B&O joins noise cancelling war with Beoplay EQ earbuds

As if the true wireless earbud market wasn’t crowded enough as it is, Bang & Olufsen has unveiled the Beoplay EQ earbuds with active noise cancelling. 

As you might imagine for the iconic audio brand, the headphones are packed with tech but the £349/US$399 price means they are more expensive than many rivals so ‘luxurious’ build is something that will need to help them stand out. 

Taking on rivals such as the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4, the Beoplay EQ have similar specs and features including Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and “Bang & Olufsen’s signature sound.” 

Using a total of six microphones, top-notch passive sealing and a dedicated ANC DSP (digital signal processor), the Beoplay EQ aims to offer a ‘seamless audio experience’. The noise cancelling can automatically adjust the level based on your surroundings. 

Those mics and beamforming technology results in crystal clear call quality according to B&O. 

Providing that signature sound are 6.8mm electro-dynamic drivers and the firm says the Beoplay EQ earbuds can last up to 6.5 hours of playtime with ANC turned on. The charging case, which supports Qi wireless charging, adds a further 20 hours and quick charging the buds for 20-minutes will give you two hours of life. 

Other specs include Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive, easy paring with Microsoft Swift Pair for Windows and Made for iPhone support and IP54 waterproofing. 

Much of this is the same as cheaper rivals, so users will partly be paying for the B&O logo and build quality which is a “comfortable and secure fit due to the small and ergonomic shape of the earphones.” 

The case is made from spacecraft-grade aluminium and the Beoplay EQ are available in Black Anthracite and Sand Gold Tone colours. 

The Black model arrives in China and Japan on 29 July, then the rest of the world along with the Gold option on 19 August. They cost £349/US$399/€399 and the price looks even higher thanks to new players such as the £99/US$99 Nothing Ear 1 from former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei.