audiosplitz: Bang & Olufsen

B&O BeoPlay H5 - First Wireless In-Ears

July 02, 2016

30 Jun - Bang & Olufsen have come up with their first Bluetooth in-ears offering, the BeoPlay H5 (and about time too). Let's check out what this offers.

What's the Big Deal?

1. First Bluetooth In-Ears
Bang & Olufsen have dabbled with wireless technology quite a few times already (think BeoPlay H7 / H8) and this is one of the first in the market that runs on Bluetooth 4.2. Their very first in-ears unit weights a relatively light 18g and comes in Dusty Rose and Black color variants. The aptX codec is supported and it's compatible with the BeoPlay app. Oh, and the buds magnetically latch on to each other. Ain't that great?

2. Durability
The earphone housing is supposed to be made of textured rubber and polymer, which supposedly makes it splash and dust resistant (No IPX rating we're aware of as yet). The cord is made of braided textile too. We'll have to see how all this withstands the elements.

3. Comply Foam
B&O has been pretty receptive to Comply Foam tips and they're utilizing these again. We've tried them on both the BeoPlay H3 ANC and Jaybird X2 Wireless and the fit is great. This time round, they are using the Sport tips with SweatGuard variants where there's a layer to prevent sweat from seeping in.

4. Charging Cube
Unlike other wireless in-ears that use a micro-USB cable to charge, this uses a cube. You click them in place magnetically and after a 2 hour charge, it dishes out (a rather average) 5 hours of playback.

Let's have a look at this product video:

Price
The B&O BeoPlay H5 goes for USD 249 / GBP 199. We're currently checking on the Singapore pricing.

Availability
The BeoPlay H5 are available in US / UK as of today. For SG availability, do stay tuned for updates.

Update (4 Jul 2016)
This will be available in Singapore at SGD 379 from 31 July 2016 at Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt, Apple Premium Resellers, Challenger, Newstead and various other retailers.

If you like what you have read, do support me by buying from Amazon from USD 249 via an affiliate link.

Update (20 Jul 2016)
We got our hands on a unit. Check out our thorough review of the B&O BeoPlay H5!

Bang & Olufsen

B&O BeoPlay A1 - Review

April 27, 2016

21 Apr - Bang & Olufsen released their smallest speaker to date with the BeoPlay A1 (SGD 399) that can fit in your palm and with a sound delivery that amazes for its size. We swiftly got our paws on a unit and give you our first impressions off the bat.

Credit - B&O

Pros (+): Excellent sound quality to weight ratio; A compact and sturdy build; 24 hour playback.
Cons (-): Carrying string appears a little frail.

Credit - B&O

Availability
From 9 May 2016, the Natural and Moss Green colors will be available in Singapore at Airport Duty Free, Apple Premium Resellers, the Hyatt Bang & Olufsen store, Challenger and Newstead.

Credit - B&O

Design
Unboxing:
The box design is pretty much aligned with the branding of its peers - a solid grey square shaped box.

Ripping aside the shrink wrap, we opened the box and lo, the speaker imposingly laid smack in the center.

Taking off the top layer, we uncovered the following.

Packaging Content:
Spilling out the box contents unveils a minimalist 3 items -
- BeoPlay A1 speaker
- Charging cable (USB-C)
- User guide

The 600g BeoPlay A1 is designed by one of Bang & Olufsen's regular industrial designers, Cecilie Manz. On first glimpse, it appears like a fun and solidly built product, given the accompanying string to hang where you please and the aluminum grill.

It comes in 2 color variants - Natural and Moss Green.

Credit - B&O

The double-moulded polymer base has a rubberized texture that grips well. There are some markings on the bottom to indicate where to plug in the charging cable and the 3.5mm audio cable input (provided separately).

Features
USB-C charging:
This is one of the first (if not, the first) B&O products to incorporate USB-C charging, likely providing a glimpse of the direction of what will be their default jack of choice. All their products were previously using micro-USB. The benefit of USB-C is that it's reversible.

Bluetooth:
Connecting was a relative breeze. Upon the power on, you need to hold the Bluetooth button for 2 seconds after which the LED, next to the power button, flashes blue. Find 'BeoPlay A1' on your source device and boom, you're good to go. Just hit the Connect button, indicated by a circle icon, to play from the last connected source device.

Update (10 May 2016)
Microphone / Calls:
Once calls come in, all 3 LED indicators flanking the left, right and bottom will start flashing green. You can pick the call either with your phone or pressing the microphone button. Another press will mute the call and is clearly reflected in the 3 LEDs turning red. At a 30 cm radius from BeoPlay A1, I had no problems conversing with folks on the other end and on my side, the caller's voice came through just fine.

BeoPlay App:
There's even an accompanying BeoPlay App that can be used. While the Android version will only be released in Spring 2016 (ie. we couldn't test it as yet), the available version (iOS) has some nifty features such as wireless stereo pairing, to link with another compatible speaker, and ToneTouch which gives personalization of the staging settings and tonality.

Credit - B&O

Performance
Sound:
We swiftly linked the Bluetooth to a MacBook Air and streamed Markus Schultz's First Time over Spotify. Boy was it good. For a very compact 600 gram unit of 13.3 (diameter) x 4.8 cm (height), the sound is incredibly punchy and surprisingly was able to fill the room with its strong basslines with considerable vocal clarity.

24 hour playback:
Charging gives your 24 hours of playback on a full charge of 3 hours, a sufficiently agreeable duration to last day trips to the beach. The battery indicator flashes orange during the charging process.

Update (10 May 2016)
Overall
The Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A1 is one great speaker to take with you to the great outdoors. Its punchy sound delivery is impactful given its size. Combined with a very agreeable 24 hour playback and desirable aesthetic, this makes for a good sound companion at outdoor parties with friends.

Where To Buy
You can purchase the BeoPlay A1 in various retail outlets in Singapore at SGD 399. Alternatively, if you like what you have read, do support me by buying either the Natural Silver or Moss Green versions from Amazon at USD 249 via this affiliate link.

B&O BeoPlay A1

USD 249

Credit - B&O

Credit to B&O PLAY for a review unit.

Bang & Olufsen

Noise Canceling Immersion - The Verdict

March 02, 2016

Good March to one and all!

A few weeks back, we started the Noise Canceling Immersion Series where we took a look at 3 really awesome in-ears.

They were the Sony MDR-EX750NA, the Bose QuietComfort 20 and the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC. For noise canceling earphones, these are no doubt 3 of the hottest models you can find in the market today.

The big question was how good were these and how do they match up with each other?

Packaging contents

	Sony	Bose	B&O
Earphones	Y	Y	Y
USB Charger	Y	Y	Y
Total Eartips	4 (SS / S / M / L)	3 (S / M / L)	5 (XS / S / M / L / Comply Foam T-200 M)
Carrying Pouch	Y	Y	Y
Flight Adapter	Y	N	Y
Clothing Clip	Y	Y	N
User Guide	Y	Y	Y

Sony MDR-EX750NA

Bose QuietComfort 20

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC

Feature Comparison

	Sony	Bose	B&O
Length	1.5m	1.32m	1.35m
Weight	27g (exc. cable)	44g	40g
Volume Controls	N	Y	Y
Controls Location	Y-connector	Y-connector	Left cord
ANC Power Button Location	Y-connector	Battery module	Battery module
Awareness Button	N	Y	N
Device Compatibility	iOS / Android (no vol controls)	iOS / Android	iOS
Battery Life	16h	16h	20h
Charging Time	2h	2.5h	2.5h

Sony h.ear in NC - Control module with ANC switch

Bose QC 20 - Control module with Aware button on the edge

B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC - Control module

We pitted them in the several tests and obtained some interesting results.

So now, let's announce what is the top choice in the following categories.

Best Value
> Sony MDR-EX750NA (h.ear in NC)
From USD 140 at Amazon

Putting things in perspective, the Sony h.ear in NC at SGD 199 was priced way lower than the B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC (SGD 349) and the Bose QC 20 (SGD 499). However, value is measured not just by the monetary value but by the overall experience you get vs the price. While the plasticky build material didn't inspire much confidence, the active noise canceling (ANC) of the Sony was just a notch below the QC 20 and sound quality was decent. Features-wise, the Bose's Aware button gave some brownie points.

As you can guess, the Sony MDR-EX750NA average overall performance paired with an agreeable price make this a winner in the value category.

Best Sound Quality
> Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC
From USD 249 at Amazon

The Bose QC 20 boasts a resounding bass that gives some punch yet is let down by a somewhat muddied mid-range and is not so clear as expected. It appears that Bose emphasizes the bass over all else.

Sony on the other hand, attempts to juggle the audio pretty well. Bass is solid but vocal delivery ain't too clean.

Bang & Olufsen is no doubt the best of the 3, using the silicon buds. There's good balance where bass and treble have distinct separation though clarity comes across more than the lows. Should you need more bass on your travels, just swap to the Comply Foam tips.

Best Noise Canceling
> Bose QuietComfort 20 (QC 20)
From USD 249 at Amazon

All the 3 earbuds were put through a series of tests to check out the active noise canceling (ANC) ability.

	Sony	Bose	B&O
Tested in car with Stereolab's Parsec on the car audio. No music on the ear buds.	While the high frequencies still squeeze through, the bass from Parsec is reduced considerably. Slight hiss can be heard.	Muffled vocals are still able to come through. However, the constant bass from Parsec is not just reduced but is almost completely eliminated.	With Comply Foam tips - While ANC is effective, low frequencies can still be heard though the sound is the most natural sounding.
Tested at the back of a bus with a revving engine	Low frequencies are quite well filtered but rumbles can still be picked out by the ear.	Low frequencies of the bus accelerations are delightfully obscured.	Bus accelerations while blocked sufficiently, are still quite audible.
Tested at a bus stop with helluva lot of traffic coming and going	Traffic is blocked considerably but there's no denying that the Sony is relatively effective. Highs and the higher lows still reach the ear though.	Traffic sounds are surprisingly blocked out with exception of the higher frequencies like car honking .	Traffic sounds come through with relative ease. Had to toggle taking out the Comply tips and switching the ANC on/off to hear the difference

The winner for ANC was quite clear. Only one unit, in the form of the Bose QuietComfort 20, blocked low frequencies to such a degree that you'd actually worry about your safety when you cross the road. Quite astounding.

Conclusion

So, what does this tell us? Is there a perfect noise canceling earphone? It's not so simple to say. There are a multitude of factors in play. Some want purely noise canceling, others may need excellent sound, some may desire value, etc.

There are actually so many other considerations such as weight, microphonics and comfort (to name a few) which you can look at in the respective reviews below for further insight.

At the end of the day, it all depends what you need. All 3 choices were undoubtedly top in their respective categories. One thing's for certain - the experience we had with all 3 was freakin' awesome. We had an absolute whale of a time in the testing process.

If you have any thoughts on the review process, feel free to ping us. We'll duly oblige :)

Noise Canceling Immersion - A 3-Part Series
Part 1 - Sony h.ear in NC (MDR-EX750NA)
Part 2 - Bose QuietComfort 20 (QC 20)
Part 3 - Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC
The Verdict

Bang & Olufsen

Noise Canceling Immersion Part 3 - B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC

February 04, 2016

Bang & Olufsen are relative newcomers to the noise canceling domain. Their BeoPlay H8, announced in early 2015, was their first venture into active noise canceling (ANC) headphones and the BeoPlay H3 ANC (SGD 379) followed hot on its heels in September.

As Part 3 of the Noise Canceling Immersion series of articles, we give a full breakdown of what the BeoPlay H3 ANC offers.

Pros (+): Incredibly well balanced sound quality; Comply Foam tips.
Cons (-): Passable noise canceling; in-line remote build; no clothing clip.

Design
As soon as we received the Gunmetal Grey H3 ANC (the only color in case you're asking), we gleefully ripped open the shrink wrap and indulged in a full teardown of the packaging.

Flipping open the top cover reveals just the 2 earbuds, clothed in plastic wrap, lying on a spartan plastic layer. Ah, and there's a transparent tab too. Let's pull it upward.

The tab pulls up an entire grey wrap of paper along with the plastic top. Flipping the paper open gets you access to the BeoPlay H3 ANC cables. The battery module (that circular box) is fully covered with a peelable protective layer.

At the bottom of the box, we pop open a tab to access the inner sanctum to reveal... the accessories!

After digging everything out and taking away the plastic wraps and seals, the full packaging content reveals:
- B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC earphones
- 5 x Ear tips (XS / S / M / L / Comply Foam T-200 M)
- Charging cable
- Carrying pouch
- Travel adapter
- Quick start guide

Now to the BeoPlay H3 ANC - The Jakob Wagner designed unit sports an earbud housing built with a scratch-resistant metal, punctuated by 29 ventilation holes. However, its 40g heft is quite the norm among its noise canceling peers that sport similar battery units. Its 1.35m cable is sturdy and thankfully doesn't tangle easily

The carrying pouch is practically designed - there's an inner compartment within to allow you to store earphones on one side and charging cable and/or ear tips in the other.

Features
The BeoPlay H3 ANC is a noise canceling unit but it remains to be seen if it's a carbon copy of the H3 with ANC conveniently fitted in. Noise canceling is achieved by the use of microphones to capture incoming sound. The signal processing takes the incoming sound and generates inverse waves almost instantly. We dive more on this in a bit.

The iPhone-friendly in-line remote hangs on the left side, sporting the standard volume buttons with the B&O logo marking the multi-function button actuation point. Build-wise, the remote really did not give an assuring firm click that we'd have expected.

Moving down, you get a Y-connector and right at the other end of the cable, there's a very sturdy L-shaped 3.5mm jack and the distinctly shaped circular battery unit.

Just slide and hold the switch for 1s to activate the ANC. The single multi-color LED serves as follows:
1. White - ANC is on
2. Red - Battery power is below 10%
3. Orange (pulsating) - Charging in progress (and yes, ANC can be used in this mode)
4. Green - Battery fully charged

Performance
B&O threw in 5 sets of ear tips to cover practically the whole spectrum of ear hole sizes. 4 pairs are silicon and range from XS, S, M and L. The 5th is the Comply Foam T-200 M-size that is fitted on the unit by default.

We tried the noise canceling in three areas:

1. Inside a controlled environment (a car) where Stereolab's Parsec was playing in the vehicle.
2. At the back of a bus where the engine is revving frequently.
3. Tested at a bus stop with helluva lot of traffic (buses coming and going)
In these conditions, we did not play music in order to test the active noise canceling.

Bang & Olufsen's quest was apparently to strike a balance 'between sound, noise and silence' to attain 'a noise canceling product focused on sound aesthetics'.

That said, when testing with the Comply Foam tips alone, the noise isolation provided was decent. Once the ANC is activated, the bass in the car from Parsec still squeezes through. The low frequencies such as bus accelerations in the 2nd and 3rd instance, while considerably blocked, are still audible.

However, this is made up for as the audio quality is actually surprisingly well balanced. We say this 'cos the focus of noise canceling units is usually on the ANC...and for noise canceling units, something's got to give. Hozier's Take Me To Church can be heard with good clarity and warm bass. After swapping the Comply Foam with the silicon tips, the overall audio quality is considerably clearer. From B&O's standpoint, it appears that their emphasis was more on the sound quality with the noise canceling built around it. If this is correct, then the BeoPlay H3 ANC embodies this philosophy.

Strangely, there's no clothing clip that one would expect from a noise canceling unit. The idea of a noise canceling pair of earphones is actually to allow you to listen with minimal sound distractions. The lack of a clip actually makes the cable rustle / microphonics quite apparent with brisk walking.

The travel adapter is meant to be used on flights, a handy accessory that fits perfectly fine. We did not have the chance to test this but here's how it looks fitted on the audio jack.

Charging the 350mAh Lithium-Ion battery, when flat, takes 2.5h and the noise canceling can last a very agreeable 20h.

One way to charge and listen using your MacBook Air...and btw, the remote is compatible.

Overall
The Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC is neat looking pair of in-ears, no doubt inspired by B&O's resident industrial designer. If your purpose is purely for noise cancelation, there are other options out there. However, if you want a unit with well balanced and good sound quality that delivers a sufficient blockage of ambient noise around you, the BeoPlay H3 ANC is a great choice.

Where To Buy
If you like this product, feel free to support me by buying via this Amazon affiliate link. Pricing is from USD 249.

B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC
(Gunmetal Gray)

USD 249

Audio Sources
Take Me To Church - Hozier (Tidal 1411kbps FLAC) on iPhone 6S
Wake Me Up - Avicii (320kbps) on Samsung Galaxy S4
Parsec - Stereolab (Tidal 1411kbps FLAC) in the car / Samsung Galaxy S4

Credit to Bang & Olufsen and Brand Inc. for an evaluation unit.

Noise Canceling Immersion - A 3-Part Series
Part 1 - Sony h.ear in NC (MDR-EX750NA)
Part 2 - Bose QuietComfort 20 (QC 20)
Part 3 - Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 ANC
The Verdict