The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are wireless gaming headphones that come in either a PC/Xbox or PC/PlayStation variant. We tested the PC/Xbox variant, which have built-in Xbox Wireless technology that offers full audio and microphone compatibility with both Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles. They also come with USB and analog cables, which are handy if you want to wire them to your PS4 or PS5 controller. However, the headphones still need to be turned on in order to use them with their TRRS cable. They come with lots of gaming-oriented customization features, including a graphic EQ and channel mixing, both available in Xbox Wireless Connection mode. They also come with active noise cancelling (ANC). However, it offers an only okay performance as it struggles to block out bass-heavy background noises like bus and plane engines.
Our Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are adequate for neutral sound. Although they're lacking some low-bass when using Xbox Wireless, if you use them via Bluetooth, their sound profile is a lot more thumpy and boomy. On the downside, this muddies and bloats vocals and lead instruments. You don't get the same level of sound customization when using the mobile app versus Xbox, though. On the upside, there are still EQ presets available to help you adjust their sound.
- EQ presets available via companion app.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are satisfactory for commute and travel. These headphones are comfortable enough for long listening sessions, and their great battery performance makes them suitable for long days on the go. However, their ANC feature is just okay, and it really struggles to block out bass-heavy background noises like bus and plane engines. That said, the ANC feature does a better job with higher-frequency sounds, so you don't hear people chatting around you or the hum of AC units.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Great battery performance.
- Struggles to isolate against bass-heavy background noise.
- Not very portable.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are decent for sports and fitness, though they aren't really designed for this purpose. They might fall off your ears during more intense workouts, and their over-ear design may make you sweat a bit more than usual. They also aren't very portable, and they don't have an advertised IP rating for water resistance, though we don't test for this. That said, they're comfortable, and their great battery performance makes them suitable for long workout sessions.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Great battery performance.
- Not very portable.
- Not stable enough for workouts.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are satisfactory for office use. These well-built headphones have a comfortable fit that's suitable for long shifts, and they have a pretty long continuous battery life. Their noise isolation feature does an okay job blocking out background noises, too. They leak a bit of audio, but it sounds pretty thin, so you should be able to listen to music at loud volumes without really bothering your coworkers, unless you work in a very quiet space.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Leaks some audio.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are satisfactory for wireless gaming, but it's important to ensure you get the right variant for your console. The Xbox variant have Xbox Wireless built-in, but there's perceptible latency using it. It's not a complete deal breaker, but it can be annoying if you're gaming competitively. On the upside, their companion software also has a graphic EQ and presets, so you can customize their sound. Although their integrated microphone has an okay recording quality, whoever's on the other end of the line may have some trouble understanding you if you're gaming in a noisy setting.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Great battery performance.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Disappointing passive soundstage performance.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are satisfactory for wired gaming. They come with an analog cable, so you can plug them directly into your PlayStation and Xbox consoles for audio and microphone compatibility. The USB cable will only work on PlayStation consoles, though. They're comfortable enough for long gaming sessions, and their companion app offers lots of gaming-related customization features, including a graphic EQ and channel mixing. That said, when plugged into your Xbox console over USB, you can only charge the headphones, and they don't support audio or microphone compatibility over this connection.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Low latency over analog connection.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Disappointing passive soundstage performance.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are reasonable for phone calls. Their integrated microphone has an okay recording quality, so while whoever's on the other end of the line can understand you, your voice sounds a bit thin. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from background noises, so it's better suited to taking calls from quiet settings. Also, its noise isolation performance is just okay, so it may be more difficult to hear whoever you're talking to.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Struggles to isolate against bass-heavy background noise.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: The following test groups have been updated following TB 1.6: Wired Connection, Bluetooth Connection, and Wireless Connection (Dongle). There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons to match these results.
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.6 , which updates how we measure latency. We've updated and renamed the following test groups: Wired Connection, Bluetooth Connection, and Wireless Connection (Dongle). We've also added new codec latency measurements and provided an audio sample of recorded latency.
- Updated Sep 13, 2022: We've added information regarding the PC/PlayStation variant.
- Updated Sep 07, 2022: After user feedback, we ran passes comparing our original frequency response results (using Xbox Wireless) to Bluetooth. When used via Bluetooth, these headphones have more bass to their sound, which is nice if you want more thump and rumble in your mixes. However, it muddies and clutters vocals and lead instruments. We believe that most people will use these headphones via Xbox Wireless, so we haven't changed our results, but updated the text to reflect their Bluetooth sound.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal come in PC/Xbox and PC/PlayStation variants, each of which are available in three different colors: 'Black', 'Navy', and 'Grey'. We tested the PC/Xbox variant in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here. While the design is unchanged between the PC/Xbox and PC/PlayStation variants, there are a couple of small performance changes: the PlayStation variant is advertised as having a longer continuous battery life and they come with a wireless USB dongle. If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are over-ear headphones with a gaming-oriented design. The PC/Xbox variant offers built-in support for Xbox Wireless Technology, and have a robust selection of customization features. They also have an ANC feature, which is uncommon in gaming headphones. While it doesn't perform as well as the JBL Quantum 800 Wireless, it still offers better noise isolation than most gaming-oriented headphones. That said, their latency via Xbox Wireless falls outside of good values and is higher than competitors like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless.
See also our recommendations for the best Xbox Series X headsets, the best gaming headsets for Xbox One, and the best gaming headsets.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are better headphones than the Xbox Wireless Headset. The Bang & Olufsen are better built, and they have a better noise isolation performance. Also, their default sound profile isn't as bass-heavy as the Xbox. That said, the Xbox's microphone has a better recording quality, and they have a longer continuous battery life.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are better headphones than the Logitech G433. The Bang & Olufsen are better built, and you can use them wirelessly thanks to their Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless connectivity options. They also have better noise isolation and leakage performance. That said, the Logitech has a better microphone performance, and their out-of-the-box sound profile is more neutral.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal are more versatile headphones than the Razer Kaira Pro Wireless. The Bang & Olufsen offer better noise isolation thanks to their ANC feature, and the included audio cables offer full audio and microphone compatibility when plugged into PlayStation and Xbox controllers, although the headphones need to be turned on in order to use their TRRS cable. However, the Razer have a better microphone performance and a longer continuous battery life.
The SteelSeries Arctis 9X Wireless are better gaming headphones than the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal. The SteelSeries have a more stable fit and a more neutral sound profile out of the box. Also, their microphone performs better, and they have longer continuous battery life. However, the Bang & Olufsen offers better noise isolation. Also, they come with cables that you can plug into your PlayStation or Xbox controllers for full audio and microphone compatibility, although you have to turn the headphones on to use the TRRS cable. In comparison, the SteelSeries' analog cable only offers audio support.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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