Beyerdynamic Unchains Audiophile Sound with Xelento Wireless In-Ears

By Ryan Waniata Published May 12, 2017

Beyerdynamic is hoping to bring audiophiles into the Bluetooth fold with the new Xelento Wireless.

A Bluetooth version of the exquisite Xelento Remote in-ear headphones, the Xelento Wireless combine the Tesla transducer technology that enables the pristine audio quality of the wired version with Qualcomm’s top-tier aptX HD Bluetooth transmission to create a pair of high-end wireless earphones.

Recommended Videos

Apart from going cordless, the design for the Xelento Wireless is remarkably similar to that of the wired version. The earbuds are connected to a Bluetooth dongle at the end of the headphone wire, which terminates at about the same spot that the earbud wires converge on the wired version. So, while you’ll still have to deal with some cables, you’ll be untethered from whatever device you’ll be listening to. The dongle houses both the Bluetooth receiver and a battery, which can be charged via micro USB for up to five and a half hours playback time.

Xelento-wireless-earbuds — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The most important point of comparison is the drivers. Like the Xelento Remote, the Xelento Wireless use Tesla transducers — which are made with tiny ring magnets and voice coils — in an effort to offer the same fluid and pristine audio that we loved in the Xelento Remote in a wireless package.

While it’s one thing to be equipped with high-performance drivers, wireless headphones have to contend with the obstacle of connection quality. It may seem unreliable to use Bluetooth as the transmission method, especially when these headphones are being marketed to the audiophile crowd, but Beyerdynamic is opting for the aptX HD codec (for those with aptX compatible devices), which is designed to enable 24-bit transmission at full resolution (Xelento wireless also supports aptX, AAC, and SBC Bluetooth). For those who want the option to listen via wired connection — or in the event your battery runs out — the Xelento wireless’ Bluetooth dongle features a 3.5mm jack to plug into.

Considering the wired Xelento Remote cost a whopping $1,000, it’s no surprise that the Xelento wireless will be going for $1,200. Beyerdynamic will be debuting the earbuds at High End 2017 in Munich, Germany. The show takes place May 18-21.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech, audio, and cinema. Hailing…

Culture

Jeremy Allen White was born to run in the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

The movie follows Springsteen as he makes his album 'Nebraska.'

Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Music biopics are all the rage these days, and Bruce Springsteen is the latest icon to get the treatment. The first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere sees The Bear star inhabiting the role of The Boss. The film is based on Warren's Zane's book of the same name, which focuses on the period when he was making his 1982 album Nebraska.

The film is directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. In the trailer, we see White embodying Springsteen as he sings "Born to Run," and we also get a lengthy monologue from Jeremy Strong's Jon Landau as he explains why Springsteen feels the need to make this album.

Culture

Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?

TV's biggest heavyweights duke it out for the antihero crown

Breaking bad season 4 screen shot

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it's LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match.

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century. These men were the perfect mix of good and evil. They navigated family life and the criminal underworld with cunning intelligence and ruthless risk-taking. Every show with morally gray characters at the center owes its storyboard to Walter and Tony, but which character deserves the antihero crown? This is Tony Soprano vs. Walter White for all the marbles.
Who was the more complex character?

Culture

Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners

Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe

Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).