Beoplay E8: Brilliant wireless sound with minor teething problems
13.3.2018
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: David Lee
Bang & Olufsen is following the wireless trend: the Danish manufacturer recently presented the Beoplay E8, which does not require any cables at all. I tested the headphones over a longer period of time and can say that the sound is world-class. However, the E8 also has some minor flaws.
With these, you're guaranteed no tangled cables: Bang & Olufsen presents its first completely wireless headphones. B&O has installed a technology that is otherwise only used in hearing aids.
The manufacturer Bang & Olufsen is known for its high-quality products. It is therefore not surprising that it is also presenting good headphones with the E8. The sound quality of the headphones is particularly impressive right from the start.
The E8 comes in a stylish design, beautifully simple and without buttons on the earpiece.
All beginnings are a matter of getting used to
Bang & Olufsen uses a tapping control on the headphones for the E8. Wipe control has been dispensed with. The tapping control requires a short familiarisation period.
A look at the quick guide helps you to memorise the tapping signals that the E8 listens to.
In the beginning, I tapped a few times next to the touch field, either too hard or not hard enough. But after a short familiarisation phase, I got the hang of it. The controls then work intuitively because they are logically structured: For the next song you have to tap twice on the right earpiece, for the previous song twice on the left. The music gets louder on the right and quieter on the left. Makes sense, doesn't it?
Different attachments for a good fit in the ear
Putting the headphones in your ears correctly is also a matter of practice. Once the E8 is in your ear, you have to turn it slightly. But then they sit firmly and securely. I was even able to go jogging with the E8 without them slipping out of place. And the earpieces only protrude slightly from the ears.
In the beginning, I found the E8 quite uncomfortable and the earbuds pressed on my ears. After a short familiarisation phase, however, the pressure was gone and I hardly felt the headphones. With the three silicone ear moulds supplied in sizes S, M and L and one made of Comply foam in size M, you can find the right attachment. The correct fit of the Beoplay E8 is important for good sound. If the earpieces don't fit and seal properly, you won't get the full sound.
It's a bit of a shame that B&O only supplies a Comply foam attachment. The one in size M was too big for me. Here you could order additional attachments though.
Fully wireless
Because the marketing departments of various headphone manufacturers have already misused the term "wireless" for headphones with a connecting cable between the buds, a new term was needed. True wireless is the name given to headphones like the E8, which really don't have a cable any more. Except for charging, of course. With the E8, this is a micro USB cable.
In addition to the charging cable and the ear moulds, you get a stylish, leather oval box that also serves as a charging station. The bulge for the earbuds in the box is magnetic. Practical: This allows you to stow the headphones away quickly and ensures that they are on the charging ions and are charged.
I once dropped a handset thanks to my own clumsiness. On the tram. This was followed by a search under the seats. I found the Bud again and was more careful afterwards. It would be great if the app here for iOS and here in the Playstore from B&O had a search function for the buds built in.
Hearing aid technology for a better connection
With wireless earbuds, B&O is not the first or only supplier. Nevertheless, the E8 sets B&O apart from the competition: most wireless headphones use Bluetooth to communicate with each other. The E8 does this using NFMI (short for Near Field Magnetic Induction). This technology emits less radiation than Bluetooth and is said to create a more stable connection. It is also used for hearing aids.
As with most headphones, the E8 has the master headphones on the right and the slave on the left. You can only listen to music with the right earphone. However, I only used this function for making phone calls, which works well with the E8.
In my entire test period, I only had one brief dropout of the left earbud.
But twice in my test period of three weeks, the battery of the left earpiece was empty, while the right earpiece still had enough battery. The battery indicator that you see on the smartphone only shows you the overall battery level, not that of the individual earbuds.
Other than that, however, the battery lasts well: you can listen to music for up to four hours at a time. With the case, you can charge it two more times before it has to be plugged in again.
If you want to switch off the headphones, you have to put them in the case. Practical, because they are then immediately charged again.
snoozes in the stylish box
Small odyssey with Android
The E8 runs with the Bluetooh codec AAC. This is mainly used on iOS devices. I wanted to test the E8 with the Honor View 10, which has Android 8.0 Oreo on it. So that doesn't quite work.
The Honor View 10 supports the Bluetooth codec aptX HD as standard. This means that the E8 now only works with the standard SBC protocol because the two devices do not have the same codec. Ultimately, this means that with SBC, you get audibly poorer sound quality, even for non-audiophiles.
However, this does not mean that Android users can only use the E8 with poorer connection quality.
For phones with Android 8.0 and higher, you can now change the Bluetooth codec. The instructions are available here in English. I was able to use the headphones with the AAC codec.
In my case, Bluetooth pairing with the Honor V10 was more difficult than with the iPhone, which I also paired with the E8 for the test. With the iPhone, the pairing worked right from the start. With the Android phone, I first had to reset the headphones briefly (press for 20 seconds until they flash blue, then pair again), only then was I able to connect the headphones to my phone.
Detailed information on Bluetooth can be found in the article below. My comments are just the tip of the connection iceberg. [[marketingpage:3906]]
The sound: brilliant and customisable
Although there are some minor teething problems with the E8, the good sound of the E8 almost makes me forget them. And the sound is what ultimately matters with headphones
The sound that comes out of the E8 is full, voluminous and has nice bass without distortion, despite the small earpieces. In general, the sound is balanced, warm and beautifully tuned. My favourite part was the treble. Because they are very clear and never exaggerated.
The E8 doesn't have too much bass. The sound can be adjusted in the app, so you can add a little more bass. In the app you will find sound presets, from "warm" to "bright" to "relaxed" to "excited", where you can adjust your sound almost seamlessly.
With a tap on the left earpiece, you can activate the so-called Transparency mode. In this mode, the earpieces pick up your ambient sounds with the small microphones attached to the bottom and mix them with the music.
I didn't really like the transparency mode. On the road, it's certainly a good thing because the E8 seals very well and you can hear virtually nothing except your music. However, the ambient sounds are too artificial. But at least the directionality is right: If someone speaks to you from the right, you can hear it on the right earpiece. And the mode can also be customised in the app, where B&O provides three different levels.
Conclusion
I like the E8. I was particularly impressed by the sound. And the design is nice and simple, and the whole earpiece doesn't stick out of the ear too much.
In other areas, the E8 has minor flaws. These manifest themselves in teething problems. These include the unfamiliar operation and, in my case, the Bluetooth connection problems. However, I wouldn't have had these if I had used the E8 with an iOS device.
I recommend the E8 if the sound of headphones is important to you and you have an iOS device or an Android phone with 8.0 Oreo. Of course, the headphones can also be used with other devices, but it's a shame not to get the best out of the sound talent. And finally, there is also the price, which is higher than the competition. Good sound and processing quality have never been cheap.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
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