Before reading this, there is an extremely high chance that if you buy Bang & Olufsen A8s from eBay, they will be fake. Here, i will inform you of the smallest differences in great detail, and what to look out for when buying these earphones.

Firstly, i am a proud Bang & Olufsen A8 owner, and i have bought my earphones from a genuine B&O Store in my city (Collins Street, Melbourne).
I have also owned fake Bang & Olufsen A8s, which were purchased through eBay. All the information in this guide is from my experiences with both types of earphones, and from my constant monitoring of Bang & Olufsen A8 eBay listings. I advise you not to take any of this information lightly, unless you are willing to purchase fake Bang & Olufsen A8s.

Please spread reviews like this to help prevent the sales of and therefore the production of counterfeit goods.

How to identify the differences.

There are many types of fake Bang & Olufsen earphones. Please keep in mind every difference to identify them.

This review is based from buying the product listed as new. Used items may vary in what is included or not.

The first three of the following differences are distinguishable on most eBay listings. The others require close attention to detail and are indistinguishable by image.

1. The box.
This is by far the most distinguishable difference as Bang & Olufsen changed their box design whilst counterfeit earphones still come in the "old style" boxes. Brand new Bang & Olufsen A8s come in a black cardboard box with Bang & Olufsen written on one side and the B&O logo on the other side. They're printed on in silver, not embossed, and are centred on their respective side of the box. The box opens with a flip top lid. Fake earphones still come in the old box design; being the same as the new design but with thicker, uncoloured cardboard with black printing.
Note, many fakes come with the cardboard box within another black box, often claimed to be the "gift box". These "gift boxes" have pull-off lids with Bang & Olufsen followed by the B&O logo in the bottom right corner, embossed in silver. Earphones which come in these "gift boxes" are fake.

2. The stopper at the end of each arm.
The easiest way of identifying a set of fake Bang & Olufsen A8s, is by the stopper at the end of the black rubber 'arm'. Authentic earphones have black stoppers. Some fakes also have black stoppers, however they can be pulled off easily.
If the stoppers are silver, they're fake without question. Some say Bang & Olufsen manufacture new editions of the earphones, this is not true. There is only one design of these earphones and Bang & Olufsen have no reason to be changing this. Silver stoppers are fake.

3. The black leather pouch.
Each pair of Bang & Olufsen earphones come with a black leather pouch. If this isn't included in the listing, they are fake earphones. However, many fakes also come with pouches. You require a reasonably good quality image to identify fake pouches.
The main give away is the shape. Authentic Bang & Olufsen pouches are a perfect semi-circle, excluding the opening flap. Many fakes have a rounded-square pouch.
Authentic pouches are made from very thick leather, and the pouch has an increase in depth from the edges to the middle, to make room for the earphones inside. This is clearly visible in comparison to fake pouches, which are flat, and made of very thin synthetic leather.
Fake pouches are also very flimsy and flexible. Authenic pouches are very thick, making them tough and durable. They measure at around 2cm in depth (from the front of the opening flap, to the back), whereas fakes are often less than 1cm in depth.
The Bang & Olufsen logo on an authentic pouch, is embossed in a small, uppercase font on the bottom left of the opening flap. It does not go past the middle of the case. Also, like all Bang & Olufsen products, the leather case is made with extreme quality. The stitching is absolutely perfect.

4. Black rubber arms.
The arms of authentic A8s are made from hard, black rubber with a glossy appearance. Again, they are manufactured perfectly. Some fakes also have rubber arms, however they are often badly cut to fit between the two aluminium seperators. Other fake A8s often have solid plastic, which can appear dark grey in bright light.

5. Aluminium spine & logo.
Hold the earphone close to your ear and run your finger quickly down the spine. If they are authentic, you will hear a high pitched sound. This is because the aluminium has been brushed perpendicular to the spine, which is actually visible upon very close inspection. I did not try this with the fake earphones, however i'm assuming they are not manufactured in the same way, so it should not occur.
In addition, the writing on the spine should not be embossed into the aluminium. In very bright light, authentic logos on the spine will appear as a grey, and in normal light, black. The colour is very distinguishable between the bright and normal light. Some fake logos are grey in normal light. With quality in mind, the logo is printed on perfectly. Fakes often have faint letters or completely faded prints.

6. Bottom of the aluminium spine.
On authentic earphones, at the bottom of the spine, between the protusion to the earpiece and the rubber protecting the cord, there is a 2mm high feature of aluminium. This is the same width of the extended section of the spine and not of the main spine with the Bang & Olufsen branding. Some fakes have this part the same width as the sliding piece with the Band & Olufsen branding.

7. Earpiece without earpads.
The silver speaker cover of the earpeice should be reflective. Fakes often feature dull and even semi-transparent speaker covers. You should not be able to see the speaker through it.

8. Extension cord.
The extension cord included with Bang & Olufsen A8s, has an identical rubber and plastic input protector as the earphones themselves. Fakes often have a completely differently designed extension cord and some have gold connectors with L-shaped plugs.

9. Plastic packaging seals.
The two pairs of earpads come in resealable plastic packaging. It should have transparent seals. If it has red seals, the earphones are fake.

10. User guide.
The guide that comes with authentic Bang & Olufsen A8s is not stapled. Some fakes also have "HIFI EARPHONE" written on the bottom right of the front page. It should have the B&O logo in grey.

11. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment booklet.
Authentic A8s should come with a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment booklet for environmental protection.

There are even more differences betweens authentic and fake A8s, however by now you should've been able distinguish your earphones, or the ones you're looking to purchase


Tips to purchasing.

Take precaution when purchasing your Bang & Olufsen A8s, as you can distinguish them by the listing and seller, or you may not be able to distinguish them as fakes until you have received them.

1. Analize images.
Using the ten points above, try to identify the item as authentic before you are willing to pay.

2. Make sure the price is realistic.
Bang & Olufsen A8s retailed at $215AUD in Australia when i purchased mine in 2007. Check the retail price in your country by contacting an authorised seller. Do not think the retail price on eBay listings is correct. They're often exaggerated, sometimes even stating that they're worth $400.
If the listing is for Buy It Now, it should not be any more than 20% less than retail. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Pay with PayPal.
If you're unsure whether your item is fake, it's better to be safe than sorry. Sellers often get caught selling fake earphones, and therefore close their eBay accounts before sending the items out to those who've purchased them.

4. Make sure the seller accepts refunds.
Once again, just to be on the safe side. Many of those who sell fake A8s do not accept refunds.


Remember, you're alot better off spending a bit more buying Bang & Olufsen A8s from a B&O Store for peace of mind and also to receive a two year warranty on their earphones, and you can only be guaranteed a warranty if puchasing from a B&O Store, due to their electronic warranty database.

I hope this information is helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to read it, and all the best in purchasing your Bang & Olufsen A8s.