Bang & Olufsen unveils new earbuds inspired by luxury jewellery

It's an exciting time to be a fan of the best earbuds on the market. While things may have looked stagnant over recent years, the introduction of new technology on modern examples looks set to push the envelope even further.

I've used models like the JBL Tour Pro 3 and the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 in recent months. Both of those make use of modern adaptive ANC, which looks like the next big thing in high-end earbuds.

Now, another player has entered the fray. The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds have just been released, marking the next iteration of the Danish brand's technology in the space.

Let's off with the design of these buds. Inspired by luxury jewellery – and by the brand's Beoplay H100 headphones – you'll spot lashings of luxurious colours and materials across the board.

Two colours are offered, with users able to choose between Natural Aluminium and Copper Tone. You'll find lashings of polished aluminium all over these buds, along with a glass touch interface and mirror-like finishing.

So, they definitely look good, but what about the performance? Well, on the face of it, that sounds pretty good too. While the information unveiled about the Beoplay Eleven doesn't explicitly talk about adaptive ANC, we are told about improved functionality in that area.

These buds offer double the low frequency noise reduction, as well as optimisation for different ear shapes and sizes. That certainly sounds similar to some of the claims made by competitors.

Six new microphones in the buds offer faster and more efficient noise rejection, with significantly lower hiss levels for a clearer sound and a more natural Transparency mode.

That level of quality doesn't come cheap, though. Priced at £429 / $499 (approx. AU$770) these are some of the priciest buds on the market right now. We'll have to wait until we've tested them to pass any further judgement, but they'll certainly need to be good to justify that price tag.