- iFixit gives Beoplay Eleven a score out of ten
- It says that the batteries are no more replaceable than those of the AirPods
- Beoplay Eleven are “far behind” Apple in terms of technology
One of the big selling points of Bang & Olufsen’s gorgeous Beoplay Eleven headphones was their replaceable batteries, which promised longer life.
As we noted at the time, that replacement was done only through service technicians, and now iFixit has taken a look and concluded that they will need very special service technicians.
Giving the headphones a “dismal” score out of 10 for repairability, iFixit says that “these headphones are so unrepairable, in fact, we don’t even think they comply with the upcoming 2027 EU Battery Regulation,” and B&O awarded sustainability to the meeting. rules as one of the key reasons why they offered the battery replacement service.
So what’s the problem?
Look
Why iFixit is criticizing B&O’s “replaceable” batteries
According to Shahram Mokhtari of iFixit, you won’t be able to simply take your headphones to the local electronics store to have the batteries replaced. And you definitely won’t be able to do it yourself.
“The batteries can only be repaired at B&O centers, and their design makes user repair almost impossible,” says iFixit. Replacement requires “specialized jigs, heating, prying, and tackling welded and welded components.”
Not only that, but “our teardown shows that the Beoplay Eleven is almost identical to the three-year-old Beoplay EX, with minor microphone and software upgrades.” Some interior components even carry the “Beoplay EX” label.
To say that iFixit’s article is scathing would be an understatement. And there’s one thing in particular that B&O won’t be too happy 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 buds and AirPods 4 headphones shows how far behind Beoplay Eleven is in terms of hardware design.”
TechRadar has contacted Bang & Olufsen for comment and we will update the story when we hear back.
