Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd
SYSTEM PRICE £264-£349
The Sony Walkman allowed us to take our music outside easily a generation and a half ago now – and people took to the concept of a portable music player with astonishing speed. The advent of digital music, in the form of the mp3, took things on, and the ipod was born in 2001. Now, not far from entering the third decade of the 21st Century, we are all plugged in to mobile devices that will do a whole lot more than play music, of course. But, for us, the music is where it’s at, and for that the ipod is still the go-to player.
You won’t want to keep your tunes to yourself at all times, though – which is where the Bluetooth speaker comes in. For this system, we give you a choice on that front: Audio Pro’s Addon T3 is a remarkable piece of kit, but it’s also not the most transportable, so for those times when you need to just chuck things into a bag and set off, the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 may be a better option for you. Either wireless speaker will do your music proud, though.
You can read a full review of the new ipod Touch on p53, but we’ll give you the highlights here.
More than just a player
What carries the ipod name now is effectively a smartphone without the cellular connection. As well as its core function as a personal music player, the Touch has a 4in retina display screen for watching films and playing games, an 8MP camera for capturing HDR photos and 1080p HD video, and a front-facing lens for use with Facetime. You can also use Messages, with a wi-fi connection, to speak with anyone else using a compatible Apple device.
In terms of tonality and overall character, it gets everything right, without overstretching itself in any regard. Balance is even, rhythms snap in time and there is enough dynamic interest to discern between varying moods and genre.
This seventh-generation version proves there is still a place for the ipod in this market of smartphone streaming and premium hi-res PMPS. What’s more, the 3.5mm headphone jack lives on in the Touch! The machine comes boxed with a pair of wired Earpods, which will do a job. But we know we can do much better for not a vast outlay.
Which is where the Beyerdynamic Soul Byrds come in. Chirpy-sounding and relatively cheap, this is a superb pair of affordable in-ear headphones. They are part of Beyerdynamic’s new Byrdland range of in-ears, and replace some of our favourite budget in-ears of recent times, the Byrons.
Given their affordable price, there aren’t any major surprises on the feature front. There’s a small three-button in-line remote control on the right-hand cable that should give functionality (including play, pause and skip tracks) across IOS and Android devices.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re listening to budget headphones or an ultra-high-end pair of speakers, some audio products just sound good, even after a brief listen. And that’s the case with the Soul Byrds. There’s a balance to the sound that many budget in-ear headphones just struggle to get right.
There’s no thin treble or boomy bass here. What you do get is a fullbodied and weighty sound, but one that is balanced with impressive sonic poise and control.
Although more expensive than some rivals, such as thesoundmagic E11CS, the Soul Byrds are clearly a step up in overall quality. They make for an easy listen, but sound interesting and captivating too. It’s a brilliant feat for a pair of in-ears that can be yours for less than £70.
Don’t keep it to yourself
So that’s the portable system taken good care of as far as solo listening is concerned. But taking your music outside means more than that – sometimes sharing your tunes is what it’s all about; which is where the Bluetooth speaker comes in.
If you aren’t going far (or are in the garden having a barbecue, say), the Audio Pro is an absolute belter of a wireless speaker. It’s robust, rather than heavy, the handle is a canny touch and battery life is up to 30 hours at half volume or 12 at full blast.
This isn't going to replace your hi-fi system, but it is comfortable and more communicative than your average budget wireless speaker, and so absolutely ideal for more serious listening outside.
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No2 in C Minor is bound to lack its usual gravitas on any sub-£250 wireless speaker, but the T3 focuses on what it does well – making instruments sound as wholesome as possible without sacrificing organisation or range. It is more than listenable and we get through all three movements – longer than half an hour – without fidgeting.
Happy to have fun
If it can play that, it can play anything. And it does; from Beastie Boys' Intergalactic to Prince Fatty and Horseman’s take on Insane In The Brain. The level of expression makes fun, well, fun. It's bouncy, full of attack and not slowed at all by the extra bass weight.
But the Audio Pro won’t be for everybody. If your wireless speaker requirements are a little more out there, perhaps the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 will be more suitable. This is a smaller unit that will fit into most bags, and it provides a sound that belies its relatively diminutive appearance.
The portable Megaboom has always been designed for outdoors use – by the pool, at a festival, camping and other adventurous activities – and so the high-density fabric protecting the latest version of the speaker has been reworked.
It’s now IP67 rated, which means it’s dustproof as well as waterproof (up to three feet of water for 30 minutes), and not only is it sturdy, it also floats.
The redesigned top button – called the ‘Magic Button’ – has learned some new tricks. You can play and pause songs with a single tap, skip tracks with a double tap, and, with a long press, summon a playlist. That’s right; the speaker can play your favourite playlists without you having to reach for a smartphone.
The Megaboom 3 sounds just as fun, punchy and capable as we’ve come to expect from an Ultimate Ears speaker. It’s a hugely enthusiastic sound that favours excitement while still keeping an eye on balance. The 360-degree dispersion of sound is impressive, and the sound is satisfyingly solid, with well-defined edges, a great helping of detail and a terrific sense of rhythm.
While the Audio Pro Addon T3 is a more nuanced, refined listen, its boxy, more domestic design will attract a different audience from the rugged Megaboom 3. Which is why, in this system, we give you the option of either.
“This seventh-generation version proves there is still a place for the ipod in this market of smartphone streaming and premium hi-res PMPS”