Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H5 Earphones

Product Description

Beoplay H5 wireless earphones deliver an immersive listening experience with the power to take you anywhere. Conveniently pair them with your Bluetooth device to bring the beauty of music into your active everyday life. Whether you're out walking, listening to podcasts on your daily commute or relaxing at home with your favorite tunes, these wireless earbuds will deliver outstanding Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound to suit your activity. The Beoplay app lets you customize your listening experience via your smartphone or Apple watch to ensure you can enjoy music the way the artists intended. Combined with a splash and dust resistant design, these elegant Beoplay H5 earphones are as fashionable as they are functional. To ensure optimal fit and sound quality, each pair comes with seven sets of earbud tips in various sizes - four made from silicone and three made from rugged and breathable comply sport foam. When not in use, your wireless earphones can rest comfortably and securely around your neck - simply click the magnets on the earbuds together. Not only is this a convenient hands-free way to keep your earphones accessible, clicking them together will also cause them to power down and conserve battery life. When you're ready to recharge, the sleek magnetic USB charging cube quickly and easily provides up to five hours of power to meet up with the demands of your mobile lifestyle.

Features

• Immersive wireless sound for life on the move
• Adaptive sound profile via the Beoplay App
• Designed to be out and about (splash and dust resistant)
• Comfortable on the long commute (and the short ones)

Top Reviews

A MUST read for skeptical prospective buyers
by Andrew (5 out of 5 stars)
July 19, 2016

I am a B&O fan in the making having purchased the Beoplay H8, Beolit 15, and now recently the Beoplay H5. Each of B&Os products, thus far, have been extremely aesthetically and functionally pleasing.

With the announcement and of Beoplay H5, I kept a close eye out for the ratings and reviews. In the beginning, as I'm sure most of you all are, I was extremely skeptical about spending $250 for what seemed like a less than perfect pair of earphones.

The consensus seemed to be:
-earphones don't stay in your ear
-braided cable rubbing against your clothes makes too much noise
-magnetic clasp is not strong enough
-there is not enough bass
-not good earphones for working out
-charging cable was not universal
-amazing sound

I'd like to give you my honest and unbiased opinion based on all of these statements.

The most common complaint, the earphones don't stay in your ear:

I am a 6' male with reasonably large ears. The B&O earphones fit perfectly in my ear with both types of earbuds provided. If you read the user manual provided about proper placement in the ear, just about anybody can get the earphones to fit. I can walk and run around with confidence; these earphones do not fall out. There are enough sizes to fit just about any ear, it just takes about a minute of your time to read the user manual. And honestly, the earbuds are the single most important factor when determining whether any earphone will stay in your ear. So, it makes sense if the earphone doesn't stay in, then you need to try a different ear tip. It just so happens that the ear tips are easily the least expensive part of the product. Sure some people may say, "I'm spending 250$ already for the product, so I expect it to be perfect!" But the fact of the matter is not everybody has the same ear dimensions, and a company can only do so much to try to cater to its vast audience. It's up to the consumer to optimize the product to their specific needs.

The braided cable makes too much noise rubbing against your clothes:

This is one of the complaints that I do agree with, somewhat. Due to the nature of the sturdy and stylish braided cable, there is a distinct sound that is made when rubbing against your clothes. Since the braid is connected to the ear piece, it makes sense that this sound would transfer to your ear. I do not agree with the claim that this makes the earphone completely unusable or unbearable, however. The only time I really noticed the "rubbing" sound is when the earphone is paused/off or when I am moving my head from side to side repeatedly in a short period of time, which is not at all common movement. Generally speaking, when I have the music at half volume and I'm moving around, I can barely notice the sound of the braid, if at all.

The magnetic clasp isn't strong enough:

The magnetic clasp is as strong as it needs to be. Unless you are planning on using the H5 whilst practicing gymnastics, the magnetic clasp is just strong enough to keep your earphones fastened when around your neck, but not too strong as to cause a struggle when you wish to use your earphones again. It also allows from a pretty stylish necklace when not in use, and a handy quick "off" feature.

The bass isn't strong enough:

If you're looking to listen to only bass heavy tracks, these earphones are probably not for you. But honestly if you are planning on listening to only bass heavy tracks, earphones in general are not the right choice for you. The H5 delivers extremely well balanced and reasonably strong and punchy bass. If you wish to play around with the EQ of the H5, you can easily download B&O's free app to do so.

H5 doesn't seem good for working out:

I've used the h5 a couple of times whilst lifting and the earphones worked perfectly for that task regard. No cords to worry about, and it never fell out of my ear once. I have also used the H5 whilst running and cross-fit, and whilst using the comply sports tips, I did not have much trouble with the earphones staying in my ear. I personally didn't have a problem with the earphones falling out when using the sports comply tips provided, but again it is up to the consumer to optimize the product to their specific needs.

The charging cable isn't universal:

I don't know any B&O consumers who wish to buy a "universal" product. I mean part of the experience is buying the eccentric and unique products. I think the charging cable is a perfect description of what the B&O experience really is. There were also many complaints that the charging cable didn't come with a USB to wall port. In this day and age, every phone comes with a USB to wall charging port. You will almost certainly have AT LEAST one, if not more, USB to wall ports available; and that's only if you'd like to charge your H5 from the wall. From my experience, I have not once even considered charging my H5 from anything other than my laptop just because of convenience. Also, the H5 is not the type of product you can use whilst charging, so USB to wall seems like more of a burden than a luxury.

The H5 sounds amazing:

The H5 sounds amazing.

By far the best earphone on the market in terms of premium sound quality. As an owner of an H8 and various other headphones, I can honestly say that if the H5 had come out before I purchased my H8, and other headphones, that I would seriously consider taking the H5 over many other headphones. The H5 sounds that good. In my opinion, I believe the 250$ price point is completely justified due to the fact that it can hold its own against many premium headphones on the market.

All in all, the H5 is a stylish and well designed product that I would give a must buy for music audiophiles and music enthusiasts. I believe much of the bad press that the H5 is getting is due to the consumer's unwillingness to experiment with alternative ear tips/read the user manual.
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Excellent sounding earphones but has 2 flaws
by Steven Lam (3 out of 5 stars)
June 15, 2018

I've been a long time fan and user of B&O products. It is really nice to see that B&O's product is actively trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology and keeping up with the ever-evolving digital tech advancement. Having said that, I am glad I've purchased the H5. This is beautifully designed earphone.

I have two issues with this product:

Issue no 1:

The cloth braided wire is a nice touch. However, after a year of usage, the shape of the wire has been mishappened and it no longer straightens up anymore. Truly a tragic design oversight with this flaw. Minus 1 star.

Isue no 2: The soft molded ear foam (not the silicone) tears and breaks down very fast. With active weekly usage, these soft foam only last a 3-4 months. That is a terrible life expectancy for a crucial earpiece component for this product type.

The pros:

The sound quality is great. I am aware that this earphone is not made for sport or any activities that involve major movement. My main usage for the H5 is for casual commuting on the train or on my bicycle.

Love that I can customize the EQ setting for my desire sound quality via the B&O app. Once you've set up your EQ profile, you can save and name it. I only have 2 custom EQ settings but I would imagine you can create and save as many as you want.

Love the fact that the earphone has the wire so I don't have to worry about loosing one earpiece LT or RT like the Apple air pod.

Battery life is pretty good, I would say I get about 4-5 hours of usage out of each full charge.

Bluetooth connects and works seamlessly with my iPhone and laptops.
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Great sound, top of the line product
by mizzouXC (3 out of 5 stars)
August 19, 2016

Great sound, top of the line product. Loved the magnets that hold them around your neck. Loved the charger. All around great product. However, for portable headphones, they would not stay in my ears. I tried every set of tips possible. I'm no stranger to earbuds, these are just too heavy and the base is too wide to stay put for even the lightest of walking.
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A little quirky but I like them!
by Gadget67 (3 out of 5 stars)
August 5, 2017

Edit 9/25/2017

I received the following reply from B&O concerning the ear fit issue:
"Thank you for contacting Bang & Olufsen Customer Service regarding your BeoPlay H5.

In October we will launch an fins/wingtips for sports, which will keep the H5 in the ears all the time.

Stay tuned."

I assume it will be an extra cost option, but at least they recognize there is a fit issue for some users.

Edit 9/18/2017

I continue to enjoy the H5 but even with the Comply tips, the fit is just a bit "off". When I press them just a little further in my ear canal and hold them there, the sound is measurably improved. Otherwise, they tend to slip out just enough to still stay in but the sound is diminished and they feel like they will eventually work their way out so I am continually reseating them. I also found the following recent quote from Beoplay from late August:
"Nonetheless, we are aware that some of our customers could benefit from even more options in order to find an ideal fit. We are actively working on a solution, which we expect to announce in near future. Please stay tuned."

I will be contacting them to follow up on this, but I'm concerned that they are just trying to blunt criticism of the fit issue so stay tuned. I have also lowered my rating from four stars to three stars.

I wanted to add my thoughts about the B&O H5 wireless Bluetooth earphones. I recently purchased B&O H7 Bluetooth headphones but also wanted wireless earphones for exercise and walking.

Needless to say, I was initially put off by all of the negative comments about the H5 both here and in many of the online reviews as well. Most reviewers praised the audio quality, but found other aspects off putting, particularly obtaining a satisfactory fit using the tips that come with the h5's and tips from other companies such as Comply. Reviewers also seemed concerned about the (relatively) high price, ambient noise from the cable rubbing on clothing, quirky controls and the unique proprietary magnetic wireless charging. I found an Amazon Warehouse deal for a very reasonable price and decided to give them a try.

My first priority was obtaining a good fit and that's not always an easy task no matter what earphones you might be considering. In my case the silicone tips just didn't work and the H5's wouldn't stay in. I tried the medium sized Comply 200 isolation tips because I use them with another set of wired earphones, but they were also not quite right. Lastly I tried the large Comply sport tips that came with the H5 and these seem to be working well so far. I've ordered the denser foam Comply isolation tips to try as well. I found it takes a minute for the sport tips to expand and provide sufficient holding power so the denser Comply tips should (hopefully) solve that problem. Once seated, they did not come out when I walked or when I used my elliptical (I have a couple of hours of exercise time so far with no issues). I haven't tried running with them but I suspect they would probably work loose.

My next priority was sound quality and connectivity. The easy part is connecting--I charged them up, turned them one and they immediately connected to my IPhone with zero issues. I could roam through most of the house and did not drop my connection. Sound is a bit more subjective but they compare very favorably to other earphones that I own. What really differentiates them is the Beoplay app which allows for quite a bit of customization of the sound. There are four quadrants (warm, relaxed, excited and bright) and the app displays a white circle centered in the display. You can then drag the circle into a quadrant to change the sound profile and also pinch the circle display and make it larger which seems to really expand the soundstage. Any settings you like can be saved with its own name and easily accessed again. The app is a "must have" in my opinion and really helps to differentiate the H5's from other Bluetooth earphones. I'm getting about 5 hours of use on a charge.

I have heard some noise from the wire rubbing on my clothing but, honestly, it's very minimal and is no worse than I experience with my wired earphones. It is definitely not an issue when music is playing. Heavy exercise might make it worse but otherwise it's a non issue for me. Clearly other reviewers disagree with that so your mileage may vary here.

Some may find the controls to be finicky but once you adjust to them they seem to work just fine. I haven't tried them with my phone but with just a little practice I can adjust sound levels easily and advance or go back when listening to music. The controls are on the left and there is no real tactile feedback so you need to "learn" with use. If you like regularly moving back and forth between songs and are constantly raising and lowering volume it may prove annoying but I adjusted pretty quickly.

Some reviewers also expressed concern about the proprietary magnetic charging system. It would certainly be nice if all my devices had one universal charging system but that's not happening anytime soon. I have lots of USB chargers and two USB ports on my laptop so is just not an issue for me. I have numerous devices already (iPads, iPhones, an Apple Watch, music players, etc) so multiple cables and chargers is just another annoying first world problem I've adjusted to. You can buy a second charger for travel or the office for about $15 if needed.

So, are these worth the $249 list price? Now that I've had a few days to get used to them, I would say yes. That said, I was able to save significantly with an Amazon Warehouse deal and I have seen some discounts. Considering that Apples Bluetooth earbuds are $159 and don't have comparable sound quality the pricing seems appropriate and the Beoplay app is free. The materials are high quality, I love the design and the sound is excellent. Highly recommended as long as you can adjust to their quirkiness and can get a good fit with the right tips.

Edit: I switched to the Comply isolation tips and they are a noticeable improvement in terms of fit over the sport Comply tips. I also noticed more rubbing noise with certain shirts, but tucking the cable inside my collar mitigated that considerably. I don't use these to answer my phone but I see other reviewers were not happy with that so it's definitely something to keep in mind if that's important to you. These are keepers for me.
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Amazing Wireless Earbuds (shame to see the bad reviews)
by E. Feiner (4 out of 5 stars)
November 4, 2016

It is a shame to see these wireless earbuds getting such a bum rap. I will try to make this review as comprehensive as I can.

I would consider myself an audiophile, I produce commercials and television programs (you've seen them) and sound to me is just as important as picture. It is amazing in just a few years how far the wireless technology has come--until recently wireless headphones never matched the standards of audio quality that I always strive for.

That said I've never actually owned a pair of wireless earbuds. I have the h6 and upgraded to h7 and LOVED them. The clarity and sound of the wireless h7 were nearly on par with the wired h6s. I also own a number of other expensive wired earphones from Shure, B/W etc etc.

So I was in market for my first wireless earbuds... I've used my roommates Beats (yuck), my girlfriends Jaybirds X2, and tried the Bose soundsports at the store. I was genuinely unimpressed with the Beats, but to me all Beats are overpriced and under performing. The jaybirds were quite nice for the price (79.99 now if you can find it), but fit and finish was meh and the sound was lacking the audiophile standards I strive for--I've heard the Jaybirds Freedom add better sound but have some quality control issues, I haven't used them so I cannot say. The Bose were quite nice, and they were my first choice until I saw the B&O Play H5.

The negative reviews freaked me out, I was surprised to see a B&O product with such negative feedback. I dove into the reviews to read a few key points:
-the headphones have great sound
-the headphones look great
-the headphones do not stay in ears
-the headphones cable creates an audible rubbing sound
-many people have returned there units due to this

Here are my thoughts on the H5:

They look beautiful. Like most B&O products, they aesthetically stand in a class of there own. Their looks seems to be matched by solid durability and maybe even a little bit of waterproofing. I wouldn't wear these in the rain, but they should be sufficiently proofed for excersise, tough I can see the fabric braided cable becoming sweat stained after a while.

The sound is fantastic. Even without a significant amount of burn in time they have incredible clarity and wonderful depth. A little tinkering with the B&O control app and I got them to sound where I like them. I like the ability to save the EQ presets and that the last preset stays in the headphones as long as they pair to the same device--pairing to a new device seems to reset the EQ.

I will agree that the fit was tough at first. The rubber earbuds were a bit uncomfortable, and only the largest size would sit in my ear without falling out. I finally used the medium size Comply earbuds that were included. So far they are very comfortable, seal off and reduce outside noice well, and stay in my ears throughba significant amount of head banging. There were times where the braided cable caught on a thicker collar or jacket when I wore it, but it wasn't enough to "yank" the bud out of my ear not enough force to even dislodge it a little.

When the cable runs on clothing you can hear the sound transmitted to the headphones. I see a lot of complaints about this and frankly I don't fully understand. The noise is only present when no music is playing and it is hardly an annoyance. In face I found the jaybirds to make just as much rubbing noise when no music is playing.

Unfortunately the major issues with these phones are going to be personal and case to case based on ear size etc. But I really doubt anyone who spends a little time and respects the process won't be able to get a clean fit with one of the included buds.

I really do think these buds are great, but to play devils advocate, there are a few things that I don't love or can be improved.
-the charger hub is really cool I love the magnetic aspect, but the built in cable is not--would have preferred the ability to use any USB cable that was proprietary to the magnetic charging hub.
-the magnetic locking/turn off is also cool. But I would prefer stronger magnets and instant on and pair feature when the headphones are pulled apart.
-the remote control button functions are kind of dated and the raised button indicators aren't great. Takes time getting used to what buttons your pressing.
-4hr battery... really guys... this should be 8hrs no exceptions.

To round up: these headphones are great, if you're going to work out a lot maybe look at the Bose sound sports. But if you want unsurpassed wireless audio quality, and beautifully made product, these are the buds to buy!
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WARNING: If you hate the sounds of chalk on blackboards, DO NOT BUY THEM.
by Yiwen QIu (1 out of 5 stars)
December 11, 2018

WARNING: If you hate the sounds of chalk on blackboards, DO NOT BUY THEM.

This is by far the most DISTURBING ear pods. Completely useless. Haven't used twice since I bought it. Regardless of the negative reviews, I still decided to give it a shot since I'm a huge B&O fan. The wires make disturbing sounds ALL THE TIME. Not even when your do sports, when you just sit there and put them on, they make NOISES! They make those kinds of disturbing noises even in a slight move of you head. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. What a waste of money :(
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Great sound, great fit, easy to use.
by Ken S. (4 out of 5 stars)
November 14, 2017

Looks great, feels even better. Battery life is excellent for their size, they paired easily and have never lost connection. Charging is fast and simple. I also picked up an aftermarket charging cube for the office so I don't have to carry one around with me. Phone calls are excellent and music is clear and crisp. The comply tips are a perfect fit for me. I tried the silicone ones which is what I was used to but after spending some time with these comply tips im sold.

I use these for everything from conference calls to doing yard work and they hold a charge long enough to be useful and provide excellent sound. For those looking for negatives, these are compromise earphones and I say that because they are serving multiple purposes. If you are primarily looking for a bluetooth earpiece for calls, get one. You don;t need or want these. You will get better clarity and better battery life out of a standard mono earpiece. If you want perfection in audio, get a nice wired set of over the ear cans.

If you want multi-purpose wireless headphones, these are the best ones i've found so far. They do it all very well, but they can;t do everything perfectly, there has to be some acceptance that once you combine all of this that you will lose in some areas. It's like trying to find a sports car that can haul lumber and get good MPG.

If I were to change anything, I would like a slightly longer cord for that I docked it 1 star from being perfect.
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Unfortunately Disappointing. Poor materials
by Luke (1 out of 5 stars)
January 4, 2019

I am writing this review approximately 7 months after purchasing my pair of Bang & Olufsen H5's. The first several months of using the earbuds I really enjoyed them, and often got compliments on them. I really like the design of the product and want to like them. The bass can be a little light but this can be adjusted on the phone app if desired.

Unfortunately, this was short lived, as after a few months the material used to wrap the cord began to shrink with use, causing the cord to twist and tangle in odd ways, and on mine tear. This ruins the look (and frankly looks ugly), and creates a weird functionality while worn. As you can see in the photos I've included and photos from other reviewers. Because the headphones were so new and under warranty from a premium brand like B&O, I reached out and filled out a quote that said the problem was covered under warranty. Unfortunately a week after sending them in for repair, I received an email stating that the tear was the result of normal usage and was not covered under warranty... As a product designer myself, I cannot say that Im not very disappointed in the materials used and quick breakdown of my purchase from a highly respected company like B&O. Additionally its very disappointing to see deterioration of the product and service given for a product at this price point.

If you're looking for a durable pair of earbuds, I would recommend looking else where or perhaps a different model.
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Fantastic sound, bass and mid-bass. Clean design. Love these.
by el_mundo (5 out of 5 stars)
July 1, 2016

I read about these earphones on the morning of their release date on Uncrate. I've been casually looking for wireless earbuds for a month now and these looked great and the price wasn't too outrageous. I saw that they were available for Same Day shipping from Amazon and decided to take a chance on them. I ordered them and later in the evening they were in my hands. What a time to be alive.

Out of the box they sounded good, but nothing special. Maybe a little better than Powerbeats2 Wireless. But after customizing the sound in the Beoplay app, they sound amazing.

After moving the dial towards Warm I realized these earphones can put out some pretty deep bass. You can max it out and they do sound boomy at that point but the the earphones can put out a lot of bass without distorting. Moving the dial towards Excited increases the mid-bass and at that point I was loving how they sounded.

The high frequencies were still bright and clear after making the low-end adjustments. Sound separation is great. Soundstage is good for earphones. They sound so good they made me want to re-listen to all the music in my library.

Comfort-wise they are, well, comfortable. They are light and don't feel big and bulky. They fit into my ears without much fuss. I have not tried running with them yet, but shaking my head violently doesn't make them fall out or shift. The magnets are great for giving your ears a break and just hanging the earphones around your neck like a necklace.

The charging block also uses magnets and work pretty well. The design isn't that great and the earphones just attach to the block while the usb cable sticks out one way and the earphone cable loops out the other way. Not super svelte. The case that comes with these is a simple fleece bag. I would have preferred a charging case with a battery in the case.

For running and exercising the package includes Comply Sport tips to replace the silicone ones. These were a disappointment. They don't let you hear that much more of the outside environment and the sound quality takes a major hit. I need to test them while actually running, but while indoors it seems like I might as well have great sound quality with the silicone tips if the sport tips weren't going to let me hear that much more.

Lastly aesthetics and build. The earphones look great and are pretty small and sleek. No wings and no ear-hooks make for a clean design. Matte finish on the earphones and fabric cord covering look and feel great. Understated and high-end is how would describe these.

Overall, very happy with the purchase. Wish the sport tips would keep the great sound, but I guess I'll just need to be more careful crossing the street. The travel and charging situation isn't very good, but the sound, size and design of the earphones might just be the best.
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Wanted to like
by M. Hostetter (1 out of 5 stars)
August 15, 2016

Really wanted to like these headphones. Unfortunately, after 6 weeks, the charger began acting sporadically. In order to make a claim with B&O, I would need to purchase another charging unit to determine if the problem is with the charger or the headphones themselves before they will allow me to make the claim. Seems absurd to me. Too late to return, $250 brick.

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