Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX - Wireless Bluetooth Earphones with Microphone and Active Noise Cancelling, Waterproof, 20 Hours of Playtime

I don't often write reviews for products, only those which I really think deserve praise and are perhaps under-appreciated in the user market. Quick TLDR: Summary: These are GREAT earbuds, with beautiful sound, outstanding connectivity (no problems for me connecting or staying connected), an app with EQ tuning, excellent battery life, high water-resistance, handsome quality physical details in the buds themselves, as well as the case. I think they're well worth the price. I purchased the Bang & Olufsen EX earphones around 2-3 months ago, and they're everything I hoped they would be, which is: a quality upgrade to the prior B&O earphone lines in terms of features and functionality. I expected that the sound quality would at the very least be on par with the previous models which I own: e8 generation one, e8 generation 2, and e8 generation 3, all of which have beautiful sound (which you really wouldn't expect from such SMALL earphones!). Well, the sound quality is real. I've attached some photos of my older gen e8's, all of which are still very functional and used as backups. They all still sound great. The H9 Gen3 also pictured are over-ear headphones with 25 hour battery life and now cost less than half what they did when I bought them, quite a deal. I'll first focus on the sound: it is rich, with defined highs, mids, and lows, but an overall 'neutral' sound. For those who prefer more bass or more treble...the accompanying B&O app (available for both Android & Apple devices) allows you to set EQ sound profiles (which you can name). I don't think they need much adjustment, though I do slightly alter mine to have a sharper sound in the highs and slightly less bass. That's because I love really clear vocals, guitar strings, horns, violins, etc, and I find much music is overproduced with bass tones overwhelming these higher tones. Sound is the primary reason I rate these Bang & Olufsen EX as a 5 star product. Functionality is the secondary reason I'm rating them as a 5 star product: -Bluetooth 5.2 (the latest and most connective) creates an excellent connection to my phone, computer, ipad, and watch, allowing me to stream music uninterrupted for around 4.75 hours with ANC activated. -Battery Life: around 4.5 - 4.75 with ANC activated. I've never used them with ANC off, so I can't say whether they reach the projected 6 hours with no ANC. I imagine they get close to that. -Recharging: Very fast, I think around 2.5 hours for a full charge. But a 15 minute charge will give you an hour of play, which is great if you're in a rush. The battery/charging case holds around 2 additional full charges. Technical production, physical quality: These are beautifully made, with tempered glass touch pads across the small covers. The units fit well in my ears, and you can use either memory-foam or silicone tips. I always use memory foam, as you get a better fit, better passive noise-isolation from your external environment, and better, fuller sound due to the increased isolation. And, as long as you keep your ears clean, memory foam buds last quite a long time before you need to replace them, in my experience. Even if I did need to replace them more frequently, I would still prefer them. They're also better for working out, as the buds are even more stable. Increased water-resistance! These are rated IP57, so they have up to 1 meter of water resistance. What this really means is they won't be damaged by sweat, rain, or tap water. This is an improvement over their previous e8 models which were only IP54 (less resistant to water, though I've been caught in the rain many times, and done plenty of workouts, likewise without problems). Stability of fit. I can dance, run, lift weights, whatever, and these earbuds don't budge in my ears. Love that! About ANC: These latest models have added something the e8 models didn't have: ANC. These days, ANC is pretty much a required and expected feature in any premium earphones (and even expected in more run of the mill brands). So, I was happy to see that B&O had 'finally' added ANC to their earbuds. I will say that I think the ANC is passable and could use improvement. But I think this is partially due to the form factor and incomplete closure to the external environment due to the small size. My Apple Beats Fit Pro have ANC of about the same quality, and those are supposedly equal to the AirPods Pro, which lead the market in this feature for this form factor. I will also say that my Apple Beats Fit Pro's sound far (far) inferior to my B&O EX's. Battery life is very similar between the two as well (though I think the EXs outlast the Beats Fit Pros).

Beoplay EX first impression: While washing my face in the shower, I hear a distant bullet stray wide. I’ve listened to this song a hundred times but this is the first time I’ve been able to hear this detail. My face is under a stream of hot water and I’m experiencing music in a way that isn’t possible with other earbuds in a quiet room. Wow. The extra detail that I was able to hear elevated the song for me in a way that I think the artist intended for me to hear. If these can make all my music this enjoyable then I don’t have a problem with the price. It’s a different experience. Update: The sound is on another level but I have become aware that it is not just the EXs that make this happen. You need a good source, a good speaker, and a way to get the source to the speaker. Bang & Olufsen offers all three with this package. With the EX they provided a 30-day trial to Deezer. This allows me to stream high-fidelity music giving me a clean source to start with. The EXs speakers/drivers (whatever, I’m not a speaker guy) are like nothing I’ve ever heard. But most people miss the part about how the music gets from the device to the speaker. Bluetooth can inhibit the flow but with Qualcoms’ aptX enabled the floodgates are opened and your music is allowed to reach the EXs uninterrupted (again, I’m not a speaker guy and these analogies are just my non-technical bs). It works. It works in a way that has brought my music to life. Old music is new. Can you put a price on that? Cons: ANC isn’t great. Why do they want me to hear more wind noise when enabled? Pros: Sound. Build. Controls. Fit. Waterproof. Microphone. Warranty. Final thoughts: I ended up with these earphones after my partner loaned me her pair of first gen AirPods. I fell in love. They were magical the first time I used them and I've needed a pair of earbuds ever since. I was really excited about the Pixel Bud Pros and pre-ordered them. IMO the design doesn't work for two reasons, fit and microphone. The microphone basically didn't work so I sent them back and got myself a pair of AirPod Pros. I was convinced that I was in earphone heaven again, but as I walked out of the store and tried to turn up the volume I realized they lacked swipe controls. I was deflated. Something had to be available that fit my desires. Enter the EXs. Are they perfect? No. Are they incredible? Yes. I use them all the time. About HiFi/Hi-res music…Try it! Enable it in Apple Music, try Tidal, try Deezer, or any other HiFi streaming service. Try it on different speakers and in different places (try your car). You will notice a difference that I wasn't aware of until now. I am keeping Deezer because of their EU approach to privacy. I don't feel like I'm being watched when I use their service. My Teams meetings are more sufferable as I am confident that my coworkers will be able to hear me when I speak and I am always able to clearly hear them. Most importantly, I am excited to listen to my music. I keep thinking of songs and artists who build great soundscapes for me to surf. The EXs have given me a new appreciation for some artists while I have come to judge others as amateurs. Being able to distinguish the subtleties of every song is a gift that I am happy I gave myself and that I should be able to continue to enjoy for years to come.

To start with - as others have mentioned - connectivity is JANKY. Literally every competitor's connection method is: remove charged earbuds from case, they automatically go into pairing mode, insert them into your ears so you can hear confirmations, begin the pairing process. These? You can do all that, and you'll even get audible dings that you THINK mean pairing is ready. But you won't be able to pair them. Not until you put them back in the case, close the lid, and then reopen it. It's the CASE that pairs initially with their terrible app (and boy is it awful). The best part? I managed to finally figure out what I thought was pairing the entire package with my S25 Ultra, only to discover this weird state of limbo where the case was paired with the app but nothing whatsoever was paired via BT to my phone. To actually pair BT, I had to once again leave them in the case with the lid open and then find them in the list of nearby devices (old school, if you will). FINALLY! PAIRED! LET'S GET TO A TEST LISTEN! Well, that didn't go well either. Using PowerAmp Pro for Android - the single most robust local audio player in existence - I couldn't hear anything out of these at 50% or below volume. What? Seriously, at max volume, they output enough that MAYBE in a quiet room I could listen. But what came out certainly wasn't worth $280. I don't know if I got a bad set, or if they REALLY err on the side of caution with how these are tuned, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. I couldn't hit that return button fast enough. I've been on the hunt for something - anything - that can rival my Samsung Buds3 Pro - because despite their stellar sound quality they aren't my favorite fit and I wanted to see if I could push just a bit more sub bass out of true wireless earbuds. It turns out maybe I can. With the Sennheiser Momentum TW4. Not night/day to the Buds3 Pro, but they're honestly head and shoulders above this pair. I bet the same people who love these think Bose makes the best headphones ever. Would not recommend even if they were free. And whoever created their app and connectivity should be fired.

I've had mine for three years now and I feel that's enough time to get a good idea of how I feel about them. They sound amazing and they get plenty loud with a few levels left until max volume. I like listening to music with these more than with my headphones from a similar price range. They look great and feel great as well. I took two stars off because the connectivity is terrible and the battery life on the left earbud terrible. The connectivity is fine if you're sitting in one place but if I'm walking with the case and my phone in my pocket, the connection is intermittent and if I'm walking through the airport then there's just no hope at all to listen to anything. It's been like this since day one. The battery life on the left earbud has been crap for a little over a year now and it's been getting steadily worse. It doesn't even last an hour at 70% volume before I get the low battery sound and my right earbud still has an 80% charge. Sadly, it didn't bother me enough to contact customer support until just after my 3 year warranty expired. Whoops. I had the Beoplay E8s before these and those had bad connection problems as well. With all that said, I won't be buying anything else from this brand (like a replacement earbud). I'd rather spend my money on another brand.

Coming from the Sony XM4's I splurged for what should be a significant upgrade at 1.5x the cost. The XM4's are not perfect but they are great and their ANC is another world scary. I put the B&O EX's through their paces for a week before deciding to send them back and return to my trusty XM4 buds. First the good, yes the sound quality on the EX's is great, exceptional even. Details you've been missing suddenly pop, string plucks, reverb of the room, the warmth of the bass... it's subtle but it's all there. These are meant to compete with the AirPod Pros so similar q-tip/ pencil styling is provided for already accustomed iPhone users. Android users who prefer more subtle and elegant round buds may still find the EX acceptable in its styling. Premium materials abound from glass in the touch sensors to comply foam tips included to an excellent case that feels sturdy and solid. I really like the easy "boop boop" noise they make when connecting to your device vs announcing "bluetooth connected" every time. ANC is good, nowhere near as good as the XM4's but better than most. There are 3 modes here that you can cycle through, from full transparent to active ANC. This is really where the positives stop and the problems begin. The B&O app is fine, nothing special and you are annoyingly required to create an account before you can do anything. Location tracking is REQUIRED or the app will not connect to your buds, this is egregious as there isn't a single location related feature here, just greedy data grabbing by B&O. Customization is extremely minimalistic and provides only the basics for ANC and listening mode, which is their non-traditional EQ. Here they give you a round dial that you can slide a button around to find your personal sweet spot be that "warm" or "energetic"; A bit of a disappointing dumb down though you will be able to find what you like. I experienced strange random disconnects while listening to music with the phone in my pocket, similar to when you've walked out of bluetooth range. I've never experienced this on any other earbud and here it happened repeatedly. Call quality is decent but the initial connection can be really buggy. For example, call comes in, you answer and put on phone speaker, you then decide you want to switch to your new $400 EX buds so pop one in. Instead of the call transferring seamlessly and instantly, like on the XM4's (or literally any other bud), you get a few seconds of limbo where the buds appear to connect yet you can't hear anything, switch back to speaker, apologize to your caller, then magically they connect and your call continues on the EX's. I really hate this and it happens over and over again. These 2 things alone are deal breakers and enough reason to return. Multipoint, while a cool feature, is nothing but pain here. If you connect, say, to both your phone and laptop or PC via bluetooth, the EX's will connect to both and then play the audio of whichever device is broadcasting at any particular moment. The problem then is that if the other device issues a notification you will get sound drop silence on the EX's interrupting the primary audio and you won't hear the notification either. Just a moment of dead air until the primary stream picks up again. The only way around this is to disable bluetooth on either device or manually disconnect from bluetooth which defeats the purpose entirely! Another problem is the touch sensors via the glass circles. You have to press precisely and exactly in these little circles or nothing happens. I hate touch sensors generally, on the XM4's as well, and much prefer a haptic button like on the Jabra buds. Double presses go missed most often where I try to skip a track yet it pauses instead. So you wind up in play/ pause, no, play/pause, no, skip... arg, finally! Something else worth noting is that I found the EX's to provide no greater comfort than any other earbud I've owned. After a long session your ears will ache and this isn't due to the tips either, it's the round plastic bits shrouding the drivers that press against your ear cartilage. So the EX's fail at most pretty basic operational features which is unacceptable at the highest price in this segment. These should be near perfect, but they are not. I found using my XM4's more enjoyable, more predictable and while also not perfect, they just work better at the basics like calls and seamless audio. Pros: -Excellent musical sound quality -Premium materials and construction -High quality wireless charge case with good battery life Cons: -High cost that should provide perfection, yet falls WAY short -The app has 2 options: ANC and listening mode, very limited customization -Account creation and location access required before you can even connect to your earbuds -Random music drops/ disconnects with phone in pocket -Problematic BT connection during calls -Multipoint works but is basically a gimmick that provides more problems than benefits -Touch sensors are finnicky and require very careful & exact touches -Long sessions are as uncomfortable as any other earbud, no improvement here

Turns out the pair I initially got was defective and had bluetooth / connectivity issues. The pros in my review stay the same, the ANC is somewhat useless but the sound is great. Worthy of an upgrade over my E8 Gen 3's. (Original Review) I wish I could return these but I'm not outside of the window, I really wanted to give them a chance. This product is solely ruined by the B&o app that is required to get the most out of the headphones. 1. It needs location access in order to work. That's unacceptable. 2. There have been MULTIPLE times when the headphones are connected and actively playing music when the app will say the Exs are "Not Reachable". 3. The right bud is the receiver and you cannot use the left by itself. Additionally, I've had multiple times where only the right bud will connect to my phone and I have to do the pair process again. 4. The B&o app does not save your volume preference, there is no master volume between the phone and the app. You have to go into the app every time it connects and max that volume, so you can then just use your phones volume to make adjustments. When these headphones work, they are good! Sound quality is great, ANC is meh but I don't use it save for bus rides and it does it's job of getting rid of the drone. They are very comfortable and i can wear them until the battery's gone. I never had any of these app issues with my E8s or my H9is so I am attributing the issues to the EXs. I still love Bang & Olufsen but this purchase has made me explore other options for future headphones. At ~$250 these would be an amazing steal but at $400 with the current software issues and finicky touch sensors I wouldn't recommend. The sound isn't worth the headache.

This is a very expensive set of earphones, but if you care about audio quality, there is nothing better than this! The driver size alone (9.2mm) should tell you Bang and Olufsen are serious about audio quality. I have the Beoplay E8 2.0 (4.7mm drivers) and this blows that out of the water. Regarding the details of the sound signature, the most obvious difference is the bass. As the drivers are double in size, and due to the excellent design, you can definitely FEEL the base vs just hearing it. The bass is so crisp and balanced. It is not like a cheap earphone that just cranks up the bass, but more like adding a balanced subwoofer to an otherwise great sound system. That extra bass adds a layer of richness that would not be possible without that subwoofer. The mids and highs are very clear, in line with B&O's classic sound signature, but what's also amazing is the wide soundstage these earphones possess. It feels more 3 dimensional, and doing side by side comparisons vs my E8 2.0 and airpods pro just make them sound flat with a narrow soundstage. The balance of the mids and highs is well done also. I do not hear any scratchiness or sibilance with vocals or classical instruments. Rap, rock and pop come alive due to the punchy bass. The design and look of the earphones match the price. It is easy to setup and adjust the EQ with the b&o app. The only downside is the ANC is not as good as the competition. Vs apple airpods pro, the B&O ex is definitely lacking. Don't get me wrong, its still an excellent ANC, but just lacking when comparing side by side. Finally, the price is very exclusive at 399. If you have the money, i would say buy it immediately, you won't regret it. However, I can see this dropping to 299 or 349 once the holiday season start. At that price, it would be a no brainer. You will not be disappointed!

Just received these buds this morning. I bought these earbuds due to the very poor voice quality for phone calls I experienced my Jabra Elite 7 Pro. Delivery was excellent. I order these Sunday afternoon and they were delivered by 5:15am the next morning. The earbuds came somewhat charged and I gave them a quick battery boost. I had to run a software update and download the B&O app to get started. The initial Bluetooth connection were a little clunky, but once connected I was blown away with the sound and voice quality of these buds. They are very comfortable. Listening to music is a renewed experience. The quality is outstanding. Also, on phone calls I heard the other party crisp and clear and I was told my voice was extremely clear as well. The ANC is adequate but certainly doesn't create a Cone of Silence. I could hear others near me talking when no music was playing, however with music, the ANC was perfectly adequate. I'll have to see if different settings improve the ANC experience. My battery life on day one was around 4.5 - 5 hours of solid music with ANC, but I can't say the batteries were at 100% at the start of the day given they were just delivered. Build quality, style and materials are all first class. My only nitpick is that when I have the buds connected to both my smartphone and Surface/tablet and I'm listening to music on my Surface, the music pauses with every smartphone notification, text message or even when I'm using the phone calculator. Very happy with the purchase on day one.

This is a great headphone right out of the box and you can’t compare these with bose, Sony or bowers and Wilkins. I have the EQ and EX and here is the comparison. The EQ is bulky (not as large as Bose) but has a smaller charge case and the sound is a notch better than the EX and clearer and lovely to listen on default settings The EX is slimmer like the air pods but has a bulky charge case and the sound is great but not crispy clear in comparison to the EQ. Pairing is easy and no delays. The eq or ex are stellar with only tiny comparisons between each other. A definite W for your playlist!

外出時に電車や飛行機でノイキャンを効かせて音楽を聴くといったシーンには不向きです。 ノイキャン機能は音質を損なわない程度のもの理解して、室内で音楽に浸ることに向いている気がします。 各楽器の音がクリアでありながら角がなくて全く聞き疲れしません。 バイオリンの高音など雑味なくとても気持ちよく楽しめます。 なので、ロック系には向かないですね。

In a nutshell Poor performance and hefty price tag

Die Kopfhöher klingen unglaublich gut. Der Bass geht enorm tief und lässt fast die Ohren vibrieren. Sie lösen etwas feiner auf als die Airpods Pro 2. Die passive soundstage ist grösser als bei den meisten anderen BT-in-ears, aber dennoch deutlich geringer zu over-ears wie zbsp dem Hifiman XS. Das Klangbild ist recht ähnlich zu den Galaxy Buds+ aber deutlich hochauflösender und präziser im Bass, erinnert stark an den HD650. Die Foam- und Silikon-Tips passten bei mir nicht. Ich hatte noch alte Sony-Hybrid-Tips mit Schaum und Silikon. Die Verbindung fiel nach einem Monat täglich 2-3 Stunden nie aus. 1 mal wurde die linke Seite nicht verbunden. Hab sie dann ins case getan und wieder geöffnet und es ging sofort. Ich habe ab und zu Verbindungunterbrechungen, aber nicht aufgrund von Reichweiter oder Hindernissen, es ist eher aufgrund zuvieler Störungen im Netzwerk mit anderen Bluetooth/WiFi-Geräten im gym. Wer am Iphone (lightning) mal AptX Adaptive ausprobieren will, der kann sich auf amazon den AMZTOP B0C3GZVCHJ dazu bestellen und auf ali den Varlo KB8P. Effektiv bekommt man 24Bit/48kHz damit bis zu Kopfhörer. Nette Spielerei aber macht für mich kaum einen klanglichen Unterschied. ANC funktioniert gut auf der Staße und im gym, aber nicht auf dem Fahrrad oder im Wind. Auch nicht mit dem Sonderbutton in der SW. Kritikpunkte: Das case ist etwas zu dick für die Hose und es gibt keine stabilen Schutzhüllen am Markt mit Karabiner. Die Software am Iphone hat keine Beschriftung für die ANC-Funktionen. Die Sound-Profile in der App haben keine Zahlenwerte und lassen sich nicht übertragen. Die touch-Bedienung an den Kopfhörern ist sehr fummelig und geht oft nicht wie gewünscht. Lauter/Leiser geht zuverlässig aber alles andere nicht (play/pause).

açıkçası kulaküstü ve kulakiçi birçok sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, Sony, Apple kulaklık deneme fırsatım oldu detaylıca arkadaşlarımın da sahip olduğu kulaklıklardan lakin bunun kadar bana keyif veren bir kulaklık deneyimim olmadı, sennheiser momentum true wirelles 3 ve 4 denedim ses hangi şarkı olursa olsun ne kadar eq yaparsam yapayım basslar konusunda hissiyat veremedi sadece varlıkları vardı ve ayrıca kulak üstü momentum 4 fena değildi ama canlılık yoktu şarkının içerisine atmosfere alamıyordu beni , bowers tarafında px7s3 malesef mutlu etmedi ama sahne genişliği güzeldi, px7s3 kafamdan çıkarıp beoplay exlerimi takıp aynı şarkıyı dinlediğimde basslar tizler sahne genişliği daha iyi hissettirdi, ne yazık ki daha iyiydi ve müziğin içerisine alıyor. Ayrıca harman kardon aura studio 4 sahibiyim evde olmadığım seyahat halinde olduğum 2 hafta süresince sadece beoplay ex kullandıktan sonra eve gelince aura studio 4 ile müzik dinlememle beraber bi rahatsız oldum, evet bass olarak çok daha yüksek performanslı dahi olsa o clearness beoplayda exte çok daha iyi ve bu iki cihazdan kazanan kulak içi 9.2mm sürücülü bir kulaklık diğeri 130wlık bir ev sterio sistemi ayrıca 96kHz değerinde ve 24 bit jak ile bilgisayarıma bağlı apple musicle beraber kullanmaktayım aura studioyu Biraz fanboy tarzı bir yorum oldu lakin 12 aylık ve 40.000 dakika kadar kullanımım sonrası deneyimim bu şekilde beni üzen herhangi bir yanı olmadı, ne kulağımdan düştü ne de beni yarı yolda bıraktı hatta bundan daha iyisi yapılana kadar bekleyeceğim bir kulaklık kendisi dipnot olarak belirtmeliyim ki kulaklığımı deneyen arkadaşlarımın bir kısmı kulaklığa eq el ile de yapsa beğendiremedim sebebini kendileri de bilmiyorlar ama yoğunlukla rock metal tazı dinliyorlar sennheiser daha iyiymiş o konuda şeklindeydi yorum, muhtemelen kirli boozy bir ses aradıkları için parlatılmış temiz bass ve gitar sesi mutlu etmedi bir de anc konusu var ki hiç aramadım kendisini eğer ki comply uçları kullanırsanız ses 40tayken de dışarıdan çokça soyutlanabilirsiniz 80-90 sonrası zaten dışarıyı duymazsınız ki bazı şarkılarda 100deyken iphone üzerinden db ölçümü yaparsanız dinlediğiniz sırada şarkının peak kısımlarında 106-107db zorladığı anlar mevcut ve seste bozulma yaşanmıyor iyi bir kayıt dinliyorsanız, youtube olmasın mümkünse hatta spotify dahi rahatsız ediyor beni 320kbps olmasından dolayı, mümkünse de 24bit dinlemelisiniz, bir de şeffaf mod anlatıldığı kadar kötü değil çok sesli bir ortamda değilseniz gayet iyi çalışıyor