Skip to main content

Bang & Olufsen debuts waterproof Beoplay EX wireless earbuds

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has launched its latest wireless earbuds, the $399 Beoplay EX, a model that builds on the technologies found in its previous earbuds by adding greater comfort, larger dynamic drivers, and more protection from dust and water. The Beoplay EX will be available in Anthracite Oxygen on May 5, Gold Tone on May 27, and Black Anthracite sometime in June 2022.

The biggest change from B&O’s previous wireless earbuds is the shape. The Beoplay EX adopt a stem-style design that is similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro. The company claims this new shape allows it to reduce the size of the housing that sits in your ear — which should be more comfortable — while at the same time letting it use a larger driver. The Beoplay EX incorporate a set of 9.2 millimeter dynamic drivers — the largest ever used by B&O in a set of wireless earbuds. They’ll produce a “significant upgrade in the power of each audio moment, without compromising on comfort,” according to a company press release.

B&O has also increased protection from water, with an IP57 rating, making the Beoplay EX effectively dustproof and waterproof. That’s the same rating that Jabra provides on the Elite 7 Pro, one of the few sets of premium wireless earbuds to offer this level of protection from the elements.

In keeping with B&O’s tradition for premium materials and styling, the Beoplay EX feature glass touch controls encircled by brushed aluminum. Their charging case, which features wireless charging capability, uses a matching brushed aluminum finish.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX wireless earbuds.
Bang & Olufsen

In most other respects, the Beoplay EX are similar to the company’s $399 Beoplay EQ. They have adaptive active noise cancellation (AANC), which should simultaneously correct for changing environmental conditions and less-than-perfect ear canal seals. They sport AAC, SBC, and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec for folks who have compatible Android smartphones. They’re also one of the few wireless models that support Bluetooth multipoint for simultaneous connections to two devices, like a phone and a computer. Each earbud contains three microphones, which should mean very good call quality.

Battery life looks a little on the low side: B&O claims up to six hours per charge with ANC turned on, but only 20 hours of total operation when you include the charging case. That’s less than you’ll find on major competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM4, and Master & Dynamic’s MW08.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
Dali says its latest wireless headphones achieve electrostatic levels of clarity
Dali IO-12 wireless headphones.

Dali's latest wireless headphones, the Dali IO-12, will cost $1,299 when they hit retail later this month. That's a huge jump up from the company's previous offering, the $500 Dali IO-6, and it might even be a new record price for a set of wireless headphones, but Dali says the new noise-canceling cans are worth it because of the unusual technology that has been used to create the headphones' 50mm drivers.

The Danish company claims the IO-12 are the world's first to use a Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) magnet system -- the same tech that Dali patented and used in its acclaimed floor-standing speakers. The primary benefit to SMC is a reduction of hysteresis -- distortion that can be caused by resistance to the voice coil in traditional magnet systems. Reducing hysteresis can lower uneven harmonic distortion "drastically," according to Dali.

Read more
Olivia Rodrigo’s latest collaboration is a set of limited-edition Sony LinkBuds S
Sony LinkBuds S x Olivia Rodrigo worn by the singer.

Livies (yep, that's what Olivia Rodrigo's fans are called) have something new to get excited about. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter sensation has partnered with Sony to release a limited edition of the company's LinkBuds S wireless, noise-canceling earbuds in a very Rodrigo shade of violet. Sony won't tell us how many of the LinkBuds S x Olivia Rodrigo will be made, but we know they're priced the same ($200) as the regular LinksBuds S. They're available for preorder starting September 26.

Rodrigo's recently announced world tour for her 2023 sophomore album Guts has been seeing incredible demand, with some ticket resellers commanding prices in excess of $5,000 -- reminiscent of the kind of enthusiasm shown for Taylor Swift's currently touring Eras shows. Guts is the follow-up to Rodrigo's hugely popular debut solo album, 2021's Sour.

Read more
Bose revamps QuietComfort headphones and earbuds with lossless, hi-res, and spatial audio
Man wearing Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in white.

Bose has debuted its latest QuietComfort wireless headphones and earbuds -- the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones ($429) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ($299). They feature new designs, new materials, and in keeping with the industry's recent obsession with spatial audio, the new models are equipped with Bose Immersive Audio, Bose's version of the 3D audio experience that Apple helped to popularize with its AirPods Pro. The Ultra models also have Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound platform, which enables hi-res or lossless CD-quality audio via the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec when used with compatible Android smartphones.

The new Ultra models replace the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (QCE II) as the company's wireless audio flagships. Bose has also introduced a successor to the Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones, known simply as the Bose QuietComfort Headphones ($349). All three models will be available in black or white, with an additional limited-edition green color for the QuietComfort Headphones. The Ultra models start shipping in October, with the QuietComfort Headphones arriving a little earlier, on September 21. Preorders for all three models start September 14 on bose.com.
Bose Immersive Audio
Bose says its immersive audio system creates a wider, more spacious soundstage for all kinds of content. And similar to the Dolby Audio spatial option on the recently released Jabra Elite 10 wireless earbuds, Bose's system uses sensors to enable optional head tracking.

Read more