Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal Review

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal Review – Short words

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay review: These are wireless gaming headphones that are compatible with Xbox or PS/PC. They are active noise-canceling and also customize sound EQ via the app. Bluetooth 5.1 and able to connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. Virtual boom-arm innovative gives clear conversations and your own voice technology so that you still hear your voice and do not talk too loud while talking with your friend in the game. The Beoplay Portal provides playtime for up to 24 hours when you turn on the ANC and Bluetooth. But if you turn on the ANC while connecting to Xbox, you will get only 12 hours of playtime. They are also very comfortable even wear for hours. The Beoplay might be the right choice if you looking for the best wireless gaming headphones.


Beoplay Portal review

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

over-ear, wireless, active noise-canceling, battery life: up to 12H with Xbox+ANC+BT/up to 24H with ANC+BT, microphones: 4 x MEMS mics for voice & 4 x dedicated MEMS mics for ANC, fold-flat earcups, adjustable headband, soft ear cushions padding, support aptX HD/Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth 5.1

 

Gaming headsets have been very popular from the last decade till to current. Many headphone and audio manufacturers are turning to the play in this field. Even Bang & Olufsen, a premium brand from Denmark, which has a long-established reputation for audio equipment has also started to enter the competitive gaming headset market. The Beoplay Portal is the first model of gaming headset from Bang & Olufsen. And surely, Bang & Olufsen must be quality work and quite a high-end level. How about these wireless gaming headphones? Let’s go to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal review, now.

There are two versions of the Beoplay Portal, one is compatible with PS/PC, and another compatible with Xbox.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal Review – The Design

bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal review

At first glance, I don’t think this is a gaming headphone. With the external looks and feel not like gaming headsets. Even the earcup shape, headband, and overall style do not look like headphones for gaming as well. The Beoplay Portal is true wireless over-ear headphones. They provide up to 12 hours of playtime when connected to the Xbox via Bluetooth/wireless and activating ANC. The maximum playtime is about 24 hours when not used for gaming.

The design of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal gaming headsets does not look like general gaming headsets. There is no protruding microphone shaft from the earcups. There are no detachable or undetachable microphones. It’s not that Beoplay Portal gaming headphones don’t have microphones. But with the virtual boom microphone technology, there are built-in boom mics in the internal.

The overall design of these wireless gaming headphones is like other Beoplay wireless headphones, it is a similar design to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9i, HX, and H95. They come with high-end designs with premium materials and luxurious looks and feel. These wireless gaming headphones are supremely comfortable headphones. With a weight, of 279 grams is not too heavy and it doesn’t make you feel heavy on your head.

There is a logo “B&O” on the outward of the earcup looks elegant and outstanding. All panel control stays on the right earcup. There is a charging port (USB-C), a 3.5mm audio port, power on/off, and connection to Bluetooth button, as well as the panel volume control which is a touch system. The left earcups have a dongle button for connecting to Xbox.

When it comes to portable, these over-ear headphones are quite big and bulky. Also, it can’t be folded, just swivel the ear cups to lay flat. So the Beoplay Portal gaming headphones are not ideal for taking on the go.

Beoplay Portal Wireless Gaming Headphones – Comfortable fit

Beoplay Portal review

The Beoplay Portal’s earcups cover all my ears (I’m small ears) and the soft ear cushions give the softest and most comfortable ears. There is quite thick foam padding on both earcups and the headband, which makes you feel comfortable when wearing it, even using it for hours. The headband does not put any pressure on the head and temples even wear for a long time. The headband is extendable to fit any head size. The clamping forces are adequate and not too tight. It securely stays on my ears and is not easy to fall off during casual gaming sessions.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal is designed to be porous to reduce heat, this makes it possible to wear continuously for hours. They trap some heat under the earcups that why they are not great for working out. Including should not make sweat more than normal if you wear them for hours while gaming or listening to music.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal is designed for gaming, so it is not ideal for wear during work out. Because they are not sweatproof and may fall off while you strongly shake or move your head.

Beoplay Portal Review – Build Quality

When it comes to the build quality, the Beoplay Portal gaming headphones are very impressive. They are made of high-quality materials. These are a combination of aluminum, leather, fabric padding, polymer, and rubber materials. The overall materials feel quite premium and durable. It is probably durable and will last a long time. However; there is no mention of an IP rating and I think it doesn’t resist water, this is normal because most gaming headphones are not waterproof either.

How to control the Beoplay Portal gaming headphones?

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal combines physical control buttons and smooth touchpad control, which accurately respond to your function. The default controls are easy and intuitive. For example

  • Double tap either earcup – play/pause your music or mute the mic while calling or gaming
  • Left slider – adjust ANC/Talk-Through (Bluetooth mode) or control channel mixing (Xbox wireless mode)
  • Right slider – adjust the volume

The controls are easy to use and good response. Most commands have beep feedback but all of the responses are the same sound, which is a beep.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal – Battery Life

The Beoplay Portal comes with a strong battery with a quite large capacity of 1200mAh. If you connect to Xbox wireless and turn on both ANC and Bluetooth, these cans last for over 11 hours and 30 minutes to 12 hours for a single charge. As per their specs, they can provide up to 24 hours if just turning on ANC and Bluetooth but not connecting to Xbox wireless. However; the hours of playtime are just estimates and not exact, it’s vary depending on usage, volume level, and many factors. So your playtime will vary.

Beoplay Portal Review – Bluetooth

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal wireless gaming headphones review

These wireless gaming headphones can connect two Bluetooth devices at once. But if you are connected to an Xbox console or PC, you can’t connect to any Bluetooth devices. However, you can switch between Bluetooth connection and Xbox via the app easily, but connecting to one Bluetooth device and Xbox or PC at the same time is not possible.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal has low latency when used with iOS and Android devices and you will get a great experience when watching movies with these devices. But when connected to the PCs I found that they have a bit higher latency and the atpX HD codec that they support doesn’t improve the better latency. I still feel some delay between audio and picture while playing games with the Xbox and PC. But I know that there is some amazing app that can compensate for latency differently, so the real experience while playing a game will vary.

Compare Be0play Portal to Other Gaming Headphones

Beoplay Portal Vs SteelSeries Arctis 7 Vs SteelSeries Arctis Pro Vs Razer Kraken Tournament Edition

Beoplay Portal review

Beoplay Portal

Specs: form factor: over-ear, dimension: 8.6″ x 9.1″ x 2.7″, weight: 282 grams, microphones: 4 x MEMS mics for voice & 4 x MEMS mics for ANC, input: 1.25m 3.5mm mini-jack audio cable/1.8m USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, materials: aluminum/leather/fabric/polymer/rubber
Features: wireless, active noise-canceling, playtime: 12 hours (connect Xbox+ANC+Bluetooth)/24 hours (ANC+Bluetooth), super comfortable: soft ear cushion padding, fold-flat design, adjustable headband, virtual boom-arm: crystal clear conversation, own voice features

 


SteelSeries Arctis 7 review

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Lag-Free Wireless Gaming Headsets

Specs: form factor:over-ear, dimension: 8.5″ x 1.86″ x 7.75″, weight: 9.9 ounces, frequency: 20 – 20 kHz, impedance: 32 ohms, sensitivity: 98dB, wireless audio: support PC/Mac/PS4/VR, wired audio: support Xbox One/Mobile
Microphone: ClearCast bidirectional design, frequency: 100 – 10 kHz, sensitivity: 48dB, impedance: 2200 ohms, noise cancellation
Features: lag-free 2.4 GHz wireless audio, wireless range: 12m/40ft, battery life: 24 hours, volume control on the earcup, DTS 7.1 surround sound on PC, on-ear ChatMix Dial/audio controls, ski goggle suspension headband, personalize audio setting, game/chat balance: PC & Mac

 


SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless review

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Gaming Headset

Specs: form factor: on-ear, dimension: 3.54″ x 6.55″ x 7.37″, weight: 1.5 pounds, driver size: 40mm, frequency response: 5 – 40kHz, impedance: 32 ohms, sensitivity: 102 dBSPL @1 kHz/1mW, microphones: (frequency response: 100-10kHz, sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa), transmission box: (wireless 2.4GHz lossless & Bluetooth 4.1, work range: 40ft, compatible: PC/PS4/Xbox one/mobile, audio: Dobly audio, connector: 3.5mm/USB/optical)
Features: wireless 2.4G, Bluetooth 4.1, Bluetooth profile: A2DP/HFP/FSP, support: DTS X Headphones 2.0/hi-res, microphone: retractable boom/noise-canceling, playtime: 2 x 10 hours (dual battery)

 


Razer Kraken Tournament Edition - specs

Razer Kraken Tournament Edition

Specs-Headphones: over-ear, dimension: 6.76″ x 7.6″ x 3.86″, weight: 0.71 pounds/322g, driver size: 50mm, driver type: custom tune, frequency response: 12 – 28kHz, impedance: 32 ohms (1 kHz), sensitivity: 109 dB (1 kHz)
Specs-Microphones: frequency response 100 – 10 kHz, sensitivity (@ 1kHz): -42 ± 3 dB
Features: THX 7.1 surround sound, earpad material: leatherette/cooling gel-infused cushions/soft memory foam/heat-transfer fabric, ultra-soft headband padding, aluminum frame, clamping force, microphone: retractable noise-canceling, in-line audio control, virtual surround encoding: THX Spatial via USB Dongle

 

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal Review – Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Very great for Xbox, low-latency via Xbox wireless
  • Extremely comfortable for a long gaming session
  • Super soft earpads and adjustable headphones
  • Good battery life
  • Premium material and luxurious design
  • Active noise-canceling

Cons

  • A bit expensive
  • The design can’t fold inward the earcups and is not ideal for portability

Beoplay Portal Review – Connectivity for Gaming

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal wireless gaming headphones

Connect to PC

There are three methods for connection: wireless connection via USB Dongle, USB-C connection, and connection via 3.5mm audio jack. Both USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack connections provide standard sound performance. But a USB-C connection will enable the microphones and also is charging itself. A disadvantage of both methods (USB-C and 3.5mm audio) is they can’t use the Dobly Atmos feature. The great powerful method for connectivity is, USB Dongle, you will get all the features including using the Dobly Atmos feature as well.

For gaming, the Beoplay Portal does very well in terms of separating the sound direction as well as catching a feeling of the distance of the sound. This makes it possible to get an exciting experience in playing games. Especially if you play competitive games, this will give you a huge advantage over other players.

Connect Console or Xbox

Simple and easy connection, just press the broadcast button on the front of the Xbox along with pressing the connect button on the left earcup. Two devices will automatically connect. You need to turn on the Dolby function on the Xbox to use Dolby Atmos for the best results. From our testing, playing game while listening to music, the Beoplay Portal do very well for both. They can separate sound direction very well and the sound quality of the music is very good too.

Connect via Mobile

Connect to mobile, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal can connect to both iOS and Android. But iOS is more easily and quite automatic while connecting to Android is more difficult but it can connect.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal Review – Final Verdict

All in all, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal review might be not perfect information but I will try to write as I can. The Beoplay Portal is a wireless gaming headphone and luxurious in the style of Bang & Olufsen. If you are looking for the best wireless gaming headset for Xbox/Playstation, the Beoplay Portal is one of the exceptional choices albeit they come at quite expensive. Personally, the Beoplay Portal is one of the best wireless gaming headphones.

Where to buy Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

Beoplay Portal review

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

over-ear, wireless, active noise-canceling, battery life: up to 12H with Xbox+ANC+BT/up to 24H with ANC+BT, microphones: 4 x MEMS mics for voice & 4 x dedicated MEMS mics for ANC, fold-flat earcups, adjustable headband, soft ear cushions padding, support aptX HD/Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth 5.1

 

Alternative Wireless Headphones – These may be great for you

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro WirelessSteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Xbox Multi-System Gaming Headset:

over-ear, connectivities: 2.4 GHz wireless/Bluetooth, active noise-canceling, 360-degree spatial audio, Pro-Grade parametric EQ, simultaneous game & mobile audio: 2 audio connections concurrently, supreme comfortable: height-adjustable rotating earcups/flexible suspension band/pivoting hangers, 4 microphones hybrid ANC & transparency mode,how-swap: dual battery for unlimited playtime, compatible with all consoles: Xbox/PC/PS5/PS4/Switch/ Meta Quest 2/mobile phone, what’s in the box: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headphones with retractable microphone/2 x USB-C to USB-A cable/4-pole 3.5mm audio cable/dual wireless base station


SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset

wireless, over-ear, weight: 254 grams, connectivity: 2.4 GHz wireless/3.5mm aux input (wired), 4-in-1 wireless via USB-C (lag-free dongle), lossless 2.4GHz wireless, steel-reinforced adjustable headband, on-ear mute mice & volume control, detachable ClearCast noise-canceling microphone, playtime: 20 hours of battery life, various compatible: Xbox One & Series X/PS4/PS5/PC/Nintendo Switch & Lite/Android


Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Wireless Gaming Headset for PlayStation, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2
Wireless Gaming Headset for PS5/PS4/Nintendo Switch:

wireless, Bluetooth, over-ear, 50mm Nanoclear speakers, flip-to-mute mic, battery life: 20 hours, glasses-friendly design, amplified audio: yes, app: Turtle Beach Audio Hub, soft padded memory foam ear cushion, adjustable headband, fold-flat design