When we hear the brand name Beyerdynamic, a few things pop into our minds. First up, they have been the go-to company for professionals looking for cinematic and sound production quality headphones, microphones, and sound systems for nearly a century. That reputation has not eroded over time, with the German audio equipment manufacturer still producing the very highest quality equipment.
In this Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC review, we’ll be looking at these circumaural (that’s over-the-ear), active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. They are a true testament to this pedigree of lavish functionality, with Beyerdynamic pulling out all the stops.
There is a lot to like here, with bright and balanced sound, and amazing comfort levels. These on top of some of the best noise cancellation on the market, and a great microphone. With a top of the line set of headphones comes a top of the line price. But we’ve seen prices have been recently heavily discounted, so there is no better time to buy than now!
(4.2 / 5)Contents
First Impressions
With just two color palettes on offer, either black or brown (and absolutely nothing else differing between the two), you would assume these products to have the same name, right? So would we. Apparently not so for the guys over at Beyerdynamic, with the black set named the Lagoon ANC traveler and the brown names the Lagoon ANC Explorer, something to keep an eye on when purchasing online.
We were sent a pair of both for testing, and although we did prefer the subtle look of the brown pair, we found both to be really pleasing to the eye. Out of the box came the headphones themselves, the carry case, an AUX cord, A USB-C charging cable, and the user manual.
But ‘y’?
On the left earcup, there is nicely stylized, lower case letter ‘y.’ It’s not that we don’t like this design aspect, in fact, we quite like the look of it, but have to wonder “y” it ended up on there, as it has nothing to do with the name what-so-ever.
In terms of construction materials, the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC mirror many of their rivals going with a closed-back, over-ear design made from memory foam upholstered in faux leather, industrial-grade plastic and aluminum, and the highest grade electronics.
Quality Build
Also not uncommon, is the swivel and fold mechanism that is engaged when packing them away in the sturdy carry case. In this case, though, the mechanism feels like it was built to last the armageddon, unlike some of the other, less well-constructed offerings in this price bracket.
In the hand, the outer plastics are satisfying to hold, with a gorgeously smooth, matte finish giving them an almost satin feel. The “leatherette” that covers the memory foam earcups provides long-lasting comfort and stays nice and cool for way longer than expected.
The ear cups have a feeling of solidity to them and are large enough to completely cover the largest ears. They offer top-class passive noise cancellation even when the ANC is switched off.
Take Control
The controls are all found on the right earcup, as well as a standard 3.5mm AUX port and USB-C charging port. The whole outer right-hand cup is a touch-enabled panel, which has been programmed rather intuitively.
Swipe up or down to control volume levels, left or right to change track, and hold and swipe to fast forward or rewind. Tap once to play/pause, twice to start or finish a call, tap and hold to call up Siri or Google Assistant.
The power and ANC button are located right next to each other, and they have a very similar feel. This possibly the only design flaw we found. In the first few days of use, we did accidentally turn off the headphones more than once when trying to turn on the noise cancellation.
Color Recognition
The inside of both earcups have a multicolor LED band “alert” system inbuilt. Green equals full battery, red equals low battery, and blue pulses equals Bluetooth syncing. We haven’t seen an application of light-emitting diodes quite like this before, and everyone at the office here seemed to like it.
The headband is constructed from high-grade plastic and aluminum and feels very durable. There is a strip of memory foam that is covered in the same leatherette as the ear cups, providing excellent levels of comfort. Even during extending periods of use, we did not notice any head squeeze.
There is a very satisfying weight to the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC, a side quality for headphones but something we always like to see.
Performance
The soundstage of the Lagoon ANC is probably the most impressive part of this set of headphones. Equal parts punchy and warm, with the bass never feeling overpowering. The cleanness of the lower end of the highs and the top end of the mids gives the vocals a clarity rarely heard in sets under $400.
There is a certain “width” to the sound, making it a breeze to differentiate between separate instruments (or tracks), and the fullness of the lows back up this sound perfectly.
Let’s Get Funky
In testing, we first chucked in “Midnight Marauders” by the funk/dub collective Fat Freddys Drop. The introduction of the midi keys at the start of the song really highlights the cleanness of the mids. This is closely followed by the horn section riff punching straight through, and few bars later, the bass, drums, and vocals drop all simultaneously.
Introducing many tracks at the same time, as is the case here, can often lead to lesser headphones producing overly muddy tones. However, that is not the case, with the Lagoon ANC, which easily delivers the goods.
And Now For Something Completely Different!
Next up, we thought we’d go for a different mood, with “Minor Swing” by the Rhythm Future Quartet. The opening stanza showcases the versatility of these over-ear headphones, with a back and forth between the fiddle and guitar.
We chose this track in particular as there are many fast-moving parts, and no drum track present (with the guitarist providing the percussion backing). This track is a favorite in the office right now, and we were all blown away by how good it sounded through the Lagoon ANC.
Clean, pure, and punchy with an undercurrent of warmness, there is no better pair of headphones to enjoy this genre of music on.
Perfect For YOUR Ears
Included in the purchase price is access to the MIY app from Beyerdynamic. After completing a free, two-minute hearing test for set up, you will be able to take personalization to a whole new level! Everyone’s hearing differs slightly, so by taking this hearing test, the app will compensate and adjust itself to match the users’ hearing profile.
The touch panel sensitivity, voice prompts, and the default LED color can all be changed through the app also.
How About The ANC?
Although the Lagoon ANC headphones may not reach the peak of silence that Sony or Bose have achieved (which may be too silent for some users). They deliver on what Beyerdynamic describes as “relaxed silence”.
We found them more than capable of blocking out most frequencies, with almost zero buzz present. The fact that this set blocked noise so well passively (without the ANC being activated), and the battery lasting so much longer, meant that we did not use the ANC that frequently.
Battery Life & Wireless Connectivity
After carefully reviewing the statistics across the board, we reckon that the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC has one of the best batteries on the market. Beyerdynamic states that the Lagoon ANC can last up to 45 hours with ANC turned off and up to 24.5 hours when the ANC is engaged.
Did These Numbers Hold Up?
Yes and no. With ANC turned on, we were able to squeeze out 22 hours of life, but it did last the stated 45 hours with ANC turned off. Keeping in mind that this is level II ANC, we think that the 22 hours is more than generous.
Once totally drained, it took three hours to fully recharge. As mentioned earlier, there is a battery level indicator light system for the Lagoon ANC. They stay a solid green while on 100%, flash green between 99% and 70%, flash yellow between 69% and 30%, and finally stay a solid red when the battery dips below 30%.
How About Wireless Connectivity?
Two options are offered here, with Bluetooth or NFC connections available. We are just going to discuss Bluetooth here as, let’s be honest, no one connects headphones through NFC.
The Bluetooth 4.2, class 1 system is not the top of the class Bluetooth 5, but it does still offer a decent range of 30 ft (10 meters) on paper. In testing, we stretched this a little further but is still well below Bluetooth 5 range.
This was the only glaringly obvious mistake Beyerdynamic have made with the Lagoon ANC. But a mistake we think most users we be able to live with because of the codec support given which are the three high-quality codecs: aptX Low Latency, aptX, and AAC.
More Great Headphone Options
Looking for a few more choices? No problem, just check out our reviews of the Best Studio Headphones for Home Recording, the Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, the Best Headphones under 100 dollars, the Best Sony Headphones, the Best Headphones with Microphone, or the Best Waterproof Bluetooth Headphones currently available.
Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC Pros & Cons
Pros
- Top class audio quality.
- Great battery life.
- Comfortable.
- Aesthetically pleasing.
- Rugged design.
Cons
- Bluetooth 4.2.
Final Thoughts
We found that there is a lot to like about the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC headphones, and not much to complain about! This being the first ANC offering from the German-based company is quite amazing, as they have produced a fine set of noise canceling headphones.
The audio quality is, without a shadow of a doubt, up there with the best on the market. We really could go on for days about how great these sound.
If you are in the market for a superb set of ANC headphones that won’t break the bank, look no furth that the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC!
