Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven: We Looked Closely. Here’s What Nobody Tells You.
True wireless earbuds from Bang & Olufsen at Rs. 52,000. That number either makes complete sense to you or it makes you put your phone down.
If you’re still reading – welcome. We’re going to be straight with you about the Beoplay Eleven because there are things worth knowing about this product that most reviews either skip or mention in a single sentence and then move past. Some of those things work in the Eleven’s favour. One of them is something you should know before handing over Rs. 52,000.
Let’s go through it properly.
What the Beoplay Eleven Actually Is
The Eleven is B&O’s evolution of their Beoplay EX earbuds, launched at the end of 2024. Same 9.2mm driver. Same Qualcomm platform underneath. Same basic stem-based shape.
What changed: six upgraded microphones, significantly improved ANC (B&O claims twice the noise reduction at low frequencies compared to the EX), better transparency mode, replaceable batteries, and two new colour options.
We’ll talk about the replaceable batteries separately because they’re more interesting and more complicated than they sound.
Available through The Den India at Rs. 52,000 in Natural Aluminium and Copper Tone. The Natural Aluminium is the more classic B&O look – polished aluminium with a glass touch surface. Copper Tone is warmer, more fashion-forward, and draws more attention. Both look genuinely expensive in a way that AirPods and Sony earbuds don’t.
The Specs
Driver: 9.2mm per earbud
ANC: Adaptive – six MEMS microphones with beamforming
Bluetooth: 5.2 – aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, SBC
Multipoint: Yes – two devices simultaneously
Battery (earbuds): Around 6.5 hours standard / 5.5 hours with ANC on
Battery (with case): Up to 28 hours total / 20 hours with ANC
Quick charge: 20 minutes ≈ 1 hour 45 minutes
Charging: USB-C + Qi wireless charging on case
Water resistance: IP57 – dust-proof and waterproof to 1 metre
Fit: Stem-based with silicone tips – four sizes + one Comply foam pair
Controls: Touch surface on each earbud
Replaceable batteries: Yes – through B&O service
App: Bang & Olufsen Music app – EQ, ANC control, presets
Case material: Pearl-blasted aluminium with glass accents
Colours: Natural Aluminium, Copper Tone
Price via The Den India: Rs. 52,000
The Thing Nobody Tells You – The Battery Situation
The Beoplay Eleven introduces a replaceable battery system, a feature that can significantly extend the product’s lifespan, since battery degradation is often the main reason wireless earbuds are discarded after a few years.
This is genuinely good news for longevity. Most true wireless earbuds become unusable after two or three years because the battery degrades to the point where you’re getting two hours from a full charge. The Eleven is designed with the idea that you can send them back to B&O and have the batteries replaced rather than replacing the earbuds entirely.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you clearly: battery replacement must be done through a service and will be available from 2027.
Not today. Not next year. 2027.
So right now, the replaceable battery which is a meaningful part of the Eleven’s value proposition and genuinely one of the reasons you’d choose it over Sony or Apple isn’t actually available yet. You’re buying into a future capability. Whether that’s fine with you depends on how you weigh long-term ownership value against present-day practicality.
We’re not saying don’t buy them. We’re saying know this before you do.
How They Sound
The 9.2mm driver is the largest B&O has ever used in a true wireless earbud, and the size matters. The Beoplay Eleven punch well above their weight class, delivering full-spectrum sound in a way that most earbuds at this size don’t quite manage.
The bass has genuine weight. Not the artificial, boosted bass of earbuds tuned to impress in a thirty-second demo actual controlled low-frequency response that holds together when the track demands it. Electronic music, hip-hop, jazz with prominent double bass all handled properly.
Midrange is where B&O earbuds have traditionally been strong and the Eleven continues that. Voices are clear and natural. There’s a presence in the 1-3kHz range that gives music a sense of being in the room with you rather than being piped directly into your ears. It sounds less in-your-head than most earbuds and that’s a real quality.
Treble is extended and detailed without becoming sharp. Long listening sessions at moderate volumes don’t cause ear fatigue. We went through several multi-hour sessions commuting, working, a couple of flights without ever wanting to take them out because of how they sounded.
The Eleven stand out for their spacious, precise sound, a highlight compared to competitors at this price. That assessment matches our experience. The soundstage is notably wide for in-ear earbuds. Instruments don’t collapse into a single point behind your eyes the way they do with some earbuds. There’s a sense of space that makes music genuinely enjoyable rather than just adequate.
One honest note: the aptX Adaptive support is a meaningful advantage for Android users specifically. If you’re streaming high-resolution audio from a compatible source, aptX Adaptive handles it better than AAC. iPhone users are limited to AAC regardless.
The ANC – Better Than the EX, Not the Best in Class
The ANC offers twice the noise reduction at low frequencies compared to its predecessor T3 and the improvement is real and noticeable if you’ve used the Beoplay EX. Office hum, air conditioning, train noise all handled comfortably.
B&O have integrated additional holes in the stem with a fine mesh padding to create a more open sound and help relieve wind pressure, and the wind handling is genuinely better than the EX. Not perfect strong wind outdoors is still a challenge for the microphones but meaningfully improved.
Where we need to be honest: the ANC is not class-leading. Sony’s WF-1000XM5 and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II both suppress steady-state environmental noise more aggressively. If maximum ANC performance is your single deciding factor, those are the earbuds to consider. The Eleven wins elsewhere on sound quality, on build, on design but it doesn’t win the pure noise cancellation benchmark.
The transparency mode is excellent though. Improved transparency mode brings you back with just a tap of TechRadar and the result sounds natural, not the hollow, amplified quality you get from lesser implementations. Having a conversation with the Eleven in full transparency mode sounds like you’ve simply removed them. That’s harder to achieve than it looks and B&O have got it right.
Three ANC levels are adjustable in the app: full cancellation, partial, off. No granular slider like the Beoplay HX headphone, but the three levels cover the main use cases and switching between them is quick.
Fit and Comfort – The Stem Design Earns Its Place
Stem-based earbuds divide opinion. Some people find the stem awkward. Most people- and we fall in this camp, find them more stable than stemless designs because the stem gives the earbud a natural orientation in the ear and something to grab when you’re removing them.
The soft in-ear piece is made of premium silicone, ensuring a stable fit across different ear shapes. Four silicone tip sizes plus one Comply foam pair are included. The foam tips create a better seal for ANC and bass response if you find the silicone tips don’t seal perfectly. Worth trying both.
The fit is secure enough for exercise. IP57 means genuinely waterproof, not splash-resistant, not weather-resistant, but actually waterproof to one metre. Running in rain is fine. Getting caught in a proper downpour is fine. We tested outdoor use in light rain and had no concerns.
One thing: the earbuds are not small. The 9.2mm driver takes up space and the stem adds length. If you have particularly small ears you may find the fit slightly prominent. Most people won’t, but it’s worth knowing.
The Case
Pearl-blasted aluminium with glass accents. Qi wireless charging. USB-C charging. It charges via both.
The case feels like a jewellery box which is clearly what B&O was going for. It’s heavier than the plastic cases you get with Sony and Apple earbuds, which makes it feel premium and also makes you slightly more careful about dropping it. Both reactions are appropriate.
Qi wireless charging on the case is a feature we used constantly. Put it on a charging pad overnight, earbuds are full by morning. No cable fiddling. Worth more than it sounds in daily practice.
The App
The B&O Music app gives you EQ through Beosonic the compass-style equaliser plus preset modes and ANC level control. The app offers limited personalisation compared to Sony’s or Bose’s apps. You’re not getting a multi-band parametric EQ or extensive customisation options. Beosonic is intuitive and covers most situations but if you’re someone who likes to dial in exact frequency curves, the B&O app will feel limited.
The touch controls on each earbud handle play/pause, track skip, volume, ANC switching, and voice assistant. They work reliably. No complaints there.
Multipoint Bluetooth two devices simultaneously worked consistently in our testing. Phone and laptop paired together, switch from music to a call seamlessly, no manual intervention needed.
Who These Are For Being Specific About It
Someone who wants premium true wireless earbuds and values build quality, design, and sound character over having the absolute maximum ANC performance.
Someone on Android who wants aptX Adaptive for the best possible wireless audio quality from a Bluetooth earbud.
Someone who thinks about longevity and likes the idea of replacing batteries eventually rather than discarding the earbuds, understanding that this service isn’t available until 2027.
Someone who already owns B&O speakers or headphones and wants their earbuds to belong to the same aesthetic and app ecosystem.
Someone who exercises and needs proper waterproofing IP57 covers genuine outdoor use without anxiety.
Who should look elsewhere: anyone for whom class-leading ANC is the primary requirement Sony WF-1000XM5 or Bose QC Earbuds II are better at pure noise cancellation and cost less. Anyone who wants extensive EQ customisation. Anyone with small ears who might find the fit less than ideal. And anyone who was specifically buying the Eleven for the replaceable battery and didn’t know the service isn’t live until 2027 – now you know.
How It Compares
vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Sony wins on ANC performance and costs less. The Eleven wins on sound quality, more spacious, more detailed, more enjoyable for long listening sessions in our experience. Build quality goes clearly to the Eleven. Sony for maximum ANC on a budget. Eleven for better sound and materials.
vs. Apple AirPods Pro 2: AirPods Pro 2 wins on ecosystem integration for iPhone users the seamless switching between Apple devices, spatial audio, the find-my network. For iPhone-first people this matters. On pure sound quality the Eleven is ahead. On Android the AirPods Pro 2 loses most of its ecosystem advantages and the Eleven is the clear choice.
vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Bose wins the ANC benchmark. The Eleven wins on sound quality and design. If you’re primarily buying earbuds to make the world quiet on a long commute, Bose is the answer. If you’re primarily buying to hear music well while also getting good noise cancellation, Eleven.
vs. Beoplay EX: The Eleven is an evolution of the EX with improved ANC, transparency mode, and upgraded microphones. If you already own the EX and are happy with it, the Eleven is an incremental update rather than a transformational one. If you don’t own either and are deciding between them, the Eleven is the better product.
Questions We Get Asked
The replaceable battery when does that actually become available?
B&O has confirmed the battery replacement service will be available from 2027. Right now you’re buying into a future capability. The earbuds work completely normally, the replacement service simply isn’t live yet.
ANC vs Sony WF-1000XM5 – honest answer?
Sony’s ANC is better on steady-state noise. Not drastically, but measurably. The Eleven wins on sound quality. Which matters more to you decides the comparison.
Is IP57 actually good enough for outdoor exercise?
Yes, IP57 is dust-proof and waterproof to one metre. Running in rain, sweating through a workout, getting caught in a downpour – all covered. It’s more protection than most premium earbuds offer.
Does aptX Adaptive make a real difference?
On Android with a compatible streaming service at high bitrates – yes, noticeably cleaner and more detailed than AAC. iPhone users are limited to AAC regardless of the earbuds, so the aptX Adaptive advantage doesn’t apply for Apple users.
How’s the battery life realistically?
Around 5.5 to 6.5 hours from the earbuds depending on ANC usage. The case adds enough for approximately 20 hours total with ANC on. That’s fine for daily commuting use where you’re charging every couple of days. Not exceptional but adequate.
Fit for exercise- secure enough?
Yes. The stem-based design with silicone tips holds well during runs and workouts. The IP57 rating backs it up for outdoor conditions.
Comply foam tips – worth using?
Worth trying. They create a better acoustic seal than silicone for many ear shapes which improves both bass response and ANC performance. If the silicone tips feel like they’re not quite sealing, try the Comply pair.
Where We Landed
The Beoplay Eleven is a genuinely good pair of earbuds. Sounds better than most things in this price range. Looks better than everything in this price range. The case is the nicest charging case we’ve seen on any true wireless earbud. The transparency mode is excellent. IP57 is properly waterproof, not just weather-resistant.
The ANC not being class-leading is a real thing. The battery replacement service not being available yet is a real thing. The price being Rs. 52,000 for earbuds is a real thing.
If you go in understanding all three and the Eleven still makes sense for you it will deliver. It’s a premium product that mostly lives up to being called premium, which in this category is not guaranteed even at this money.