- iFixit gives the Beoplay Eleven one out of ten
- Says the batteries are no more replaceable than AirPods'
- Beoplay Eleven are "far behind" Apple in terms of tech
One of the big selling points of Bang & Olufsen's gorgeous Beoplay Eleven earbuds was their replaceable batteries, which promised a longer lifespan.
As we noted at the time, that replacement was only via service techs, and now iFixit has taken a look and concluded that they're going to need to be very special service techs.
Giving the earbuds a "dismal" one out of 10 for repairability, iFixit says that "these earbuds are so unrepairable, in fact, we don't even think they'll meet the upcoming 2027 EU Battery Regulation" – and B&O gave meeting sustainability rules as a key reason it offered the battery replacement service.
So what's the problem?
Why iFixit is slamming B&O's "replaceable" batteries
According to iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari, you won't just be able to take your buds down to the local electronics shop to get the batteries swapped out. And you definitely won't be able to do it yourself.
"The batteries are serviceable only at B&O centers, and the design makes DIY repair nearly impossible", iFixit says. Replacement requires "specialized jigs, heating, prying, and tackling soldered 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 bit in particular that B&O is going to be really unhappy about: iFixit suggests that the Beoplay Eleven are not premium earbuds. "From the control board to the wiring, a side by side comparison of the Beoplay Eleven buds and the AirPods 4 buds show how far behind the Beoplay Eleven is in terms of hardware design."
TechRadar contacted Bang & Olufsen to ask whether the batteries would be replaceable without waste (a major concern iFixit had with the design), and whether B&O considers these earbuds to be more sustainable than its previous earbuds, or other options on the market, and if so in what way. B&O's response to these questions is as follows:
"The design of Beoplay Eleven allows for battery replacement by a Bang & Olufsen service center.
"When a customer buys a set of Beoplay Eleven earphones, we offer serviceability from our certified B&O service center to promote circular product choices over disposable alternatives. The process we have established ensures that the service-life of the earphones can be extended and offers our customers an alternative to replacing the product at the point where battery performance is no longer sufficient due to limitations in battery technology.
"It will be a challenge for the consumer electronics industry to be fully sustainable. We aim to lead the movement towards a circular future by creating products designed for service, repair, and multiple lifecycles. By offering a service solution for our ear buds, we want to offer our customers access to join the path towards a circular future. Our latest headphones Beoplay H100 and Beosound Level speaker are great examples of this, as is our legacy products such as the Beogram 4000 turntable and the Beosound 9000 CD-player which are still in use and being repaired on a daily basis by our service center in Struer."
