Gadgets Philippines – May 2017

http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph MAY 2017 25

DESIGN

Two things about these earbuds clinched the deal

for me: gorgeous looks and great audio quality.

Conceptualized by the award-winning Danish

designer Jakob Wagner, the earpieces are made

of textured rubber and polymer with a polished

aluminum plate bearing the B&O marking on top. A

braided textile cord connects the earpieces, with the

in-line remote located near the left end. Each earbud

contains a magnet, so you can connect both ends

and wear the Beoplay H5 like a necklace when it’s

not in use.

Another unique design feature is the charging cube

with grooves for docking the earbuds. Also included

in the box are silicon tips in four sizes, premium

Comply Sport tips in three sizes, three cable clips, a

carrying pouch, and a user guide.

HARDWARE

Each bud is built with a 6.4 mm electro-dynamic

driver with a frequency range between 20 to

20,000 Hz. Also contained in the earpiece housing

are two rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries (one

on each side), with a capacity of 50 mAh for up to

5 hours of play time. Latching the two magnetized

earbuds automatically turns off the device.

The charging cube also contains magnets to

charge the earbuds. A small indicator light blinks

orange while charging and green when the

batteries are fully charged, a process that takes

about 2 hours.

Featuring the Bluetooth 4.2 technology, the

Beoplay H5 supports aptX, aptX-LL, and AAC

codecs for high-resolution audio output. The

in-line remote houses an omni-directional mic,

a multifunction power button in the center, and

volume up/down buttons on either end.

USER EXPERIENCE

If I were evaluating the Beoplay H5 on audio quality

alone, it would merit at least a 4.5-star rating, as this is

probably one of the best pairs of Bluetooth headsets

I have ever used. Out of the box, it delivers clear,

crisp, balanced, and natural audio reproduction with

sparkling highs and warm lows. Perhaps a function

of age, I find that my tastes have moved away from

heavy thumping bass to more well-defined trebles

and mid-tones. The Beoplay H5 delivers, with

distinctive clarity and separation, as is only to be

expected from a Bang & Olufsen audio device.

The accompanying app allows you to customize the

audio output to your taste. Using the ToneTouch

BottomLINE

For audiophiles willing to pay the

price, the Beoplay H5’s sound quality

should more than make up for its

other shortcomings.

Reviewed by Maribelle Alba

function, you can adjust the tonality by dragging a

white dot through quadrants labeled warm, excited,

relaxed, and bright. It also allows you to increase

the spaciousness of the sound stage. The app is

an essential component of the entire Beoplay H5

experience as it lets you control how you want your

music to sound, depending on your activity or mood.

Preset profiles include Commute, Clear, Workout, and

Podcast.

Several irritants detract from the audio excellence

of these earphones. First, the odd shape of the buds

make it difficult to find a perfect fit inside the ear.

Perhaps because of the added weight of the remote

on the left side, the left earpiece has a tendency to

fall out. Not a major shortcoming, but irritating when

you have to keep pushing it back into your ear.

One of my major considerations in choosing a

Bluetooth headset is that it should be multi-point,

for simultaneous pairing with two phones. I wrongly

assumed that the Beoplay H5 would have this

feature, only to discover that while it could be paired

with several devices, it can connect only with one

device at a time.

There are also a couple of reasons why the Beoplay

H5 is not my go-to Bluetooth earpiece when I’m on

the go and need constant access to my phone. For

one, since it turns off automatically after 15-minutes

of non-use or when you latch the magnetic ends

together, you will need to physically turn it on then

give it a few seconds to connect to your phone

before you can answer an incoming call. Also, since

battery life lasts only about 5 hours of play time, it

won’t see you through an entire day.

VALUE

The Beoplay H5 retails for around PHP 14,990—

almost double the price of two other brands of

Bluetooth stereo earphones I was quite happy

with in the past. For pure listening pleasure, this

is definitely a best-in-class contender. However,

it lacks features and functionalities offered by

other, lower-priced competitors, thus detracting

from its overall value package.

SPECIfICAtIoNS:

Dimensions: Earphones 39 x 28 x 23.5 mm /

Cable length 52 cm

Weight: 18 g

Speaker: 6.4 mm electro-dynamic

Frequency: 20 – 20,000 Hz

Microphone: Omnidirectional

Battery: Two rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, 50

mAh each

Playtime: Up to 4 hrs

Charging time: Approx. 2 hrs

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2

What’s Hot:

• Outstanding audio quality


• Gorgeous looks


• Premium materials

What’s Not:

• Cannot connect two devices simultaneously


• Has to be turned on manually to use with
  calls


• Expensive

I don’t consider myself an audiophile but I seem to have

accumulated a fair number of premium earphones over time.

My most recent purchase is Bang & Olufsen’s first wireless

earphones, the Beoplay H5. Here’s my review, after about four

months of almost daily use.

BEOPLAY H5