Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ true wireless in-ear headphones have been announced, to provide some premium competition to AirPods Pro.
They offer wireless charging, adaptive active noise cancellation – the first time the Danish audio company has included the tech in true wireless earphones – and claim better battery life than AirPods Pro …
B&O has added the EQ to its website with an August 19 availability date. There’s no option to pre-order, but you can sign up for an email alert when they go on sale.
Battery life is described as up to 6.5 hours with ANC active, against 4.5 hours with AirPods Pro. However, Apple tips the balance when you include in-case recharges, offering a total of 24 hours’ listening against 20 hours for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ.
Take a moment to centre yourself when things at home get hectic. Adaptive active noise cancellation compensates for background noise while the snug, in-ear fit passively reduces disturbances too. Small and lightweight, Beoplay EQ in-ear headphones are comfortable enough to wear even when lying with your head on a pillow. Enjoy peace whenever you need it most or experience the true quality of your favourite albums without interruption.
Tuned by acclaimed sound engineers, true noise cancelling earphones delivering Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound. Enjoy powerful, authentic audio delivered by a 6.88 mm electro-dynamic new driver. The powerful audio performance is enhanced by a customisable fit for passive noise reduction.
They use Bluetooth 5.2 (versus Apple’s 5.0), and support AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive. B&O’s materials are a mix of aluminum, polymer, and silicon. Colorwise, you get a choice of black or gold (anthracite or sand, in B&O’s terminology).
L&B Tech Reviews got a chance to try them, and was impressed with the sound.
You can find the full specs here.
The bass is the most difficult in in-ears, as they must fit exactly and perfectly close in the ear canal to get reasonable bass reproduction. Once in place, a surprisingly solid bass is obtained from the Beoplay EQs, where there is no lack of level and where it is still possible to hear the difference between the instruments.
However, the midrange reproduction is the best of Beoplay EQ. Voices are reproduced nuanced and well-resolved, and as a hi-fi nerd you can enjoy noticing small details in the production of your favorite test tracks.
The treble is also excellent.
You will, however, pay a premium over AirPods Pro: Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ will cost $399, against $249 for the Apple product.
