The happy face of a man who’ll never lose a single expensive earbud. | Image: Beyerdynamic

True wireless earbuds may rule the roost when it comes to portable listening, but Beyerdynamic hasn’t forgotten about the other kind of wireless earbuds. Its new Blue Byrd ANC in-ear headphones are neckbuds, aka neckband earbuds, aka in-ear headphones with a wire running between your ears that are still technically “wireless” because there’s nothing physically connecting them to your phone.

The new Blue Byrd in-ear headphones are an upgraded version of the second-generation model from 2021, now with support for active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. Turning on ANC drops the battery life from 14 hours to a bit over eight, and charging is still handled over USB-C, where a 10-minute charge gets you two hours of listening.

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