Bang & Olufsen have launched true wireless before in their E8 series, but hadn’t included active noise cancellation in their earbuds – until now.
B&O has detailed the Beoplay EQ, blending elegant style and cutting edge audio technology into a pocketable-sized pair of earbuds.
They’re not for budget-conscious, mind you, so that piggy bank may have to broken into with the £349 / €399 / $399 / CA$529 RRP – more expensive than their E8 true wireless.
For that amount, the Beoplay EQ serve up Adaptive ANC that features a dedicated ANC DSP (digital signal processing) chip and six microphones that automatically adjust the level of the noise cancellation without requiring the user’s input.
The microphone also team up to create “the best directional beamforming technology”, aiming to offer crystal clear call and speech quality.
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In terms of the audio, the B&O Beoplay EQ intend to produce a powerful and “authentic listening experience”. The frequency range is 20-20,000Hz (fairly standard for a true wireless), and the Beoplay EQ pack 6.8mm Electro-dynamic drivers that B&O often uses in their headphones.
Battery life is 20 hours total – better than Bose, but not as long as either Apple of Sony – with 6.5 hours per earbud with ANC or 7.5 hours with ANC off. Charge them for 20 minutes and an extra two hours are offered, while the EQ earbuds support wireless charging through their Qi-certified case.
Onboard in terms of Bluetooth codecs is SBC, AAC and aptX adaptive, so with the latter the earbuds adapt the bitrate of playback to maintain a strong wireless connection with the source device. Wireless connectivity is Bluetooth 5.2, with Microsoft Swift Pair and Made for iPhone licenses to enable quick set-up of the earbuds.
We can’t write about a B&O product without mentioning the design. Small in size and using materials such as aluminium, the earbuds weigh 8g each and will be made available in Black Anthracite and Sand Gold Tone finishes. The IP54 rating protects them from dust and splashes of water, and they also come packaged with interchangeable ear tips in different sizes – including COMPLY Sport 200 ear-tips – to get the best fit possible.
There’s support for the B&O app for added features such as firmware updates. The Beoplay EQ also bear support for the Apple Watch interface if that catches your interest.
The B&O Beoplay EQ are priced £359 / $399 (USD) / CA$529 and are available to purchase from 19th August online and in Bang & Olufsen stores.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
