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Beoplay H5 Review: B&O's Bluetooth Earbuds Sound Great, but They're Pricey

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With the controversial removal of the headphone jack from Apple's upcoming iPhone range a seeming inevitability, audio companies are already ramping up Bluetooth headset options ahead of the devices' launch in the fall.

In June, premium audio heavyweight brand Bose debuted a wireless version of its flagship over-the-ear headphones with the QuietComfort 35's. Not to be outdone, last month Danish audio big hitter B&O entered the fray with its Beoplay H5 Bluetooth buds, a pair of high-end magnetized earphones designed "for music lovers who live to move."

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Design and Features

As with most products bearing the Bang & Olufsen moniker, the Beoplay H5 buds aren't exactly cheap at $249, but apart from the luxury brand cachet that comes with them, they promise premium performance in a compact package whatever your lifestyle, designed to segue seamlessly between a fitness routine and a daily commute, for example.

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The dust and sweat-proof earpieces are made of a featherweight polymer-rubber compound with a branded aluminum disc on the rear, and each bud has a neck about an inch in length, with the power/pairing LED on one ear.


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Article Link: Beoplay H5 Review: B&O's Bluetooth Earbuds Sound Great, but They're Pricey
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/review/beoplay-h5-earbuds/
Macrumors is trying to appease us all with the reality of the 3.5 Jack being deleted. At least their assisting in viable options for Bluetooth audio.
 
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I've been contemplating buying these as I have the H7's as well. I don't have a good track record with keeping these type in my ears though. I would have loved to see the 3i's in a bluetooth style.
 
Can't wait for couple years from now when we get these and they don't have that goofy looking cable running behind your neck.
her-theo.png

From the movie "Her." Great movie by the way, check it out.
 
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0029937 said:
Can't wait for couple years from now when we get these and they don't have that goofy looking cable running behind your neck.
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From the movie "Her." Great movie by the way, check it out.
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I’m not of the opinion the cable is either goofy or supurfluous. If one of these things is going to pop out of my ear, I’d rather have it teathered to the other to give me a chance of snatching it before crashing onto the pavement.
 
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0029937 said:
Can't wait for couple years from now when we get these and they don't have that goofy looking cable running behind your neck.
her-theo.png

From the movie "Her." Great movie by the way, check it out.
Click to expand...
there's a lot of options outthere already... check out Samsung Gear IconX, there's better options, but I checked those today
 
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So now you have to buy 3 types of headphones, with lightning, USB type C and with the standard 3,5mm jack. The mess can begin
 
shanson27 said:
So now you have to buy 3 types of headphones, with lightning, USB type C and with the standard 3,5mm jack. The mess can begin
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Not at all. I've been using Bluetooth A2DP headsets since 2011. I own a pair of JayBird's that have lasted me ~5 years I use at the gym, no wires getting in the way of lifting. It's no different than vehicle Bluetooth Audio streaming, sounds great in my Audi. I have a pair of Bang & Olufsen H8's for travel - excellent sound quality, handsfree gesture controls on the right ear piece, 12+ hours on a 30 min charge, and additional batteries can be used to swap out between charges. A decent pair of Bluetooth headsets shouldn't cost more than $50-60 now.

I honestly don't understand the endless complaints about the possibility of losing a dated 3.5mm jack on a mobile phone. If you're using Apple's earbuds that's your first mistake.
 
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Poor battery performance , something I would struggle with
 
I really like the look and design of these earphones, but I don't like in ears. I own the h6 headphones now and I don't think it gets much better, only thing that slightly bugs me is the wire, but having tried the h7 and h8 which are both wireless, I decided they weigh too much due to the battery weight. I won't trade comfort for wireless.

I may consider these again when v2 is released in a year or two...
 
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This beautiful headphone suffurs from cable noice. Even only walking can give a loud irritation from the cable. Running is not fun with a high scratch noice repeating in your ears. To minimize you have to put the cable over your ears, not having it hanging down as it's shown in the advertisement picture. It is mentioned in the manual so b&o knew of this fault before release but used apple's old mantra you are using it wrong to release the product anyway. Sound is good in these beautiful headphones but the loud cable noice makes these a hard sell for a headphone made for movement.

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/20869.aspx
 
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First of all, it is pricy, as title suggests.
Then, it might not meet my hearing taste.
Constantly need to recharge one more battery is also a pain for me.
I hate in-ear EarPods because it is easier to block sounds from outside, increasing risk while listening to something while walking on street or taking public transport.
 
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Doesn't work with my phone. Doesn't work with my laptop. It seems the BT technology is ahead of my equipment. I can't help but wonder about the long term backwards compatible BT support in devices. I also wonder if the battery is replaceable.

I've got a number of iem's dating back 9 years. If they were wireless surely I'd be unable to use them now. Not much interested. Speakers are one thing that can last a very long time and I consider them an investment that I intend to use almost indefinitely.
 
LERsince1991 said:
I really like the look and design of these earphones, but I don't like in ears. I own the h6 headphones now and I don't think it gets much better, only thing that slightly bugs me is the wire, but having tried the h7 and h8 which are both wireless, I decided they weigh too much due to the battery weight. I won't trade comfort for wireless.

I may consider these again when v2 is released in a year or two...
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H6 230g vs H7 280g... That's not much...

B&O products are pricy but worth it. Just like Apple products.
 
$250!

- I heard some rumors about iPhone 7 removing the 3.5 jack. Since Apple users will pay a fortune just to have an logo on the back of the phone, we can charge a fortune for our headphones!

Cha Ching!
 
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votdfak said:
H6 230g vs H7 280g... That's not much...

B&O products are pricy but worth it. Just like Apple products.
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Yeah Wife and I have a pair of H8s and they are awesome. I tried the Bose QC35 and the sound quality still sucks. The only thing that sucks on the H8 is the touch controls. Turning the ANC off the sound quality is unmatched. With ANC on they are excellent and still produce better sound than anything I have heard.
 
I like this model. Earbuds that are in tethered from a phone but are still connected by a wire between them. They're harder to lose, easier to handle and more convenient to charge. If I had to guess, AirPods will follow this model. A Lightning cable connecting the two, unplug from one earbud and then plug into your iPhone for a quick 15 second charge for a half hour use like the Apple Pencil.
 
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citi said:
I still think the jaybirds are the best option and cheaper than these. I've had my x1s for over a year and they still sound great.
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I have low-end Jaybirds from 2014, and they're just barely OK.
Never had any bass, even with a tight seal.
Right earpiece rattles annoyingly ever since I dropped them once.

These B&Os are on the short list for me. The new high-end Jaybirds might be good too.
$200 for the Jaybirds, $250 for the B&O with vastly better design.
(The magnetic loop clasp with power switch, for me, would be worth the extra $50.)

Your move Apple. Your move Beats. See if you can beat the above.
 
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miknos said:
$250!

- I heard some rumors about iPhone 7 removing the 3.5 jack. Since Apple users will pay a fortune just to have an logo on the back of the phone, we can charge a fortune for our headphones!

Cha Ching!
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Apple users???? The new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 priced at $849. The new Moto Z Force Droid starts at $720 Iphone 6s Plus starts at $749. Not sure why you single out Apple users or even that your point is valid. Doesnt seem as though an Iphone is priced at a luxury item price point. They are right in line with other companies models.
 
mwd25 said:
Apple users???? The new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 priced at $849. The new Moto Z Force Droid starts at $720 Iphone 6s Plus starts at $749. Not sure why you single out Apple users or even that your point is valid. Doesnt seem as though an Iphone is priced at a luxury item price point. They are right in line with other companies models.
Click to expand...

I was being sarcastic about people who never used an Apple product and complain about the pricing.
 
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