Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay EX

I've had the denons and ex. Bought the ex, sold them. But can't get over their sound. So got one again.  The denons are great. Don't get me wrong, but for me (non-audiophile), I felt a lot more enjoyment from the ex than the dpp. Everything is balanced, yet clear and the right amount of bass. Luckily as well (and probably more important to my ears) they fit better than the dpp: those just...doesn't fit well and i need to fiddle every now and then. The EX fits much better and they just look...miles better. The dpp isn't ugly, it's unique and I like the different style.   The dpp is definitely a great all rounder. Probably 2nd to the mtw3 for me (except that had battery issues, i never tried the mtw4). Everything is 'good enough'. I rebought the ex because I managed to get a cheap buds fe for my travels. Their anc is great for the price and when you're up there, sq doesn't matter too much.  Plus it reminds me of how good the ex sound is haha.  In saying this though, there is no perfect tws. You have to decide which features are important and you choose based on that. 

I had the exact same issues with EX (loved the sound though)so it seems that they learned nothing. Connectivity was a disaster. Hoped they fixed things with eleven but nah.

Which is more important to you? The sound quality or the ANC? The reality is the best TWS earbuds for one aren't the best fit the other. And there are often clear tradeoffs. For example, the B&O EX had superb audio quality. But the Nothing Ear get really close while being lighter, having a better app, and being superior in most other ways for considerably less money. Just be aware of the compromises you're going to make when selecting the best sounding TWS earbuds.

Yeah absolutely, but I have never heard anything better than Ex's...

This week, the bang and Olufsen ex were on sale for $200. Pretty good earbuds.

The beoplay ex's, Gemini 2, pi8s and denon pros imo have better sound quality than those 3.

Would love a comparison to other lesser known premium brands (e.g. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX)

Got it! I have the Beoplay myself and I'm quite happy with them. Never used any other earbuds though (aside from the cheap wired ones that came with phones in the past...)

Over here in Germany there's not that much of a price difference between the Beoplay EX and Airpods Pro 2.

I have the ex but the battery starts showing its age, am looking for cheaper alternatives 😅

I just got the AZ100s and I've only had them for a few hours, but they're fantastic. I would say the Denon Perl Pro, Pi8, Devialet Gemini 2, and BeoPlay EX still have a slight edge in terms of sound quality, but the AZ100 sound pretty fantastic and aren't that far behind, at least in LDAC (which is all I've tested). The AZ100 are better all-arounders than any of those, although I have no real complaints about the Devialet and Denon. My initial impression is that they've dethroned my beloved Sennheiser MTW4 for best sound in the $300-ish range, but I need to spend some more time with them to know for sure. I preferred the MTW4 over the AZ80 but so far I think the AZ100 has them both beat.

I have most of the best earbuds except the ones from Noble. Excluding the Noble, the best sounding are Devialet Gemini 2, B&W PI8, BeoPlay EX (and I'm assuming the new BeoPlay Eleven), and Denon Perl Pro. I'd consider the Devialet to be the overall winner for sound quality, but they're all pretty close. The Pi8 are the winners when you use the case transmitter function. AZ100 sound fantastic but they're not quite at the same level sonically as the others on this list.

Yes, I own the BeoPlay EX. I find them to be in the same league, sonically, as the Devialet, Pi8, and Denon, although I admit they're probably my least favorite of this bunch. I consider this league to be a bit better sounding than the next league down, which includes Technics and Sennheiser earbuds--also fantastic sounding earbuds. I do most of my mobile listening using high res streams through Tidal and the best-available codec, which for the BeoPlay is, I think, AptX adaptive. I have a custom EQ curve set just the way I like it, and I find the BeoPlay sounds best best on punchy, drum-heavy rock music, although it sounds quite good in other contexts too. It's been a while since I've listened to subtle, quiet, classical or cinematic music on the BeoPlays, so you may be right about its dynamic resolution. I find the Gemini and Denon really excel in terms of subtle dynamics (which is interesting because I think the Gemini don't even support 24-bit), and I tend to gravitate to the BeoPlay for crisp and aggressive music. I love the new AZ100 and think they may be one of the best overall earbuds on the planet at this point, and they're *almost* in the sonic league with the others I listed--close enough that it doesn't really make a difference unless I'm actively listening. The main thing holding them back, for me, is that they're a bit more reverberant than I like. I don't know if it's in the tuning/processing or if it's just the way they resonate in their own chamber/tips or in my ear canal, but it slightly washes out the sound and obscures the detail a tiny bit. The other buds, particularly the Devialet and the BeoPlay (and also the much cheaper Nothing Ear 2024) somehow manage to have a much more dry sound. The reverberant sound adds some fullness/lushness and excitement, but a drier sound brings out more detail and crispness, especially in transients. This is me being incredibly nitpicky: as I said, I think the AZ100 are still one of the best sounding earbuds, and they have no shortage of clarity and crispness, I just think the other earbuds do it a bit better. I'm a pro musician too, and part of my career involves recording and mixing, so I'm accustomed to pro gear and my ears are fairly well attuned to the details of musical timbre and production techniques. I'm not saying this to pull rank or suggest that my opinion is more valid, I just want to let you know I'm not a rube spouting hype I don't understand. From what I'm reading here, our difference in opinion is more a matter of differing personal preferences.

My original comment was based on your first list. I've owned most of the earbuds in your edited list, and I'd consider them *all* among the best sounding earbuds out there. I'd probably say the Gemini, Denon, B&W, and B&O are roughly tied for "best sounding," and the winner comes down to personal preference. But if I had to choose only one set, I'd still probably go with the Sennheiser MTW4 or Technics (AZ100, which I like better than the AZ80). The Gemini and others may have slightly better sound but the Sennheiser and Technics still sound fantastic: they're not far behind, and you wouldn't be missing out on some mindblowing sonic experience. But I consider these two to be better overall, in terms of functionality, app, features, etc.

>If you don't mind, could you share your ranking list for best overall and one for sound quality? Thank you in advance! Of the ones listed in your post, my personal rankings would be: BEST OVERALL: 1. Sennheiser, Technics 2. Denon, Devialet 3. Bose, Sony 4. Pi8, BeoPlay BEST SOUND: 1. Devialet, Pi8, Denon, BeoPlay (in roughly that order if I *had* to rank them, but I consider them more or less tied, and my preferences might change from day to day or song to song) 2. Sennheiser, Technics AZ100 3. AZ80 4. Sony, Bose I've never used the EQ or the Eleven.

The Jabra are my favorites all around, but I have a lot of earbuds and there are a lot that beat them in one area or another, but none (in my opinion) that beat them *overall*. Comfort: no earbuds beat Jabra Elite 10 for comfort. Probably the next most comfortable would be Nothing 2024 / A or OnePlus 3/3Pro/2Pro or maybe Galaxy 2Pro/3Pro. But I find Technics, Devialet, Bose to all be reasonably comfortable. Sound: I love the Jabra 10 sound but plenty of premium earbuds beat them in sound. Technics AZ100/80, Sennheiser MTW4, Denon Perl Pro, and at a higher price point: Gemini 2, Pi8, BeoPlay EX (and probably Eleven but I haven't tried them). The Nothing 2024 in LDAC could potentially beat the Jabra in sound too but it's a close call. Most of these would be overkill if you're primarily listening to audiobooks and podcasts: in fact the Jabra are my favorites for spoken word, especially since the recent LC3 firmware update. ANC: Bose beats everyone. To my ears, the Jabra ANC is roughly tied for 2nd place ANC with Sony, Sennheiser, and Devialet. Some might argue that Sony is 2nd place and the others are tied for 3rd. Either way. I particularly like the Jabra ANC for flights, but the others are comparable. Microphone: I don't use earbuds much for calls so this is one area I never have much of an opinion on. My understanding is that Huawei buds have the best mics for calls but I've never tried them. Water Resistance: the Jabra 8 Active are the only earbuds I'm comfortable showering with. Beyond that I don't pay too much attention to IP ratings. My understanding is that Jabra generally leads in this area but that there are some (which I can't recollect) that are comparable. Physical buttons: nothing that I'm aware of beats Jabra in this area. I know the Status Between 4ANC (or something like that) has a physical button in addition to touch controls, but I only had these briefly and I don't remember how useful it was. Transmitter: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 has a transmitter case (I think B&W were the innovators in this area). When using the USB-C transmitter, the Pi8 sound is *incredible*. I don't think I've tried the headphone/aux cable transmitter yet (the Pi8 comes with two separate cables instead of the Jabra version which has a built in adapter on a single cable). I think JBL Tour Pro 3 also have a transmitter option but I only had these briefly and I don't think I tried it. If your otherwise-perfect earbuds are missing the transmitter case feature, you can always get something like this: https://a.co/d/bbJW8Yn. I've used a similar device on a plane and it worked great, but I didn't do any side-by-side comparison of sound quality or anything. If all my Jabra earbuds disappears today, the Technics AZ100 or Sennheiser MTW4 would probably be my new daily drivers. Both have better sound than the Jabra and are probably 2nd-ish place in all the other areas: they're great overall earbuds. But this choice puts a lot of emphasis on music sound quality. For primarily audiobooks/podcasts, I'd probably choose the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro or Nothing 2024 (or Nothing A) as daily drivers. (Don't get me wrong, they both sound fantastic on music too). OnePlus would probably win out because of their controls and somewhat better ANC and battery life.

I mean if sound quality is the biggest concern above all else, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX can be had brand new in box for around $250 on eBay. While the Beoplay EX has amazing sound quality (top rated by many for that era of earbuds), the EX has bad ANC capabilities (that was always the biggest complaint for the price - and the biggest upgrade to the new B&O Eleven earbuds which retail for $600) Problem is, you're on an iPhone. Apple restricts their AAC bitrate protocol to only apple brands (Apple & Beats devices only). If you use any other brand of products, the AAC bitrate will be cut in half.

The B&O Beoplay EX is last-generation. It has epic sound quality, but it suffers from a poor ANC system compared to rivals at the same price point. The B&O Eleven is the newest generation - they took the EX earbuds and improved the ANC system, that's the biggest difference you'd notice between the two. However, one big elephant in the room is your iPhone. As you know apple likes to create a "walled garden" for their customers. And earbuds are no different. Apple *wants* you to stick with their brands (Airpods and Beats). So the software only enables max AAC bitrates when using Apple products within their ecosystem. Any other earbud you buy will have a limited streaming bitrate. So, in essence - what's the point of $500 earbuds if you can only stream at greatly reduced bitrates? You would either need to switch to an android phone (like a Sony, because Samsung is a b*tch about bluetooth protocols these days as well - AptX-adaptive is literally open source software, Samsung could easily integrate it into their flagship phones but they choose not to in favor of their own proprietary bluetooth protocol) With a healthy budget, you can get some better sounding earbuds and more comfortable earbuds with nice features like the ANC of the Quietcomfort Ultra, or the full transparency of the Quietcomfort Ultra-Open earbuds. But, just know that Apple once again sucks and they choose what you're allowed to play with. They'll let you use other bluetooth products, but not at the highest fidelity possible. For me with my Bose QC-Ultra earbuds and a Samsung Galaxy phone, I am buying a Creative Labs BT-W6 USB-C streaming audio chip so I can stream from phone in high definition

>premium earbuds >sub 300 dollar pair of earbuds Lol, oh. I think you're going to get a ton of different answers. My definition of Premium earbuds these days for top sound quality and noise cancelling would go to earbuds above the $300 mark. But I also consume 7-8 hours of music daily so I spend a lot more money on speakers/headphones/earbuds than I do on televisions haha (I still have an old samsung 1080p TV - haven't even upgraded to a 4k yet!) I was going to suggest something like the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Ex earbuds which you can currently buy for about HALF the original MSRP. They have some top-rated sound quality, but the biggest issue about them was always the noise cancelling. If someone is paying $500 for earbuds, they expect good ANC in addition to good sound quality, and they were mediocre. B&O's new Eleven earbuds fix that complaint, but those are crazy expensive. So the Beoplay EX at $250 is a great deal if you only prioritize sound quality. But given that you want both, I still think my personal suggestion would be to get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (or save money and buy the Bose Quietcomfort 2 earbuds new in box on ebay - they're basically the same thing minus AptX-Adaptive and immersion modes)

Been using the beoplay ex earbuds from B&O since 2022 without issue. Though, they are very expensive.

I switched to B&O EX from the OG AirPods Pro. I liked the sound quality, and thought the integration difference is minor but only if you only use with your phone. The multi-device aspect is still missed. Another huge difference was the connection stability, as the AirPods are way better. If I were to choose again I wouldn’t have switched.

I've had them for a few months, and even though they don't sound bad, I still don't recommend them at all if you want a strong "rumbling" bass. Even my Beoplay Ex outshines them in that department. I would be looking at the Denon Perl Pro if I were you since most of the feedback I see is tempting me to sell the M4 and get them instead.

The Bang and Olufsen beoplay ex are by FAR the best sounding of all of them, closest I’ve found to IEMs . But that’s it, all of the other features are terrible. The tecnics don’t sound as good but at least I’m not having to readjust the buds and they don’t cut out every 2 minutes lol

Beoplay EX / Eleven is great for sound quality. I've compared them with XM4th and Fokus Triumph. Sold both and left with EX. Mic is OK, ANC and battery are also fine. IPX rating allows even showering with them

have teh rex5's on order with my current fav being teh beoplay ex for wireless ear buds if sound quality is the most important. I would choose those over any on your list if sound quality is what you want. The active noise cancelation is terrible on them though.Not a fan at all of the denon perl pro. I will update comment when my nobile audio rex5 show up. I have yet to have any wireless earbud come close to a mid tier IEM though(again in terms of sound quality). Really like the hype 4's for bang for the buck. Sony xm5 are trash in terms of sound quality for their price.

Tried bose ultra, beoplay ex, airpods pro 1 and 2 and B&W Pi8 First 3 total ass, would recommend to anyone for anything. Pi8 are to me the greatest there are currently, after first few was getting a bit hopeless. Only possible complaints: -Maybe not super safe fitting for really wonky ears though my right is mental and it holds awesome -for mostly audiophiles maybe a bit too bass heavy but there is a decent EQ Nothing else really, if you have apple and want a bit more flat tuning airpods 2 maybe better or something that I haven't yet tried though really doubt to beat Pi8

i love my bluetooth. i have some B&O EX and Sennheiser Momentum 3 TWS and they are just as enjoyable to me as my IEMs. i also prefer to use my IEM's via Qudelix 5k, which is bluetooth. an awesome device with badass EQ. if you're not eq'ing your IEMs. you're missing out.

Beoplay EX can be bought half price now the 11 are out I've only tried two of those in your list but for sound only Beoplay EX are so much better. They don't do everything well but if all that matters is a good fit, good looks and sound quality then they are hard to beat at the reduced price

Bang and Olufson Beoplay EX are good, non slippy and excellent audio.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 or any number of true wireless earbuds. These are exactly the same as the Beoplay EX, they even say that on the inside of them. They just have an extra microphone or two in each earbud, but the ANC hasn’t changed. B&O literally reskinned their older earbuds, gave them an upgraded name, and charged even more for them.

I have. The JBL Tour Pro 3, Denon PerL Pro after their acoustic measurements, B&W Pi8, Jabra Elite 10 gen 2, and even more budget-friendly options. The EX and Eleven are overpriced and provide generic warm audio. Nothing wrong with that if you want to spend the money. But their ANC is b-tier at most with an interesting and comfortable design. Nothing wrong with liking them, but there are other true wireless earbuds that sound better and have better ANC.

These lists are kinda getting to be useless because it absolutely depends on how you plan on using the phones (gym, office, home, plane, street etc) and what’s important to you. I ONLY care about sound so Devialets win hands down. Now are those what I wear for the gym or to walk about…no I grab my B&Os for that. I’m learning that there are just too many factors to consider for lists like this. Then there’s personal preference…I love clarity and bass, comfort level etc. price point? I never thought I’d pay $500 for a set of in-ears but if sounds that important to me then I’ll do and did it. Some people care about battery life it’s just whatever. This is the best video I’ve seen for 2024…he takes EVERYTHING into consideration. I went straight to the sound section and he was spot on. So I presume everything else to be reliable to. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=owNyKtbqvzI

I would still go with the Beoplay EX/Elevens if sound quality is the most important thing.  Another option here is the Noble FoKus Rex5 but it doesn't have any IP-rating, although it's sound kinda destroys the rest of the wireless earbuds. 

I still prefer my Beoplay EX after 2 days extensive A/B testing in almost every aspects. 

I returned the Pi8s for the Beoplay EX/Elevens

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX. Hefty price but amazing sound quality.

I love my Perl Pros. I also really like the B&O Ex but they sorley lacked noise cancellation and mediating wind noise. The newer B&O Elevens are now out and, apparently, they're better here. Great sounding earbuds. That said, when I say in a B&W equipped Volvo, I had never heard anything like it before. Beyond exceptional sound. I can only imagine the quality of their earbuds too.

I cycled through the Sennheiser Momentum 4s and the B&O Beoplay Ex before settling in the DPP. I can attest that these are absolutely incredible earbuds. Out of the box, sound is flat, etc. However, after the Massimo ear test, WOW. Although one should do this 2-3 times and get a feel for the different nuances. One question I have is around firmware. Dennon last updated the firmware for these in November 2023. I mean, that's either a great thing or the opposite. Thoughts?

I loved my B&O Ex. However, I walk a lot with my dogs and they were awful with wind noise. Plus ANC was bad. DPP's aren't great with ANC, but Beoplay Ex were awful. Apparently, the B&O Elevens are supposed to be better at both. If you're in a building - relatively noise free - and/or are stationary for the most part, the B&O's kill!

I got the EX’s (predecessor to these) back in 2022 for $299 on discount That’s a good price for what i paid for. And you’re bag on with the Eleven’s. I too find them not quite near the build quality I was expecting, and areas (sound, noise cancelling, usability and connectivity) customers complained with the EX could’ve been fixed with these but were ignored. And that they’re new means you’re now paying for the premium without anything new against it. Might aswell get the EX’s on discount as long u can. The bowers blow this thing out of the park

I like the sound of the QC ultra and xm5 better then the pi8 I have since returned them and purchased the beoplay ex hopefully they are more to my taste. I just can't see how the Gemini 2 are worth 750 dollars for something that will eventually be garbage unless they're repairable (changing out the batteries) My first set on Sony's I changed the batteries in them 3 times and kept them for 4 years.

Respectfully, I've had the Beoplay EX for a while now, and they are fairly weak for bass depth and dynamics. The resolution is there, but neither the thump or quantity.

Do you actually own the BeoPlay EX? I've had them since launch and they are not close in terms of sound quality. They sound quite thin & have 0 bass or dynamics. I used to think they were great, but many others have impressed me much much more. Devialet Gemini 2, Technics AZ100, B&W Pi8 are all far superior in terms of dynamics, transients, texture, resolution, etc. Btw I come from 16 years of musical experience (played in Carnegie Hall), own many high end headphones & earbuds, and have a very keen ear.

My personal audiophile rankings. All 5 sound amazing. 1. ($450) Noble FoKus Rex5 2. ($500) Devialet Gemini II 3. ($250) Status Audio Pro X 4. ($400) Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 5. ($400) Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen , EX series .. top quality

Try the JBL Tour Pro 3 and B&O EX. Out of the 20 earbuds I own, in the midrange segment, those are the ones I most often use followed by Bose Ultras, Denon Perl Pros and Google/Samsung current gen pros offerings.

Denon Perl Pro was $199 cdn at Gibbys electronics online, but don't know if still on sale. But at $200 they are easily the bassist ear bud and cheaper than everything else I tried. They look dumb but actually the most comfortable earbud I've tried. I ly weakness is call quality but it's passable. Have tried Sony XM5, OnePlus 3 pro, Technics AZ80, and Beoplay EX.

Good in what way? In my experience the best sound quality wise by far were B&O Beoplay EX, so I think this chart is has "style, comfort, battery, ANC, gimmicks, etc" taken into consideration all at once, and we all know the percentage of lifelong airpods users far exceeds any other product, hence the sharp bias towards them in the chart.

Nobody knows what is good for you. You have to listen to them. Also it's useful to look into their measurements curve. I didn't listen to the Denon,Jabras and Nothing Ear. Sony are linear but will not amaze you with details and clarity. Same to Technics. Sennheisers sounds just wrong for me with no lows. Bose are ok but initial tuning is too bassy for me. It's like one just increased the bass with eq. I personally have Devialet Gemini 2. Very linear with slight increase of lows and trebles which is easily compensated. Amazing resolution, imaging, separations you name it. But again, just listen to them. I listened to Nobles, B&W, Bang and Olufsen and they did not suite my needs. But maybe they are for you.