Bang & Olufsen has followed last year’s release of its very first noise-canceling wireless earphones with another set that are dressed to impress, this time carrying improved waterproofing and an oddly familiar stem structure. The new Beoplay EX also promise a new degree of versatility, apparently enabling users to listen to music in one ear and take phone calls in the other.

The distinctive stems that have defined Apple’s AirPods from the outset might make the earbuds stand out aesthetically in a crowded field, but they also create more space for onboard hardware. Instead of force sensors and touch controls, Bang & Olufsen has used that extra real estate to squeeze in 9.2-mm speaker drivers, the biggest it has ever deployed in a true wireless device.

It says this brings a significant power to the Beoplay EX, pairing with Active Noise Cancelation for an immersive listening experience that lasts for six hours on each charge. The earphones come with a brushed aluminum charging case, which allows for a total of 20 hours listening in between plug ins.

Bang & Olufsen

The earphones connect over Bluetooth 5.2 and can talk to two devices at once. According to Bang & Olufsen, this means that users can theoretically listen to audio in one ear and talk on the phone in the other, with voice calls facilitated by the three microphones built into each bud. The earphones can handle it but can your brain? Listening to music while you’re on the phone sounds headache-inducing to us, but perhaps there will be other, more practical uses for this feature.

Bang & Olufsen has also upped its game on the water and dust resistance fronts, with the Beoplay EX earphones IP57-certified to repel showers, splashes and also dust.

Available in black, blue and gold, the Beoplay EX will go on sale from June priced at US$399.

Source: Bang & Olufsen