beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC review: Great sounding wired Bluetooth earbuds

The audio market has changed over the past few years. Currently, the most popular and most marketed earbuds are of the truly wireless (TWS) variety. Every brand in the world has a pair of TWS earbuds and for good reason, they are pretty fantastic, for what they are. But not everyone is looking for TWS earbuds, there are still a random few who prefer fully wired earbuds and some who prefer wired Bluetooth earbuds. Like the 2nd generation beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

The 2nd generation beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC make no apologies for being what they are. They’re certainly not for everyone, but for who they are for, well, those users will be pleased. The company brought its audio expertise to yet another pair of earbuds, and these certainly hold up the tradition of beyerdynamic sound. But there are a few places in which they are less than stellar, let’s jump right into the full review of the 2nd generation beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC.

The Quick Take

The bottom line and my quick take of the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC is this. If you prefer wired Bluetooth earbuds with a neckband design, these are for you.

They are comfortable, have great sound quality, are easy to use and setup, support multiple codecs, have multipoint functionality, and stay put in your earholes.

The downsides, at least for me, are; weak ANC, needs a better EQ in the app, and the neck band design is not comfortable and is a bit ugly. But that’s just me.

Specifications

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC has the following features and specifications:

• Earphone
  • Transducer type: Dynamic
  • Operating principle: Closed
  • Frequency response: 10 – 28,000 Hz
  • Sound coupling to the ear: In-ear
  • T.H.D.: < 0.089% bei 1 kHz
  • Compliant with EN 50332: Yes
  • Weight: 33 g
  • Cable length (between both earphones): 0.84 m
  • Digital wired audio transmission possible: Yes
  • Volume steps: Music = 32, phone calls = 16
  • Google Fast Pair: Yes
  • MFi conformity: Yes
  • Amazon Alexa built-in: Yes
  • Firmware update possible: Yes (via MIY app)
  • Multipoint: Yes (max. 2 devices)
  • Sidetone support: Yes (can be activated via MIY app)
  • Bluetooth operation during charging: Yes
• Microphone
  • Signal-to-noise ratio: 66 dB
  • Microphone type: MEMS, omnidirectional
• ANC/Transparency Mode
  • Mode of operation ANC: Digital, hybrid (feed-back and feed-forward)
  • Adjustable levels: ANC, Off, Transparency Mode
• Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth version: 5.2
  • Frequency response: 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz
  • Transmission power: 10 dBm (class 1)
  • Number of paired devices: max. 8
  • Range: 10 m
  • Supported profiles: HSP 1.2, HFP 1.7.1, A2DP 1.3.1, AVRCP 1.6, AVCTP 1.4, AVDTP 1.3, SPP 1.2, Device ID 1.3, RFCOMM1.2, GAVDP 1.3
  • Supported codecs: Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive, aptX™, AAC, SBC
  • Speech enhancement: Qualcomm® cVc™ (8th gen.), 1 mic
  • Compatible with Bluetooth players: Version 4.0 or higher (A2DP and HFP profiles required)
• USB
  • USB version: USB 2.0 Full Speed
  • USB audio: Class 1
  • Supports USB Human Interface Device: Yes
  • USB audio compatible to: 16 bits / 48 kHz
  • Compatible from: USB version 2.0 / USB audio class 1
• Battery/Charging
  • Battery type: Lithium-Ion, 125 mAh
  • Runtime music: up to 14 hrs. Without ANC (2 hrs. After charging for 10 min) up to 8:15 hrs. With ANC.
  • Talk time: 11:30 hrs.
  • Charging time: 1:40 hrs.
  • Max. charging voltage: 4.35 V
  • Max. charging current: 105 mA
  • Charging socket: USB-C
  • USB cable: USB-A (straight) to USB-C (angled), 1.0 m
• Environmental conditions
  • Operating temperature range: -10 to +60 °C
  • Charging temperature range: 0 bis +45 °C
  • Degree of protection: IPX4
• Hard case: Dimensions W × H × D: 90 × 135 × 30 mm

What’s In The Box

• beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC
• USB-A to USB-C Charging Cable
• Five Pairs of Silicone Eartips (XS, S, M, L, XL)
• Hard Shell Carrying Case
• Manuals and Documentation

Design

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC isn’t a groundbreaking new design by any means. It actually sticks to the basic neckband headphone designs that have been around for a while. But let’s hit on the included hard shell carrying case first.

The addition of this hard shell carrying case is a fantastic value add. Many of these styles of earbuds either do not include a carrying case, or it’s a simple bag. The carrying case is more than ample protection for these earbuds. The front of it has a nice clean and simple beyerdynamic branding and the zipper is quality. The interior has a pocket for your USB cable and ear tips and a strap to hold the earbuds in place. It’s simple but well-made.

Now, back to the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC design. Let me start with the rubbery feeling neck band. This design is well-loved by many users but it’s one thing I’m not a fan of. The feeling of the band on a sweaty neck is off-putting to me but I genuinely understand that others truly like this.

The battery is built into the neckband and is easily charged via a USB-C connection. This does allow for a nice size battery of 125mAh. The cables run down into each earbud, and the inline control is on the right cable.

The earbuds themselves are your basic earbud shape and I really love the beyerdynamic logo on the outside of each earbud, classy looking. The included ear tips should give everyone options for a good fit.

Overall, these are very basic and traditionally designed neck band earbuds. I’m not a massive fan, personally, of the neck band style. But I get that there are people who love that style, and I don’t think they’ll be disappointed here.

Ease of Use

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC are not at all sophisticated to use. If you’ve used wired Bluetooth earbuds in the past, then you will be right at home with these. Pairing is straightforward and follows the same steps that Bluetooth device pairing has been using for years.

Once paired, you can find the earbuds in the app and make any adjustments from there. You should try all the ear tips out to get the best fitment as this will help with passive noise-cancelling which in turn will help the ANC function better.

The on/off button is located on the left end of the neck band and has the beyerdynamic logo on it. Pushing this and holding it for four seconds puts the earbuds in pairing mode. This button also serves as the switch between ANC and Transparency Mode.

The multi-function button is on the right earbud wire and is inline. It controls volume, track movement, and multipoint. Multipoint allows you to pair these earbuds with up to 8 different devices and you set it up as follows:

• Connect the in-ear headphones with the first device
• Deactivate the Bluetooth connection on the first device.
• Switch off the in-ear headphones.
• Connect the in-ear headphones with the second device.
• Re-activate the Bluetooth connection with the first device that automatically connects to the in-ear headphones.
• Once both devices are paired with the in-ear headphones, the in-ear headphones automatically connect with both devices every time they are switched on.

Overall, the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC are simple to use. There’s really nothing new here, as these earbuds follow the same basic operating functions as others of this style.

App

The app is OK, it does what it does and it has an EQ that could use a little more work. By that, I mean, it could use a better interface with more frequency options to better tune the earbuds.

It does have a sound personalization option that works good, but does take a few minutes to get through. I think these personalization software additions can be a hit-and-miss and really depends on the person using it. It’s not a bad thing, some people will find it useful, others, not so much.

Other features include resetting the earbuds, firmware updates, and controlling ANC/Transparency Mode. Overall, the app is fine, the EQ could be better, but your mileage will vary.

Sound

Let’s start with the ANC on the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC. It works, but it’s not perfect. I mean, nothing is perfect, but the ANC here isn’t as good as some of the competition. Transparency Mode is fine, like many others, it sounds a bit hollow, as if you’re in a hall. beyerdynamic isn’t the only one making Transparency Mode like this, so it’s not a massive ding.

It is important to make sure the ear tips you are using are fitted properly, getting a good seal in your ear will help with passive noise-cancelling, which in turn helps the ANC. While I don’t feel the ANC here is as good as some others, the sound makes up for that.

I can live with a lesser ANC performance if the sound is great, and that it is. beyerdynamic has always been known for making some of the best headphones on the market. So it is no surprise to hear that these buds deliver in the sound performance category.

The bass is a bit bassier than I like, but not overly punchy to the point of killing the rest of the frequencies. The mids are clear and prominent, while the highs are crisp and brilliant. The sound has a good balance, it’s certainly not a neutral soundstage, like I prefer, but it is colored a bit warmer, which tends to be where the majority of the buying public land.

You can tweak the sound a bit in the app but I liked the sound as is out of the box. Overall, these sound wonderful and those seeking this style of earbud will be very pleased.

Reception/Call Quality

No issues with Bluetooth reception, same industry standard for Bluetooth of around 33 feet, though I could get more if no walls were in the way. Call quality is not bad, it could probably be better, but not bad.

Battery Life

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC have up to 14 hrs of battery life without ANC (2 hrs. After charging for 10 min) and up to 8:15 hrs with ANC. This is just about accurate. I was able to get around 9.5 hrs with ANC on, and that is with volume at around 40%.

Battery life will vary from person to person as it is dependent on how you use the earbuds, the volume, and other factors.

Price/Value

At $149 the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC are a good deal, especially for those who are seeking this particular style. The sound of these gives them good value, though if you’re looking for ANC that is strong, you might be disappointed. I still think the sound makes up for the weak ANC.

Wrap Up

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC are really nice neck band earbuds and if that’s what you’re looking for, then these are for you. As an alternative, if you don’t mind TWS earbuds, I would recommend the beyerdynamic Free BYRD over these. They cost a bit more but I feel they are the better of the two. These are still worth the price being asked.

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