Bang and Olufsen E8 3.0 is the 3rd generation wireless headphone from the brand. This high-end piece of tech comes at a big price tag that can cost your monthly car payment. Today we are going to compare it with the Bose SoundSport Free and see which is worth its price.
The Bose SoundSport Free looks glossy, which fades from black from deep golden brown/bronze giving a subtle yet premium look. The sides are rubberized for firm grips and is rated at IPX4. Sleek, premium and lightweight at 14 grams each, are ways to describe the sturdy Bose SoundSport Free earbuds.
The Bang and Olufsen E8 3.0 has premium, luxurious materials, the latest tech and the best battery on a mainstream product. Rated IP4, the E8 can take little water splashes and work just fine. Sturdy plastic, premium styling, the earbuds and the carry case are durable too. There seems to be perfect with no compromise on quality.
Comfort
The Bose SoundSport Free wireless earbuds are ultra-comfortable thanks to their soft ‘StayHere+’ ear tips – a unique design from Bose.
The flagged ear tips prevent the earbuds from falling while running, jogging or working out. Extreme movements may loosen it a bit and the only issue is that they stick out considerably from the ears and makes you realize the weight.
Super simple design and light, the B&O E8 3.0 Bluetooth headphones are small enough and do not pass outside the ears. It is able to fit even smaller ear canals much better and these worked out perfectly for home, office and casual walking purposes; however, these are not built for rigorous movements and working out, running or jogging is out of the question.
Controls
Bose skipped the power button on the SoundSport Free earbuds; they automatically switch on once removed from the case. For media and call control, everything is on the right earphone – volume +&- with a multifunction button in-between. Single presses pause/play the music, double and triple presses you can go forward on songs and holding the multifunction button down will activate Google Assistant or Siri.
The multifunction button also receives/rejects calls too. On the left earbud, there is a single button that allows you to switch between 7 devices at the same time. On the flip side, the buttons are a bit hard and need a good amount of pressure, which makes it a bit uncomfortable, especially if you operate them while wearing.
The E8 3.0 wireless buds are touch-sensitive and all the controls are available at the fingertips. The right has play/pause at a single press, 2 presses for forwarding track skips, 3 presses for voice assistant and holding it pushes the volume up.
On the left, the earbuds activate transparency mode on a single press, skips to the previous track on 2 presses, and holding them lowers the volume. Takes time getting used to but once you commit to muscle memory, operating the B&O’s are a breeze.
Audio
Bose earbuds have crisp and clean mic. Balance, fidelity and clarity are the keywords to explain the Bose SoundSport Free.
60% volume is the normal listening range but for an immersive experience, cranking up the volume would give a very loud audio stream for such a small device. EDMs, pop, rock and even classical songs are a delight to listen to these.
The B&O E8 3.0 allows SBC, AAC and APTx.
Battery and Charging Case
The Bose SoundSport Free case is made from durable matte black plastic for storing the buds. The magnetic connecting pins prevent them from falling out and can give up to 5 hours of playtime on the earbuds; the case can provide two full charges. Quick charge gives you 45 min of use time from 15 min of charging; charging from zero to full takes about 2 hours.
Bang and Olufsen claim 7 hours of battery on the earbuds and an additional 28 hours with the carry case and has wireless charging. The USB C charging is a breather and fast charging gives 1.5 hours of battery with 20 min charging.
Noise cancellation
Bose SoundSport Free wireless earbuds offer good passive noise cancellation, is straightforward and thanks to the eartips, they remain snug in ear canals cutting off most of the ambient sound.
The B&O E8 3.0 has good passive noise reduction or cancellation and the transparency mode allows letting surrounding sounds in when you activate it opening the mic.
Bluetooth
The Bluetooth 4.1 range on the Bose SoundSport Free wireless gives a very solid connection and works through walls and doors. We wish Bose could have incorporated NFC, but for now, we may have to contend with the Bluetooth function alone.
The E8 3.0’s Bluetooth 5.1 gives faster, more reliable connection, accurate location pinging and less power consumption. There were no lags or cuts in audio during video playbacks and live streaming. A small letdown – there is no multi-pairing option and you can just use it on one device at a time.
Pros and Cons of Bose SoundSport Free
Pros
Bose connect app lets you customize control features
Snug fit and does not fall out
Good passive noise isolation
Audio is excellent with mid-range having a bright and glorious soundstage
Martha studied Jazz and has a diploma as an audio engineer under her belt. In addition to her work in front of and behind the control room window, she works as a music journalist, among other things, tests around 90-100 wireless headphones a year. Quality is her credo!
Last update on 2023-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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