It’s only July and the true wireless earphones party is starting to feel like a busy summertime BBQ with one too many guests. The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ wireless earbuds have arrived fashionably late, along with other premium earphones including the Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 we just reviewed.
The $399 luxury earphones claim to effectively eliminate surrounding noise for total immersion in the music. Crafted for luxurious everyday use, the earphones combine cutting-edge technology, comfort and durability, as well as first-class call clarity thanks to beamforming technology.
“When creating Beoplay EQ, we made a commitment to deliver on the expectations of our customers whether they are using their earphones for travel, business or pleasure. The ergonomic earphones have been designed for comfort and provide powerful and authentic sound, making them a must have for design and music lovers. Thanks to the durable aluminium charging case as well as the Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, Beoplay EQ provides a revolutionary listening experience wherever you go”, says Bang & Olufsen SVP of Product Management Christoffer Poulsen.
To achieve the maximum noise-cancelling effect, Bang & Olufsen used an Adaptive ANC that combines Active Noise Cancellation with excellent passive sealing, effectively blocking outside noise. A dedicated ANC DSP chip and six microphones allow for automatic adjustment of ANC levels to create a seamless audio experience. In addition to this, the microphones create the best directional beamforming technology, resulting in crystal clear call and speech quality.
Finely tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s acclaimed sound engineers, Beoplay EQ offers a powerful and authentic listening experience. Users can immerse themselves in music with up to 20 hours of total playtime including charging in the case and 6.5 hours of playtime with ANC turned on.
Thanks to Bang & Olufsen’s fast charge feature, Beoplay EQ can be quickly charged for 20 minutes, and the user will get 2 hours of playtime.
Design
The earphones are available in Black Anthracite and Sand Gold Tone. The Beoplay EQ ensure a comfortable and secure fit due to the small and ergonomic shape of the earphones. They are sweat and water resistant and come with interchangeable ear tips in different sizes to suit a range of ears, making them perfect for commutes and long-term wear.
The Qi-certified, wireless charging case is crafted from spacecraft-grade aluminium, creating a supremely robust and luxurious product. The compact case has been designed to be as small as possible to fit easily into a pocket whilst on the go.
Interaction
Beoplay EQ’s superior technical specifications deliver a seamless wireless experience with aptX adaptive, the latest Bluetooth 5.2 and IP54. The set-up process is even easier on both Android and Apple devices thanks to the inclusion of Microsoft Swift Pair and Made for iPhone licenses.
In The Box
- Charging case with wireless Qi receiver
- Earbuds: Left and Right
- USB-A/USB-C cable for charging, 0.5m
- COMPLY™ Sport 200 tips, Medium size
- Silicone tips, 4 sizes
- Quick start guide
Pricing & Availability
Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay EQ will be available for $399 at bang-olufsen.com in Black Anthracite and Sand Gold Tone beginning August 19, 2021.
China and Japan will get them three weeks sooner on July 29, 2021. International pricing is as follows: RRP 399 EUR / 349 GBP / 2999 DKK / 529 CAD.
Specifications
- Loudspeaker: Electro-dynamic, 6.8 mm diameter
- Impedance: 17 Ohm +/- 2.55 @ 1KHz
- Effective frequency range: 20 – 22.000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 107 dB +/- 3 dB 1kHz @ -3 dBFS (max volume) with Bluetooth playback
- SAR: Max. power < 9 dBm
- Sound codecs: aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC
- LED indicators: Status LED, Battery LED
- Microphones: Six MEMS, omni-directional (beam directional for speech)
- Noise reduction: Active noise reduction (most efficient with COMPLY Isolation ear tips series 200)
- Battery play time (Playtime time measured at 80 dB Pink Noise)
- AAC: Up to 6.5 hours with ANC; 7.5 hours without ANC
- SBC: Up to 6.5 hours with ANC
- AptX: Up to 5.5 hours with ANC
- Talk time: Up to 5.5 hours
- Bluetooth:
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 10 m operating range
- Remembers the last 8 paired devices (connects to one)
- Made for iPhone (MFi) Microsoft Swift Pair
- Supports Apple watch interface
- Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Capacity right: 85 mAh
- Capacity left: 85 mAh
- Charging case
- Capacity 340 mAh
- Two charges with up to 20 hours playtime* – one charge in earbuds and two additional in a fully charged charging case in AAC playback.
- Bang & Olufsen recommends charging the case every 14 days – even when not in use!
- Power supply: 5V USB charging by USB-C connector
- Dimensions
- Earbud: 24 W x 22 H x 27 D mm
- Charging case: 77 W x 40 H x 26 D mm
- Weight
- Left earbud: 8 g
- Right earbud: 8 g
- Charging case: 50 g
- Charging time:
- Earbuds: 1.5 hours in charging case for a full charge; charging for 20 minutes gives up to 2 hours playback.
- USB-C: 1 hr 40 mins to fully charge the charging case.
- Wireless (Qi): 1 hr 50 mins to fully charge the charging case.
- Charge unit: 5V DC / 500mA USB-C or 400mA Qi charged
- Right earbud Buttons
- Play / Pause (Double press)
- Volume up (Double press and hold)
- Incoming call (Double press)
- End call (Double press)
- Left earbud Buttons
- Volume down (Double press and hold)
- ANC / Transparency (Double press)
- Own voice (Double press)
