audiosplitz: Bang & Olufsen

B&O Beoplay E8 Truly Wireless Buds - First Look

September 08, 2017

B&O Play released their newest portable speaker sometime in April which we duly covered with a first take. They are churning out loads of speakers and this is its lightest weight iteration yet. I had the chance to bring this travel-friendly unit on my trip to Penang, Malaysia where I put it on its paces at a swanky place called Le Dream Boutique Hotel. That done, here's a thorough review.

Type - Wireless Portable Speaker
Price - USD 169 / SGD 259

Pros (+): Loud sound delivery; Light weight makes it very travel-friendly; Good use of speaker surface as touch panel.
Cons (-): Lack of buttons a little disconcerting to use; No carrying pouch; No auxiliary input.

In The Box
There are 3 colors available, namely Royal Blue, Sand Stone and Black. For our review unit, we obtained Black and it looks pretty darn classy.

The box is tuned to the same outer packaging styling as the Beoplay H4 and A2 Active that we'd covered previously. The inside is incredibly sparse - you flip the box open and you access the speaker and the USB cable tucked under a thin layer of foam.

The packaging contents include nothing but the bare essentials:

Beoplay P2 speaker
USB cable (Type C)
User Guide

Design
Incredibly, the Beoplay P2 has no visible buttons. There is actually one and it's hidden under the B&O logo at the underside. The Cecilie Manz-designed speaker measures a really compact 140 x 80 x 28mm and weighs a really light 275g. It is fashioned of solid anodized aluminum on the top while the base is made of polymer for practical reasons.
One drawback is the lack of a carrying pouch, though there is a string that allows you hang the speaker somewhere safe.

Features
So the biggie on the Beoplay P2 is its very sparse use of hardware controls and ports. In other words, there is a single button and a single USB-C port ie. once again, the bare essentials. There's no space for an auxiliary-in so if you're using a non-Bluetooth music player, the P2 ain't recommended. To play music, you need to double tap the surface of the speaker which we felt was a nice implementation.

Bluetooth pairing:
There is a grand total of one button (darn right!) at the base. Pressing it once will turn it on and holding it will activate the pairing so you turn on your music device's Bluetooth concurrently, select Beoplay P2 and you're good to go.

App Support:
The Beoplay app, that is almost universally being extended to all new wireless B&O Play products, is compatible with the P2. B&O Play claims that there's a shake function that can be customized to skip tracks. Using the app on my Sony Xperia XA, I found it frustrating as I could not get this to work somehow. Thankfully, there was a notification to request a software upgrade (it's probably firmware though) to v6.0.5 which I promptly downloaded.

Once done, you just need to select which function (see others from the pic below) you want to activate with a shake though obviously the shake to skip tracks was the most practical of the lot. The app includes Tonetouch which allows equalizer customization which is actually well needed if you want a little more power in the bass.

One thing of note - Unlike the A1 or A2 Active, you cannot link two P2 units via the Beoplay app for a stereo effect.

Performance

Sound Quality:
I had oodles of time to sample the sound quality in different areas of the hotel I was staying at. Playing T2 Trainspotting in the room sounded surprisingly loud for a unit of this size, though understandably you can't get the same full fledged dose of power that emanates from a full sized speaker. Even when tested in the gym, a sample of NEIKED's infectious Sexual is able to easily fill the area with a decent dose of bass.

Splash Resistance:
No problems here as I was flicking some water from the jacuzzi on the Beoplay P2 and it worked just fine. Just don't dunk it inside as it is not water resistant.

Battery Life / Charging:
According to B&O Play, the battery life lasts a decent 10 hours on its inbuilt 2200 mAh battery with a 2 hour full charge. It kinda pales in comparison to the A1 and A2 Active that are rated at 24 hours each though they are admittedly much heavier (and hence can accommodate larger battery packs). It could last one movie and 2 hours of music playback but I felt I had to keep using the charging cable to charge pretty often during my trip. Oh, and it uses a USB-C cable to charge so do remember to take it with you as most phones are still fit with micro-USB / Lightning ports.

Overall
The B&O Beoplay P2 is undoubtedly a compact speaker to bring on your travels. Folks not used to the lack of buttons will find the P2 to be a little tricky to use. The flipside is if you want a straightforward speaker that's lightweight and gives a loud dose of music to stash in your luggage, the P2 would be an ideal companion.

Where To Buy
The Beoplay P2 is available world wide at USD 169 / EUR 169 / SGD 259. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom.

One of Singapore's telco's (Starhub) actually has a promotion where you can get the Beoplay P2 for free if you signup with a TV package.

Credit to B&O Play for an evaluation unit.

Bang & Olufsen

B&O BeoPlay E4 - First Look

June 19, 2017

Bang & Olufsen

B&O Beoplay P2 - Summary

April 28, 2017

27 Apr - News Release - B&O Play launches the ultraportable Beoplay P2 wireless speakers. Below is its corresponding press release.

Update (17 July 2017)
Here's our review of the B&O Beoplay P2.

And if you don't have time to read it, here are 3 points to summarize what the P2 is about:

1. Fits in the Palm of Your Hand
If you wanted a smaller footprint than the BeoPlay A1 and A2 Active, then the Beoplay P2 (140 x 80 x 28mm) weighing 275 grams might just do the trick. Ideal for music on the go.

2. One Button. Tap and Shake Controls.
The one button on the bottom is for power. All other playback controls to play and skip tracks can be activated by tapping / shaking and if you want more customization, you can check out the Beoplay app.

3. Affordability
This is B&O Play's smallest speaker yet and its most affordable too at USD 169 / SGD 259.

==Press Release==

Double tap on the anodized aluminum grill to play or pause music. Shake to skip a track. Beoplay P2 is an intelligent and unapologetically beautiful portable speaker that easily slips into your bag or pocket to take anywhere – always ready to amplify moments with goosebump-inducing Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound.

B&O PLAY continues to empower the transformation of everyday moments with the introduction of Beoplay P2. Beoplay P2 is the smallest and most intelligent member of the B&O PLAY range of wireless Bluetooth speakers and is designed by award-winning Cecilie Manz for a spontaneous and spirited approach to life. It comes in premium materials such as pearl-blasted aluminium and real leather, with customizable and intuitive control features via Beoplay App and, despite its minimal footprint, renowned Bang & Olufsen sound engineers have packed Beoplay P2 with power and stamina to punch out the rich, clear and crisp sound that you would expect from a B&O PLAY speaker.

“Music plays a big part in amplifying everyday moments, so we made a personal speaker that you don’t want to leave your home without. Beoplay P2 is a stunning piece of Danish design, a study in stupendous craftsmanship and the accumulation of 90 years in sound and acoustics with a sound quality that is second to none in this category”, says Director of Concept and Design in B&O PLAY Matthias F. Ørum-Hansen.

“We decided to remove all switches and buttons for a beautiful exterior and a simple and magical user experience that can be customized in Beoplay App. With just a double tap or shake, you can play, pause and skip track, launch your favourite personal assistant, change sound profile in ToneTouch and you can set up Beoplay App to wake you up with the same music that concluded a beautiful evening - reliving your latest goosebump moment as you wake up and get ready to chase the next”.

A highly tactile and refined appearance
Like a pebble you find on the beach, the appearance of Beoplay P2 is rounded, smooth and desirable and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. A basic geometrical shape with a defined rim separates the pearl-blasted anodized aluminum top from the soft and warm polymer that make up the underside. The curvature of Beoplay P2 has undergone endless fine tuning to give it a highly tactile and refined appearance. The perfect shape to slip easily into a pocket or bag with a genuine leather strap to add an extra layer of portability.

“The closer a product gets to the body, the more refined and detailed it should be. Beoplay P2 is smooth and desirable, a compact with great sound and a companion wherever you go”, says designer Cecilie Manz.

Leveraging learnings from Beoplay A1

The sound character in Beoplay P2 is rich and spacious with a 360-degree dispersion that provides listeners with the same beautiful sound experience wherever they are located. Beoplay P2 builds on more than 90 years of Bang & Olufsen sound expertise and the engineers have leveraged the learnings from its award-winning bigger brother Beoplay A1 that set new standards for portable Bluetooth speakers in 2016:

• The Bang & Olufsen acoustics looked to Beoplay A1 for the reproduction of bass out of such a small product. They elaborated on Beoplay A1’s mid-woofer and designed a new one for Beoplay P2 using an anodized aluminum cone structure.

• The tweeter in Beoplay P2 is the same ¾” fabric soft dome used in Beoplay A1 assuring excellent detail and smooth reproduction of the highest frequencies.

• The DSP is advanced, highly capable and enables the use of high slope filters and advanced character control to facilitate the excellent personal sound amplification experience in Beoplay P2.

• Two 15W RMD Class D Amps are used with a peak power of more than 2X50 watts do drive it all – to assure you get the beautiful sound always associated with a B&O PLAY product.

Built-in microphone

Beoplay P2 has a built-in microphone for taking calls out loud, and the rimmed design on the speaker’s bottom edge enables the microphone to provide uniform 360 speech sensitivity. This enables the person listening to recognize voices perfectly, no matter where people are speaking in proximity to the microphone.

A leather sleeve for extra protection

As an extra accessory to protect Beoplay P2, you can purchase a black lambskin leather sleeve. The Beoplay P2 sleeve provides a layer of protection to keep your Beoplay P2 safe when you are on the go, while still maintaining the beautiful and authentic B&O PLAY design.

Price and availability

Beoplay P2 comes in Black, Sand Stone and Royal Blue and is available at USD 169 / GBP 149 / SGD 259. In the US / UK, it will be available on www.beoplay.com/P2. In Singapore, the Beoplay P2 will be available in Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt and Takashimaya stores from May 12, 2017 onwards. You can buy the P2 from Amazon via this affiliate link.

The Beoplay P2 Sleeve is available for a suggested retail price of USD 39 / GBP 29 / SGD price is to be confirmed.

The Beoplay P2 is also available on Amazon for USD 169.

Update (17 July 2017)

Read on for our review of the B&O Beoplay P2.

Bang & Olufsen

B&O BeoPlay H4 - Review

April 06, 2017

We took a first look at the B&O BeoPlay H4 over-ears back in February. Among the B&O Play range of portable audio gear, the H4 is its most affordable wireless headphone. We dive into a review to find out how it fares!

Type - Wireless Over-Ears
Price - USD 299 / EUR 299 / SGD 399

Pros (+): Comfortable fit; App support; Good sound delivery.
Cons (-): Basic feature set; No pouch; No voice notifications.

In The Box
There are 3 colors available at present - Sand Grey, Tangerine and Charcoal Grey. For our review, we were provided the Charcoal variant.

The unboxing is quite straightforward - pop up the solid B&O box which gives you the headphones. You then pull up this layer to get the rest of the accessories packaged in 2 thin cardboard boxes. The packaging contents include:

B&O BeoPlay H4 headphones
USB Charger (micro-USB)
1.25m Audio Cable (3.5mm to 3.5mm)
Quick Start Guide

Design
The Jacob Wagner designed headphones weighs an average 235g taking reference to its peers in the over-ears category such as Bose AE2 SoundLink (198g) and the Sennheiser URBANITE XL (300g). It is characterized by very plush ear cups made of lambskin leather that I wore for 2 hours at a stretch without any discomfort. The cable supplying the audio runs through a braided textile cord, a shoelace like material very much reminiscent of the BeoPlay H5.

Check out our First Look at the BeoPlay H4 for our initial thoughts on these over-ears.

Features
The feature set is very much like what B&O Play touts: pure essentials. To illustrate the general differences between the H4's brethren (namely the H7 and H9):

1. No Touch Controls
The H7 and H9 touch controls consist of swiping to adjust playback and volume. For the H4, there are 3 physical buttons on the right earcup that you can actuate, which can be a relief for folks who are comfortable with reassuring feel of button feedback.

2. No Active Noise Cancelation
Yup, no ANC for the H4, but of course you can still depend on the noise isolation provided when the cups envelop your ears.

3. No Pouch
You have to probably hang them around your neck else get a separately purchased pouch 'cos there's none provided.

Ok, now that we've gone through the differences, let's see what other features the H4 has.

Playback Controls:
There are 3 buttons - a multi-function button at the centre flanked by two for volume adjustment. The central button is for play / pausing music and taking calls while double tapping will skip tracks. A notification LED lies right in line with the buttons.

Bluetooth Pairing:
Pairing can be done either directly using your music player or through the Beoplay app that you can download from the App Store or Google Play. When directly connecting, turn your smartphone Bluetooth on, hold the headphones' power button and select the Beoplay H4 to complete the pairing. Running on Bluetooth 4.2, there's a 10 metre operating radius and pairing is to a single device at any one time. During pairing, there's absolutely no voice notifications so you'll have to rely solely on either the sound blips or LED for confirmations.

App Support:
The Beoplay app (iOS and Android supported) provides options to personalize (change the headphone name / color) while the main feature is probably the Tonetouch, a simple user interface where you choose an area spanning quadrants named Warm, Excited, Bright and Relaxed to adjust bass / treble intensity. If you are short of ideas, there are 4 selectable presets too. Personally, the area between Warm / Excited sounded ideal.

Performance
You can experience the BeoPlay H4 in two modes - wireless and wired.

Wireless:
Using a Sony Xperia XA, directly connecting through Bluetooth was straightforward though using the Beoplay app, the app mentioned it was still connecting even though I was already going through the motion of playing music wirelessly.

Wired:
You can plug in the provided audio cable for flexibility to connect to your traditional music devices (here's looking at you, iPhone 7). Just insert the audio cable to the right earcup and you can play music indefinitely. A thing to note is the playback controls will not function in this mode. When you swap from wireless mode, there will be just a short pause in the music while you auto-disconnect and a single white LED flash will confirm this.

Sound quality:
We sampled EDM, classical and rock to check out how the H4 fares. On wireless mode, Calvin Harris vs Alesso's pounding Under Control (EDM) brings lots of bass though never overwhelms while Theo Hutchcraft's vocals come through distinctly. Arctic Monkey's hard hitting I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor is received by the H4 with little distortion even at higher volumes while the vocals and orchestration in Sarah Brightman's version of Dust In The Wind flow well together.

Now when jumping to wired mode, the vocals are even clearer and high / low frequencies are separated for an overall balanced sound. If the default wireless sound profile doesn't work, there's always the Beoplay app to change the sound and spatial range to your comfort level.

Charging:
According to B&O, you get 19 hours of playback from around a 2.5 hour full charge to the 600mAh Lithium-ion battery. This is an average number when compared with its over-ears peers like the Bose AE2 SoundLink (15h) and Sennheiser URBANITE XL (25h). You just need to plug in the micro-USB point to the right earcup and the LED will flash orange.

Overall

The B&O BeoPlay H4 is not the top of the line headphone that Bang & Olufsen offers. It is what it is - a no frills wireless over-ears that delivers just the essentials. There's no pouch, touch controls but if you just need a good sounding headphone that you can wear for long stretches, this is one worthy consideration.

Where To Buy
The BeoPlay H4 headphones go for USD 299 / EUR 299 / SGD 399.

You can visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom. Alternatively, if you felt this review helped you in deciding what headphone to purchase, you can buy it from Amazon via this affiliate link.

Credit to B&O for an evaluation unit.

Bang & Olufsen

B&O BeoPlay A2 Active - Review

March 10, 2017

We took a first look at the B&O BeoPlay A2 Active when it was first launched late last year. Now after getting our paws on the Natural colored variant, we give you the full review.

In The Box
A thin layer wraps around the typically solid B&O box that you can pull up to open its contents. The packaging contents include:

B&O BeoPlay A2 Active speaker
USB charger (Type-C)
Quick Start Guide
Safety Booklet
2 x Handstraps (1 is already attached)

Design
Check out our First Look for more details on this. Here, we compare the differences between the A2 Active and its predecessor, the A2.

Features
When laid horizontally, you get the power, volume and Bluetooth pairing buttons all lined on the top. And when aligned in this way, there are 4 rubber pieces at the bottom so the speaker sits nicely without scratching the unit. When oriented vertically, the carrying strap is at the top though there are no rubber bases this time round. At this end, there are 2 ports - a USB-C port for charging and an auxiliary-in if you need a cabled connection to your music player.

Should you want equalizer customization, do install the Beoplay app. Open the Tonetouch screen where you just need to touch an area within a quadrant that reflects the desired sound profile ranging from Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright. If that's gibberish to you, bassheads would likely choose the area between Warm and Excited.

If you have two BeoPlay A2 Active speakers, you can actually link them up for a full stereo effect.

Performance
B&O practically touts the True360 sound of these speakers. Basically, the BeoPlay A2 Active has two speaker grilles in which sound emanates from both sides. Sound quality, like its predecessor, is very solid. You get clear vocals and while we felt bass on default settings, is not as powerful as the A1, you can customize the sound settings using the Beoplay app which enhanced the experience significantly to our satisfaction.

B&O mentions that this speaker is capable of 24 hours of playback from less than 3 hours of charging. We got a good 14-19 hours and while it's obvious when spelt out, it's worth noting that the power level will fluctuate when used at the beach vs your bedroom where you can listen at softer volumes. Do note that it uses the new USB-C port for charging.

Now, this speaker is dust and splash resistant. We did not dunk it into a pail of water (pls do NOT do that as it is not designed for that purpose!) but threw some water over the speaker so whadya know, it still works!

Overall
Putting it simply, the BeoPlay A2 Active is a well built speaker. B&O Play has taken pains to maintain the essence of the original A2 while simplifying it with a (to be) universal USB-C port and making it splash and dustproof. If you're considering a speaker that is powerful enough to listen on your outdoor travels, the A2 Active would make a very decent choice.

Credit - B&O Play

Where To Buy?
You can buy it from Amazon via this affiliate link. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom.

The BeoPlay A2 Active portable speaker goes for USD 399 / EUR 399 / SGD 549.

Credit to B&O for an evaluation unit.