Beyerdynamic’s Aventho headphones use audiology tech for tailor-made sound

By Parker Hall Published October 3, 2017

As headphone technology continues to advance in terms of wireless capability and sheer audio quality, more and more headphone companies are turning to advanced audiology research to learn not just how to most accurately reproduce and transmit sounds, but to investigate the individual way that each human perceives audio. As it turns out, the way people hear is extremely varied. With its newly announced Aventho wireless headphones, Beyerdynamic partnered with Mimi Hearing Technologies to provide tailor-made listening profiles for each person, aiming to create a perfect audio experience for everyone.

The new headphones use a special app called Make It Yours to test each listener’s hearing profile over six minutes, using Mimi’s sound customization technology to change the playback settings of the headphones so that the overall sound profile perfectly suits your ears.

Recommended Videos

The headphones are an elegant and businesslike blend of metal, black plastic, and leather that offer hours of battery life and touch controls. In addition to custom sound signatures, they pair with an app called Sound Watching, which provides listeners with analysis about playback volume and listening duration — helping determine potential long-term issues with hearing strain before they develop.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Apart from advanced technology and playback analysis, the company’s new on-ear headphones will likely offer the same excellent sound we have heard in the Beyerdynamic’s other high-end models. The headphones feature aptX HD for high-quality wireless playback and use the AAC codec on iOS.

“The Aventho Wireless is truly a custom headphone,” Beyerdynamic’s Director of the Americas Alan Feckanin said in a press release. “Our market in the USA has been asking for this. We are thrilled to have a superior product that responds to our customers’ wants and needs. Beyerdynamic continues to provide exceptional quality products for the USA consumer.”

Aventho are not the first headphones we have seen that use advanced tech to offer personalized sound. Companies like Nura have been working on similar products, with headphones like the Nuraphone also adapting audio playback to each listener’s individual ears via a 60 second automatic process.

The headphones are currently available for order on Beyerdynamic’s website, where they retail for $530.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…

Audio / Video

Sony’s new flagship headphones promise best-in-class noise canceling and calling

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

As expected, Sony has taken the wraps off the fifth generation of its flagship line of active noise cancellation (ANC) wireless headphones. The WH-1000XM5 have been priced at $400 -- $50 more than their predecessors, the WH-1000XM4 -- and they sport a new, lighter-weight design, dual noise-canceling processors, eight microphones, and hi-res audio capability. The XM5 can be pre-ordered starting May 12 in both black and silver (a sort of sand color), and general retail availability begins May 20.

Sony plans to keep selling the older XM4 model alongside the new XM5, at least for the foreseeable future. The biggest change to Sony's design for the WH-1000 series is a move away from the traditional flat-headband plus earcup forks design to an integrated approach. The headband sliders are now tubular and connect to a hidden pivot inside the tops of the earcups, creating a similar profile to both the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the Apple AirPods Max. The new design means that, unlike the XM4, which can fold flat, then fold again to take up less room, the WH-1000XM5 can only fold flat.

Audio / Video

AIAIAI’s latest headphones let you ditch the cable, not the quality

AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones.

When it comes to wireless headphones, there's usually a trade-off: Lower-quality audio for the convenience of going wire-free. But Danish audio company AIAIAI's (pronounced "eye-eye-eye") latest headphones, the $350 TMA-2 Studio Wireless+, are an attempt to give folks -- especially musicians and other audio creators -- the best of both worlds. The wireless headphones come with a dedicated wireless transmitter that's been designed to deliver low-latency, lossless CD-quality sound for those who need a better-than-Bluetooth wireless signal.

Better yet, the wireless cans still have a fully wired option for those time when you need to hear your source instantly and with no additional processing. Swapping between modes is simple -- the headband has a switch that lets you instantly flip between standard Bluetooth mode and AIAIAI's Wireless+ mode.

Audio / Video

House of Marley’s new headphones look to provide ‘powerful sound with a purpose’

House of Marley Positive Vibration XL ANC Headphones

House of Marley a socially conscious audio outfit distinguished by its support for reforestation and ocean conservation, has released the Positive Vibration XL ANC headphones. These high-performance cans feature active noise cancellation (ANC) technology and memory foam ear cushions, with the goal of allowing you to tune out while you tune in.

The headphones can connect to any Bluetooth-capable device and House of Marley touts their ability to provide deep bass and premium clarity. A pair of 40mm high-definition drivers helps achieve the desired sonic balance and House of Marley claims these cans can blare forth for 35 hours of playing time with ANC off, and 26 with the feature turned on.