With a finish so impeccable it feels almost like it was manufactured by a jeweler, the beyerdynamic XELENTO is the German-based audio company’s final launch for the calendar year 2022. Available in wireless (shown below) as well as wired formats, the XELENTO borders on “audible jewelry” with a handcrafted hand-polished design that’s outmatched only by its attention to sound detail, spatiality, and depth.

The term audible jewelry isn’t used lightly either. The earphone exterior housing is made from hand-shaped and polished 24-carat gold, with silver-plated wires connecting the two earpieces. The XELENTO is crafted to offer a first-class high-resolution sound experience, driven by beyerdynamic’s own Tesla technology in its smallest form factor to date. Powered by the TESLA.11 driver, the earbuds harness the nearly 100-year-old audio company’s sheer expertise in sound design and audio engineering.

Designer: beyerdynamic

The earbuds look and feel bleeding-edge, right out of the box. There’s a subtle beauty to the band that connects the two earpieces, while the earpieces themselves shine like the high-end precious accessories they are. Each white-gold earpiece body is finished by hand at beyerdynamic’s Heilbronnheadquarters, adhering to the strictest quality standards.

Each box comes with earphones, a carrying case, a USB cable, and up to 7 pairs of silicone tips for a maximized fit.

The XELENTO wireless comes with a Bluetooth 5.2 neckband that provides a luxuriously seamless audio connection and guarantees up to 14 hours of playback on a full charge. It also includes its own digital-to-analog converter and amplifier from specialist AKM, to create the perfect wireless hi-fi experience. With the latest codecs such as LHDC, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, and aptX™, built-in, XELENTO provides signature hi-fi audio quality that’s as universal as it gets.

Literally made from gold and silver, the XELENTO doesn’t come cheap, however. For patrons looking for a piece of this action, the XELENTO wireless retails at a pretty whopping $1,199… so unless you’ve got an IRA or you’re just a wealthy crypto millionaire on the market for flaunt-worthy earbuds, maybe just go for the regular AirPods, eh?