- iFixit gives Beoplay Eleven one out of ten
- Says batteries are no more replaceable than those in AirPods
- Beoplay Eleven are “far behind” Apple in terms of technology
One of the main selling points of Bang & Olufsen’s magnificent Beoplay Eleven headphones was their replaceable batteries, which promised a longer lifespan.
As we noted at the time, this replacement was only done through service technicians, and now iFixit has taken a look and concluded that it would require some very special service technicians.
Giving the earbuds a “dismal” rating of one out of 10 for repairability, iFixit states that “these earbuds are so beyond repair, in fact, we don’t even think they will meet the upcoming 2027 EU battery regulation” – and B&O gave a meeting on sustainability. rules as one of the main reasons why it offered the battery replacement service.
So what’s the problem?
Look on it
Why iFixit criticizes B&O’s ‘replaceable’ batteries
According to iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari, you won’t be able to just take your friends to the local electronics store to replace batteries. And you certainly won’t be able to do it yourself.
“Batteries can only be repaired at B&O centers, and their design makes DIY repairs almost impossible,” explains iFixit. Replacement requires “specialized jigs, heating, prying, and processing of welded and welded components.”
Not only that, but “our teardown shows that the Beoplay Eleven is nearly identical to the three-year-old Beoplay EX, with minor microphone and software updates.” Some interior components are even labeled “Beoplay EX”.
To say that the iFixit article is scathing would be an understatement. And there’s one thing in particular that B&O is going to be really unhappy about: iFixit suggests that the Beoplay Eleven aren’t premium headphones. “From the control board to the wiring, a side-by-side comparison of the Beoplay Eleven earbuds and AirPods 4 earbuds shows just how far behind the Beoplay Eleven are in terms of hardware design.”
TechRadar has contacted Bang & Olufsen for comment, and we will update the story as soon as we hear back.
