NuForce BE6i Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with aptX, AAC and Long Battery Life, Grey

Optoma NuForce BE6i Review: Hi-Fi Gone Bluetooth?

The BE6i is a part of NuForce’s Bluetooth lineup. This particular model is an attempt to cash in on the freedom of wireless audio while maintaining Hi-Fi tuning and resolution. While Bluetooth’s low bandwidth is definitely a limiting factor here for sound quality, is it really all that noticeable? And does the experience you get from it justify the price?

You can find the BE6i for sale here, on Amazon, for $80. As of the time of writing, there is also a $10 coupon available for Amazon.

Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Optoma beyond this review. These words reflect my true, unaltered, opinion about the product.

Preference and Bias: Before reading a review, it is worth mentioning that there is no way for a reviewer to objectively pass judgment on the enjoy-ability of a product: such a thing is inherently subjective. Therefore, I find it necessary for you to read and understand what I take a natural liking to and how that might affect my rating of a product.

My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass. The mids should be slightly less pronounced than the treble, but still ahead of the bass. I prefer a more bright upper range.

Source: The BE6i was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> BE6i

HTC One M8 -> BE6i

Nexus 6P -> BE6i

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC via Bluetooth.

Sound Signature
Initial Impressions:

The BE6i goes for a fusion between typical Hi-Fi tuning and standard consumer sound signatures, lending it a more gently-sloped U-shaped frequency response. However, I got the feeling that bass could have been stronger had the BE6i sealed better on the ear.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy

Treble is satisfying, though a bit jarring if you are coming from a standard V-shaped IEM or something warm. There appears to be some notable boosting to the upper-treble. This fits well with my personal tastes, but may not with listeners who prefer more traditional tuning.

Thankfully, in its pursuit of Hi-Fi sound the BE6i did not become sibilant. As any of my regular readers may know, that would be an immediate deal-breaker for me; no earphone is worth hearing-damage.

Mids: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams

Mids are my favorite part of the BE6i. Almost linear, with a vocal boost and a small lift to the lower-mids. This makes for some pretty impressive clarity from a Bluetooth IEM.

However this tuning definitely does favor male vocals of female vocals, as the latter tends to need a bit more weight.

Detail retrieval is simply “ok”. While the tuning does make it sound clear, there’s no hiding the fact that Bluetooth simply doesn't have the capacity to meet audiophile retrieval standards. But then again, this isn’t an IEM you’d buy for that sort of thing in the first place.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

The BE6i’s bass seems to be the most polarizing facet of its sound signature (at least according to the “reviews” for it on Amazon). I don’t actually have an complaints about it given the fact that the BE6i isn’t trying to follow the pack in terms of bass emphasis. Rather than an overblown mess that bleeds into the lower-mids, the BE6i’s bass is, for the most part, a subtle actor. Bassheads beware, this makes electronic music not particularly punch or rumbly.

Packaging / Unboxing






Build
Construction Quality



The BE6i is a mixed bag. Yes, it has metal driver housings, but to be honest, this feels a bit like a misguided effort. They feel premium, but are very heavy for an IEM of this class and form-factor.



One thing I really did appreciate was the choice to include fairly strong magnets in the rear of each driver housing, making it very easy to keep the BE6i nice and neat. It also lets you wear the BE6i around your neck when you aren’t using it; a feature that is more useful than it sounds.

The cable is of the flat and “tangle-free” variety. No real complaints here, as it gets the job done and doesn’t seem especially frail. The controls on the other hand, feel the exact opposite. They are housed in a brittle-feeling plastic box that doesn’t give me any faith in its ability to survive exposure to accidental force, such as being stepped on when dropped.

The controls do have good buttons though. While they could look more premium, they felt nice and tactile, making it easy for me to tell when I made a button and press and when I did not.



The charging port should be reworked as well. It is covered by a soft rubber plug that is connected to the controls’ housing. While this general concept is par for the course, the BE6i’s implementation of it is underwhelming. While it does a good job sealing out unwanted materials and liquids, it is difficult to open up and gives the BE6i an overall more cheap feeling.

Battery life, however, is phenomenal. I got around 10 hours of use, at medium volumes. Charging is quick as well, though I didn’t manage to get concretely measured times.

Bluetooth Performance

Bluetooth range is very good on the BE6i. I can listen to the BE6i even when my phone is in my back pocket or backpack! Unfortunately, however, the BE6i does stutter with each of my phones. It’s that huge pauses occur, but rather that small little hickups show up here and there. In one of my two hour listening sessions I recorded 40 hickups. This isn’t acceptable for an IEM of this price, especially given how many of its competitors work almost flawlessly, even for a lower price.

Comfort

The weight of the metal combined with the shell’s unwieldy shape makes it difficult to maintain a good seal, as they sag quite noticeably. Using the earhooks can help mitigate this issue, but only to a point.

Furthermore, they BE6i, especially when compared to Bluetooth IEMs like the Advanced Sound Model 3, is less than ideal for working out. Their weight and length make them more a burden than a blessing while running, and they protrude so far out from the ear that biking with them is out of the question.

While sitting in my office I got about three hours of use before the irritation forced me to stop using them. That’s not bad, but it certainly isn’t good. Days where I move around more I get less usable time as well. I couldn’t get even a mile of comfortable running in with them, earhooks and all.

Accessories


The BE6i is blessed with a good set of accessories. Inside the box you’ll find:

• 4x sets of foam eartips
• Micro-USB Charging cable
• 5x pairs of silicone eartips
• 1x Cable sinch
• 1x pair of ear-hooks

Summary
The BE6i is an interesting beast. It has nicely polished metal (and magnetic!) driver housings, but it’s not comfortable to wear. It has a great sound signature and really good accessories, but again, that doesn’t really matter too much if you can’t comfortably keep it in your ears. So while I think this is a really good step towards a compelling Hi-Fi tuned Bluetooth IEM from Optoma, I’d advise that you look elsewhere to find your cord-free audio.

Thanks For Reading!

Greetings Head-fi,

Today we're checking out another Bluetooth offering, the NuForce BE6i from Optoma.

Optoma isn't new to the audiophile world and in 2016 brought to us a slew of competitive high end, balanced armature earphones in the form of their HEM series. The BE6i is a very different product, serving as an updated and enhanced version of their original BE6 Bluetooth earphone. It utilizes simgle, titanium and magnesium coated, 10mm dynamic drivers per side to provide listeners with an accurate and distortion free experience.

With some good specs and impressive earphones elsewhere in the lineup. I have high hopes for the BE6i. Is the BE6i any good? Let's find out.

Disclaimer:

The BE6i was provided by Optoma free of charge for the purposes of a fair and impartial review. Big thanks to Jyri for reaching out to see if I would be interested. There is no financial incentive for writing this. All thoughts within this review are mine and do not represent Optoma or any other entity.

At the time of this review the BE6i was on sale for 79.99 USD. Check them out on Optoma's website or order them on Amazon;

https://www.optomausa.com/audioproduct/be6i

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWB1QAY?m=ALIR4ACG28TEW&ref_=v_sp_widget_detail_page



Packaging and Accessories:

The BE6i arrives in a very clean, well designed package with a grey and white color scheme. The front contains a glossy image of the earphones along with some branding while the rear provides some information about the unit and it's features. The side shows off the contents, of which there are quite a few that you gain access to upon opening the top flap. Doing this reveals a white cardboard box which greets you with the slogan, "Hear More. Feel More.".

The inner box contains the earphones on display in a dense foam inlay with a carrying case above that which holds the accessories. In all you get a great selection;

- BE6i earphones
- hard-shell carrying case
- microUSB charge cable
- stabilizing ear fins
- removable cable cinch
- wide bore silicone tips (s/m/l)
- small bore silicone tips (s/m/l)
- Comply T500 isolation foam tips (m/l)

Hidden away underneath the foam inlay and carrying case is the safety manual and a basic user guide. You can tell this is a truly global product as the safety manual contains notifications in 25 different languages. Wow.

It's a solid unboxing experience with a slew of quality accessories. You should be able to find something to personalize the fit of your BE6i.

Build, Comfort, and Isolation:

The BE6i is IPX5 certified and emits a feeling of quality the moment you grasp the smooth, powder-coated aluminum shells. There is a very Sony-eqsue essence to the way they feel in hand, something I can only consider a positive. Fit and finish is stellar with the Nuforce 'NU' logo crisply cut into the rear of the housings. Also in the rear of each housing is a powerful magnet which allows them to clip together with authority, should you wish to dangle them around your neck when not in use. The section where the cable enter each housing is a combination of plastic and rubber. These pieces fit together with nary a seam, really only giving away their multi-part nature as a result of the varying textures and reflective qualities.

The flat cable the connect each ear piece was well chosen too. It's not so broad, stiff, or heavy that your movement causes it to tug and pull the BE6i out of place. It has plenty of flexibility too, with low bend memory to match. I didn't find myself fighting the cable at any point. In my experience, cable noise is generally more prominent with flat cables but this one isn't too bad in this regard. The included cinch you can install helps combat this should you find the cable microphonics too intrusive.

The only area of the BE6i that doesn't give off a premium air is the microphone and remote module. The plastics used just don't feel up to snuff with the materials found elsewhere. At least the ergonomics are solid with the three buttons being straightforward to locate with lots of space between them. This made it easy to differentiate between them and press what you want to press.

The BLU-200 from Brainwavz is similar in shape and design to the BE6i, cramming all the electronics into the housings. Given their physical similarities, I was worried the BE6i would fall short on providing a stable and comfortable fit. While I would prefer a more low profile housing, Optoma did a good job of making the BE6i's long, weighty design work, even if they look a touch ungainly sticking out of your ears.

The nozzles are fairly broad which combined with the meaty strain relief protrusions (though I hesitate to call them that) help distribute the weight of each ear piece fairly evenly. Unlike the BLU-200,I never experienced discomfort from the ear pieces tilting down due to the weight. Nor did I have issues with them breaking seal or falling out. The included silicone fins added that extra bit of stability when I opted to use them. Undoubtedly there are improvements that could be made by moving to a more ergonomic, low profile design, but the BE6i works fine just the way it is.

Isolation with silicone tips is not great. I would slot them into the "slightly below average" category. External noise like cars and voices bleed though no problem. Those who listen loud probably won't be bothered by it, but low volume listeners like myself will likely want to opt for the included Comply tips if strong isolation is needed. On the other hand, the weak isolation will allow you to hear what's going on around you, a nice quality to have when jogging, exercising in public, or simply out for a casual stroll. Safety first, right?

Connection Quality and Range:

The BE6i is up there at the top in terms of the stability and the quality of connection it creates and maintains with my devices. The connection process is simple and quick, and in a few weeks of use I've only experienced a few very brief stutters. I could force a disconnect in only one very specific instance; removing the right ear piece and setting it on my shoulder behind my collarbone, then covering it with my hand. Covering the device or ear piece in their entirety in any other location would do nothing. A somewhat odd, niche way of forcing a connection loss.

It's range is also pretty absurd at 98ft (30m), much more than the 30ft most sets offer. It shows too. I could set my phone or Shanling M1 anywhere in my apartment without any loss or degradation of connection no matter where I went.

Battery Performance:

At 8 hours, the BE6i has above average battery life, at least compared to what I'm used to. Likely due to my low volume listening, the BE6i was giving me closer to 8 hours 45 minutes of listening time which is pretty darn impressive, and much better than the equivalently price 2 hours you get with the Accutome Vega. Mind you those are fully wireless and include a charge case to help compensate for their mediocre stamina.

The first time the BE6i needed a charge, it took nearly three hours to complete, longer than the 2.5 hours it should take. Each subsequent charge fell in line with the specs. Considering most of the Bluetooth sets I've tried need 2 hours to provide 4-6 hours of play time, 2.5 hours for nearly nine hours is not bad at all.

Sound:

When Jyri suggested checking out the BE6i, I was initially a little hesitant. What clinched my acceptance was notification that they were tuned with a signature that was more serious, more HiFi focused. Something the Head-fi crowd would appreciate and enjoy. I had no reason the distrust this statement, but it was still something I wanted to test and hear for myself. I've enjoyed a number of Bluetooth headphones lately but there hasn't been a ton of variety in their signatures, so something unique would be a welcome change of pace. After spending a few weeks with the BE6i, it certainly seems like they are targeting the discerning listener more than the average, bass-loving consumer.

My glimpse of this was an even balance between treble, mid-range, and bass. The BE6i isn't saddled with a typically strong, v-shaped signature. Instead, Optoma has opted (hehe) for a more mellow treble and bass presence in line with the mid-range, with just a slice of warmth swen in for good measure. No particular aspect of the BE6i's sound clearly stands out as taking a lead role. It comes across as a very mild u-shaped signature at most, with slight lower treble and mid-bass humps tha add a bit of energy what could have been a very boring presentation. Given the lack of notable frequency spike, the BE6i was free of vocal and treble sibilance or harshness, even upon raising the volume to levels I wasn't particularly comfortable with.

Abundant detail retrieval and shocking clarity are not the BE6i's greatest strengths, though it certainly doesn't skimp in these areas. The important details are presented clearly, while some of the finer nuances in a track are smoothed over. You'll still hear the sharp intake of a quick breath across the textured strings of a guitar, it just won't be rife with the details and texture you'd get from a similarly priced wired earphone like Kinera H3 hybrid or Echobox Finder X1, both of which also happen to be significantly brighter (and bassier).

Sound stage and imaging are generally not areas where a Bluetooth set excels, but I can happily say I was more than pleased with what the BE6i was pulling off. There was none of the off-centre vagueness I usually hear. Channel transitions were shockingly smooth and consistent. Wide too. The BE6i can more sounds a good distance around you, and even bring in a respectable sense of height and depth, as experienced while playing Killzone: Mercenary and Wipeout 2048 on my PSVITA. It's a very dynamic presentation that I have previous experienced to a similar, but lesser, extent only in the ADVANCED Model 3 and SoundPEATS Q16.

Overall I found the BE6i a great sounding Bluetooth set. I would have been entirely content with this performance and balanced signature from a similarly prices wired set. Some extra detail and texture would always be welcome, but I'm not the complaining. As-is the BE6i sounds stellar.

Final Thoughts:

The BE6i stands out as one of the best Bluetooth offerings I have come across to date. They're well designed, well-built, and unexpectedly comfortable despite fairly long, weighty ear pieces. They aren't an earphone you will have to baby, as evidenced by their IPX5 water resistance rating, bulletproof materials, and impressive fit and finish. To add to that good battery life at at least 8 hours, a wireless connection quality that is second to none, and some 10mm drivers that output one of the more impressive audio experiences I've come across in the wireless world, and you've got yourself a very good product.

Normally I would slot in some areas that could be improved upon, but the BE6i is such a complete product, I don't feel it necessary this time. Optoma knocked it out of the park with this one. Good job!

Thanks for reading!

- B9Scrambler

Some Test Tunes:

Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid (Album)
Elton John - Yellow Golden Brick Road (Album)
King Crimson - Lark's Tongues in Aspic (Album)
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black (Track)
Supertramp - Crime of the Century (Album)
Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians (Album)
Infected Mushroom - Legend of the Black Shawarma (Album)
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Album)
Massive Attack - Mezzanine (Album)
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors (Album)
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels (Album)
The Prodigy - The Day is My Enemy (Album)
Tobacco - screw*d Up Friends
Felt - Felt 2 (A Tribute to Lisa Bonet)

With the very recent announcement of the headphone jack-less iPhone 7, many folks will be scrambling to find portable headphone or in-ear monitor solutions that won’t require the traditional headphone TRS plug. No wonder the sales of Bluetooth headphones has been steadily increasing over the past few years and it appears that the designers at NuForce have just released a product that has stepped up to fit the bill perfectly. The new NuForce BE6i in-ear monitors are my wireless IEMs. Yes, I’ve used Bluetooth headphones like the Bose QC35i or PuroSound Labs BT5200 (reviewed here: http://headphone.guru/puro-sound-labs-bt5200-bluetooth-headphones-incredible-audio-bang-for-your-buck/), but in-ear monitors are totally new for me. I suppose their extremely small form factor has made shrinking the amplifier/DSP to a point where they would work for a pair of in-ear monitors has been a challenge. With full sized headphones, designers took advantage of the larger earcups to place this technology; but no such advantages existed with IEMs. That’s certainly not the case anymore as the engineers at NuForce have been able to reduce the size of the IEM amplifier/DSP to a point where it not only works for IEMs, but is so small that it really is quite impressive and never becomes cumbersome as the small addition to the cable for the electronics really stays out of your way and works brilliantly.  Previously reviewed NuForce’s impresseive NE800M in-ear monitors (http://headphone.guru/the-nuforce-ne800m-in-ear-monitors-the-tradition-continues/) and was quite impressed with their build quality, noise isolation and overall sonic capabilities. Thankfully the BE6i IEMs continue in that tradition without having to be physically tied down to your player. Throw in a more neutral presentation and I was hooked.

Upon opening the box, I could tell that a lot of thought went around not just the in-ear monitors and supplied case, but the packaging as well. For $129.99 US, the value proposition of the BE6i’s is quite impressive. Outstanding crafted aluminum casing for the IEM shells is not only very handsome, but offers a good amount of robustness with regards to the wear and tear that portable headphones and IEMs often go through. The headphone cable that links the left to the right monitor is very well constructed and thick enough to withstand your daily grind no matter what you throw at it (save for a pair of scissors that is). NuForce also mentions that these IEMs are IPX5 certified for greater protection from moisture. Be it rain or sweat, you won’t have to worry about the BE6i’s as they can keep up with your very active lifestyle. The carrying case as well is small and protective. I’m a big fan of this case (that is also included with their flagship HEM8 quad-balanced driver in-ear monitors). Overall I was quite happy with the entire package and was happy to see all of the thought and care that went into developing this product.
The full specifications for the BE6is are:
 
I primarily put the BE6i IEMs through their paces while I was on-the-go and away from home. I literally wore them everywhere. From my workplace, to grocery shopping and while I took some long walks around the neighbourhood. My main source was my iPhone 6 as it’s pretty much with me at all times. Setups of the wireless BE6i IEMs and my iDevices all went smoothly and only took a minute or so.

The Tragically Hip is one of the truly quintessential Canadian rock bands. Unlike Rush, they’re international success has been limited, but here in The Great White North, they have provided us with a brilliant soundtrack to our nation for the past 20+ years. Being a bit nostalgic due to the recent brain cancer diagnosis of lead singer Gord Downie, I’ve been re-discovering some of the band’s greatest albums and tracks. If I could recommend just one album to recommend from this classic rock band, it would be Fully Completely. This album was released at the band’s zenith back in 1993; I was in my third year of Engineering and when this thing dropped, it blew my mind! The BE6i paired brilliantly with this album. These IEMs where able to convey this album’s raw energy fully and completely. Listening to “Wheat Kings” the initial loon call and background sounds of nature were eerily portrayed and regardless of being IEMs, the sound staging that they were able to portray was quite impressive and competed with IEMs costing 2-3 times more. Gord’s vocals were upfront, clear and filled with energy.
His ability to belt out energetic vocals as in “Fifty Mission Cap” was so very satisfying. The tragic story of Bill Barilko’s untimely death at 24 after scoring the game winner to win the Toronto Maple Leafs the Stanley Cup in the 1951 Cup Finals was all laid bare with these lyrics. And the BE6i certainly did this song’s vocals wonderful justice. See what I mean about The Hip being a truly Canadian band? The bass performance of these IEMs is definitely a strong suit. While a bit north of neutral, the bass is very enjoyable and never overblown. Instead it goes down deep and sounds very controlled and textured. The treble as well seemed a bit more energetic that neutral and yielded a very fun listen. I never thought it came off as bright or strident. Overall, I was very impressed with how these IEMs handled this classic rock album and considering their very affordable price point, the value proposition of these IEMs is quite impressive!

In order to test a headphone’s or IEM’s ability to portray an accurate and real sound stage, I often turn to Jazz at the Pawnshop recorded way back in 1976. While I was only starting kindergarten when this album was released, the sound quality is still legendary and this album is still immensely popular for both audiophiles and jazz fans alike! Well, the value proposition of the BE6i’s certainly shown through. All too often with affordably priced in-ear monitors, the imaging sounds closed-in and more “inside your head”. The BE6i IEMs conveyed a more open and natural sound scape that portrayed the players and audience members as more around me than in my head. This type of sound staging is possible with IEMs, but they typically cost over $300. The minute details of the recording were very well preserved and the overall enjoyment factor was quite high.

Overall, these IEMs have hit all the right notes. They offer a very strong performing wireless experience without dropouts, or difficulty of setting up. They are comfortable and can be used for hours without a hint of fatigue. They offer outstanding noise isolation and are built like little tanks and sound really, really good! And best yet, the come in at only $129.99. If you’re picked up a new iPhone 7 (or are on the waiting list for one like I am), then I strongly suggest you check these in-ear monitors out…you won’t be disappointed! Very highly recommended!