Bang & Olufsen has unveiled the latest generation of its ever-popular BeoPlay E8 earbuds, promising more comfort, clearer calls and a boosted battery life from previous models – however they are still missing active noise cancellation.
The first difference you might notice between the 3rd gen earbuds and their 1st and 2nd gen predecessors is the size. B&O has shrunk the E8s by 17% to squeeze into smaller ears and make them more comfortable to wear for wider variation of ear shapes. The earbuds are also lighter now, weighing in at just 5.8 grams per ear.
The battery life has been given a boost too. You can now glean as many as 35 hours of playtime from the headphone, seven hours built-in and four full charges stored in the magnetic leather charging case – that’s 119% up from the previous model. The case charges up (wirelessly) in two hours and B&O go as far as to claim that many users will go several weeks without reaching for that charger.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
B&O uses beamforming tech to make phone calls clearer. The company has doubled the number of mics directed toward the mouth from two to four, ensuring your voice is delivered seamlessly over calls without letting too much ambient noise sneak in.
These new mic additions also allow the audio brand to improve its Transparency Mode, which lets users peak into their surroundings by tapping on the headphone.
Read our review of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 2.0
As far as a difference in sound is concerned, B&O has introduced a new bass port to let air flow in and out of the acoustic chamber. This allows the drivers to move more freely and encourages them to produce a more precise, improved bass output.
Users can even take it a step further by customising the sound they hear in the Beoplay app. Available on Android and iOS, the app allows listeners to play around with the audio by dragging their finger around the ToneTouch visual equaliser.
The headphone uses the latest Bluetooth 5.1 as well as ACC and aptX codecs, allowing for clear wireless audio.
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The Beoplay E8 3rd Generation is priced at £300 and comes packed with a leather wireless charging case, five interchangeable ear tips and a USB-C charging cable. The earbuds will be available in Black from Bang & Olufsen stores and www.bang-olufsen.com from February 14. B&O’s own Qi certified wireless charging pad costs £110 and is available today.
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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.
