Speaking of Bang & Olufsen (B&O), there is no one who doesn't know about audiophiles. Founded in 1925, the audio brand is headquartered in Denmark. Recently, we have been selling outdoor Bluetooth speakers, wireless earphones, in-ear headphones, etc., and we have also released products that are surprisingly familiar.
B&O has released its first gaming headphones. It's called "Beoplay Portal," and takes its name from the company's line of headphones, "Beoplay." Moreover, in addition to Bluetooth connection, it natively supports connection to Xbox Series X | S in the 2.4 GHz band. As a gaming headphone, it's quite full-fledged, so I tried it.
However, we were unable to prepare an Xbox Series X|S this time, so we used the "Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10" to verify it on a PC with Windows 10 installed.
Beoplay Portal package released by Bang & Olufsen Japan. In addition to Black Anthracite in the photo, there are three colors available: Gray Mist and NavyLet's start by looking at the specs. The size of Beoplay Portal is about 167.3 (width) x 92.6 (depth) x 178.7 (height) mm, and the weight without cables is light at about 282g. It's an overhead type that covers the entire ear, but it doesn't feel like it's being pressed down hard, and it's a feeling of wearing that holds it firmly. An electrodynamic driver with a diameter of 40 mm using neodymium magnets supports playback from 20 to 22,000 Hz. The impedance is 24Ω±15% and the sensitivity is 95dB@1kHz/1mW.
The ear cups are made of leather that is soft yet firmly adheres to the ears. Give me Since there are letters R and L inside, it is easy to understand which direction to install. By double-tapping the metal part with the B&O logo, you can mute the microphone with a direct connection with the Xbox, play or stop music with a Bluetooth connection, and answer incoming calls.
The ear cups feature a logo and are touch-enabledR and L letters inside. Multi-point function that allows simultaneous connection of up to two devices, and also supports Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift PairThere is also a touch bar on the side of the cup, with the volume up/down on the right and the volume on the left. is able to adjust the active noise canceling (ANC) / transparent mode that captures external sounds (on the left, the assignment can be changed via the app). The volume up/down is convenient, and although the position to touch is confusing at first, once you get used to it, it is convenient because you can adjust it by simply rubbing it with your thumb.
There is a power switch on the right earcup of the Beoplay Portal, and when you press it, the power will turn on and it will automatically connect. It supports wired connection and wireless connection, and wired connection uses the included USB Type-C → Type A cable as well as a cable with a 3.5mm terminal. Even with a wired connection, the headphones cannot be used unless the power is turned on. It can be recharged by plugging in a USB cable, and it will be fully charged in 3 hours.
Right earcup has USB Type-C terminal, 3.5mm terminal, power button, volume control slide barANC/transparent mode adjustment slide bar, Xbox connection button on left earcup The headband uses an offset pad that reduces pressure, and bamboo fiber is used on the inside for breathability and durability3.5mm audio Comes with a cable (approximately 1.25m) and a USB Type-C → Type A cable (approximately 1.8m) There is a wireless connection to Xbox One (hereafter, Xbox Wireless). Bluetooth connection supports SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs. If you have a device connected with aptX Adaptive, you can also listen to high-resolution sound sources. My smartphone "Xperia 10 II" supports LDAC and aptX Adaptive, and I was able to enjoy high resolution sound using Beoplay Portal.Xbox Wireless can be used with the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10 mentioned at the beginning in addition to the Xbox Series X｜S and other game consoles. Continuous playback time is up to 12 hours with Xbox wireless + ANC, up to 24 hours with Bluetooth + ANC, and up to 60 hours with Bluetooth only.
By the way, Windows 10 supports aptX, so you can enjoy high-quality sound with backward compatibility with aptX Adaptive, but I don't know which connection method is used to connect Windows 10 and Beoplay Portal. . Therefore, if you want to know how to connect, you have no choice but to use a device that supports display such as an indicator. I don't think anything can be done about this. However, it does not support aptX Adaptive, so if you want to hear high-resolution sound, use a Bluetooth transmitter that supports aptX HD.
When connecting via Bluetooth, "Beoplay Hand-Free AG Audio" may be set as the default, and when using this, the sound gets worse the more "super" is attached. For this reason, if the sound quality is terrible, check the "Playback" item from "Sound" in the control panel and select "Beoplay Portal Stereo" as the default device.
In addition, both earcups have built-in MEMS microphones for voice and ANC, and by utilizing beamforming technology, it is said that voices can be clearly transmitted without using the microphones placed at the tip of the arm. I actually tried it, and the voice sounds clear, and I can chat and video conference in the game without worrying. This is a good point, as the mic arm tends to get in the way when you put your headphones down.
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