Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 Review | 93 Data compared

The Beoplay H9 headphones deliver an premium, lifestyle-oriented experience highlighted by exceptional Scandinavian design, robust build quality, and a warm, engaging "Signature Sound". Constructed with high-end materials like anodized aluminum and genuine memory-foam-filled lambskin leather, they offer remarkable long-term comfort despite a brief initial break-in period. Sonically, the headphones feature a fun, forgiving audio profile with deep bass and a wide stereo image, making them highly flattering for modern casual listening on genres like pop and electronic music. Furthermore, they practical additions like user-replaceable batteries—doubling the 14-hour battery life with a spare—and the ability to play passively via an included 3.5mm audio cable. However, the headphones suffer from several functional omissions and user-interface issues that compromise daily usability. The touch-sensitive controls on the right earcup are highly unreliable, and the lack of multi-device Bluetooth pairing requires tedious manual resetting every time you switch devices. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is noticeably gentler than market leaders like Bose and Sony, and the headphones lack contemporary premium features such as a USB-C charging port, a solid travel hard case, a folding design, proximity...

The MusicPhotoLife review of the Beoplay H9 highlights premium over-ear, ANC-enabled headphones with signature Bang & Olufsen sound, characterized by sparkling highs and deep bass. While the companion app's ToneTouch feature allows for sound customization, the review notes a reduction in midrange warmth and increased sibilance when Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is activated. The Beoplay H9 features a luxurious build available in Black and Argilla Grey, though the ANC is less aggressive than competitors like Bose and Sony. Although a slight, ignorable hiss exists, the headphones provide effective noise cancellation against low-frequency environments.

The WhistleOut review positions the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 as an ultra-premium, $649 wireless headset featuring luxurious materials like genuine leather and lambskin, offering exceptional, balanced, and detailed sound quality. Standout pros include superior build quality and comfort for long-term wear, alongside a unique user-replaceable battery system. Conversely, the review highlights the 14-hour battery life as merely decent for the high price, and notes that the headphones do not collapse into a highly compact form factor, limiting portability. Despite these minor drawbacks and a high cost, the review concludes the H9s offer a premium experience that justifies the luxury investment.

The BeoPlay H9 over-ear wireless headphones offer premium sound quality, upgraded leather ear cushions, and active noise cancellation (ANC) that can be easily toggled on and off. The audio performance is highly detailed across a 20 to 22,000 Hertz frequency range, delivering crisp highs, lush mids, and deep, rich bass without thinning out. Battery performance is solid, providing 14 hours of playback with both Bluetooth 4.2 and ANC enabled, 16 hours on Bluetooth alone, and up to 21 hours when used with a wired connection and ANC active. Additionally, pairing the device is straightforward via a simple Bluetooth slider switch on the frame. However, the headphones suffer from several functional drawbacks, particularly regarding their finicky touch controls located on the brushed aluminum right ear cup. The reviewer experienced a glitch where the touch interface accidentally redialled a contact and subsequently failed to automatically route the call audio to the headset, forcing the user to manually switch the audio source on their phone. Furthermore, while the active noise cancellation is decent, it is not industry-leading and falls short when compared to...

The B&O BeoPlay H9 is a luxury over-ear headphone that delivers immensely rich audio across all frequencies and an expansive, immersive soundstage owing to its large earcups. It provides a comfortable fit for extended use. This is achieved through premium materials like anodized aluminum and real lambskin/cowhide leather padding. The active noise-cancellation works subtly to suppress external hiss. This approach enhances bass impact with punch and purpose. It does this without creating an uncomfortable, vacuum-like sensation. However, the headphones come with a high price tag. They exhibit several design and functional flaws. The matte plastic finish on the main section of the earcup looks cheap compared to the shiny aluminum surrounds. Additionally, the gesture controls on the earcups can be inconsistent. For example, the volume wheel motion often fails to respond, and there is no track-skip option. The device relies on an outdated Micro-USB charging port. Furthermore, its battery life falls short of the advertised 16 hours, especially at high volumes. A major drawback is that the Bluetooth connection fails to disengage or time-out when idle. This issue frequently results...

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 Gen 1 are well-built, premium, and comfortable over-ear headphones, offering a heavy bass-forward sound profile. However, their performance is limited by underperforming active noise cancellation, significant sound leakage, and a short 14-hour battery life. Additionally, the touch-sensitive controls are reported to be finicky and unresponsive during daily use.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9Go are described in The Verge review as luxury, $499 wireless headphones featuring exceptional comfort, premium build quality with lambskin ear cushions, and effective, natural-sounding active noise cancellation. While offering a superior, wide soundstage when wired, the headset is marred by an inconsistent wireless experience, particularly with its finicky touch controls and an overly aggressive, bloated bass response when used over Bluetooth. The reviewer notes that the loose fit causes the headphones to move while walking, introducing unwanted mechanical noise and wind interference. Ultimately, despite the high-end aesthetics and comfortable design, the H9 falls short of perfection, with the sound and control issues leading to a "complicated" recommendation.

The B&O Beoplay H9 over-ear wireless headphones offer a luxurious, premium design crafted from genuine metal and stitched leather, delivering an exceptionally stylish aesthetic and a robust, long-lasting build quality. They are highly commended for their excellent consumer-focused sound quality, featuring robust, impactful bass that remains clear without becoming muddy, alongside top-tier, highly effective active noise cancellation (ANC). Additionally, the earcups provide plush foam padding that ensures comfort for several hours of continuous listening, while the package includes functional accessories like a premium carry bag, flight adapter, auxiliary cable, and charging cable. On the downside, the Beoplay H9 comes with a steep price tag of $499, making them a significant investment. Reviewers noted that the padding under the headband is somewhat thin, which can cause mild irritation on top of the head during extended use. The earcups feature modern touch controls, but they require a surprisingly firm press to register commands. Furthermore, the battery life is relatively modest at 14 hours when utilizing both Bluetooth and ANC. Finally, the headphones do not fold up, and the inclusion of a soft...