When it comes to high-end audio equipment, Bang and Olufsen are often first to mind and are even more frequently discussed because of the luxuriousness their products bring to the table. With the cheapest pair of in-ear headphones starting at S$299 and Bluetooth speakers starting at S$399, it has been safe for the average consumer to assume that they will have to save for years before they make any significant purchases from B&O Play.
Ironically, it was this kind of inaccessibility of cost that drove the brand to fame in the early days. As the last few decades have proven, B&O Play has never been the type that seeks to save money during the creation process, which is especially evidenced by the Beolab 90 speakers. What appears to be abstract art on first glance is actually a speaker, purposefully engineered to look exactly as it does because of the indescribable sounds that particular shape allows the speaker to produce.
For cost-conscious consumers hoping to break into the headphone world at B&O Play, the savings plan no longer needs to be as long as it was initially drawn up to be, but make no mistake; no sacrifices were made at B&O Play to reduce the cost or quality of the audio equipment produced. Instead, the technological market has matured to the point that allows the same equipment and quality of sound to be produced for a reduced price.
One of the newer sets of headphones that fall in the more affordable headphone category, the BeoPlay H9 wireless headphones, is perhaps the most exciting pair to dig into yet.
The Unboxing
It seems rather odd to be awed or stunned by the beauty a pair of headphones has, but that’s the best first visual impression I can share. Despite the headphones going over the ear, the design and color are deliberately reserved, as if tastefully doubling for non-durable and non-waterproof winter gear. Only after these headphones are in hand can one truly admire their construction; the ear cases are single, precisely cut pieces of aluminum and the motion of the ear cups, both on and off the head, is fluid. The headband is wrapped in leather and the ear cups are made of lambskin, just to reiterate the luxuriousness B&O Play sees in their own brand. While it is hard to deny the beauty the BeoPlay H9 headphones bring to the table, the aesthetics are not the driving force behind sales.
Sound Experience
The primary purpose and original design of the headphone is to provide one listener with a private listening experience. Over the years, headphones of all sizes and sound qualities have been produced. While shopping for headphones consumers constantly negotiate between cost and sound quality, for it is typically the quality of sound the headphone produces that dictates the price it sells for.
To make measuring and pricing sound quality even more difficult, there is no real black-and-white, good-versus-bad scale to consult. Thus, evaluating the sounds produced by any pair of headphones is not only a personal decision but also a subjective choice as well – it’s all about deciding what sounds best to you, the individual listener, and then evaluating what fits within the constraints of your budget.
All that considered, the BeoPlay H9 headphones were certainly designed to be a particularly crowd-pleasing piece of audio equipment. The best way to describe the sound is to say that it has body, or a presence that resonates with the listener in ways that other speakers have not been able to create. The song coming through the speakers isn’t the same track you’ve heard over countless other speakers. Instead, the combination of precision and range of sound the BeoPlay H9 headphones produce makes the listening experience feel one step closer to a live performance and one step removed from the daily grind.
The designers at B&O Play worked hard to make this set of headphones sound precisely the way it does. The BeoPlay H9s land somewhere between studio precision and heavy-hitting bass, all while retaining the key attributes of both headphone designs. The bass still resonates while the sound has a clarity and precision infrequently heard in most bass-oriented headphones.
To delve into the specifics of where these “bass” and “precision” terms are coming from, allow me to digress to the subject of standard headphone evaluation. Most basically, headphones are evaluated by the ways the treble, mid-range, and bass ranges sound. A good bass sound is both powerful but controlled and not overwhelming. The mid-range should come through sounding smooth and almost buttery, blending the bass and treble ranges both artistically and tonally.
A quality treble sound, which is commonly neglected, should make a powerful impact on your overall impression of the music without feeling like it’s piercing straight through your eardrum or taking over the piece. The treble range in music is akin to finishing salts or garnishments in cooking; they are meant to bring texture and interest and without them the song or dish often falls short or feels incomplete. All too often, the delicate sounds in the treble range are lost and the sharp or dramatic sounds become grating at best.
The awesome bass of the BeoPlay H9s has already been discussed, but it should be noted that designers at B&O Play paid the same special attention to the treble range on the H9s, and their efforts become readily apparent on the first listen. Even the most delicate sounds come through, adding texture and interest to even the most over-played music.
In a fair evaluation, all three components should be measured together as a complete sound experience rather than individually. It is without hesitation that I say the complete sound experience the BeoPlay H9 headphones offer is astounding. They can be aggressively loud, surprisingly cautious, and consistently accurate, creating a portrait of sound unlike any I’ve truly experienced. While these headphones are not designed for serious music production they do provide a superior sound experience, leaving the listener engaged, satisfied, and hungry for more.
Sound Isolation
Part of the appeal of headphones is the ability to transport oneself to a private world, despite sharing a flight with a crying infant or navigating public transportation. When it comes to a pure sound experience, uninterrupted by even the jackhammer on the corner, B&O Play demonstrates their superiority once again in the noise cancellation arena.
The BeoPlay H9s are designed to be snug on the listener’s head (but are surrounded by smooth lambskin ear pads to keep the snugness comfortable) and are excellent at keeping extraneous noise out and the music in, meaning the listener is not interrupted by the world around him or her and the listener is not disrupting those in the immediate vicinity.
Wireless Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
One undeniable factor contributing to the excellent sound isolation of the BeoPlay H9s is the active noise cancellation feature. Instead of just providing a snug fit to keep sounds on both sides of the headphones where they belong, the designers at B&O Play make use of hybrid active noise cancellation system over two microphones and have targeted both high and low frequencies with seemingly no additional stress on the battery. Simply touching the panel on the right ear cup where all other controls are executed activates and deactivates the ANC feature.
Battery Life
B&O Play advertises the H9s will play music for 14 continuous hours with the ANC feature activated before needing a 3-hour break to fully recharge. In the same style as other wireless headphones, the designers at B&O Play included a removable battery so that the consumer could swap in a replacement should the need present itself. Talk about thinking ahead.
The BeoPlay H9s also possess a battery-saving feature that powers the headphones off after a period of idle time should you forget the turn them off yourself. In terms of battery life and the additional removable battery feature, B&O Play offers all the reliability that a traditional set of headphones does without the cumbersome cord.
Comfort
As previously mentioned, the body of the BeoPlay H9 headphones is constructed entirely from aluminum. The metal chassis implies both weight and discomfort but the use of aluminum makes the headphones both light and durable. Of course, the aluminum body does add weight over the traditional headphone design, but once the headphones are snugly on the listener’s head the weight is no longer an issue. The BeoPlay H9s are made with a sturdier headband and extra-cushiony ear cups. The sturdy band puts greater pressure on the ear cups but the extra cushion displaces the pressure so evenly it becomes hardly noticeable. That being said, it did take a moment to adjust to the pressure. After I had, I hardly noticed it and found the extra isolation worth it.
Durability
As is common with B&O Play products, the BeoPlay H9 wireless headphones are made with exclusively high quality materials so they’ll stand up to any abuse your head can put them through but, as is true with most other high-quality headphones, you’ll want to take care of these babies when they’re not in use. The aluminum chassis on this set of headphones has been mentioned on several occasions and that same chassis helps give these headphones their durability. The aluminum alone, however, does not qualify these headphones as a good fit for the extreme outdoorsperson but instead is better suited for daily commuting or studying use.
Drawbacks
For most consumers, the price is the primary disadvantage the BeoPlay H9s face. For a whopping $499, these headphones aren’t even the best on the market. The brand name and design are where a good deal of the extra cost can be found and for some consumers this is a non-issue. For the cost-conscious consumer, these headphones certainly don’t fetch the biggest bang for your buck but they do offer a luxurious overall experience only B&O Play has mastered.
The Final Decision: Are BeoPlay H9 Wireless Headphones for Me?
To choose or pass on the BeoPlay H9s boils down to a matter of values and tradeoffs. Do you choose sound quality or affordability? Comfortable or cutting edge? In the same way that evaluating sound quality is highly personal and subjective, so too is choosing a pair of headphones.
If you are a consumer looking to break into the B&O Play headphone world at an affordable price the BeoPlay H9 wireless headphones make a great fit, but let me ensure your expectations are crystal clear. While these headphones are approaching professional-level price, they are incomparable to premium, professional-level audio products. These headphones certainly approach the professional level more than other consumer models do but it’s ultimately the brand responsible for the steep price, not the professional sound quality.
If you are a consumer looking for a great sounding pair of headphones and are willing to splurge these headphones make a great fit. They’re durable, they look good, and the sound experience they produce is unrivaled by any other headphone in its class. The musical journey they take you on is hard to leave once you embark.