Beyerdynamic Amiron Home Open Back Headphones Announced

With headphones, it’s not just about the sound quality. There is so much more than that makes a good pair, and it starts the moment you open the box. To exist truly splendid, a pair of headphones has to print from the very start, delivering an experience that is first-class at every stride of the style. German headphone supremos, Beyerdynamic, understand this. Their Amiron Home headphones are, quite simply, the most comfortable pair of headphones we’ve always worn. In this review, we break downward the Amiron Homes’ audio, design, condolement and fit, packaging and accessories, specs and more. To see how it stacks up, read our listing of the best high-end headphones.

Sound:

Neutrality and Clarity

Perfect clamping pressure level and velvety pads are all well and good – and we’ll get to that in a minute – but they don’t hateful a damn thing if the sound isn’t up to scratch. Fortunately, that’s not a problem with the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home headphones. Beyer’south cans are known for their neutrality – so much so that many professional studios oftentimes use them to check songs mixes. While that’s probably not going to happen with the Amiron Homes, there’due south no question that they accept the same sound signature. Overall, you’re looking at a neutral, balanced portrayal of your sound, with only enough grapheme and verve to keep you coming back.

There is no bias towards whatever particular part of the frequency spectrum. Bass is powerful and clear without existence overbearing, and the mids are absurd and straightforward. At that place’s no sense of stripping the music bare that yous go with and then many other reference-course headphones – we played several low-quality MP3 files through these cans, and they didn’t seem at pains to point out that we were listening to compressed textile. At 250 ohms, they aren’t going to exist happy running off a smartphone, although the iii.5mm jack (adaptable to half dozen.3mm) certainly allows for that; couple them to a decent amplifier, and they admittedly sing. By the way, since they’re open-dorsum, yous practice need to be aware of bleed – even if it’s nowhere near as bad as other examples, like Grados.

They felt forgiving and natural, which we actually liked, reminding us of the smooth audio of the HiFiMAN HE1000 V2. Given that those cost just nether $3,000, compared to $599 for the Amiron Homes, that’due south quite a compliment. And on the opposite cease of the spectrum, good-quality sound files like Spotify Premium or CDs sounded absolutely gorgeous, the headphones framing the music without overly adding to it, accentuating its qualities and then getting out the style. Ultimately, you’d go for these cans not only for their next-level comfort, only too when you enjoy music that is uncolored by headphones, and served up in as natural a fashion as possible.

High-Stop (Treble) and Dynamics

We loved how tight the dynamics were, and how much clarity the headphones gave to fifty-fifty the smallest elements of a track. If we had one criticism, information technology’south that the highs, while detailed, sometimes felt a tiny flake harsh – nothing that would cause us to quit listening, but just something we would have liked to exist a bit smoother. A speck of dust on the perfect frame, if you lot like. But although they aren’t as exciting every bit other headphones, we’d quite happily put them up confronting annihilation in their cost range. Perchance the best comparison would be something like the Sound-Technica ATH-W1000Z, which offers similar clarity and functionality at a slightly lower price ($400, compared to the Amiron’s $599). Yet, we much prefer these, which are much more complete headphone experience. They are going to compete with the truly big dogs in the open back earth, like AUDEZE, but that doesn’t finish them from sounding terrific.

Design:

Looks and Build Quality

It’due south worth taking a second just to wait at what these headphones are made of. Even if they didn’t wow us with how skilful they felt, there’s no question that they are very pretty indeed. Beyerdynamic have always had a design ethos that walks the line between industrial and attractive, with muted, frequently drab grey and black colour schemes matched with smooth curves and swooping accents. For the Amiron Dwelling house, a pair of sizeable over-ear, open-back cans, this is very much the case. The cups might be made of plastic, just they feel rock-solid, and what dominates the outer housing is a circular, tightly-woven grille with a broad metallic stripe across each side that houses an embossed logo. Information technology not but looks cracking, but it feels great, too; run your thumb across it, and it’south easy to see just how much thought and concerted application has gone into the design. Match these up with a classic, similar the DT770 Pros, and you can come across the pattern lineage going all the way dorsum. While it’southward probably not going to appeal to anybody, information technology’s an artful that we really bask.

Headband and Materials

The headband and the cups themselves are made of a fabric known as microvelour, which is something we are going to talk nigh at length and in an increasingly admiring tone in a minute. The residual of the headphone is functional and, if we’re existence honest, pretty unremarkable, with plastic hinges property the cups in place and a second logo at the base of each side of the headband. I thing we do like is the embossed data printed on the inside of the band’s plastic base: not only practise you get clear left and correct indicators, which are a approving in a world of tiny and obscure ones, but you likewise – praise exist! – get a clear indication of headphone impedance (250 ohms, since you inquire), along with an edition number. The right side proudly announces that the cans are Made In Germany. Beneath each cup, there’s a iii.5mm cablevision connector, slightly angled, which is handy as it allows you to transport the cans without the cable fastened. It’southward the combination of these things – the industrial aesthetic and materials with the little design touches – that make Beyerdynamic cans every fleck as distinctive as headphones from Grado or AUDEZE. And even if you take misgivings, all y’all have to do is try these cans on all of them to get away…

Comfort & Fit:

Weight

There are three things that brand these headphones the nearly comfortable on earth. The start is the weight. The Amiron Homes weigh 12 ounces. Objectively, not very much less than something like the similarly-shaped Fostex TH610s – a pair we take in for review at the moment – and which counterbalance 13 ounces. Information technology’southward non peculiarly heavy, but withal, we couldn’t help feeling that these headphones were just…light. There actually is no other way to put it. Holding them, they experience almost weightless.

Clamping Pressure

The second matter – and it leads on directly from the first – is the clamping pressure. This is such a pocket-sized thing, but if it’southward off, it can ruin the whole experience. Also loose on your skull, and the whole kit and caboodle slides off the moment y’all tilt your head. Also tight, and information technology tin finish you listening to your make-new headphones for longer than an hour, which is the most securely annoying kind of trouble to have. And yet, every bit of import equally it is, information technology’s incredibly tricky to get right. Since everyone has a different size noggin, getting a particular type of material to accept merely the correct amount of flex and torsion in all circumstances is crazy difficult. Somehow, Beyer accept managed it. The clamping pressure of the Amiron Homes is perfect. Really, in that location’due south not much more we can say to add to that. Compare information technology to something similar the Audeze EL-8 Titaniums – a pair of loftier-end closed-back headphones which retail for effectually $400 and which we review here – and it’s apples and oranges.

Earcups

The third thing is the microvelour. It’s what the cups and headband are covered with, and it is perfect. Equally lush and soft and rich as a pair of silk sheets. If there’south a better material to have against your head – and this includes leather – we haven’t institute information technology. It. Is. Perfect. In terms of comfort and fit, the Amiron Home headphones do everything right and goose egg wrong. They are just phenomenal.

(Update: An earlier version of this review stated that you couldn’t swap out the microvelour pads. Beyerdynamic’s Doris Henzler has since been in impact, letting us know that this isn’t the instance: “But put your finger in the small-scale gap betwixt ear pad and ear loving cup and then pull the ear pad away from the cup,” she told usa. “It might need a niggling force just will definitely work.” Nosotros’ve confirmed this – the cups pop off without too much problem, pregnant y’all can supercede them downward the line if they go worn out. We apologize for the error.)

Accessories & Packaging:

Information technology’s just too that you aren’t going to be using these for smartphone listening. Having to tote around a damn-near ten foot cable would go erstwhile fast. Admittedly, it’due south a well-congenital cable, two strand, with a 3.5mm jack at one stop that tin can be adapted into a six.3mm one with the included plug. Information technology’south but very long. Outside of that, the only accessory you lot get is a adequately bog-standard, rigid, zippered instance. While this does the job of holding and protecting the headphones, its black surface attracts dust, and the tiny pouch on the inside is but bereft to agree the cable when it’s detached. Information technology has similar bug to the example that came with the old Sennheiser HD1s (full review here), which was also a magnet for dust. Those headphones, past the way, are first-class – if yous want a wireless choice, check them out. They’re cheaper, too, at $245 to the Amiron Homes’ $599.

All the accessories work reasonably well, but nosotros can’t assistance feeling that, in this case, Beyerdynamic went a little bit too far onto the industrial side of things. The packaging is fairly standard, as well, with a simple paper-thin box that gets the task done without being ostentatious. At this price range – $600 or so – it’s almost a little disappointing to see that the packaging and accessories are little more than than ticking boxes. Still, when the bodily headphones themselves are this expert, information technology’s not a bargain billow.

What Nosotros Like:

• The Beyerdynamic Amiron Dwelling house headphones are the comfiest headphones always fabricated.
• The build quality of the Amirons is superb, and they genuinely experience luxurious.
• ​The headphones offer neutral, clear, dynamic sound that raises the bar for other models.

What We Don’t:

• The accessories are a little middling, and nosotros think Beyer could take done ameliorate.
• The earcups of the Amiron Home headphones tin can exist tough to remove.
• ​The cable is very long – peradventure a little longer than strictly necessary – although it is fully removable.

Comparison Table:

Headphones	Price	Weight	Type	Drivers	Impedance	Sensitivity
Beyerdynamic Amiron Dwelling	$599	12oz	Open up	Unknown	250Ω	102dB
Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z	$400	11.3oz	Closed	53mm	43Ω	101dB
AKG K712	$399	8.3oz	Open	Unknown	62Ω	105dB
AUDEZE LCD2C	$799	1.1lbs	Closed	40mm	70Ω	101dB
Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro	$599	13oz	Open up	Unknown	250Ω	102dB

(If these specs are confusing, become check our guide to headphone specs!)
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The Contest:

Although they are closed-dorsum, the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z cans do a very good chore at competing with the sound of the Amiron Homes – and at a lower price point. While the sound quality might non exist right upward there with the Beyerdynamics, it’southward refined and elegant enough to warrant a second look. The blueprint is a little more sensual, besides, with teak ear-cups and leather pads. The comfort level is nowhere nigh that of the Beyers, but this is an aesthetic that will probably concord wider appeal. Go bank check them out. They are about $200 cheaper, too.

Then in that location’s the archetype AKG K712. We finally had a chance to hear these headphones – for whatsoever reason, a pair had eluded us – and we really liked them. They sound neutral and natural, and are specially skillful at articulating vocals. While this makes them a little more specialised than the Beyers, information technology definitely ways they are a worthy culling. The huge cups and design may non entreatment to everyone, simply the condolement level is good. We really similar the orange accents too, which gear up the headphones autonomously from the contest. At $399, they are pretty much the same price every bit the ATH-W1000Z cans mentioned above, and about $200 less than the Amiron Homes.

If warm, lush bass is more your thing, may we suggest a pair of AUDEZE LCD2C? While slightly more expensive than the $599 Beyerdynamics, at $799, and non quite as comfy, they reward yous with some genuinely brilliant low-end. The soundstage is better, besides, cheers to the planar dynamic drivers. We adore these headphones, and while they aren’t as neutral as the Beyers, they remain excellent.

Beyer offer enough of other headphones also – try the Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. At an identical price to the Amiron Homes, and with like specs, you lot might reasonably wonder why we offer these as an alternative. They don’t accept the comfort level or aesthetics, but what they lack in design, they make up for in pinpoint precise sound. These are the headphones y’all go for if you want admittedly nothing getting in the way of your music – if y’all want to analyse it exactly equally it’due south presented. These are too platonic if yous’re actually making music, and looking to check mixes using headphones. They aren’t virtually as much fun as the Amiron Homes, simply they are notwithstanding bloody good – and are really slightly cheaper, at around $580, depending where you lot buy.

See the Amiron Homes Meet the Best High-End Headphones