Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless

Along with the main product itself, you’ll find no less than ten pairs of ear moulds developed for use with this version of the Xelento Remote. Various sizes are on offer, along with a choice of materials, including silicone and memory foam. There’s also a silver-plated connection cable measuring 130cm included, which includes an integrated media control module that allows for hands-free functionality. Depending on what sort of listening situation you find yourself in, or if you run out of battery while you’re on the go, you can switch between wired and wireless operation with ease.

All of the technical, aesthetic and tonal qualities we enjoyed about the original Xelento Remote can once again be enjoyed with this wireless upgrade. From the elegant, yet robust design to the excellent sound of the Tesla drivers; there’s a lot to love here.

In Practice

Let’s get the main points out of the way first. To transform these in-ears from remote-operated to truly wireless in-ears, you’ll need to fork out an additional 200 euros for the Bluetooth cable. In return, you’ll be able to enjoy up to eight hours of battery life, an integrated media control module and a hands-free unit. Bluetooth transmission is handled via Qualcomm aptX (HD), AAC and SBC codecs. The Bluetooth cable is easily connected to the MMCX sockets of these in-ears, rather than conventional cable. Around the halfway point of the cable length sits the remote control, with a small cylinder at its centre that houses the battery, radio electronics and charging socket. A small fastening clip can also be found here. Although the cylinder is lightweight and shouldn’t bother you too much while you’re on the move, it’s worth fastening it to your clothing as a general rule if you’re up to anything too active to save you any hassle and distraction. A full charging cycle takes as little as 75 minutes. Once you’re fully charged, you can enjoy around 8 hours of full operation.

MIY App

Beyerdynamic has recently began offering an app for iOS and Android users who own their Bluetooth devices. The app, dubbed ‘MIY App’, can be used to adjust sound profiles by means of a hearing test. After I installed a firmware update for the Xelento Wireless – a requirement for those looking to use the app – the communication between in-ears and app with an Android device worked perfectly. Once the hearing profile has been created, you can switch it on and off at will. The effects of this profile when activated were rather dramatic. If you activate this personalised setting, the Xelentos experience enjoys a distinct boost improvement, particularly in the highs. This can sound almost exaggerated with maximum settings applied, but if you opt for setting in the range of 50 to 60 percent, the correction to your audio is undoubtedly an improvement you’ll enjoy.

Beyerdynamic still don’t include a mini jack/jack adapter with the main product, which is somewhat annoying as the mini jack plug of the connection cable is connected with four contacts, allowing for media control of Android and iOS devices. Standard adapters do not work with this configuration, instead reducing the signal to mono.

Sound Experience

As this update of the original Xelento model corresponds almost identically to its predecessor, sound characteristics are likewise very similar. In general, sound is simply superb. The Xelento sounds balanced, precise and boasts exceptional levels of agility across the entire listening spectrum. It doesn’t merely reproduce music sources, but takes things even further. Sometimes, you can catch yourself itching to get to the next track in anticipating of how dynamically delivered a forthcoming piece will be thanks to the Xelento. This sound impression doesn’t suffer from Bluetooth transmission, either. At least, this isn’t so if you’re listening with the aid of the aptX HD codec. Speech intelligibility is also impressive, and in no way inferior to an internal microphone alternative.