For some products, bland can be good. I’d argue that wireless earbuds are the pinnacle of this concept. You just want something that fits, works, and sounds good, more than you want a flashy, status product. Even AirPods buyers I know aren’t buying them for aesthetics; they’re buying them because they’re among the best earbuds to pair with an iPhone, in terms of function.
Beyerdynamic’s Amiron 300 lack superlatives, and yet I’ve really enjoyed my time with the brand’s new high-end earbuds. They’re not the best-sounding out there, they don’t have the best noise canceling, and they don’t have the best battery life on the market. But they have nearly the best sound, nearly the best noise canceling, and nearly the best battery life, which makes these unassuming $280 buds worth considering.
Especially if you are familiar with the brand’s legendary sound profile from recording studio work, very few manufacturers make a Goldilocks product feel so unassuming. Leave it to the Germans.
Photograph: Parker Hall
Case, Point
An understated rectangular charging case reveals a simple pair of buds that could ostensibly have been designed by anyone who has stepped onto a subway and looked at folks’ ears in the past five years. These are simple, pill-shaped buds with a slight dip in the outside that’s embossed with the Y-shaped Beyerdynamic logo.
Photograph: Parker Hall
The only thing that sets these apart from other generic-looking earbuds is a flash of orange from the inside of the silicone ear tips in the case. Removing the buds, you’ll notice “Amiron 300” in silver on the side of each one, along with an easy-to-read R and L for putting the right one in the right hole.
For a pair of headphones that feel like they could have been designed in ChatGPT, the Amiron 300 are shockingly comfortable and ergonomic in human ears. They twist easily into my average-sized ears and stay there without the need for special ear fins or wrap-around holders like many earbuds need to remain secure. They come with five pairs of ear tips, which means you’re likely to find a set that fit your ears, even if you like to use a different size tip on each side.
Listening Sessions
Once you get the buds paired with your phone (nearly instant on Android, thanks to quick pairing), you can download the Beyerdynamic app (iOS, Android) and adjust any settings you need to on the earbuds. I like that it allows you to adjust what each side of the touch-sensitive buds do based on one, two, or three taps, and even when you hold the bud.
Defaults are set logically. One tap plays and pauses music, two changes the ANC mode, three skips tracks, and holding adjusts volume up or down, depending on the side.
