved a new level of development in sound performance, offering audio enthusiasts the perfect pair of in-ear TWS earbuds that look and feel as great as they sound”.
The Free Byrd are available to buy now from Beyerdynamic’s web store and Amazon for $249, with international pricing still to be confirmed.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.