Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven

Absolutely stunning earbuds that sound as good as they look, right until the Bluetooth drops and the app crashes. Sublime audio cursed by messy tech.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven are the kind of earbuds that make you stop and stare. They're built like jewelry, with aluminum shells and a polish that no other earbud comes close to. And the sound? It's some of the best we've ever heard from a true wireless bud, period. But here's the thing: for every moment of musical bliss, there's a little digital hiccup waiting in the wings. Bluetooth drops, a sluggish app, and battery life that barely clears the bar leave these feeling like a sports car with a sticky gearbox. If your top priority is jaw-dropping design and rich, detailed audio, the Eleven will seduce you. If you just want stuff to work without a headache, keep reading.

The 9.2mm drivers pump out a soundstage so wide and detailed it caught us off guard. In our database, these rank in the 98th percentile for sound quality, and it shows. Bass is deep and rumbling without ever getting sloppy, highs sparkle, and the midrange has a clarity that makes vocals feel present in the room. We were genuinely surprised that the music score sits at just 76.8 out of 100, but that number factors in more than pure audio fidelity. The ANC is good, not great—it drowns out a rumbling bus but leaves higher chatter seeping through, falling short of what you'd expect at this price. Call quality, though, is stellar thanks to those six microphones, ranking near the very top of our chart. The real kicker is battery life: 6 hours in the buds and another 14 in the case is mediocre by today's standards, landing in the 25th percentile. For a premium product, that stings.

The Beoplay Eleven don't come cheap. We're seeing prices all over the map, from $460 to a bizarre $70,818, so shop carefully. At the lower end, you're paying a serious premium for that aluminum and the B&O badge. If you value design and sound above everything else, it might be worth it. For everyone else, the total package feels incomplete when a Sony WF-1000XM5 does noise canceling and battery life better for less.

Stacked against the Sony WF-1000XM5, the B&O wins on sheer build beauty and maybe a touch more musical refinement, but Sony clobbers it on ANC, battery life, and app stability. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 get you similar audiophile sound with newer Bluetooth and better reliability for a lower price. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the kings of noise canceling if that matters most, but their design is forgettable next to the Eleven. If you insist on luxury looks and can deal with the quirks, go B&O; otherwise, grab the Sonys and never look back.

If you're looking for reliable, fuss-free earbuds with top-tier noise canceling and battery life that lasts all day, walk away. The Sony WF-1000XM5 will serve you better and cost less. The Eleven are for design purists who can forgive a buggy app for the sake of audio bliss.

The Beoplay Eleven feel like a masterpiece that slipped before the final polish. That sound and that build are genuinely special, and we totally get why some owners adore them. But the connectivity gremlins and half-baked app drag the experience down to earth. For most people, these aren't the earbuds to buy. They're the earbuds to admire from a distance unless you're the kind of person who prioritizes art over reliability.