Beyerdynamic likes to name their next-generation products as “X Generation” instead of giving a different model or a shorter suffix like “MK2”. One of the drawbacks is a long product keyword that is just not search friendly. Anyway, I digress. The second generation Xelento Remote is launched in a more organised manner. Consumers might recall the original Xelento Remote took several months to fully roll-out, notwithstanding some production issues. It shares the same design as the Astell&Kern T8iE, even though the sound tuning is different.
The new Xelento Remote 2 appears to adapt the same design as the AK T9iE, but the similarity ends there. The Xelento Remote Gen2 has a matt-polished housing and its logo on the shiny faceplate is 24K gold adorned. The retail packaging features a box cover with asymmetrical flaps that open both sides. Just like the first generation, there are generous accessories packed in the box, including extra wax guard, wide range of ear tips, standard 3.5mm MMCX cable and a 4.4mm balanced cable, hard carrying case, cleaning cloth. It retails in Singapore at S$1499, while the Xelento Wireless 2nd Gen is going at S$1699.
When I previously reviewed the first Xelento Remote and the wireless version, three things impress me: how pretty they look especially the silver finishing and the silver cables, how comfortable they fit in my ears, and how good they sound. The 2nd Generation Xelento Remote continues carrying these traits with a long-awaited refresh after more than 5 years. The oval-shaped silicone ear tips provides excellent passive isolation and let me listen to the sound of the Xelento without distractions.
After listening to numerous headphones and earphones that have their treble frequencies tuned to sparkling proportions, the Xelento Remote is a very welcoming experience. Comparatively, the overall tuning puts the weight on the bass while the treble is lean. If you have been listening to Sennheisers for too long, then the Xelento does not offfer that unworldly upper sizzles. But audiophiles would pay closer attention than just surface details.
The bass resonates with musicality which extends to midrange with a bit of bloatedness yet it dissipates quite readily. Vocals are presented with good expression and do not sound pushy. Percussions perform with clarity but do not take away the attention. The tuning leaves space for the ears to listen to the arrangements across the frequency range. It’s a sound signature that favours the listeners who enjoy quality bass supported by clear treble and detailed overall instrumentation. Although the treble does not give me goosebumps like what the Sennheiser IE900 does, neither do the treble lacks in transparency.
The 11mm Tesla drivers have something to do with delivering that finer details. Despite not tuned with excessive brightness, I can still pick up musical details and to some extent, that slight messiness performed by the strings. An average pair of earphone drivers would often sacrifice details for dynamics, whereas a great pair of driver can deliver a full range of details without effort. The sound staging is not exaggerated, layering the various musical parts in distinct but close rows, not too spaced out or overly separated.
Verdict
The Beyerdynamic Xelento Remote 2nd Generation is a quality piece of earphones beautifully crafted to exude elegance to the wearer and deliver smooth faithful audio to the listener. It’s a pair of headphones that you can enjoy at louder volumes to immerse in the musical details without feeling fatigue from the treble tuning. After 5 years of last listened to the first Xelento, I remain delighted to listen to the new iteration of the Xelento. The wired version Xelento Remote retails in Singapore at S$1499, while the wireless version Xelento Wireless retails at S$1699.
