Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless  Headphones Review

Reviewed Jun 22, 2018 at 09:35am
Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:26am
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1 
Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless

Track

0.0
Mixed Usage 
0.0
Neutral Sound 
0.0
Commute/Travel 
0.0
Sports/Fitness 
0.0
Office 
0.0
Wireless Gaming 
0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 

Track

 0

The Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless are mediocre mixed-usage headphones with a well-built, premium design and stable ear hooks for sports. They have an open earbud fit that makes them a decent option for those who run outdoors. Unfortunately, it also makes them highly susceptible to noisy environments so they won't be the best choice for commuting. Also, their sound quality is not ideal for more critical listeners but should be passable for most.

Our Verdict

0.0
Mixed Usage 

Mediocre-at-best for mixed usage. These headphones have an open fit and stable ear-hook design that makes them a decent option for sports and running outdoors. However, they aren't sweatproof or specially made for sports, so they won't be the ideal option for more intense workout routines. Unfortunately, their old-school earbud design means they won't provide enough isolation for more noisy environments like commuting. Their sound quality is also mediocre, with a lot of bass and a fairly pronounced treble range that won't be ideal for more critical listeners.

Pros
  • Premium looking design.
  • Lightweight and compact.
  • Stable enough for sports.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation, by design.
  • Mediocre-at-best sound quality.
  • Slightly short battery life.
  • Bass and treble delivery varies significantly across users.
0.0
Neutral Sound 

Mediocre for neutral listening. The Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless have a slightly muddy sound that packs a decent amount of bass for an open earbud design. Unfortunately, since the fit is a bit loose, their sound will be a little inconsistent for some, and their treble range will sound a bit too sharp on already bright tracks. On the upside, they have a slightly better soundstage than typical in-ears although it won't be ideal for more neutral listeners. They also have a preset EQ so you can somewhat modify their sound profile to better suit your tastes.

0.0
Commute/Travel 

Below-average headphones for commuting or traveling. They have an open fit that poorly isolates in loud, noisy environments, so you'll hear most of the ambient noise in your surrounding even when playing music at high volumes. They're decently comfortable and have a practical control scheme, but unfortunately, they don't have the longest battery life and will die after 5 hours of continuous listening, so they won't be ideal for long flights.

0.0
Sports/Fitness 

Decent headphones for sports and fitness. They have a stable ear-hook design and excellent breathability. They aren't likely to fall from your ears, but the earbuds have an open fit that will often move and slightly change their sound profile when working out. On the upside, they have a decent control scheme and they're lightweight and compact enough to easily fit into your gym bags or your jogging pants pockets.

0.0
Office 

Sub-par for office use. The Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless have an open fit that won't block a lot of noise so you will hear most of what is going on around you in a noisy office. They also leak a bit so they won't be the best choice in quieter conditions, either.

0.0
Wireless Gaming 

These are bad headphones for gaming. The Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless have a mediocre-at-best sound quality and high latency that will not be suitable for gaming. They also can't be used wired, so an adapter is required to use them on a game console.

0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 
  • 0.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 0.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 0.0
    Commute/Travel
  • 0.0
    Sports/Fitness
  • 0.0
    Office
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming
  • 0.0
    Phone Call
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
    2.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
    3.  Updated Jun 22, 2018: Review published.
    4.  Updated Jun 20, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.

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    Comparison picture

    The Bang & Olufsen Earset Wireless have a well-built design and stable ear-hooks for sports but their unique, and old-school earbud fit will not be for everyone. They're a bit more comfortable than typical in-ears, but getting the right fit can sometimes be slightly frustrating and requires frequent adjustments especially when working out. They also have a fairly open earbud design, which won't be ideal for loud, noisy environments like those involved in commuting. The odd fit sometimes causes consistency issues in their sound quality. On the upside, they're portable and compact enough to fit into your pockets.

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    Test Results

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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedEarbuds
    EnclosureLockedOpen-Back
    WirelessLockedYes
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedN/A
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedN/A
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedN/A
    Talk-Through
    LockedN/A
    Additional ButtonsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceLockedLock °C

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    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock"
    WLockedLock"
    HLockedLock"
    VolumeLockedLock in³
    Transmitter RequiredLockedN/A

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedN/A
    WLockedN/A
    HLockedN/A
    VolumeLockedN/A

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    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Bass Amount
    LockedLock dB
    Treble Amount
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB

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    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High-Bass
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Mid Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High-Mid
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Treble Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High-Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Imaging
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Distance
    LockedN/A
    Openness
    Locked
    0.0
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    Locked
    0.0

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    0.0
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 90
    LockedLock
    WHD @ 100
    LockedLock
    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation
    Isolation Audio
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    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Noise CancellingLockedNo
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
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    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedN/A
    MicLockedYes

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    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
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    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Handling
    Speech + Pink Noise
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    Speech + Subway Noise
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    SpNR
    LockedLock dB

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    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedLocked
    iOSLockedLocked
    AndroidLockedLocked
    macOSLockedN/A
    WindowsLockedN/A
    Equalizer
    LockedLocked
    ANC Control
    LockedN/A
    Mic ControlLockedLocked
    Room effects
    LockedLocked
    Playback Control
    LockedLocked
    Button MappingLockedN/A
    Surround SoundLockedN/A

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    NFC Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Line of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft
    Default Latency
    LockedLock ms
    aptX Latency
    LockedN/A
    aptX(LL) Latency
    LockedN/A

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    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    Non-BT Latency
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    LockedN/A
    USB Audio
    LockedN/A
    DetachableLockedLocked
    LengthLockedN/A
    ConnectionLockedN/A
    Wired Latency
    LockedN/A

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    PC / PS4 Compatibility
    PC / PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedN/A
    USB Input
    LockedN/A
    Line In
    LockedN/A
    Line Out
    LockedN/A
    Optical Input
    LockedN/A
    RCA Input
    LockedN/A
    Dock Charging
    LockedN/A
    Power Supply
    LockedN/A

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