Gadget of the Week: Boardroom
buds with bite

You’d expect business earbuds to look like an afterthought: something handed out in bulk at a conference. 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 from the first time one opens its brushed-aluminium case. This is corporate gear that wouldn’t look out of place at a design studio in Copenhagen or a café in Cape Town.

The collaboration pairs the Scandinavian audio brand’s signature attention to detail with Cisco’s unified communications experience. The result isn’t flashy, but composed and intentional. These earbuds are made for the working world but bring the sensibility of high-end consumer design into the fold.

They behave well too. On my first video call, the difference became obvious: vocal clarity has a natural, full presence. It’s less “telephone voice” and more “meeting across the table”. The tuning avoids the usual compression artefacts and flattened tones. My meeting participants sounded more human, rather than filtered.

Since the buds are not tuned for nightclub bass or artificial sparkle, they deliver rich mid-tones and crisp high-end frequencies that prioritise spoken voice and ambient detail. There’s enough depth to enjoy music, but that’s a side benefit. The real value is how well they handle complex vocal scenarios, like group meetings, hybrid calls, and interviews on the move.

Noise cancellation is adaptive and refined. Rather than creating an artificial sense of isolation, it filters out what’s needed, like computer cooling fans and traffic drone. An ambient mode allows the outside world in when one need awareness, with a toggle that’s responsive and natural.

The fit is where the luxury DNA really shows. The earbuds nestle into the ear with a balance of firmness and lightness, avoiding the pressure points that plague most long-session headsets. There was little itch to take them out after a long session.

Cisco’s contribution goes beyond branding. The 950 integrates tightly with the Webex platform and is fully manageable through Cisco’s admin tools. That makes it appealing for IT departments that want secure, trackable endpoints across distributed teams. Enterprise security, firmware updates, and user management are all handled behind the scenes. It’s not a consumer talking point, but it makes the earbuds viable for large-scale deployment.

Battery life is modest but consistent. I got just under five hours per charge with adaptive ANC (active noise cancellation) on, and the case adds two to three recharges. It’s not record-breaking, but it hit the sweet spot for office use.

Pairing and switching were frictionless. With dual-device connectivity, my laptop and phone stayed connected simultaneously, an issue that plagues me with other earbuds. The 950 allowed fluid transitions as calls came in or content switched between devices. It’s a simple feature that saves annoying fiddling.

Controls are responsive and understated. The capacitive touch areas aren’t overloaded with functions. A tap for play/pause and a long press for ANC toggle meant no steep learning curve.

There is also no attempt to mimic fitness buds or throw in gimmicks like motion controls. No voice assistants either, defaulting those to one’s phone. The earbuds stick to their purpose: premium tools for communication.

Specs at a glance: 

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 with simultaneous pairing for two Bluetooth devices plus one USB (on Teams model); range up to 10 metres
• Audio performance: 6 MEMS microphones with beamforming and noise suppression; 9.2 mm drivers; support for SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs
• Noise control: Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation that adjusts automatically; Transparency Mode for ambient awareness
• Battery life:
  • Up to 5 hours listening time with adaptive ANC
  • Up to 6 hours listening time with ANC
  • Up to 8 hours without ANC
  • 20 hours total with charging case (2.5 full recharges)
  • Qi wireless charging and USB-C fast charging (20 minutes = 1.5 hours use)
  • Charging time earbuds: 90 minutes in charging case
  • Charging time case (USB-C): 105 minutes
• Build and comfort:
  • Premium materials: aluminium, tempered glass, silicone, polymer
  • IP57 rated (dust and water resistant)
  • Earbuds: 6 g each; case: 53 g
• App and control:
  • Capacitive touch controls
  • Bang & Olufsen mobile app with Beosonic EQ and firmware updates
• Models available:
  • Standard Webex/UC version
  • Microsoft Teams certified version (includes USB-C adapter)

How much does it cost?

The B&O Cisco 950 earbuds are priced at the equivalent of up to R9,999 but are available only through Cisco business partners and enterprise tech resellers. They are primarily aimed at business users, and are often bundled with Webex device licences or packages.

Why should you care?

Most tech in the business audio category leans towards functional blandness. The B&O Cisco 950 brings aesthetic purpose and precise engineering to the space, without overreaching into lifestyle territory. It sets a new benchmark for what business audio tools can be.

What are the biggest negatives?

• No support for spatial audio or immersive media features.
• Priced at a premium that puts them beyond most solo users or freelancers.
• Not available through retail outlets.

What are the biggest positives?

• Refined, fatigue-free voice clarity for both input and output.
• Build quality and materials that reflect top-tier design principles.
• Seamless dual-device connection with tight Cisco platform integration.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-Chief of Gadget.co.za and author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI.