Beyerdynamic

The history of Beyerdynamic is based on a beautiful legend about the friendship of Eugen Beyer and Georg Neumann. Legend has it that one day these two great men disagreed about what the best microphone in the world should be. Bayer insisted that the microphone must be dynamic. Neumann – capacitor. At some point, they got tired of arguing and went in different directions. Thus, from the company of two inventors, two companies producing the best microphones in the world turned out.

Eugen Bayer was born in Sweden to a German family, and at the age of 18 he moved from Stockholm to Berlin. In those years, the headquarters of companies such as Telefunken, AEG and Siemens were located in the capital of Germany. Eugen quickly realized that he could realize his talent as an inventor in this area, and in 1920 he opened a small workshop on the outskirts of the industrial district of Moabit, where at first he was the only employee. Ideas in the field of sound recording and sound reproduction were in the air in those years; it was a time of inventions and experiments. Engineers were needed who could bring these ideas to life. Eugen created the world’s first industrial design of dynamic headphones, and his developments in the design of dynamic microphones formed the basis of the company’s business.

In the 1930s, Eugen Bayer’s company was located in Berlin, at Levetzowstrasse 23. The DT 48 headphones and the M19 microphone were born here. 1939 beyerdynamic launches the M19, the first dynamic studio microphone. The microphone became the standard for the “Reichsrundfunk-gesellschaft”, one of the central radio stations in Germany at that time. 1937 Release of dynamic headphones DT 48 – a unique model, discontinued only at the end of 2012. These are the world’s first mass-produced dynamic headphones! Before that, there were only various prototypes made in the laboratories of experimenters. Since Beyerdynamic’s production in Berlin was badly damaged by the fighting in 1945, Eugen Beyer decided to move it to Heilbronn near Stuttgart. Beyerdynamic’s new home was a modest building, where in the chaos of the war almost everything was destroyed and looted. However, the company finally had a roof over its head, clear goals and a strong determination to succeed. The hard work of the Germans is, of course, amazing. The company develops new products, grows and develops. This was facilitated by the industrial development program adopted by the German government in 1954. Beyerdynamic soon began to run out of production capacity, and a second plant was opened in Höxtberg, a nearby town. This marked an important milestone in the company’s history.

In 1950, the Beyerdynamic DT48S appeared, which became the world’s first stereophonic headphones, and they turned out to be so good in sound and successful in design that they are produced and are still in active demand! In the assortment of which audio brand can you find a product that remains relevant and in demand for more than 60 years? Three years later, in 1953, professional headphones for recording studios DT49 appeared, which received recognition from specialists around the world. At the beginning of the 21st century, Beyerdynamic once again surprised the audio community with two revolutionary solutions. Introduced in 2007, Headzone Virtual 5.1 technology allows you to create a spatial effect in headphones, like a real multi-channel system, while the listener’s movement in the room changes the sound in the headphones, as if he were moving relative to real sound sources. In 2009, sales of T1 headphones began with an industry record magnetic induction value of more than 1 Tesla. 1959, model DT 509 “Stetoclip”. The best friends of the girls of that time, and the grandmothers of today: the design of the headband did not spoil the hairstyle. The mono version of these headphones was used with voice recorders (as shown in the photo). By the way, the secretary has a hateful look, the boss dictated a lot! They were also used to listen to radios and cassette recorders. The stereo version was used for end-to-end monitoring of recordings, at various events such as conventions, and also for those with hearing impairments when watching TV. And again housewarming! 1960, Beyerdynamic moves to a new spacious building, very modern for that time. Daily productivity increases by 2 times. For the first time, conveyor assembly of studio microphones began to be used. 1960s. The DT 49 headphones are a truly revolutionary invention from beyerdynamic. Today they look funny, but in those years it was rare for a record store or disco bar to do without them. Like any company with strong scientific potential, Beyerdynamic continued to experiment, and in 1973 the DT204 quadraphonic headphones were released and went on sale. And the ET1000 model, which appeared in 1976, became the first electrostatic headphones developed in Germany. In 1980, the company managed to literally outdo itself by creating the unique DT880 model – dynamic headphones with the characteristics of electrostatic ones. Another milestone in the history of Beyerdynamic, as well as in the world history of the creation of headphones, is the 1981 model DT660, which became the first with an acoustic design of the BassReflex type (a bass reflex for expanding the low-frequency range). In general, the 80s in the history of the company were marked by the appearance of a number of key models (from DT660 to DT990), most of which are still in production today.

Beyerdynamic’s headquarters and production are located in Heilbronn (district of Stuttgart, Germany). Nowadays, this approach already inspires respect, because it is no secret that a significant part of European companies remain such only in name, and all production and even development are transferred to Southeast Asia. Thus, compared to its competitors, Beyerdynamic seems to be a very attractive option, unless of course you are indifferent to such aspects as reliability, quality and production culture. In the production of Beyerdynamic headphones, only high-quality components that have passed the strictest selection are used. All key elements are made by hand using proprietary technologies. Some of the production equipment was independently developed by the company’s engineers, since standard devices to perform the necessary operations simply do not exist. All Beyerdynamic headphones, except for the inexpensive X-series models, are made in Germany. Own production allows the company to offer a unique service for “customizing” headphones. On the official website, using a special program, you can choose the color of literally every structural element and get an absolutely unique, personal version of the headphones. Connoisseurs will say that unique sound and technical excellence are much more important, and in this Beyerdynamic is quite successful, which was obvious even from our excursion into the history of the company. In addition to Hi-Fi and High End headphones, the Beyerdynamic range also includes very affordable, affordable models. The Trendline series includes on-ear headphones of various sizes, including special sports models with a neckband; The range also includes lightweight channel headphones (including those with a microphone headset for telephone conversations in HandsFree mode) and designer in-ear headphones.

Gaming and multimedia computer headsets deserve special attention. All of them come complete with a USB audio converter with volume and mute controls, allowing them to be used even with PCs that do not have their own sound card. The range includes both inexpensive solutions, for example the MMX2 model, and real High End headphones MMX300. The headsets feature cardioid condenser microphones for superior voice quality. There is no doubt about the quality of this part, because microphones are another area of ​​activity for Beyerdynamic, in which the company has been a leader for decades. The high quality of Beyerdynamic products is recognized and appreciated by professionals all over the world.

The fact that the company also produces headphones for home endlessly pleases audio lovers with the opportunity to get the highest quality, reliable design, ease of use and excellent design in one product. Currently, the German company Beyerdynamic is active in five main areas: Conference (communication and conference systems, simultaneous translation systems), Music & Performance (professional microphones and headphones for use in concert halls and cinemas; microphone consoles, mixers, etc.) etc.), Broadcast, Studio, Video & Production (microphones, headsets and headphones for use in radio, television and recording studios), Aviation (audio for aviation), as well as the most interesting direction for us – Consumer Products (microphones and headphones for home and portable AV devices). As you can see, the range of devices is wide and it is obvious that when engineers develop devices for listening to audio material at home, they clearly know how this material is recorded. For this reason alone, it is worth paying special attention to household headphones of this brand.