In this time and age, neckband earphones are not the product line that audio manufacturers would be looking to grow. True wireless is on everyone’s Christmas wish list. Having said that, it is refreshing to see new neckband headsets being launched. Neckband is definitely the most convenient form factor for headphones. And before I dwell into the review of the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD 2nd Generation, I want to share why.
Neckband Headphones Benefits
Among all the types of headphones, only neckbands let you wear whole day without keeping them plugged in to your ears. You hang it around your neck and insert the earbuds into your ears only when you need to use it. You do not have to constantly keeping it in your bag or pocket and taking it out. Unlike normal wireless earphones, there is a flexible neckband structure to keep them around the neck without the risk of slipping out. They have longer battery life too, since there are ample space to store a larger battery. The only inconvenience is wearing it around the neck, but this is easily overcome by good design, like the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD, which weighs merely 32 grams.
Unboxing
My product unboxing videos is now shorter, given the global shift to such a format. It is also slightly easier for me as I do not have to worry about improvising during the unboxing with a single take. After all, I only have one chance to get it right.
Features and Operations
The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD 2nd Generation features a separate power button located at the left end of the neckband, an interesting approach as most other neckband products would use the multi-function button as a power button. There are 2 design elements to mention on the Blue BYRD 2nd Gen: first, the earbuds are small and sits inside the ear without protruding. Second, the microphone vent is unusually large compared to other wireless earbuds. I would imagine the mic quality to be above-average.
I also like that the silicone neckband is thin and flexible, so packing it into the zip case is less of a struggle compared to the Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless. It also comes with a generous run of USB charging cable with an L-shape connector, unlike most other products which only includes a very short cable. To further add to details, there is even a cable fastener to keep the earbuds together while hanging around the neck. The ends are made of glass-blasted metal to complete the premium packaging.
The in-line remote allows you to control every aspect of the music playback, like play-pause, change tracks, volume controls. It can even fast-forward (click multi-function button once and then click-hold again) and rewind (double-click multi-function button and then click-hold again), which is rare. You can also trigger the smartphone assistant by pressing the multi-function button for 2 seconds.
There are 5 eartip sizes to choose from, and they have different colour codes. with different shades of grey and one in corporate orange (M-size). The eartips are not oval like their flagship Xelento, so the fit is slightly stiff in my ears and I had to push firmly into my canals for a good fit.
The neckband supports aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC codecs, delivers 14 hours of play time, and fully-charged in less than 2 hours. Wear it for runs with IPX4 water rating, though there is slight cable rub effect which I overcome by turning up the volume. Pair the earphones easily with Google Fast Pair, and connect 2 devices at the same time with Multipoint Pairing.
MIY App
Besides the headset, you can personalise your audio profiles using the smartphone app, MIY beyerdynamic. After undergoing a 2-minute hearing test, the app will optimise the audio to compensate the frequencies that your ears are weak in. After running the test, my personalised sound sounds brighter at the upper frequencies, but I would prefer to listen the original tuning, which I find it less fatiguing.
Besides sound personalisation, the MIY app lets you select a preset equalizer (but cannot finetune), adjust LED brightness, change voice prompts, and enable Sidetone. Notice that a lot of headphones now come with Sidetone, which I feel is an understated feature that is essential. Once enabled, it mixes ambient sound during calls so that I am more aware of the surroundings. On the Blue BYRD, the Sidetone picks up more ambient sound than my voice during calls, which I thought is quite interesting. It works really well rather than feeding back my own voice, which some people might find uncomfortable. So, that’s a tick for this headset.
Audio Quality
I have reviewed a lot of beyerdynamic audio products and find that they do not really have a consistent signature to their tuning. But their tuning is generally more neutral balanced and focus on musical details. I would classify the Blue BYRD tuning as similar to Lagoon ANC which I highly regard.
My way of enjoying music is on the balance of clarity, impact, and details. Clarity is achieved with good treble tuning, impact is at the bass, while the details are the instrumentation. The Blue BYRD has a neutral tuning where the treble is clear but not obsessive, no uncomfortable peaks, maybe just the crash cymbals need a little refinement. The bass has enough impact to support the overall sound, it’s not overpowering, but has the right level of intensity and kick without feeling cold. With this sonic control supported by a comfortable sound staging, the instruments are distinct for analytical listening. This tuning also means you won’t get the hair-raising percussions sizzles nor the rumbling sub-bass that make you go “wow”. What Blue BYRD delivers is quality music, and if you need to boost any frequency, there is the app with preset EQ for you to apply. Win-win.
- Bass: 8/10. Firm boom, good intensity, not muddy
- Midrange: 8/10. Detailed, clear, not too warm
- Treble: 8/10. Comfortable clarity
Call Quality
Making calls on the Blue BYRD, with Sidetone enabled, is enjoyable to use. Sidetone lets in ambient sound but your voice is not overly amplified, which makes Sidetone more receptive to people who does not like to hear their own voice. When using the neckband on Microsoft TEAMS calls, the voice is clear and audible, the upper frequencies are rolled off. When testing it in a busy supermarket, the background noise is minimised except for high-pitch activities. The Blue BYRD is able to distinguish my voice and capture it without too much break-ups. However, I find it most effective when I put the mic close to my mouth and speak softly. This way, there is no need to challenge the mic to fight between ambient noise and mine, because there are occasions when the surrounding noise is just too loud for the mic to manage. I think that is the benefit of a neckband with an in-line mic that is close to the mouth, compared to a true-wireless design where the mic is near the ears.
Verdict
beyerdynamic has included little details in the design and accessories to make the Blue BYRD neckband earphones a little more better value than other neckbands. It is worth my recommendation if you appreciate the benefits of neckband. They are lightweight and fit in ears without protruding, delivers well-balanced sound and comes with an app that personalises audio according to your listening sensitivity. They retail in Singapore at S$199 and available from December 2021.
