Mis à jour le 18 November 2021.
6 years ago, the excellent Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H7 Bluetooth headphones were released (read the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H7 review). These elegant headphones won us over and have long been a benchmark in terms of musical qualities and comfort. This year, we welcome the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay 2021 HX and Beoplay Portal Bluetooth headphones! The B&O Beoplay HX headphones are completely designed for on-the-go listening, while the 50% gaming and 50% portable B&O Beoplay Portal headphones are designed to accompany us from morning to night.
B&O Beoplay HX: 100% on-the-go listening
Bang & Olufsen has just announced the launch of the Beoplay HX, a new audio experience equipped with digital ANC technology, that offers up to 35 hours of playback and improved comfort, demonstrating Bang & Olufsen’s expertise in sound, design and industrial knowledge.
” Our dedication to create the best audio products has resulted in Beoplay HX which delivers an immersive and accurate sound experience, ultimate comfort and a refined user interface to meet our customers habits, values and needs. Whether working from home, travelling for business or pleasure, escape from the noise of everyday life and revolutionize your listening experience with our new headphones.” explained Bang & Olufsen SVP of Product Management Christoffer Poulsen. .
Rich sound
The Beoplay HX headphones deliver stunning listening quality thanks to two specially designed 40mm drivers, featuring neodymium magnets and bass ports for optimal low frequency performance. For phone calls, four dedicated microphones can pick up voices with remarkable quality, thanks to advanced beamforming technology. The battery is optimized to guarantee up to 35 hours of autonomy, a listening time equivalent to five days of work without having to recharge. Bang & Olufsen’s acoustic quality is further enhanced by optimized speech reproduction, while listening quality is increasingly subtle and immersive thanks to the integration of the latest generation of Digital Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation technology, which reduces unwanted noise without affecting sound quality.
Escape the daily grind by immersing yourself in the enveloping sound of Beoplay HX. Through the dedicated Bang & Olufsen app, users can easily change sound profiles and preset ANC settings, while essential functions are adjustable directly from the interface on the headphones.
Great comfort
Comfort is a key factor when wearing headphones and the Beoplay HXs were designed with the user’s well-being in mind. Designed to be both light and durable, their ergonomic design allows them to adapt to all body types and to ensure optimal comfort throughout the day. This comfort is made possible by a new innovative headband that incorporates a centre relief comfort zone for prolonged wear.
Crafted from authentic materials, the headphones feature soft lambskin covering memory foam ear pads that adapt to the shape and curves of the ear for optimal comfort. The upper part of the headband is covered with finely grained cowhide, while the lower part is covered with a knitted fabric. The Beoplay HXs come with a soft, form-fitting case that protects the headphones and their accessories while on the go.
Advanced technology
In an effort to constantly improve, the Beoplay HXs were designed to provide up to 35 hours of listening time. They offer fast, robust, and stable connectivity through Bluetooth 5.1, Microsoft Swift Pair, Google Fast Pair, and Made for iPhone (MFi). They can be easily configured from an Android or Apple device, for easier and seamless interaction.
Build quality
Known for its Scandinavian design and cutting-edge craftsmanship, Bang & Olufsen has designed the Beoplay HX headphones as a high-end model. To do this, the brand selected the finest materials, soft leather and polished aluminum, for their aesthetics but also for their comfort, acoustic performance and durability. The headband’s arm sliders are made of anodized and microblasted recycled aluminum and are adorned with a discreet brushed effect on their upper part. The discs embedded on the external surface of the recycled plastic shells with a polymer finish are made of aluminum with a circular diamond brushed effect that creates a contrast between smooth and matte appearance.
Available in several colors, the Beoplay HX headphones are covered by a full three-year warranty from the time of registration.
B&O Beoplay Portal: 50% gaming, 50% portable
Bang & Olufsen has released the Beoplay Portal, its very first wireless gaming headphones. Combining sophisticated aesthetics, premium materials and immersive sound, Beoplay Portal applies all the hallmarks of Bang & Olufsen design to the world of gaming… and beyond. Whether it’s for immersive gaming, watching a movie, or listening to your music, the Beoplay Portals adapt to any situation with a range of features, including low-latency surround sound, a high-performance microphone, Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, transparency mode, and an elegant user interface. Combining lightness and high quality construction, they are designed to provide long-lasting comfort, ease of use and exceptional acoustic performance.
“ Beoplay Portal is the first of its kind – a wireless headphone that combines gaming technology with Bang & Olufsen’s characteristic sound, design, and craftsmanship.” explains Dorte Vestergaard, Director and Head of Bang & Olufsen’s On-The-Go category. ” Our designers and engineers have worked tirelessly to create a pair of headphones that meets the advanced technological needs of the gaming community while also excelling during daily use. Bang & Olufsen is thrilled to be entering the gaming market with this category-redefining product.”
Designed for Xbox
Beoplay Portal was developed as part of the Designed for Xbox program and offers a smooth connection to the Xbox X and S series consoles, as well as to the Xbox One, thanks to the Xbox Wireless protocol which ensures high bandwidth and low latency. Beoplay Portal is also compatible with PCs and mobile devices via Bluetooth 5.1, aptX™ Adaptive and USB-C to allow gamers to enjoy an unrestricted immersive audio experience.
Immersive sound
Developed by Bang & Olufsen’s engineers, the Beoplay Portals offer a rich audio experience, for a sound with subtlety and nuance. Two specially designed 40mm diameter drivers fitted with neodymium magnets provide an acoustic reproduction that is both faithful and precise. Using Dolby Atmos technology for headphones, the Beoplay Portal headphones also offer virtual surround sound, which increases the depth and texture of sound for games, movies and music.
The acoustic performance of the Beoplay Portals is further enhanced by the latest Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation technology, which provides active noise reduction. Through a combination of feed-forward and feed-back ANC, the Beoplay Portals allow the user to fully immerse themselves in a world of sound so they don’t miss a thing, even in a noisy environment. In addition, activating the Own Voice function gives the user the possibility of hearing themselves speak while removing noise from their surroundings.
Design and expertise
The Beoplay Portal headphones are designed to combine style, comfort and durability. Designed by Jakob Wagner in collaboration with the Bang & Olufsen design team, Beoplay Portal is available in several attractive colors. Each shell is covered on the outside with an aluminum disk that has a beautiful gradient effect achieved through a patented anodization process developed by Bang & Olufsen.
The ergonomic ear pads are made of memory foam covered with lambskin. On the back of each pad, a slight bump moulds to the shape of the ear to ensure superior comfort and minimal sound loss.
The underside of the headband has a ridged padding designed to limit pressure on the top of the head. This padding is covered with a high-quality bamboo fiber textile chosen for its durability and breathability. At just 282 grams, the Beoplay Portal headphones are one of the lightest in the wireless category, making them the perfect choice for extended use.
The Beoplay Portals are also equipped with a virtual boom arm, which advantageously replaces the articulated microphone boom arm found on most gaming headphones. Using Directional Beamforming technology, a set of microphones isolates and amplifies the user’s voice while eliminating background noise, ensuring crystal-clear communication between teammates and friends on the phone.
Intuitive interface and application
The Beoplay Portal headphones use an elegant user interface made up of touch controls integrated on the external face of each shell. Different gestures allow the user to increase or decrease the volume, adjust the ANC, switch to transparency mode or even manage their music and calls.
These features are also accessible via the Bang & Olufsen app (available on iOS and Android). To coincide with the launch of Beoplay Portal, the Bang & Olufsen app has been updated to include a gaming mode that features new settings designed specifically for gamers, with optimized microphone operation and better balance between gaming and speech.
When the headphones are connected to the Xbox X or S series, Xbox One, or PC via a dongle or USB-C cable, the gaming mode is automatically activated. When connected via Bluetooth, the settings adapt to the operation of a traditional headset and the app interface also changes accordingly. The Beoplay Portals are equipped with a 1200 mAh lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 24 hours of continuous gaming when Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancellation are activated, or up to 12 hours with Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancellation.
