After my exhilarating review experience of the Xelento Remote, Beyerdynamic Singapore finally passed me the Xelento Wireless for review, which is essentially the same as Xelento Remote plus wireless capability.
About aptX HD
Running a premium earphone over wireless audio is a gamble, but not when streamed over Qualcomm aptX HD, which supports audio at 24-bit 48 kHz, with 4:1 compression at a 576kbps bitrate, higher than normal Bluetooth audio. Qualcomm claims lower signal-to-noise ratio and less distortion at higher frequency range.
Bluetooth data throughput is typically slow, but newer Bluetooth spec like 5.0 can achieve higher bandwidth. This is important because aptX HD requires more data. Some devices like LG V30+ and Sony Walkman have option to select connection type, choosing between stability (lower bitrate) or quality (higher bitrate).
Design
The Xelento Wireless transceiver design is not the most conventional. Instead of going around the back of the neck, the wires go behind the ears and dangle to the front, like a necklace.
The transceiver is about the size of a AAA-sized battery with a black shirt clip. User needs to remove the cap to reveal the micro-USB port for charging. Once the Xelento Wireless is turned on, the voice prompt announces the battery status in 20% intervals. Beyerdynamic promises 5.5 hour battery life.
The earbud units are identical to the Xelento Remote which I reviewed a few months back. But here is why the Xelento is an interesting set of audio earphones: the earphones use Tesla drivers to deliver spectacular audio granularity from 8 – 48,000 Hz, the silicone eartips are oval-shaped to conform to our ears. And with the aptX HD wireless audio codec, I can enjoy the best of both worlds – premium audio, wireless freedom. Not to neglect the true audiophiles, Xelento Wireless comes bundled with wired cables which can be swapped out, though that would be no different from Xelento Remote.
Conclusion
With the Xelento Wireless, Beyerdynamic offers consumers a choice of enjoying premium audio in a wireless mode. Most users would choose the Xelento Remote to deliver the utmost audio quality, but the Xelento Wireless seems to be able to deliver sufficient details. The Xelento continues its accolade as “an audible piece of jewellery”. Retail price is S$1899, available at Singapore authorised resller, AV Intelligence, located at Millenia Walk.
