Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 2.0

A WORTHY FOLLOW UP TO THE SUPERB ORIGINALS.

OFFERING GREAT DESIGN as well as great audio performance, we were fans of the B&O Beoplay E8 before they were revised. Now, they’re a bit more expensive than before but they’re also far more appealing too with the addition of wireless charging and a few other extra bells and whistles.

We’ll cut to the chase – the Bang & Olufsen E8 2.0 truly wireless earphones look gorgeous. The case is a pebble-shaped, leather enrobed design that wouldn’t look out of place in a jeweller’s window. Lift the lid and a metal lining wraps around the middle of the case to protect your valuable assets. On the back is a USB-C based charging port for wired charging purposes.

There’s also the all-important addition of Qi wireless charging support. Thanks to this, the Bang & Olufsen E8 2.0 true wireless earphones are truly wireless in more than just the listening way. Simply place the charging case on a Qi charging pad and you won’t have to worry about using its supplied micro USB cable to charge. Bang & Olufsen sell an official charging plate, but you can easily use any Qi based one and it’ll work.

The earphones themselves look good and skip any awkwardness that can arise from buttons sticking out. They simply have a touch-sensitive pad on each bud which gives you all the control you need while retaining their stylish looks. Indeed, setup was a breeze. You know how all Bluetooth pairing should only take a matter of a second or two but that’s not always guaranteed? These earphones actually did take hardly any time to pair with a smartphone.

Once paired, the right bud dictates volume, play/pause and skip track functionality. The left bud allows you to activate the ambient noise mode which pauses the music and helps you to hear outside sounds without having to remove the bud – perfect for when trying to cross a road while wearing them, for instance.

Audio quality is undeniably excellent. It was the case with the Bang & Olufsen E8 2.0’s predecessor and it continues to be the case here. Tonal balance is suitably neutral with everything sounding just how we like. The bass is just right with loud tracks sounding punchy, with more delicate music still sounding a delight. If used to cheaper earphones, you’ll find yourself feeling like you’re rediscovering beloved music from before, thanks to its rich tones.

It’s the kind of quality that could ruin you for lesser earphones.

The only real issue here is there’s no active noise cancellation despite rivals like the Sony WF-1000X offering such features for less. However, the Bang & Olufsen E8 2.0 truly wireless earphones are pretty good at blocking out background noise via its Transparency feature which can be further tweaked in the app. It might not be as effective as a truly active noise cancellation set of earphones can provide, but it’s close.

Clearly aimed at those that want their accessories to look as good as they sound, it’s hard to not find these earphones appealing.