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There are a few brands that could be considered a powerhouse in the world of audio and headphones and Beyerdynamic is without a doubt one of them. beyerdynamic has been family owned since its founding in 1924 and are regarded as one of the best when it comes to headphones. The T90 was their first open-back Tesla model, released in June of 2012. Today I’ll be looking at the successor to the T90, the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home.

“IF YOU GO ANYWHERE, EVEN PARADISE, YOU WILL MISS YOUR HOME.” MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Beyerdynamic product page

Amiron Home on Amazon

FEATURES

• Tesla technology with highest efficiency

• High resolution sound

• Open design

• Double-sided, detachable cable

• Ear and headband pads smooth and as soft as velvet, made of Alcantara microfibre and microvelour • Made in Germany

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Transducer type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dynamic

Operating principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . open

Frequency response . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 – 40,000 Hz

Impedance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Ω

Nominal SPL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 dB (1 mW / 500 Hz)

T.H.D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . < 0.05%

Nominal power handling capacity . . 200 mW

Max. SPL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 dB (200 mW / 500 Hz)

Sound coupling to the ear . . . . . . . . circumaural

Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 m / double-sided / detachable

Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gold-plated mini stereo jack (3.5 mm) & 1/4″ adapter (6.35 mm)

Weight without cable. . . . . . . . . . . . 340 g

Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . transport case

Packaging and accessories

The Beyerdynamic Amiron home comes in Beyerdynamic’s typical style box, very clean and uncluttered it immediately elicits high expectations of what you’ll find inside. Open the box and you’ll find the black, egg shaped luxury hard case, upholstered on the outside with a wetsuit-like material and a soft cloth interior.

I know what you’re thinking now – “Enough of this, show us what’s inside!” Okay, let’s crack this baby open. Upon opening the hard case you’re presented first and foremost with the headphones in all their glory. On the underside of the case lid is a removable mesh pocket, handy for storing the 6.35 mm screw-on adapter.

Apart from the headphones and adapter, there’s a cable and information booklet so not much in the way of accessories but after all, it’s all about the headphones right?

Build, comfort and isolation

Before I go any further I just want to say that my photos cannot do these headphones justice. Not only do they look great but the Alcantara microfiber and micro velour feel incredibly silky smooth and soft. Starting at the headband is the Beyerdynamic branding embossed into the sumptuous micro velour covering. This just oozes with class and sets the tone for what to expect from these headphones.

On the underside is the microfiber wrapped padding that promises to caress your noggin during those long listening sessions.  The clamping force of the headband is superbly balanced, being very light and flexible but at the same time offering a secure fit. There’s very little pressure applied to your head but they don’t ever feel loose or likely to fall off.

Moving down we come to the notched sliders on the signature Beyerdynamic metal brackets. These are pretty easy to adjust but firm enough to not move unintentionally. Next, of course, the bracket bone’s connected to the ear-cup bone which again has the brands’ distinguishing look. The cups are made primarily of plastic and the back grilles which look like they’re metallic are actually a dark, silvery coloured fabric.

Then there are the ear-pads, oh boy. The Alcantara microfiber is so soft and smooth, it’s to die for. They’re pretty big and comfortably encircle my generously sized ears in a tender caress and deep enough so that my ears don’t come into contact with the hard plastic interior.

These don’t sport the angled drivers like the T1 gen 2 or T5P gen 2 but have a standard parallel configuration for the Tesla drivers. On the underside of the cups are the 2.5 mm headphone jacks for the long-requested detachable cables now present on these and the two previously mentioned headphones.

So are they comfortable? Absolutely. The flexible headband and low clamping force paired with the lush ear-pads are perfect for extended periods of use and because the pads are fabric and with the open back they don’t get too hot on your ears.

As you’d expect from an open back design, noise isolation is not very good. External noise is easily transmitted through the back and of course, there is significant noise leakage coming out of the headphones as well meaning that people around you will be able to easily hear what you’re listening to.

Sound

Sources

PC/MusicBee > JDS Labs Element (low gain) > Amiron Home

Shinrico D3S > Arcam irDAC-ii > Amiron Home

FiiO X1ii unamped and amped (using Shinrico E11)

Music used for testing (all .flac files)

Philippe Jordan, Wiener Symphoniker – Schubert Symphonies 7 & 8

The Gentle Storm – The Diary (CD1 Gentle version)

Ludovico Einaudi – Doctor Zhivago

The Pineapple Thief – Your Wilderness

As a successor to the venerable T90, the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home has a lot to live up to. So does it? In a word, yes. First of all, it’s surprisingly smooth and surely that’s a good thing if it’s designed for you to “Just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away.”  Fortunately, it’s not the kind of smooth that sacrifices precision or speed.

There’s a spacious airiness that’s intoxicating in its clarity and detail. The sound is also very balanced, not trying to be clever in any particular area but hitting just the right timbre and tonality with anything you throw at it. There’s a warmth present that I wasn’t expecting yet resolution remains excellent throughout.

Bass

Bass is punchy and precise without sounding in the least bit thin and its certainly not bloated. It’s slightly north of neutral with just the right amount of presence in the music to drive it along without digging its elbows into the mids. Mid-bass notes are not thrown in your face like so many headphones tend to do but have the perfect amount of body to bring out the fullness in, yet not overpower whatever you’re listening to.

In “Blows” from the “In the Heart of the Sea OST” by Roque Banos the manic beating of the drums still convey the sense of danger and anxiety but are polite enough to let the subtlety of the strings and rim shots share the same space.

Mids

Mids are equally as impressive with great resolution and detail. In “Magnolia” from The Pineapple Thief’s Magnolia album the Amiron Home’s layering is superb with great separation between the harmonic strings, acoustic guitar and vocals.

The haunting strings in Ludovico Einaudi’s “The Ringlet” from Doctor Zhivago have a true to life tonality and resonance that are rich and vibrant. There’s loads of detail coming through but at no point does it sound analytical, it remains very musical.

Treble

The highs carry on the Amiron Home’s refinement being detailed and airy but never becoming aggressive or fatiguing. Even in “No Man’s Land” by The Pineapple Thief from Your Wilderness the enthusiastic buildup of cymbal crashes towards the end remain inoffensive where with many other headphones it results in me frantically reaching the controls to lower the volume. On the contrary, the treble never sounds muted or metallic and carries over with outstanding timbre without being “soft”.

Comparisons

Beyerdynamic T1 2nd generation ($1,199.00 USD)

Comfort and fit are very similar. Both headphones have the same relaxed clamping force and similar overall shape. The T1 is a little more aggressive in the bass, particularly mid-bass while the treble has some extra emphasis as well. Transparency and resolution are superior on the T1 making it more revealing and detailed.

In contrast, the Amiron Home has a more relaxed presentation and for me would be better suited for longer listening sessions as the T1 assaults your senses with more of everything, which is fantastic but demands more from the listener. The T1 also demands more from your source gear and amplifier- you’ll need something with a bit of grunt to get the most from these 600-ohm headphones.

Ultrasone Performance 860 ($359.98 USD)

The Ultrasone is more utilitarian physically, having rubber, plastic and pleather in place of the Amiron Home’s extravagant fabrics, hardly surprising though as it’s just over half the price of the Beyerdynamic. Comfort goes to the Amiron Home, due to it having significantly less clamping force and the fabric on the ear-pads means your ears won’t get as hot.

While both headphones have a balanced signature the Ultrasone has more prominent highs and less warmth overall. Being a closed phone the Performance 860 doesn’t have the air or the Beyerdynamic and at times sounds more congested. As you would expect the open-backed Beyerdynamic has a wider soundstage. The Ultrasone holds up well in comparison but the Amiron Home is on a whole other level.

Beyerdynamic T5P 2nd generation ($1,099.00 USD):

Designed for portable use the cups on the T5P are smaller than those on the Amiron Home which means for some with large ears they might not be as comfortable. Because they’re a closed design the T5P don’t have the same sense of air yet they still have an impressive soundstage. Being just 32 ohms the T5P is much easier to drive and can be driven by a phone or budget DAP.

The Amiron Home sounds a bit more balanced, while the T5P has a bit more weight and sharper edge to its bass and just a little more energy in the treble. Just like the T1, the T5P is not as relaxed as the Amiron but that’s probably better when you’re on the move. These are both fantastic headphones but clearly designed for different purposes. If you’re only listening at home….. well do I really need to say it? And if you want portability or the freedom of being able to use any type of source then the T5P is the way to go.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Home Conclusion

Beyerdynamic says:

“Amiron home is our invitation to pure musical enjoyment: just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away.”

and I believe that they’ve created the perfect headphones to do just that. The Beyerdynamic Amiron Home is built for comfort with its soft, luxurious surfaces, non-aggressive tuning and natural, organic sound. Wearing theis is like sinking into a well-worn leather couch or La-Z-boy recliner, it just oozes comfort. But don’t be fooled by the cosy exterior, it still has great resolution and detail.

It doesn’t sacrifice precision or speed but finds the perfect balance in a physical and sonic sense. With the company’s typical approach to build quality (handcrafted in Germany), you can trust in the build as much as the sound. The Beyerdynamic Amiron Home is designed for pure musical enjoyment and for that purpose it doesn’t get much better than this.

You can buy the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home on Amazon HERE.

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