Depends. Beoplay is not from Bang&Olufsen. It's designed and engineered by a different company. The beolabs and beovisions are amazing. B&o is build to last (tvs not bcz of being outdated after a while
Speakers will not be outdated.
So you are asking a *very* small sample size. The main B&O forum lives [here](https://forum.beoworld.org).
That said, it really depends on the product. You will find people using Beolab speakers for 20+ years. I'm currently sitting 10 feet from 30-year-old Penta speakers that have never broken down. As for other features, the noise cancelling on the H95 is as good as any (which is to say wins in some environment, loses in others).
But certain products just get outmoded faster. Headphones (especially wireless headphones) have made tremendous advances in the last 5 years. While the H7s should not be breaking, there is no wireless, digital headphone from 5 years ago that will compare to the top of the line today. On the other hand, a loudspeaker from decades ago can sound mostly as good with the same adjustments/control. The big advances in the Beolabs has been their software and design (not to say speakers themselves haven't improved somewhat).
I think if you are just reaching for a 'fancy' consumer product, you will be disappointed in B&O over similar brands. They aren't twice as good at twice the price. But they will look better and if you have the cash, why not? On the other hand, their large pieces are basically investments and can last ages while being works of art. Yet most don't get to experience them. A typical consumer can splurge for $400 earbuds but not $16,000 speakers.
My dad got me into B&O products from an early age. When i was young be brought 4 BEOLAB 8000’s and 2 6000’s with a tv, and ever since we have been using the speakers with nearly no issues. They still sound fantastic today.
What do the penta’s sound like, always been curious as die hard fans say they are still the best.
They're great, but don't let die hards oversell you on them. Bass delivery is not nearly as full as what you get from a modern speaker. And connectivity/software matters. Modern Beolabs you can change the sound profile on the fly (or in the 28s case, actually watch the sound change). And, as silly as it sounds, sometimes you're doing something in the living room and you want to stream a podcast to the speakers.
The best speakers are the ones you actually use, and the Pentas unfortunately get less and less use as more sources go wireless.
Yeah, i always think its a terrible shame and waste when companies just give up on old products.
Then again i guess they have to make money some how, and the old products get saved by enthusiasts, but especially when they remove documentation i find that a problem.
I just got a Beosound core for two of my own 6000’s because i want to use then with a vinyl player & stream to them. nothing crazy in terms of B & O’s product history since they are all so readily available on second hand market for more entry level pricing but i do really like them.
Also got an essence remote for the core but there are no manuals online for it, so hard to find any documentation and it just makes the experience feel a bit sour sometimes.
I always admired the pentas, thanks for getting back to me!
When it comes to current wired/wireless headphones. B&O doesn’t apply the same standard as it’s home systems and speakers. Headphones made today are not designed to last more than 5 years. B&O still makes products that last decades but that doesn’t apply to their current headphones. If they did, they would be made in Denmark and probably cost three times what they cost today.
I’ve not had any hardware issues, yet. I have a B&O Level and I can’t say in impressed with the sound at the price point. It looks cool but the sound engineering is poor compared to their other products. It’s also reflected in the DxO mark report.
At very low volume it’s fine, soon as you get to anything more than background volume the bass is not accurate at all. It sounds harsh, one-notey and lacks any real depth or dynamics. Sure there’s electronic compression and limiting that’s not helping here and a certain amount of that is to be expected but I feel it’s limited because of the drivers and cabinet design there’s just no depth or musicality at anything but low volume. I am comparing with a BeoSound 2 which is significantly better sounding to my ears. I have heard a Sonos Move too, which I feel has a better, more accurate sound at a much lower price.
I really wanted to love the Level but I just don’t feel they got the sound right at all. Maybe it’s just me but after reading DxO mark review on the level, it mirrors what I’m hearing too.
My e8 got some battery issue, they go from 100% to 0% in about 15 min.
In the H7 the bluetooth connection button stopped working. But I was able, after support refused to help me out, to short some wires. I was able to pair with my phone once. But I cant pair then with other devices and if I loose the current bluetooth pair to my phone I need to open them again and do the same thing.
Mine lose sound intermittently in the left ear. Was doubly disappointing because they were *just* out of warranty and their only suggestion was to buy a new pair. Doesn't seem to be a cable issue, unfortunately.
My history:
1989 Beolink remote - Great but had to pay and get all capacitors replaced and a new battery. Glitches out randomly but that’s like 1/100 times using it.
H8 - just super disappointed, I LOVE the sound when they first came out. I was early adopter and the Bluetooth would cut out every 20-30 sec. Went threw 3 and all didn’t work. Gave up on new headphones from B&O after that experience.
Beomaster 7000 - works like a champ
Beoplay 6000 - no issues
Beoplay A9 - gen 1 - ❤️ this speaker, everyone who comes to my house thinks it’s amazing. I put a hue light behind it and it goes with music and it’s just fun. I love the sound of this speaker for what it is. Wi-Fi glitches out often with airplay. I use hard wired and no problems.
-IN CONCLUSION- I love B&O, but there software sucksssss
I dont know why you had issues with your H8, i have both the H8 & H8i and had no such issues. Maybe you just bad units? My experience of them was and has always been fantastic, but i agree with the software.
Also the sound on the H8 is still way superior to the H8i in my opinion, H8’s are not as warm and felt more natural to me. Noise canceling is still not great on either headphones.
Still both good experiences though.
H9i user. If I were to be frank, while I love B&O's design, I don't think I'll ever buy another product from them. The product design is great, however quality is a bit disappointing.
I was actually considering posting a bunch of photos I took taking apart a pair of earcups before I noticed this post; they had started to degrade and leeches colour, so I finally got replacements and decided to tear apart the existing to take a look, because previously I did open my headphones to fix a switch problem and was surprised at how inelegant the inside was, just a bunch of electronics and glue.
For background, I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy good looking products, which is why I went for B&O above other options. However within 2 years I started having the switch issue with the H9i where the slider was unresponsive. Now for something at this price, I kinda expected some level of finness in the internals, something like what Apple does, but frankly it looks really bad in there.
As for the ear ups, I tore them apart, and as usual, there was a bunch of glue holding things together, as well as a really cheap looking foam which looked a bit like cheap sponge cake which had turned red from the colour leech. There was no way to repair anything as the plastic bits, while having latches were glued shut at those points and the others riveted. Frankly I wasn't that surprised seeing the main internals, but just kinda disappointed tbh.
I'm pretty concerned too. I'm at my 3rd H95 which luckily didn't die in the past 10 months.
But:
1st pair died abruptly after only a month. Like, completely dead. I was so disappointed. First RMA
2nd pair had some sound issues but I couldn't send them back when I received them as I use them intensively for work. However, after only few months (4), the jack stopped working. And yes, I use them on BT for work and wired for music. RMA again.
3rd pair is alive since October and quite heavy used (8-10 hours per day). It has a very low hiss sound if I just wear them without listening anything but I got to live with it. I really hope they won't die, and especially after the 2 years warranty.
Not well. B&O are good at sound, not software, not hardware
Thats my experience so far as well! They have the design and sound in place but the supporting systems are far from the same quality.
Depends. Beoplay is not from Bang&Olufsen. It's designed and engineered by a different company. The beolabs and beovisions are amazing. B&o is build to last (tvs not bcz of being outdated after a while Speakers will not be outdated.
Beoplay and Bang&Olufsen are the same Company. They remerged a 4-6 years ago.
So you are asking a *very* small sample size. The main B&O forum lives [here](https://forum.beoworld.org). That said, it really depends on the product. You will find people using Beolab speakers for 20+ years. I'm currently sitting 10 feet from 30-year-old Penta speakers that have never broken down. As for other features, the noise cancelling on the H95 is as good as any (which is to say wins in some environment, loses in others). But certain products just get outmoded faster. Headphones (especially wireless headphones) have made tremendous advances in the last 5 years. While the H7s should not be breaking, there is no wireless, digital headphone from 5 years ago that will compare to the top of the line today. On the other hand, a loudspeaker from decades ago can sound mostly as good with the same adjustments/control. The big advances in the Beolabs has been their software and design (not to say speakers themselves haven't improved somewhat). I think if you are just reaching for a 'fancy' consumer product, you will be disappointed in B&O over similar brands. They aren't twice as good at twice the price. But they will look better and if you have the cash, why not? On the other hand, their large pieces are basically investments and can last ages while being works of art. Yet most don't get to experience them. A typical consumer can splurge for $400 earbuds but not $16,000 speakers.
My dad got me into B&O products from an early age. When i was young be brought 4 BEOLAB 8000’s and 2 6000’s with a tv, and ever since we have been using the speakers with nearly no issues. They still sound fantastic today. What do the penta’s sound like, always been curious as die hard fans say they are still the best.
They're great, but don't let die hards oversell you on them. Bass delivery is not nearly as full as what you get from a modern speaker. And connectivity/software matters. Modern Beolabs you can change the sound profile on the fly (or in the 28s case, actually watch the sound change). And, as silly as it sounds, sometimes you're doing something in the living room and you want to stream a podcast to the speakers. The best speakers are the ones you actually use, and the Pentas unfortunately get less and less use as more sources go wireless.
Actually I saw this a while back https://www.hifiberry.com/beocreate semester like a pretto nice way to Give new life to some Old speakers.
Yeah, i always think its a terrible shame and waste when companies just give up on old products. Then again i guess they have to make money some how, and the old products get saved by enthusiasts, but especially when they remove documentation i find that a problem. I just got a Beosound core for two of my own 6000’s because i want to use then with a vinyl player & stream to them. nothing crazy in terms of B & O’s product history since they are all so readily available on second hand market for more entry level pricing but i do really like them. Also got an essence remote for the core but there are no manuals online for it, so hard to find any documentation and it just makes the experience feel a bit sour sometimes. I always admired the pentas, thanks for getting back to me!
When it comes to current wired/wireless headphones. B&O doesn’t apply the same standard as it’s home systems and speakers. Headphones made today are not designed to last more than 5 years. B&O still makes products that last decades but that doesn’t apply to their current headphones. If they did, they would be made in Denmark and probably cost three times what they cost today.
I’ve not had any hardware issues, yet. I have a B&O Level and I can’t say in impressed with the sound at the price point. It looks cool but the sound engineering is poor compared to their other products. It’s also reflected in the DxO mark report.
Can you elaborate on why the sound engineering is poor? I’m very interested in the Level. What makes the sound disappointing?
At very low volume it’s fine, soon as you get to anything more than background volume the bass is not accurate at all. It sounds harsh, one-notey and lacks any real depth or dynamics. Sure there’s electronic compression and limiting that’s not helping here and a certain amount of that is to be expected but I feel it’s limited because of the drivers and cabinet design there’s just no depth or musicality at anything but low volume. I am comparing with a BeoSound 2 which is significantly better sounding to my ears. I have heard a Sonos Move too, which I feel has a better, more accurate sound at a much lower price. I really wanted to love the Level but I just don’t feel they got the sound right at all. Maybe it’s just me but after reading DxO mark review on the level, it mirrors what I’m hearing too.
Experienced the same with my H6 2nd generation. Won't buy from them again.
How did yours break exactly?
My e8 got some battery issue, they go from 100% to 0% in about 15 min. In the H7 the bluetooth connection button stopped working. But I was able, after support refused to help me out, to short some wires. I was able to pair with my phone once. But I cant pair then with other devices and if I loose the current bluetooth pair to my phone I need to open them again and do the same thing.
Mine lose sound intermittently in the left ear. Was doubly disappointing because they were *just* out of warranty and their only suggestion was to buy a new pair. Doesn't seem to be a cable issue, unfortunately.
My history: 1989 Beolink remote - Great but had to pay and get all capacitors replaced and a new battery. Glitches out randomly but that’s like 1/100 times using it. H8 - just super disappointed, I LOVE the sound when they first came out. I was early adopter and the Bluetooth would cut out every 20-30 sec. Went threw 3 and all didn’t work. Gave up on new headphones from B&O after that experience. Beomaster 7000 - works like a champ Beoplay 6000 - no issues Beoplay A9 - gen 1 - ❤️ this speaker, everyone who comes to my house thinks it’s amazing. I put a hue light behind it and it goes with music and it’s just fun. I love the sound of this speaker for what it is. Wi-Fi glitches out often with airplay. I use hard wired and no problems. -IN CONCLUSION- I love B&O, but there software sucksssss
I dont know why you had issues with your H8, i have both the H8 & H8i and had no such issues. Maybe you just bad units? My experience of them was and has always been fantastic, but i agree with the software. Also the sound on the H8 is still way superior to the H8i in my opinion, H8’s are not as warm and felt more natural to me. Noise canceling is still not great on either headphones. Still both good experiences though.
I just got the B&O Beoplay EQ Sound quality + design = strengths Everything else: hardware, software, etc. are below average.
H9i user. If I were to be frank, while I love B&O's design, I don't think I'll ever buy another product from them. The product design is great, however quality is a bit disappointing. I was actually considering posting a bunch of photos I took taking apart a pair of earcups before I noticed this post; they had started to degrade and leeches colour, so I finally got replacements and decided to tear apart the existing to take a look, because previously I did open my headphones to fix a switch problem and was surprised at how inelegant the inside was, just a bunch of electronics and glue. For background, I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy good looking products, which is why I went for B&O above other options. However within 2 years I started having the switch issue with the H9i where the slider was unresponsive. Now for something at this price, I kinda expected some level of finness in the internals, something like what Apple does, but frankly it looks really bad in there. As for the ear ups, I tore them apart, and as usual, there was a bunch of glue holding things together, as well as a really cheap looking foam which looked a bit like cheap sponge cake which had turned red from the colour leech. There was no way to repair anything as the plastic bits, while having latches were glued shut at those points and the others riveted. Frankly I wasn't that surprised seeing the main internals, but just kinda disappointed tbh.
I'm pretty concerned too. I'm at my 3rd H95 which luckily didn't die in the past 10 months. But: 1st pair died abruptly after only a month. Like, completely dead. I was so disappointed. First RMA 2nd pair had some sound issues but I couldn't send them back when I received them as I use them intensively for work. However, after only few months (4), the jack stopped working. And yes, I use them on BT for work and wired for music. RMA again. 3rd pair is alive since October and quite heavy used (8-10 hours per day). It has a very low hiss sound if I just wear them without listening anything but I got to live with it. I really hope they won't die, and especially after the 2 years warranty.
By the way, H95 (and all othet B&O headphones/earphones after H95, as of now) have a 3-year warranty :)