Headphone manufacturers take varying approaches when releasing new models. Some launch products as regularly as I eat hot meals. Others are more considered, quietly putting out a new model every year or two with modest updates. Beyerdynamic on the other hand, takes a very German approach – only when necessary…

When it debuted the Lagoon ANC Bluetooth headphone back in 2020, the market was wowed by its heady combination of style, sound, and value. Now, over four long years later, meet the company’s new travel-friendly model. In typical Beyerdynamic fashion, the Aventho 300 has a grab bag of well considered features – including active noise cancellation, a slew of onboard codecs, Dolby Atmos support, and a ton of software goodies. But is it too late to this now highly competitive party? Let's have a look…

UP CLOSE

The new Beyer proudly wears its intentions on its sleeve. Whereas more studio-oriented Beyerdynamic headphones are often large, with huge pads that sit all around the ear, these trade size for portability and weight. The fit is nice and firm, a plus for travel headphones. The cups are narrower than expected from something like the company’s Pro-X models. Mind you, this isn't a bad thing – indeed it’s the Aventho 300's biggest strength. With metal hinges that fold completely flat, this is one of the market’s most ‘backpack-friendly’ designs. Factor in its sturdy build, and this is a pair of headphones that should happily accompany you all around the world without skipping a beat.

The battery life is insane. Advertised as fifty hours with ANC turned on, I could squeeze more than sixty with noise cancelling switched off. Charging the Aventho 300 for just ten minutes will squeeze another five hours out of it. All of which leaves the rated twenty hours of the Airpods Max for dead. Nice knowing you, Apple!

The included travel case is a muted, subtle affair that doesn't take up too much bag space. Finding the right way to fold the headphones into it took several attempts for me, but the yoga makes sense once the bag's footprint is revealed. It also has a graceful little loop at the top, so you can attach it to the outside of your bag. I rarely see this on other headphones in this price bracket – what a great idea.

Its touch controls take some getting used to, but make sense after a few tries. Not all of the touch inputs were registered as smoothly as I would have liked, but they simply mirror what can be adjusted on the source device anyway, so there are no big dramas here. Pairing to multiple sources was quick and easy, thanks to Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint support. Under the hood, you'll find AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LC3, and Bluetooth LE support. In real terms, this means that you'll be able to simply connect and play with your favourite Apple or Android devices with ease, but also dial in a high bitrate or low-latency experience when required, giving the user the flexibility to choose what is most important to them.

The inclusion of USB-C is legendary here, as it also includes fast charging and audio playback support. This means you can plug a USB cable directly into your source device for ultra-low latency and high bandwidth input. Or, if you want to go with a tried and true method, then thankfully a standard 3.5mm jack is also included – which is becoming increasingly rare these days.

The new app is fantastic, intuitive, and stylish. It allows for fine-tuning of the settings and includes a 5-band EQ. It's worth noting though, that the app isn't a necessary experience here and merely adds to it. Don't feel like you’re missing out if you don't install it – just think of it as an expanded settings menu. The app also insists that I wear headphones on my head during the five-minute firmware update process with no music playing; the two updates I made during the review period were both sobering, peaceful moments! The integral microphone array works well for phone calls and Zoom meetings, and callers on the other end described my voice as clear and serviceable. I wouldn't quite record a podcast with them, but I have no complaints at all about the quality here.

THE LISTENING

The Aventho 300 houses the exact same drivers as Beyerdynamic’s Pro-X line, and it shows. These have become common in music studios and live music environments worldwide in recent years, and you can hear why when you fire up the acoustic version of Gotta Get Thru This by Daniel Beddingfield. The sound is almost reference-quality – unlike the usual warmth or even blandness that you expect from most noise-cancelling headphones. The song, an acoustic version of a classic dance music track, serves as a double entendre for the Aventho sound signature. Despite being a travel headphone, it provides a subtle and detailed listen, rather than the usual boom and tizz.

This Beyerdynamic forgoes any slamming bass or V-shaped sound signatures and instead focuses on creating a detailed, dynamic sound that can be adjusted at the user's will with the included EQ. Instrumental separation, overall detail retrieval, and rapid decay take first place in the priority list here. Some users may take time to adjust to this neutral, studio-like character. Listening to Some People Say by Curtis Gabriel and Semedo is a great example. Whereas Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 might greet the listener with a full-bodied, bass-heavy rendition of this pumping electronic track, the Aventho 300 takes a more clinical approach, allowing the vocal samples to come through more cleanly.

That's not to say that this headphone doesn't know how to have fun. Tuning in my preferred levels of bass and firing up Strings by Kamaal Willams, I felt vindicated by my usual preference of applying EQ to a flat-tuned headphone instead of trying to fix a V-shaped one. The walking bassline suddenly became clearer and more pronounced instead of being presented with a neutral, subtle tone. Think of the Aventho 300 as a blank canvas upon which you can use the EQ to paint your preference.

The noise-cancelling system is very effective at fading out low engine noises from trains and flights, working well in these environments. However, don't expect it to completely isolate you in a noisy cafe or lobby. I was happy with the performance when I took a five-hour flight – the ambient pass-through was excellent for listening to in-flight announcements or being aware of my surroundings. While it didn't sound as natural as the AirPods Max ambient noise offering, it’s more natural than the Sennheiser Momentum 4’s noise reduction.

Flicking on the Dolby Atmos setting is fascinating. It's important to note that the head-tracking feature isn't quite the same as what the AirPods Max offers; it's not quite a fair comparison as Apple maintains its vice-like grip on the API that allows for proper head-tracked Dolby Atmos support with Apple devices. That’s unfair in my view, as the Beyerdynamic hardware is clearly able to support it. Instead, the Aventho 300 provides a virtualised version, offering head-tracking audio to allow the position of the audio to ‘remain in place’ as you look left and right. I am a huge fan of this for content watching. The psychoacoustic nature of subtle head movements being recognised makes for a far more immersive viewing experience for movies and TV shows. Head tracking is surely the future of watching content with headphones, so I love that it's a feature here.

THE VERDICT

If you're looking for a compact, travel-ready noise-cancelling headphone with outstanding battery life and rock-solid build, the Aventho 300 is an easy recommendation. Paired with a neutral, accurate sound signature, it makes long travel journeys a lot more pleasant. After four years of anticipation, does the new Beyerdynamic travel headphone justify its long development cycle? The answer depends on what you value most in wireless headphones, but it's a firm ‘yes’ from me.

For more information visit Beyerdynamic