Boardroom buds with bite

B&O CISCO 950: DNA OF BANG & OLUFSEN, ENTERPRISE PEDIGREE OF NOTE

- Arthur Goldstuck

The B&O Cisco 950 earbuds prove business audio doesn't have to sound or look corporate. You'd expect business earbuds to look like an afterthought. You wouldn't expect them to carry the minimalist DNA of Bang & Olufsen, or the enterprise pedigree of Cisco.

The B&O Cisco 950 earbuds flip that script. This is corporate gear that wouldn't look out of place at a design studio in Copenhagen.

The collaboration pairs the Scandinavian brand's signature attention to detail with Cisco's unified communications experience. The earbuds are for the working world, but with the sensibility of high-end consumer design.

On my first video call, the difference was obvious: vocal clarity has a natural, full presence. The tuning avoids the usual compression artefacts and flattened tones. My meeting participants sounded more human, less filtered.

The buds deliver rich mid-tones and crisp high-end frequencies that prioritise spoken voice and ambient detail. They handle complex vocal scenarios, like group meetings, hybrid calls and interviews on the move, well.

Noise cancellation is adaptive and refined. It filters out what's needed, like computer cooling fans and traffic drone. An ambient mode allows the outside world in when one needs awareness.