Earbuds Beyerdynamic Free Byrd in the test: good sound, ANC and long battery life

If in-ear models fit well, they shield well even without ANC – they are also lighter, less conspicuous and often cheaper than over-ear versions. They now also deliver really good sound like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 (test report) and offer almost perfect ANC like the Bose QC Earbuds II (test report). Good models don’t even have to be expensive, as the 80-euro earbuds 1more Aero (test report) show. The bar is therefore set high for the review of the Beyerdynamic Free Byrd.

The Earbuds Beyerdynamic Free Byrd appear as only 7 g heavy and high-quality earplugs in white or black with a black logo stripe. If you want it to be inconspicuous, it is better to take the black version; they are bigger than most other headphones anyway. The charging box weighs 74 g with earphones and therefore looks a bit massive. The reason for this: It charges wirelessly via Qi.

In addition to the two earbuds, silicone ear pads in five sizes, foam ear pads in three sizes, the transport and charging box and a USB-C to USB-A charging cable are included. Everything sorted properly. But when unpacking the artfully combined cardboard boxes, they are guaranteed to tumble wildly before you have successfully lifted the lid. The unboxing experience of an Apple product is the gold standard that all manufacturers are aiming for – Beyerdynamics has not yet reached the goal here. Well, you only unpack the product once.

With color codes in orange, black, white, dark and light gray and a corresponding illustration, the different sizes can be easily identified and, if necessary, sorted again. In our case, the largest silicone variant docks well in the test ear. The passive seal – but also the pressure on the ears – is stronger with the foam plugs than with the silicone versions.

The Bluetooth pairing of the earbuds is a bit unusual: You have to tap one of the earphones in the charging case – left or right it doesn’t matter – twice and hold your finger on the earphone the second time until both flash orange-blue alternately. After that, reconnecting is much easier; The earphones can remember up to six devices. Multipoint, i.e. connecting several devices at the same time, is not possible.

In operation means tapping once start/stop and double tap direct switch between ANC and transparency mode. So this function is easily accessible. Back and forth in the playlist gets more complicated: Here are three links for Return and three times right for Forward to type. Then double right tap and hold for volume up and down volume up and same left for quieter. This is quite complex and takes some time to get used to.

About the app MIY You can calibrate the earbuds to your own hearing and set the equalizer. You can also separate the operating time of the earphones switched on altogether, with telephone operation and with music playback look it up in the app. However, the headphones themselves can also be used without an app.

The two earbuds look inconspicuous – just printed with a white L and R on the inside. The one on the right also has a small red dot. Here you have to look carefully. When used correctly, they sit very well and firmly in the ear. Then the sound is good and the environment subdued even without ANC, with all the more.

The in-ears don’t get annoying even when using the possible eleven hours of continuous operation or even during a full office day. They are a sensible alternative with high quality, especially for hours of use. Complete recharging in the charging cradle, which is possible about twice, takes two hours. After ten minutes of charging, it can be used again for just over an hour. In addition, single operation is also possible, so a receiver can be recharged in between and you can continue to listen or make calls with one ear. They still connect securely to each other as soon as both are removed from the charging case. Should one be lost, a single Free Byrd can be purchased and linked to the remaining one. Fully recharging the charging case yourself takes 3 hours and 45 minutes.

There are also no problems when going for a walk, the earbuds don’t budge despite their size – or perhaps because of it – and there are no footfall problems either. They are a bit more susceptible to wind noise because they protrude clearly from the ear. The Beyerdynamic Free Byrd are not inconspicuous, but chic.

Freshly unpacked, the earphones have a darker sound. If you measure them in the app for your own hearing, which is limited to the hearing loss of the high tones in older users, they are also very transparent in the highs, as is known from Beyerdynamic.

This calibration process is a bit tiring for the ears – you shouldn’t have tinnitus. With lower quality music sources such as low bitrate MP3s, their artifacts now become uncomfortably audible. This can be mitigated with the equalizer function of the app. Pleasant: The selected setting is saved in the headphones, even if you then no longer use the app or – on another device – cannot use it. After an update, however, the calibration must be repeated, while the equalizer can continue to be used normally.

The ANC is not as pronounced as with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 (test report) or Bose QC Earbuds II (test report), but it is pleasant. This also applies to the transparency mode. There are no changes in sound between ANC off and transparency mode, but when the ANC is switched on, the stereo base moves together a bit and the sound loses highs and becomes stronger in the mids.

Although each Free Byrd contains three microphones, making calls is only recommended in quiet environments. In a crowded tram, you will not only attract attention yourself and could have communication problems with the rather weak ANC – the other person will not understand much of the conversation either.

The fact that only 16 volume levels are possible on the headphones, as with Android, is regrettable, but common – Beyerdynamic is only honest enough to state this in the technical data. However, you can set the playback quiet enough even in quiet surroundings.

With activated ANC, the ambient noise is reduced when traveling by train, in the office and on the street. Still, the ANC isn’t the strongest overall. In the open-plan office, it should therefore be difficult to isolate oneself.

Since aptX adaptive is also available in addition to AAC for Apple devices, high-quality 24-bit transmissions (aptX HD) are possible without any disadvantage compared to a cable connection – if the smartphone supports this codec. The app also offers targeted switching to the aptX LL (Low Latency) mode for games or videos included in aptX adaptive.

At just under 200 euros, the price of the Beyerdynamic Free Byrd is okay for a German in-ear branded product. Service is possible in the event of loss or failure of a single headphone or other spare parts (charging case, ear molds, cable), even the batteries can be replaced without the earphones becoming electronic waste.

The Beyerdynamic Free Byrd are high-quality and chic in-ear headphones with a long battery life, which is usually only known from over-ear headphones. The sound quality is impeccable, the ANC a bit weak, but pleasant. The app offers useful functions without annoying you with superfluous bells and whistles. You can also talk on the phone for hours – but only recommended in quiet surroundings if you don’t want to put your friendships to the test.