Beoplay EX, new earbuds from Danish luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen, introduce a fresh look to join the competitive active noise cancellation (ANC) earphone market in Australia.
Fully waterproof along with adaptive ANC technology, the Beoplay EX is said to be Bang & Olufsen’s most versatile set of wireless earphones to date. One of the most significant changes from the brand’s previous earbuds is the physical design. This time around, they’ve adopted the stem shape instead of the previous stemless design, drawing similarities to Apple’s AirPods.
At a retail price of $650 locally, the Beoplay EX is more expensive than a set of AirPods Pro, no doubt partly due to the difference in materials. A combination of tempered glass, aluminium and polymer make up the bulk of the Beoplay EX, with a rubber in-ear bud.
Another aspect of the price difference is that you’ll have more aesthetic options than plain white, including Black Anthracite, Anthracite Oxygen, and Gold Tone colourings to choose from. To cap things off, the pocket-sized charging case has a brushed aluminium finish.
What are the Beoplay EX’s main features?
Of course, sound is the most important component. Here, the Beoplay EX uses 9.2mm speaker drivers, reportedly the largest used by the brand in any of their true-wireless devices. This means more powerful audio to help with lower sound frequencies. With bass, the Beoplay EX spec sheet claims a frequency range of 20-20,000Hz. Also included in the earphones are three microphones to allow for taking phone calls and assist with adaptive ANC, reducing the background noise you hear.
Beoplay EX uses Bluetooth 5.2, making it compatible with a wide range of devices. Multipoint technology also enables you to connect to two devices simultaneously, so you can take calls on one device while listening to music on another.
On a single charge, the Beoplay EX lasts for up to 20 hours of playtime, which reduces down to six hours while using ANC. In addition to being waterproof, the earphones are also IP57-certified sweat and dust resistant.
Here in Australia, the Anthracite Oxygen model will be available from 22 April, while the Gold Tone and Black Anthracite variants will release starting 12 May and 2 June respectively.
Aesthetically pleasing, the Beoplay EX’s stem-based design appears to put them in closer competition with Apple’s earphones, although the price gulf is noticeable. It’s tricky to make a full comparison between the Beoplay EX and AirPods without going hands-on, but on looks alone, they certainly live up to their premium status. Keep a lookout for our review when we get our hands on a pair soon.
