Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling portable ear-insert model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music. The Free BYRD has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include - either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Charging/carrying case has built-in rechargeable battery that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries for an additional 19 hrs. of listening time for a total of 30 hrs. Can be recharged via USB cable or compatible optional Qi compatible wireless charging devices. Manufacturer claims water resistance of (IPX4) for headphones. The earphone noise cancellation touch control setting switches between ANC on and ambient sound monitor (Pass-through) modes by touch control on either earphone. Any of the ANC settings (ANC on, ANC off, and ambient monitoring) can be selected using the app. Has touch controls for music player transport, call connect/disconnect, ambient noise/noise cancellation/ on/off, digital voice assistant activation, and Bluetooth volume control. Supports Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant digital voice assistants when it is used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities. Has quick charge feature: 10 minutes of charging will provide 70 minutes of playtime. Supports Google fast pair (alternate to traditional Bluetooth pairing methods). Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. Beyerdynamic MIY download for Apple or Android mobile devices can be used to change the change the EQ settings between preset sound profiles, create a custom sound profile by taking a in-app hearing assessment, show battery level, deactivate the auto pause feature, activate low latency mode, and update firmware. The Free BYRD comes with 8 pairs of ear pieces in various sizes and types, USB-C connector charging cable, charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case, Warranty Booklet, Quick Start Guide.
Sound quality:We found the Free BYRD delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the Beyerdynamic MIY app equalizer set to Original (default setting of the earphone) and the noise canceling feature set to "On" the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is a bit prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is somewhat grainy, a bit hazy and congested (think sonic traffic jam), a touch sibilant and etched (a bit more sharply outlined then it should be) and the upper midrange is a bit prominent. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but is a bit smeared and sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) a touch prominent. Does a decent job of recovering room ambience but is somewhat open sounding. Good dynamics. Mixed character - warmish bass with neutral to coolish midrange and treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.). The overall sound can best be summarized as a bit bassy, somewhat grainy, and a touch strident. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these earphones. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation changes the noise reduction characteristic - when the noise is coming from the front a bit more high-frequency noise can be heard relative to when it's coming from the side or rear. The noise canceling feature does not produce any background noise that can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort and Fit:As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some.
Small
Users with small ear bowls might find that when the silicone earpieces are used the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their ear bowl and that they stick out too far and feel like they may lever out of place, but that they will stay in place during casual use; when the foam earpieces are used they stick out more and feel more bulky, but are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and when the foam earpieces are used they are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are stable during fairly vigorous head movement regardless of which type of earpiece is used.
Users with larger sized ear canals may find that the largest ear pieces are to small to provide a good seal; if the ear canals are not sealed properly the bass may be reduced and the noise canceling feature will be less effective.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing and pausing.
