Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus

I've been using the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds in the Natural Aluminium finish for a couple of weeks now, and overall, they're a solid choice for anyone seeking premium wireless earbuds with a touch of luxury. These in-ear buds come in at around $499, which positions them firmly in the high-end market, and while they deliver on style and sound, there are a few areas where they don't quite live up to the hype for the price.

First off, the design is where these earbuds truly shine. The Natural Aluminium colorway gives them a sleek, jewelry-like appearance with polished aluminum stems and a pearl-blasted charging case that feels incredibly premium in hand. It's lightweight yet durable, with an IP57 rating that makes them sweat- and splash-resistant—perfect for workouts or rainy commutes. The fit is comfortable for extended wear, thanks to the soft silicone tips (multiple sizes included, plus a foam option), and the angled stem ensures they stay secure without feeling intrusive. I appreciate the touch controls on the glass surface; they're responsive and customizable via the B&O app.

Sound quality is another strong suit. The audio is precise and spacious, with a neutral midrange that makes vocals sound natural and detailed. Highs are lively without being piercing on well-mixed tracks, and the customizable EQ in the app lets you tweak things to your liking—whether you want a bass boost or a more balanced profile. With support for high-res audio and multipoint Bluetooth, switching between devices is seamless, and the overall listening experience feels immersive, especially for podcasts or classical music.

The active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode are improved over previous models like the Beoplay EX, blocking out low-frequency rumble effectively during flights or office noise. Calls come through clear in quiet settings, with the six upgraded microphones doing a decent job of reducing background hiss. Battery life is respectable too—up to 8 hours with ANC on, and the case provides a few extra charges. Plus, the option for battery replacement is a nice sustainability touch that extends their lifespan beyond most competitors.

That said, it's not all perfect. At this price point, the ANC doesn't quite match top rivals like Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, especially in windy conditions where some noise creeps in. The transparency mode, while natural-sounding, can feel a bit muffled compared to what I've heard from Sony's WF-1000XM5. Bluetooth connectivity has been mostly stable, but I experienced a couple of dropouts in crowded areas, which was frustrating. And honestly, while the sound is great, it doesn't feel like a massive leap forward from the older EX model—some users on forums have pointed out it's more of an iterative update, which makes the premium cost harder to justify if you're upgrading from within the B&O ecosystem.

In summary, the Beoplay Eleven in Natural Aluminium are elegant, well-built earbuds with enjoyable sound and thoughtful features that make daily use a pleasure. They're ideal if you value aesthetics and app integration above all else. However, if you're chasing the absolute best ANC or value for money, you might want to look elsewhere. I'd give them a 4 out of 5—recommended with some reservations.

My dad, who is a frugal professional musician loves them! The sound is perfect for making scores in Sibelius & editing music videos of his orchestras's premormences. He loves that it sound less like the sound is coming from within the headphoens, but because of their open nature, it's like the music is coming from instruments around you. Great product. It's an exquisite gift for a fancy man 🤵

Tho I hear, that if you're ok with sacrificing build quality a little, you can get way better sound for a lot lesss than nearly 400€.
However since my dad was using the worlds cheapest headphones before this, build quality was a must in this case. 😅

I paid a fair price because there was a promotion. The sound is really good, there is no excessive bass. The soundbar can be customized in many ways. You only have to charge it once a week, with daily use.

Very good quality stand .definitely recommend!

Good!

great elasticity

Good prices and fast delivery.

really enjoying it, I definitely recommend. I use it with lp-unfs and it handles low end very well.

very convenient and very powerful synthesizer with a lot of possibilities 👍

Patiko !

A great pair of headphones with a relatively flat frequency response. Great for mixing

Incredible sound, crispy mids, deepest bass. Excellent for stereo or enhancing TV/movie performance and sound. Massive improvment on my Q Acoustics Q 3030i bookshelf speakers. Higly recommended, no compromises here.

Very pleased with Soundium’s service, shipped fast as always! This interface is perfect for me as it has all the bells and whistles one can imagine in such a device. Solid build quality, awesome layout! Super handy to tweak while producing beats. The only downside for me is that the balanced outputs 3 and 4 can’t be used to hook up 2 more speakers, which is very silly since I can use the 2 monitor outputs in the front to play 4 speakers total. We tried to hook it up to as much gear as possible at a party and that was a bit of a disappointment. With that said, I am an amateur and maybe there’s a good reason or workaround for this. Otherwise the sound quality is super clean and it has tons of loudness in reserve, I only ever crank it up to 4/5 max when working. Gotta love it!

It's amazing. I love it.

Smagus dalykas 🙂