Bang & Olufsen A8 earphones at The Apple Store
Week of February 20, 2005
Q: I have a new iPod but hate the little pod earphones. I’ve tried other Walkman over-the-ear style earphones but the sound quality suffers. There is a $150 Bose earphone that is very good but it’s big and not a good choice for exercise and other similar activities. What would you recommend that would fit comfortably over the ear, be not too bulky and (hopefully) cost less than $150?
Ken Rykken
Bloomington, Minnesota
A: The earphones included with the iPod sound pretty good as original equipment earphones go, but as you have noticed, the pods are not a comfortable fit for many of us. Fortunately, for a little more than your quoted $150 budget you can have sound that is much better than your standard iPod earphones, and a very comfortable fit as well.
My personal favorites and top recommendation are the A8 earphones from Bang & Olufsen (B&O). Regular readers will remember a column last year in which I raved about B&O’s $16,000 per pair BeoLab 5 speakers, which I found to have the best sound of the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show.
Right now you are probably thinking, “for $16,000, of course they would have the best sound at the show- they better for that kind of money!” However, in the world of ultra high-end audio, there are a great many speakers that cost much more than $16,000 which don’t sound nearly as good as the BeoLab 5.
Most B&O equipment is still somewhat akin to a Ferrari in terms of price and performance. Many argue that you can get comparable sound quality from less expensive equipment, and in many cases this is true. What you get from modern B&O gear is top performance, along with cutting-edge design and fine European craftsmanship- a lot like a Ferrari. Sure, the Corvette may go just as fast, but you don’t get the same styling, craftsmanship or experience as a Ferrari. Combining all these elements creates a very desirable whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Fortunately, the A8 earphones are a “Ferrari” almost anyone can afford to own. They are only $159 per pair and are readily available at the Apple Store, both online and from retail locations. Now that this B&O product is sold in the Apple store, it occurred to me that a B&O/Apple partnership makes a lot of sense. Both have a similar reputation for cutting edge design and top quality- as well as costing a bit more than their more mainstream competitors.
The design is elegant. The A8s are made of anodized aluminum and hard rubber and are extremely comfortable to wear. A curved support hooks over your ear, holding the earphones in place even during strenuous workouts at the gym. The easy adjustment and light weight makes them hardly noticeable in use.
The sound is very full, natural and detailed. I tested the A8s with a Creative MuVo2 FM player and found the sound to be a tad bright on some recordings, prompting a quick adjustment to the treble, which brought the sound into perfect balance. Your results may vary depending on your taste and your music player.
I checked the Apple Store online and at the time of this writing, the A8s have received 68 reviews with a net score of 4.5 out of 5 stars, the top rating amongst earphones of its size and price.
In all, a great product that will get the most out of your iPod, and a product you will be proud to own, too. It’s a chance to own Bang & Olufsen equipment for the same price as more ordinary offerings. (If you can’t park a Ferrari in your garage, park one on your ear…)
You can see and hear the A8s at your local Apple or Bang & Olufsen store, or online at www.bang-olufsen.com or www.apple.com.
