Description
Free leather protection case !
Bang & Olufsen’s first dip into the ANC true wireless market reaps a luxurious looking and sounding effort, but the competition is strong, and they lack a fair amount of value and uniqueness
- Bang & Olufsen supplies a range of ear-tips from silicone (XS, S, M, L) to medium Comply fit tips. Swapping between them doesn’t have too pronounced an effect on the overall character of the sound.
- The EQ look lovely: the anodised aluminium touch surface with the B&O insignia is, visually, a pleasant means of interaction. The use of touch controls may irk some, but presses are responsive, and the various combinations of holds and touches aren’t too complicated to grasp. With an IP54 rating, they are surprisingly durable against water, sweat and dust, too.
In the charging case is just 20 hours of battery life, issuing out 6.5 hours per earbud with ANC engaged and 7.5 hours without. And those 20 hours of stamina? That’s at moderate volumes with ANC and the AAC codec. With aptX B&O claims 5.5 hours, which seems fair as I charted around that amount, draining the battery with a Spotify playlist before the right earbud conked out.
- And what of the noise cancellation performance? Fair, but with room for improvement. Listening on commutes into work, the ANC is more effective when volume is boosted as sounds can intrude (the Beoplay EQ aren’t the loudest at normal levels).
The bumps of journeys are hushed but not all sounds are exorcised as successfully; the creaks of the train swaying on the tracks and the opening of doors are still picked up. Voices are diminished, while it curbs cars and larger vehicles well enough – but they’re still fairly noticeable at times. With its price tag, more was expected.