The only negative things we could find to say about Beyerdynamic's Aventho 100 on-ears is that we wish there was a hard-shell case in the box and we wish that we weren't wearing glasses. Every other aspect of these cans is taken care of -- more than adequately in some areas and spectacularly in others. For R5,000, you could do a lot worse. We struggle to see how you'd do much better, either.
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Design
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Sound
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Battery
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Features
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Value
The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 on-ear headphones landed on our desks with no notice at all, accompanied by a selection of the German audio-maker’s other headphone tech — so expect more assessments soon. We opted to focus on the brand’s newest headphones, though we have a few older (but new in South Africa) models to explore in the coming weeks.
As with its competitor brand Sennheiser, the prime focus for the Aventho 100 over-ears is audio quality. If that’s what you’re concerned with and you have R5,000 in your bank account doing nothing, skip right to the verdict. Unless, that is, you plan to do your listening while wearing glasses. In that case (and all of the others), keep reading.
Under pressure
Regarding build, Beyer’s Aventho 100s are everything you could ask for. These on-ears are solidly constructed with an aluminium frame that disappears upward into a padded headband and merges downward into a pair of soft, cushioned ear cups. The left-hand cup hosts a USB-C charge port, the right the power button and physical controls. There are no touch controls available, which is a pity but you probably won’t miss them much.
Included in the package is a soft transport bag, with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm and a USB-A to USB-C cable that tucks away into a dedicated compartment. We’d have preferred a hardshell case to cart the Aventho 100s around in but with the cups folded in under the headband, they’re compact enough to stash in a laptop bag without noticing them.
The fit is, broadly, a comfortable one but you’ll have to be fond of on-ear headphones and, crucially, someone who doesn’t wear glasses to get the best from them. If you do happen to be afflicted with poor eyesight, expect some discomfort as your ears are pressed against the bows of your glasses. There’s no way to circumvent this, unfortunately.
I want it all
If you are able to avoid or withstand the lone drawback the Aventho 100s have, you’ll be well rewarded for your tenacity/perfect eyesight. We put these through the wringer, covering diverse genres from glam metal to electronica to video game soundtracks to whatever the heck it is David Bowie used to do, and they passed every hurdle without breaking a sweat.
Running these on-ears though Nintendo’s Tears of the Kingdom had us stopping to really appreciate the detailed sound design the Japanese company is capable of. Insect and bird movement merged with other background noise while the dynamic soundtrack as threats loomed and were tackled/scurried away from remained at the fore. The clarity was just about enough to make us forget about playing one of the best-designed open-world games ever made.
More traditional listening fared equally well. KMFDM’s electronica track Paradise wound circles around us, angry guitars leaping forward to punch the listener in the head before retreating behind angrier vocals for a time. The Aventho 100s brought Avenged Sevenfolds’ stadium anthem St. James to life in breathless detail, with M. Shadow’s vocal stylings hauling listeners to the metaphorical pub for a few drinks.
Bowie’s Space Oddity was the clincher for how clean and precise these on-ears really are. Britain’s greatest contribution to the Space Race is an exercise in how to effortlessly situate a singer in various places in your head. Beyer’s cans did Bowie’s efforts at muddling the listener’s mind amazing justice, with overlapping melodies melding and merging in a manner the late master craftsman may have intended.
A kind of magic
There are two aspects of the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 on-ears that we haven’t touched on. One of these is the noise cancellation, which is present but, being on-ears, isn’t quite up to Sony or Bose’s levels. At R5,000, nor is the price, though the audio quality here will certainly make both brands blink in amazement. It’s adequate, but that’s not something we’d say about the Aventho 100s’ battery life.
For starters, that’s hardly a strong enough term. We powered through eight hours of The Legend of Zelda to be greeted with a notification of “eighty percent” each time we fired these cans up. We didn’t even come close to running them flat in a week of use.
The Aventho 100s boast forty hours of uptime on a charge, and that’s with ANC on. If you don’t spend all your time playing games, that’s an entire Monday-to-Friday work week, with some juice left over if you ditch the headphones on your lunch break. Recharges are equally speedy. If you’ve mucked up and forgotten to charge, a fifteen-minute break will get you through most of two full work days.
Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 verdict
There’s only one tricky bit to Beyerdynamic’s on-ears — two if you’re short on cash and three if you’re pedantic about style. In reverse order, on-ears aren’t for everyone, R5,000 is a fair chunk of money (but worth it if you purchase a pair of these), and if you’re a glasses-wearer, prepare for long-term discomfort. We’d consider it a fair swap, given how good the Aventho 100 on-ears sound.
Clear, accurate audio coupled with a largely plastic-free premium build would be reason enough to give these a space in your office desk, but the battery life impressed us almost as much as the sound reproduction. If you’re willing to accept slight pressure on the sides of your melon, you’ll receive excellent sound in exchange. Worth it.
