B&O and Bose both released wireless earbuds, namely Beoplay E8 and SoundSport Free. Many people are asking which one has better sound quality. So now I am going to compare these two earphones and give you a complete introduction.

Design

  • Appearances
The design of Beoplay E8 is delicate and simple, while Bose SoundSport Free features an outstanding and modern design.
  • Comfort
    • Since they are almost equally light (Beoplay E8: 0.03 lbs; Bose SoundSport Free: 0.04 lbs), they don't carry pressure on ears and fairly comfortable.
    • Case
    The case of Bose SoundSport Free is about 1.5 times larger than that of Beoplay E8 (Beoplay E8: 4.9 Cu.Inches; Bose SoundSport Free: 6.9 Cu. Inches). If you are not comfortable to carry a quite large earbud case around, Beoplay E8 would be a better control scheme for you.
    • Control
    The control button of Bose SoundSport Free is on the edge of buds, while Beoplay E8 is controlled by clicking on the front face of buds.

    Connectivity

    • Connectivity test
    Either Bluetooth or wireless earphones has an issue of disconnection, especially in the crowd. To test their connectivity, I tried to play it when taking MRT. I conducted this test for two days. During the morning commute from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., I took the MRT from Raffles Place to City Hall listening to music on Spotify. Because my Spotify was in offline mode, my music wouldn't be disrupted by streaming speed. Even if it is really interrupted, it is caused by the product itself.
    • Test result - Bose SoundSport Free is better
    I found that disconnection happened 6 times to Beoplay E8 when I listened to music on the MRT. However, it didn't happen to Bose SoundSport Free at all. So obviously the latter is much better than the former in terms of connectivity.

    Sound quality

    The Bose earbuds have a more balanced sound out of the box which might not need an equalization for most tracks. Its production of bass, mid, and treble is a bit better than B&O's. Thus, it can better reproduce the original music and create melody with harmony (data from RTINGS). On the other hand, Beoplay E8 has better sound isolation and passive noise reduction.
    • Sound quality test
    I downloaded Remember Me (Reunion) from Coco to carry out A/B test of Beoplay E8 and Bose SoundSport Free. I mainly tested the vocal and the authenticity of instrument sound in this song. I found that Beoplay E8 clearly revealed the vocal and instrumental music, while through Bose SoundSport Free the chorus of this song appeared much more dynamic and outstanding.
    • Test result - Bose SoundSport Free is better
    Overall, I feel like the Bose sound is more authentic and diverse. And Beoplay E8 is not bad and almost as capable as the Bose in terms of sound quality.

    Battery

    Beoplay E8 can last for about 4 hours without charging; the battery life of Bose SoundSport Free is 5 hours. Also, the latter can be charged faster than the former. So the Bose has a slightly better battery performance with a faster charge time.