Review: Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero

Beyerdynamic has jumped on the ongoing trend of open headphones that clip around the ear. We have previously tested Earfun Clip 2, Huawei Freeclip 2 or Shokz OpenDots One which all follow the same principle. Something we initially got stuck on, in a negative sense, was the limited range of use. Several of these headphones cost quite a bit and require an additional pair of headphones if you are going to sit on a rattling bus, on a train, or are simply in a noisy environment. Consequently, this limitation affected the overall rating. But as with a pair of open over-ear headphones, it is part of the package that they cannot be used everywhere, and this should not be held against them.

So this time we are going to test Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero, see how they deliver and how they stand up against the competition. Because they are far from alone on the market.

Construction, fit, and technology

Beyerdynamic offers no surprises out of the box, but the headphones feel solid and inspire confidence. The design of the speakers themselves differs slightly from what we are used to, which creates expectations that Beyerdynamic has remained true to its heritage and intends to offer something extra. The fit is slightly smaller than on, for example, Shokz OpenDots One, and Amiron Zero needs to sit very precisely for the sound to reach the ear as intended. They are controlled with touch buttons, and you only have double-click or triple-click to work with. Furthermore, you can only choose play/pause or nothing with a double-click. There is also no option to lower or raise the volume, which we consider a real shortcoming. Other headphones use long-clicks, a combination of short-long clicks, or single-clicks for play/pause, allowing you to operate the headphones without your phone.

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The headphones weigh 6g and have a total battery capacity of approximately 20 hours. Charging takes place wirelessly or with a USB-C cable. The Bluetooth version is 5.4, and the available codecs are SBC or AAC.

The experience was mixed

It has been a mixed experience during the test of Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero. We will start with some technical aspects and return to the sound further down. There are details that we don’t think work well. These details make the headphones cumbersome to use. A phenomenal technical solution with Shokz OpenDots One was that the buds were symmetrical and figured out for themselves which ear they were in, after which the functions assigned to right or left were moved accordingly. They also didn’t need to be placed in a specific slot in the case, and using the buttons was a breeze. With Amiron Zero, it is largely the opposite. The headphones are tied to left and right, they need to be placed in the correct slot, and the buttons are outright difficult to use. However, they are not marked with L or R, so if you put them down on a table, you can only guess—or put them back in the case. Furthermore, the buttons are problematically hard to press, and even if you manage it, it’s a matter of chance whether the buds perceive your presses as intended.

Another excellent feature Shokz OpenDots One delivered was that they could be placed on a table and would then wake up as soon as you picked them up, regardless of how much time had passed. There were also no problems wearing them for hours without playing any music; they stayed connected and ready. Again, it is the opposite with Amiron Zero. If you wear them without playing anything, they turn off after the time you have set. You can, of course, set them to never turn off, but if you leave them somewhere and forget to put them in the case, the battery drains. More problematic is that they cannot be woken up without, again, putting them in the case. No matter how much you press the buttons.

This test is not really intended to be a comparison between Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero and Shokz OpenDots One, but it is difficult to ignore brilliant technical functions when these undoubtedly improve handling and the overall experience—or perhaps especially when they are absent. As a headset, Amiron Zero works well, except that you can only operate them using your phone. No options for calls are available among the click alternatives.

The sound experience

If you manage to get the headphones to sit just right, the sound is perfectly fine. We miss a bit of treble and clarity in the sound. The midrange delivers okay, and the bass is undoubtedly acceptable. The bass even stands out a bit compared to several other models of open headphones such as Shokz Open Fit+ or Shokz OpenDots One. It is primarily in the D&B track Under by Pola & Bryson where a bass note simply isn’t heard. If you switch to other headphones like Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 or Technics EAH-AZ80, it is clearly audible. Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero does manage, at times, to force out the very low frequencies, which should of course be noted. Otherwise, it sounds good across all genres, and we should also point out that the soundstage perhaps isn’t the main thing one is looking for with a pair of completely open headphones. Rather, it is the practical side of being able to walk around with a pair of headphones and get the feeling of walking through a hotel lobby with your own choice of background music.

The Verdict – Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero

Price-wise, Amiron Zero are not the most expensive open-ear headphones on the market, and the price of 1,400 feels acceptable for the sound profile you get. However, the price becomes too high if we then factor in the technical shortcomings we have listed above. To that, we can also add the problem that they must sit very precisely to sound good. Shokz OpenDots One currently cost around 1,800 SEK, and despite the higher price, they are a better alternative.

Beyerdynamic has the ability to make fantastic, hard-to-beat, and elite-performing headphones like DT 1990 Pro MK II. They can also manufacture in-ear buds like Amiron 300, which largely have no weaknesses. It therefore feels as though Beyerdynamic has released Amiron Zero more as a way to claim shelf space than anything else. We have previously written that Beyerdynamic has been inconsistent and hasn’t quite succeeded with its Bluetooth headphones. Amiron 300 is increasingly becoming an exception, and we unfortunately believe that Amiron Zero reinforces that perception.

Beyerdynamic sent review samples for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with you readers and consumers in focus.