In fact, the panda bought these earbuds completely by accident. After being disappointed with the SONY noise-canceling buds, I started searching online for better alternatives. One day, a post on a digital site caught my eye: “B&O PLAY launches Beoplay E8: Supports Level 3 Noise Reduction.†When I checked it out, it looked really good—supporting noise cancellation and even a touch function? That's exactly what I was looking for!
So, the panda immediately rushed to Taobao to find a local version and eagerly waited for the delivery. Later, when talking to friends about the earbuds, they mentioned that the product didn’t seem to have active noise reduction. Wait, what? The panda went to the store and the official website to double-check the specs, but there was no mention of noise cancellation. It turned out the website had misled me... or maybe I just misunderstood the translation.
Since it was an overseas purchase, returning it would be too complicated and inconvenient. Still, the purchase wasn't a total loss. I received it within a week, and this was the panda’s first time buying B&O products. This Danish brand is known as one of the top audio-visual companies in the world, and their products are always elegant and high-end. The E8 is no exception. Here are some of the unboxing photos:
[Image 1]
[Image 2]
[Image 3]
[Image 4]
[Image 5]
[Image 6]
Sorry for the poor photography skills—the real thing is way more beautiful. The earbuds are small and delicate, with a silver metal ring that highlights the B&O logo, giving off a subtle yet luxurious vibe. The charging case has a soft leather finish that feels great to the touch. It’s a bit bigger than the AirPods case, but it doesn’t bulge much in the pocket.
Before using them for the first time, it’s recommended to charge them for at least 10 minutes. The charging case has a magnetic latch, making it easy to place the earbuds in without any hassle (unlike the noise-canceling beans). Once charged, I tried them on. The first time was a bit tricky, but after a few tries, they fit comfortably and felt almost weightless. Of course, shaking your head won’t make them fall out, but they do stay in place pretty well.
Like other true wireless earbuds, the E8 uses a main and sub-earbud design, with the right ear as the main unit and the left ear syncing via near-field communication. As the saying goes, “Once bitten, twice shy.†So the panda tested the latency by connecting it to an iPhone 6S, Xiaomi 4C, and ZX300A. There was no noticeable lag, which made me feel a bit relieved. However, during use, the left ear occasionally had a short dropout, though not very frequent. It might be a common issue with dual-ear Bluetooth devices.
The E8 can’t be used with just the left ear, nor can it be used as a backup battery like AirPods. But during calls, both ears work together, so you won’t get sudden silence from the left side (again, unlike the noise-canceling beans).
In terms of sound quality, the E8 delivers a balanced performance, but nothing groundbreaking. After listening to SONY’s enhanced sound, the E8 sounded a bit flat, cold, and thin, with weak bass. Compared to AirPods, I think the E8 offers slightly better spatial awareness. But again, since it's a true wireless earbud, the sound quality isn't expected to be top-tier. It only supports AAC and SBC codecs, not APTX or LDAC, which could also affect the overall audio experience.
One major highlight of the E8 is its touch control feature. Before the panda got into AirPods, everything was simple, but the lack of physical buttons made it hard to adjust volume or control playback. With the E8, B&O added a similar touchpad, making it easy to use. The instructions are straightforward, and you don’t need to adjust your phone’s volume directly. The touch sensitivity is good, but it takes a little time to get used to the positioning. Using your thumb and ring finger to hold the earbud while tapping with your index finger works best. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes very intuitive.
Even though it doesn’t have active noise cancellation, the E8 includes a "transparent mode" that lets you hear ambient sounds. This mode can be toggled by tapping the left ear, making it easier to communicate with others. You can also customize the type of ambient sound through the mobile app, adapting it to different environments—like hearing traffic while walking or focusing on airport announcements.
Officially, the E8 provides around 4 hours of playback, with the charging case adding two more charges for a total of 12 hours. While this isn’t as long as AirPods, it should be sufficient for daily use. The earbuds can only be turned off by placing them back in the case, and there’s no direct power-off option.
Overall, the E8 is a great alternative to AirPods. If you're tired of the bulky design of AirPods, the E8 offers a sleeker look and excellent touch controls. Even without active noise cancellation, the sound quality is decent, and it completely eliminates the need for wires. The Tmall flagship store has now launched a pre-sale for the Chinese version—interested readers might want to check it out.
**Pros:** True wireless, comfortable, easy touch control
**Cons:** Average sound quality, occasional dropouts, higher price
**Where to buy:** Tmall flagship store
Electric Cold Shrink Tubing
Electric cold shrink tubing,Cold Shrink Tube,Cold Shrinkable tubing,Cold-shrink tube
Mianyang Dongyao New Material Co. , https://www.mydyxc.com