Disclaimer: Beyerdynamic sent us the Amiron Home for this review on loan, it is a sample of a pre-production run. The pictures are from Beyerdynamic and those tagged with our logo are ours.
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic has more than 90 years’ experience developing audio electronics and stands for innovative audio products with the highest sound quality and pioneering technology. Two business divisions – Headphones and Audio Systems – provide tailored solutions for professional and private users. All products are developed in Germany and primarily manufactured by hand – from hi-fi headphones to stage microphones as well as conference and interpretation systems.
Beyerdynamic is a world famous German headphone company and over the years they have given the world a whole series of top quality headphones and amplifiers of which we have reviewed a whole bunch: DT770 AE, DT1770PRO, DT1990PRO, T90, Custom One Pro, T51P, T1, T1.2, A2, A20, iDX160iE, A200P, T70, DT1350, DT880.
2016 was/is a great year for Beyerdynamic and they have released a whole bunch of new headphones, the latest being the DT1XX0 series and now the new T90 successor, the Amiron Home.
The Amiron Home
The Amiron I received is a product from Beyerdynamic’s pilot run. That means they do function properly but the printing inside of the headband end piece is not the final one, it is the wrong printing type and all of them have the serial number 00001. Sound and finish-wise however these are the real deal, this is exactly how the Amiron Home will look and sound and yes, they’re still hand made in Germany.
Amiron Home: the open high-end headphones with a live feeling – for the perfect concert experience at home.
Everyone calls this new headphone the “Amiron” but the real name is “Amiron Home” and the above quote shows why Beyerdynamic named it so. Just like the Beyerdynamic T90, the Amiron Home has an open design which allows the sound to breathe. The successor to the legendary T 90 also uses proven Tesla technology resulting in playful ease and tonal precision. And it’s not just the sound characteristics that have been further optimized on the Amiron home: the development engineers have also been busy in other areas:
An additional fabric in front of the multilayer compound calotte reduces high-frequency resonances. The acoustic transducers are dampened on the rear to ensure an even more balanced frequency response in the mids. And a new acoustically effective ear pad filling material increases bass precision. The ear pads and headband are made from velvety soft Alcantara microfibre and microvelour with temperature-balancing and moisture-regulating effects. They make listening a pure pleasure and long listening periods are what this headphone was made for. The typical Beyerdynamic yokes are made from solid aluminium and the decorative rings made from die-cast aluminium complete the typical elegant appearance.
I’ve always found the Beyerdynamic headphones to be very comfortable with velour pads but the new fabric, especially on the gorgeous headband, make the Amiron Home even more comfortable. Its weight (340gr) is very normal but the weight distribution is perfect, it really disappears on your head.
With the Amiron, Beyerdynamic wants to deliver high-resolution sound for a concert experience at home. It this time comes with a 3m detachable cable on both sides (3.5mm plugs) with no soldering joints at the Y-adapter. Its new, highly flexible twin wire is fed through as a single unit – from the gold-plated jack plug with screw adapter for large 6.35 mm jacks through to the Tesla transducers. Typically the Amiron still has a 250Ohm impedance and its official price is €599 where the T90’s price is €499. The DT1770PRO and 1990PRO go for the exact same amount as the Amiron Home.
Design-wise I personally feel the T90 is the prettiest of both headphones as the cup material is extra special. The Amiron Home uses the same headband system but the cups have a more plastic look and feel to them. The Amiron pictures don’t do it justice though as it looks prettier in real. The headband material is much nicer on the Amiron on the other hand.
Technical data
| Transducer type | Dynamic |
| Operating principle | Open |
| Frequency response | 5 – 40,000 Hz |
| Nominal impedance | 250 Ohms |
| Nominal SPL | 102 dB (1 mW / 500 Hz) |
| T.H.D. | < 0.05 % |
| Sound coupling to the ear | Circumaural |
| Weight (without cable) | 340 g |
| Cable | 3 m / double-sided / detachable |
| Connection | Gold-plated mini stereo jack (3.5 mm) & 1/4″ adapter (6.35 mm) |
Sound
The big point the Beyerdynamic marketing department wants to make with these headphones is that the Amiron Home is the perfect headphone to use at home. With the Amiron Home, Beyerdynamic wants you to experience the sound of a real concert hall.
“Amiron home is our invitation to pure musical enjoyment: just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away”
Beyerdynamic didn’t just re-use their T90 drivers but they improved them: Modifications to the transducer have diminished unwanted vibrations to an absolute minimum and completely eliminated annoying treble resonances. Compared to the T90, that according to Beyer adds up to a warm, stress-free sound with fascinating spaciousness – as intoxicating as in a live concert.
Sound and a lot more on Page Two, right after the jump or the click HERE
John Read
Lieven are they doing an Amiron Travel? Closed back design?
Lieven
Haven’t heard anything about that…
ML
Thanks for reviewing. Any idea how Amiron compares to Beyerdynamic T1.1 or T1.2?
Lieven
I don’t have the T1 as I don’t like it. But I like the Amiron Home. Yes, they’re that different
Khloe
If one is looking for a crisp sounding headphone that had a slightly warm sound, lush mids, detailed punchy bass should one go with these or the nighthawk carbons?
Lieven
I’d go with the NightOwl then actually
mika
Thanks a lot for the review.
Do you have any thoughts on the Amiron vs HE400i comparison?
Right now I use HE400i / HD1770PRO as open/closed combo and wonder if Amiron could make it’s way in 🙂
Boostergold
Would like to see this as well, if possible.
tungt88
I have a HiFiMan HE-400i, and recently bought an Amiron.
1) Amiron really feels like there’s a speaker right next to your ear (in terms of soundscape); broad and detailed. The 400i is detailed, too, but I do get treble fatigue if I’m listening to movies/music past the 3hr mark. 400i also has a smaller and more intimate soundscape. No treble fatigue whatsoever with the Amiron. Where the Amiron pulls away from the 400i is in the mids — everything is just a full level nicer, and the mid/sub-bass is tighter and punchier. There’s just more impact on everything from treble to bass (perhaps that Tesla technology is the key?).
I like the 400i’s sound quality a lot, but the Amiron gets the nod here.
2) Amiron blows away the 400i in terms of comfort (I have a big head). 400i is actually pretty comfortable for me, but the Amiron is 2.5 levels above (for that matter, the Amiron is more comfortable to me than the Fostex T50RP MK3 w/Shure Alcantara mod, HiFiMan HE-400s, or even the Sony MDR-1A). It even beats out the Philips SHP9500 in this dept (while the SHP9500 is lighter, the pads on the Amiron are a lot better). Easy win for the Amiron here.
3) Amiron has some very nice quality materials — it feels well manufactured and relatively durable (I’m really glad to see Beyerdynamic not making any compromises in the materials, as I think this is one of the big distinguishing features of a Beyer). I don’t have an issue with the materials of the HE-400i, but the Amiron beats it readily in this regard. Another win for the Amiron.
4) The dual 2.5mm jacks are really nice to see on the Amiron (one of the reasons I shied away from getting a T90). Slightly snug fit on the Amiron; the 400i’s 2.5mm jacks were slightly easier to fit on. A tie for both headphones, as no one was a clear winner this category.
5) The 400i has swivel cups, which is a very nice feature that I wish the Amiron had, so I guess the 400i wins in the “convenience” category.
Overall? Ever since I bought the Amiron, it has replaced the 400i as my primary headphone of choice for all applications (movies, music, gaming). IMO, it’s a full 1.5 levels of improvement over the 400i, without being nearly as treble fatiguing (not that the 400i is as bad in that dept as other models I have tried). I’m very glad to have bought the Amiron; for me, it just pleases on every level and gets better with every listen. Bravo Beyerdynamic!
Lieven
Thank you for the contribution.I liked reading it.
The Amiron is a sweet headphone indeed, I use it a lot as my nightstand headphone
Kanzuk
Good article Lieven.
You mention that Cayin amp a lot. Any reviews coming soon?
Lieven
oh yes! Soon, probably not as this is a long term amp thing
KANZUK
You loved it that much then! Looking forward to it.
Natsukawa
Your Review is very interesting, especially for T90 owners. On some records (especially nowadys) the T90s treble can be pretty harsh and piercing. Thats why i use an EQ (minimally) to tame the treble. Now the interesting part: Using an EQ (minimally) does not have a negative effect on the T90s soundstage. The T90 builds that rare bridge between fun-listening and analytical listening. It sounds lively, has an intimate but airy, holographic soundstage while maintaning those fantastic details.
Can the Amiron home keep up with this fantastic, rare combination the T90 offers? Or is it a completely different headphone? I’m worried that the Amiron may have a hard time offering the same transparenct-fun-holographic soundtage the T90 has.
dale thorn
I wondered that because I had the T90, but as I read this review, it looks even worse than the DT1770 Pro, which I have, and am not completely satisfied with.
Lieven
It depends what you want in a headphone, to me they’re too different. neither is bad or worse
Lieven
Not completely no, that’s why I concluded these are compatible headphones
Petros
Well how do they compare to the HD650?
Lieven
The HD650 need a good amp to sound their best while the Amiron does not. The HD650 doesn’t have the voices jump out, it’s cleaner and more precise when properly used.
John
Have you tried this headphone on Theorem too? I think the larger sound stage of Theorem might make it a better amp for this headphone compared to Duet, don’t you think?
Having read the review, I get the impression that the T90 sound stage is better than that of Amiron, is that right?
Cheers
Lieven
95% of the time everything sounds good out of the Theorem. Haven’ tried it though
Christoffer
Thanks for this great and detailed review.
Can you please tell me which combo performs better in movies, games and metal music?
1-HE-560 + Duet
2-HE-560 + Meridian Prime
3-Amiron + Duet
4-T90 + HPA-01M
Cheers
BattousaiX26
Which is smoother: the amiron or the LCD 2-F? also which has larger soundstage?
obsidyen
Is Amiron good for EDM?
Al
How do these compare to the Dt 880 and 990? Is the Amiron a complete step above?
What about compared to HD 700?
Lieven
I don’t like the 880 as it sounds bright and thin’ish to me. The 990 is V shaped and the amiron isn’t as it has good body in the mids. The HD700 isn’t as warm ar smooth as the amiron
symphonyofblase
will this be okay if plugged in to an onkyo ht-r695 avr?
Lieven
I couldn’t possibly tell without listening to it first. Sorry
Tibor
I am a mid-range guy, So is it better now to buy T90? (price wise) Than Amiron Home?
I have TH-X00, could anyone compare please?
Adrian
When you say “mid-bass,” what frequency range do you mean? I tend to think of 100Hz as the beginning of the mid-range, since a peak here has the tendency to thicken and sometimes veil both male and female vocals… depending on the size of the peak. A response peak in the 60Hz range usually gives a nice punchy, rich low end without veiling vocals.
dale thorn
If you listen to singers, when they sing 100 hz, it’s approx. ‘G’ below one octave below middle ‘C’. It’s definitely bass. In my purely personal view, the midrange starts somewhere around ‘A’ at 220 hz.
chopstix
i think there is such a need for good sounding quality cans in the $1k range, give or take.
headfi is going nuts price wise (hifi man’s 1000x v2 or their new 6 series, the audeze lcd4)…
i mean i get it: you often do get what you pay for…but when prices are 2-3x the price of these new amiron cans is the SQ matching?…i might check these out to try something other than my senn 650s….but the new Sony Z1R admittedly DO look enticing, as well.
…would love to see comparisons of this against some more $$$ cans to see how they hold up.
dale thorn
You will get a different sound with planars, and the $1000 Focal Elear is also very different. I haven’t heard the new AudioQuest yet, but I thought the NightHawk offered a really different experience from the Beyers. I have the Beyer DT1770, and I can’t compare it to these other headphones, because the 1770 doesn’t have that same musical quality – it’s good technically though. Maybe the Amiron is different, but knowing Beyer, I doubt it – it’s probably still more of a technical sound.
Lieven
Actually, like the COP, this one is different from the Beyer trend, yet it is still audible
paul
If i power the amiron with a woo wa6 amp would things be to smooth compared to hd650?
AmirMS
Hi, I recently bought a T 90 and I am wondering whether Amiron is suitable for my tastes. My favourite genres are classical, metal and progressive rock and I’m interested in cymbals, kick drums, electronic guitar solos + violin solos.
I also have a Fiio EX1 and really like its bass (with red tips) although it can be too dark sometimes.
I use iFi Nano iDSD as my daily driver and I am planning to buy iFi Micro iDSD BL in the future.
You think I should consider Amiron for my next purchase?
Thanks a lot…
AmirMS
I mean is it worth buying Amiron when you already have T90? I enjoy T90 and don’t find it sibilant at all
Lieven
oh yes, absolutely. They’re very different
AmirMS
Thanks for the reply.
Just another question (sorry if it’s not the place for it):
Which one do you recommend for coupling with T90 between iFi Micro iDSD BL and Mojo? I personally find Mojo’s treble sharper and more refined than iFi (iFi’s treble sounds odd -you say, splashy, as is the case with iFi Nano iDSD) but it seems that iFi’s amp section is better than Mojo (I mean, for future-proofing). So I was considering Beyer A20 for coupling with Mojo (you know, for likes of HD 650 and HD 800s).
So what do you suggest? iFi BL alone or Mojo+A20? Or maybe something else?
And is A20 a good amp for other headphones other than Beyers?
Lieven
I recommended the beyer A20 a lot as entry amp for the HD650, I used it for a long time in my office (now I’m running the SP1000/Hugo2/Utopia in that office)
I’d go for the Mojo (not a big fan of the ifi sound myself) and then you can add in another amp later, like the A20. But seriously ofr T90, HD650 and HD800, why don’t you go for the Lafigaro 339 or the Bottlehead Crack together with the Mojo (or the HERUS)
AmirMS
Thank you so much I’m a big fan of your website and I actually bought T90 and E10k based on your reviews.
By the way, about your question, I live in Iran and many audiophile devices are unavailable. I don’t have many choices.
Dan
The Amiron Home is the hidden gem of the hi-fi world currently. I’ve heard lots of headphones, but it just blows anything out of the water for enjoyability while remaining very detailed. There’s a reason you rarely see them for sale used (or the 1990 too), they are just that amazing. Grab one if you can and sell everything else.
tungt88
Hi Dan, I absolutely agree that the Amiron Home is the hidden gem of the hi-fi/headphone world. I’ve used them for about a year now, and they are a fantastic all-around, long-listening headphone (having compared the Amiron Home to the HiFiMan HE-400i, Sennheiser HD 630VB, Sony MDR-1A, Fostex T50RP-Mk3, and Beyerdynamic Custom Studio).
Around this time last year, I did a comparison comment (see above), and I will leave a comment here with my results comparing them to my incoming Audeze LCD-2 Classic (I’m really looking forward to the comparison!)
Siva
Hello Leiven,
Very nice review. I bought Amiron Home and it’s Awesome. I feel the cable lentgh 3m is too large. I thought of reducing the cable length by re-terminating 2.5mm balanced cable. Will it impact any sound quality if I reduce the cable length? Thanks
John
Please reply. I really want this, but want to know if it will be a good choice listening to trance music with chord / poly combo. Thanks.
John
I mean mojo / poly combo.
Oli
Hi Lieven, thanks for the good reviews…
I just read the ones for Amiron and DT1990PRO, because i am looking for a good headphone for my tube amp (LD MK-IV SE) which delivers ~ 500mv @ 300 Ohm, given my Focal Clear, AKG 712 PRO and Denon AH-MM400 they all have low impedance (< 64 Ohm) so i have the impression I never could get the best of my Little Dot.
I tried once the DT1990PRO with a solid state amp and i loved it, but never on a tube amp.
Which one of these two Beyers would match better a tube amp? (I guess the DT1990 because the Amiron it's already smoothed). Any other brand/model would you recommend?