Bang & Olufsen is launching a new sport-focused pair of true wireless earbuds, the Beoplay E8 Sport.
You may know the original E8 earbuds already: launching in 2018, they were exceptionally made, with a premium finish carried through to successive generation models, with audio quality befitting the B&O name.
Adding the Sport moniker, and some fitness-focused features, can B&O offer premium true wireless earbuds that beat the competition?
The E8 Sport buds certainly should sound offer decent sound given the prowess of the brand and combined with attractive looks too.
The brand claims that its built the new wireless earbuds in a case that uses ‘sportier’ materials like rubber and silicone that’s combined with the anodized aluminum Bang & Olufsen has been using for over half a century.
Available in both black and teal (what B&O calls ‘Oxygen Blue’), the Beoplay E8 Sport could well be an attractive way to soundtrack your workouts – or even be safe enough to use when in the bath.
With an IP57 water rating, the E8 Sport can take more than a pinch of dust or a drop of sweat, and even survive immersion in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Other features include a Transparency Mode (similar to that used on headphones like the Apple AirPods Pro, which uses the E8 Sport’s four-microphone array to record and then output outside audio, to ensure you stay aware of your surroundings.
Good sport
Our main issue with the 2018 model was its scarce battery life – something that B&O fixed by the time the 3rd-gen model came out, with seven hours per single charge.
The E8 Sport buds also manage seven hours off a single charge, while the charging case adds another 23 hours, meaning you shouldn’t need to connect it to a power source (using its USB-C port) until after a good few days of use. (The charging case for the regular E8 earbuds does pack in a slightly larger 30 hours of charge.)
The Beoplay E8 Sport retail at $350 / £300 / AU$550 and will be available to buy starting July 8.