Bang & Olufsen has announced the Beoplay E8 Sport, a pair of luxury true wireless earbuds made for the fashion-conscious exercise fiend. The new E8 Sport follow up on B&O’s first tentative move into earbuds for active people, the E8 Motion, which launched in May 2019. For the E8 Sport, the company has switched up the design to something less minimalist and more funky, and added some crucial features that will encourage people to wear them when exercising.
To emphasize their sporting nature, the Beoplay E8 Sport’s case is made from rubber and silicone so it can withstand some rough treatment, like being thrown into bags or jostled around in your pocket. The textured exterior is carried over onto the earbuds themselves, which have ridges that run around the outer edge to make them easier to grip and adjust while running. Not only does this serve a function, but it also gives the earbuds a really unusual look.
This wouldn’t be a Bang & Olufsen product if it ignored a bit of luxury, and that comes from the anodized aluminum ring that runs around the touch-sensitive end caps on the buds, which also sport an oversize B&O logo. The E8 Sports will be available in a subdued black color, or the louder Oxygen Blue you see here. The touch controls will operate playback and accept calls from your phone, plus there is a transparency mode to let in ambient sound to help increase safety. There is no mention of active noise cancellation.
The Beoplay E8 Sport are IP57-rated, meaning they will withstand sweat, dust, and water completely for 30 minutes down to a depth of 30 meters. This doesn’t mean they’re suitable for swimming, but it does mean you’ll have no problem using them when out running in the rain. The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.1 to connect to your phone, and support the AAC and AptX codecs. There’s no word on battery life yet, but the case does support wireless charging.
Bang & Olufsen will release the E8 Sport true wireless earbuds on July 9 through its own online store and from selected retailers. The price has been set at 300 British pounds. We have contacted Bang & Olufsen to confirm the U.S. price, but expect it to be at or around $350.
