Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX - Wireless Bluetooth Earphones with Microphone and Active Noise Cancelling, Waterproof, 20 Hours of Playtime

I don't often write reviews for products, only those which I really think deserve praise and are perhaps under-appreciated in the user market.Quick TLDR:Summary:These are GREAT earbuds, with beautiful sound, outstanding connectivity (no problems for me connecting or staying connected), an app with EQ tuning, excellent battery life, high water-resistance, handsome quality physical details in the buds themselves, as well as the case. I think they're well worth the price.I purchased the Bang & Olufsen EX earphones around 2-3 months ago, and they're everything I hoped they would be, which is: a quality upgrade to the prior B&O earphone lines in terms of features and functionality.I expected that the sound quality would at the very least be on par with the previous models which I own: e8 generation one, e8 generation 2, and e8 generation 3, all of which have beautiful sound (which you really wouldn't expect from such SMALL earphones!). Well, the sound quality is real. I've attached some photos of my older gen e8's, all of which are still very functional and used as backups. They all still sound great. The H9 Gen3 also pictured are over-ear headphones with 25 hour battery life and now cost less than half what they did when I bought them, quite a deal.I'll first focus on the sound: it is rich, with defined highs, mids, and lows, but an overall 'neutral' sound. For those who prefer more bass or more treble...the accompanying B&O app (available for both Android & Apple devices) allows you to set EQ sound profiles (which you can name). I don't think they need much adjustment, though I do slightly alter mine to have a sharper sound in the highs and slightly less bass. That's because I love really clear vocals, guitar strings, horns, violins, etc, and I find much music is overproduced with bass tones overwhelming these higher tones.Sound is the primary reason I rate these Bang & Olufsen EX as a 5 star product.Functionality is the secondary reason I'm rating them as a 5 star product:-Bluetooth 5.2 (the latest and most connective) creates an excellent connection to my phone, computer, ipad, and watch, allowing me to stream music uninterrupted for around 4.75 hours with ANC activated.-Battery Life: around 4.5 - 4.75 with ANC activated. I've never used them with ANC off, so I can't say whether they reach the projected 6 hours with no ANC. I imagine they get close to that.-Recharging: Very fast, I think around 2.5 hours for a full charge. But a 15 minute charge will give you an hour of play, which is great if you're in a rush. The battery/charging case holds around 2 additional full charges.Technical production, physical quality: These are beautifully made, with tempered glass touch pads across the small covers. The units fit well in my ears, and you can use either memory-foam or silicone tips. I always use memory foam, as you get a better fit, better passive noise-isolation from your external environment, and better, fuller sound due to the increased isolation. And, as long as you keep your ears clean, memory foam buds last quite a long time before you need to replace them, in my experience. Even if I did need to replace them more frequently, I would still prefer them. They're also better for working out, as the buds are even more stable.Increased water-resistance! These are rated IP57, so they have up to 1 meter of water resistance. What this really means is they won't be damaged by sweat, rain, or tap water. This is an improvement over their previous e8 models which were only IP54 (less resistant to water, though I've been caught in the rain many times, and done plenty of workouts, likewise without problems).Stability of fit. I can dance, run, lift weights, whatever, and these earbuds don't budge in my ears. Love that!About ANC:These latest models have added something the e8 models didn't have: ANC. These days, ANC is pretty much a required and expected feature in any premium earphones (and even expected in more run of the mill brands).So, I was happy to see that B&O had 'finally' added ANC to their earbuds. I will say that I think the ANC is passable and could use improvement. But I think this is partially due to the form factor and incomplete closure to the external environment due to the small size.My Apple Beats Fit Pro have ANC of about the same quality, and those are supposedly equal to the AirPods Pro, which lead the market in this feature for this form factor.I will also say that my Apple Beats Fit Pro's sound far (far) inferior to my B&O EX's. Battery life is very similar between the two as well (though I think the EXs outlast the Beats Fit Pros).

When I saw mixed reviews about “ANC is okay comparing to bose, I thought it’s gonna be really okay, turns out, way better than my need for commute!I own another BO beoplay so the minor“connectivity issue” is within expectation. It’s an issue but dismissable comparing to the sound quality.That being said, sound quality is as usual as other BO products, if 300 ish is your budget, I would opt for BO rather than bose.Just for comparison, I own 2 older models of bose earbuds, they are great for running musics but feels a bit “muscle” y on the sound quality if you know what i mean…. BO can satisfy my hearing needs on a wider range of music

Do not buy these, unless you want to pay $400 for garbage.The ONLY thing nice about these earbuds is the sound quality, which is top-notch. But good luck ever getting them to work. The other reviewers are not lying about the connectivity issues.I've had these almost a year and probably have only used them a few hours, mostly when I first got them. The software will NOT update without doing a factory reset (which I'm trying to do now, again... and which reminded me to write this review). Good luck making that happen. It will take at least an hour of your time. Ridiculous.They will fall out of your ears with the slightest turn of the head, and I've tried all the earpieces, even third party. IF you could get them to work, they'd only be good while sitting in a chair and not moving much...How I wish I had just returned them that first month... The few hours I have used them, the sound quality was outstanding, despite the lack of a deep bass, which is probably why I kept trying, and trying, and trying to get them to work and passed the 30-day return date.Save yourself a ton of headache and give these a pass. I ended up getting the Sennheiser Momentum 3 for $250 and though the sound isn't quite up to B&O, it's close, and they actually have a very good bass, unlike the B&O's. Also, they will actually stay put, unlike the B&O trash product. I use the Sennies all the time, including the gym and while running. Wish I'd just got them from the get-go.Good job, B&O, you got my money for nothing. I'll never buy B&O again, and I'll make sure everyone I know never buys your product, either. It won't get me my money back, but at least I'll have some satisfaction in knowing you won't rip some other people off like you did me.