B&O Play Beoplay E6

These Bluetooth in-ears are ergonomic, with an angled shape and short ear hooks that keep them firmly in place. Since the system is worn on the auricle as well as the ear canal, it proves impressive shielding from outside noise. However, the design requires that ear moulds are placed firmly within the ear canal. Too loose a fit will cause a high-frequency intrusion, with bass being compromised. People with pressure-sensitive ears, in particular, should make a thoughtful choice when picking out a pair of ear moulds from the well-represented selection. This is crucial for both wearing comfort and overall sound experience.

The connecting cable element found at the neck of the headphones is high quality, durable and boasts an easy-care design, with the sheath of nylon fabric visually integrating nicely into the overall design. The problem here, however, is that the fibres tend to transmit touch noises. Since the cable is also quite long and will undoubtedly come to rest on clothing, cable noises are generated automatically during normal movement. Although these can be reduced by use of the supplied cable clip, they can still be perceived, causing a disturbance when listening at moderate or quieter volume levels.

Battery Technology

On the energy side of things, the Bluetooth headphones are equipped with a battery capacity of 2 x 50 mAh, which provides an operating time of approximately 5 hours. The battery life of the BeoPlay E6 is not the most impressive out there, but sufficient enough. This is especially true if you consider the headphones can be recharged during use. This is not done via the usual micro-USB connection, but via an in-house charging system that is included with the product itself and takes up to two hours for one charging cycle to complete. In combination with iOS devices, the remaining battery capacity is also visible, as the battery status is displayed directly next to the Bluetooth symbol.

Device Control

These in-ears support Bluetooth standard 4.2 and offered stable ranges of up to 8 metres in practical tests with various Android and iOS devices. This represents a satisfactory result. While the system starts by briefly pressing the central remote button, pairing takes place by pressing and holding the button for five seconds. The multi-function push-button then controls the Play/Stop function of the device by simply pressing it, and is also used to accept telephone calls. By double-clicking, you can also jump back to the previous track, with the next track selectable by a triple-click. Separate plus and minus buttons are on offer for easy volume control.

In addition, calls can be rejected by pressing the central button for a longer time or be diverted to the device by double clicking during a call. The voice quality on offer is good and clear; however, a long distance between the microphone and mouth means your own voice might be quiet to the other caller. In this instance, the neck cable can help, even if it’s not an entirely comfortable solution. The headphones are switched off by joining the two ends together, with each earpiece equipped with magnets for this purpose. Also practical is the automatic switch-off function, which turns the system off after a total of 15 minutes of inactivity to preserve battery life.

BeoPlay App

As an optional extra for users, B&O Play provide sound control for the E6 via the free BeoPlay app for iOS and Android systems. This provides preconfigured presets for public transport, sports activities or podcasts, but also allows for manual adjustment via the use of intuitive ToneTouch control. This allows the emphasis of frequency ranges and spatial effects to be adjusted according to personal preferences and saved as a preset. This is a handy feature that allows for all manner of adjustments to be made and expands the range of applications for the headphones. The possibility to update the app also represents an added value to the user. The ToneTouch concept, on the other hand, does not offer fine adjustments for sound optimisation.

Sound

The BeoPlay E6 has a rich, broad sound profile with very good stereo imaging and an appealing three-dimensionality. The bass sounds voluminous and rich, while the detailed mids appear slightly understated. On the other hand, the treble has some real presence, which can lead to overemphasis at higher levels. Overall though, the bass range and treble leave a well-balanced impression, which gives the sound a sense of pressure and transparency. Especially with female voices, it becomes noticeable that the mids are somewhat unrepresented, sounding rather bright and thin with little depth. The Bluetooth earphones are therefore not tuned for audiophile enthusiasts, but those who prefer bass-driven music should find plenty to enjoy here.