Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 Headphone Review: Over-Ear Icons (2024)

If you’re a fan of the Scandi lifestyle, you probably know all about some of the region’s most famous companies.

There’s the Georg Jensen brand — best known for its stunning home and jewelry collections.

Alternatively, if you’re more of a fashion fan, how about checking out Rains, the rainwear company with an incredible focus on aesthetics?

While there are plenty of Scandi brands to discover, perhaps the best known of all is Bang and Olufsen. One of the most popular audio companies globally, to incredible audio technology that combines performance and style.

These days, you can get your hands on B&O headphones and speakers around the world.

Today, we’re going to be reviewing a popular headset from the Bang and Olufsen Beoplay range. The B&O Beoplay H9 is a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones offering comfort, style, and performance for the modern audiophile.

Let’s take a closer look.

B&O Beoplay H9 review: Tech specs

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 headphones are a top-selling pair of over-ear ANC headphones. This headset doesn’t just play amazing music; it also blocks out the distracting sound around you that could detract from your audio experience.

These comfortable ANC headphones have a touch interface and a massive battery life.

Tech specs include:

• Active Noise Cancellation
• 40mm electro-dynamic driver
• 93dB @ 1kHz / Mw driver sensitivity
• 20 – 22,000 Hz range
• Custom presets available
• Dimensions: 197 W x 200 H x 52 D
• Weight: 295g
• Battery: Up to 33 hours
• Approximate charging time of 3 hours
• Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity
• AptX, AAC, CvC and SBC codecs
• 2 x MEMs voice mic
• Multipoint connectivity1.2m audio cable
• 3.5mm mini jack

B&O Beoplay H9 review: Design

Bang and Olufsen is a popular company for audio fans for many reasons. The brand creates some of the most striking speakers and comfortable headsets around.

Bang & Olufsen headphones also stand out for their incredible style. The B&O Beoplay H9 headset embodies the iconic minimalist style of Scandinavia.

Beautifully simple and elegant, the headphones designed by Jacob Wagner come in a selection of 5 colors, each offering super-soft ear cushions and an extra-padded headband for long-term wear.

Even if you need to listen to your B&O headphones all day, you won’t have to worry about pinching or excess weight. The extra-spacious earcups also offer excellent breathability.

The ANC headphones from Bang and Olufsen are a true experience in luxury listening. Soft memory foam and lambskin ear cups provide amazing comfort, while the polished aluminum and cowhide leather allow for long-term durability.

The controls of the B&O headphones are also all touch activated, so you don’t have to worry about bulky buttons detracting from the look. Tap on the earcup to control volume and tracks with ease.

The controls on this B&O Beoplay H9 headset are extremely intuitive and easy to learn. However, you might accidentally knock the controls from time to time.

If you prefer to avoid touch control entirely, the integrated Google Assistant means that you can check the weather, ask for your favorite track, or call a friend hands-free with no problem.

B&O Beoplay H9 review: Features

The B&O Beoplay H9 headset is an intuitive tool for music listeners, equipped with expertly tuned acoustics and sensational materials throughout. There’s an Active Noise Cancellation mode, which really benefits this B&O headset.

The technology within your headphones will examine your surroundings and block out any unwanted distractions.

When you need to listen to the outside world, Transparency Mode ensures that you can hear what’s going on with ease. Alongside active noise cancellation, the Beoplay headset comes with a microphone for hands-free calling and a dedicated button for your voice assistant.

Even with Bluetooth and ANC turned on, you can still enjoy up to 25 hours of battery life with this set of cans.

Of course, if you want a pair of world-changing headphones, then you may need to spend a little more on them.

These headphones usually sell for around $450, and come with features like:

• Background noise control with ANC settings
• Transparency mode to listen to the outside world
• Easy-to-use touch controls
• Smart assistant access with dedicated button
• Bass port for deeper sound
• Two dedicated microphones for hands-free calling
• Over-ear comfort with memory foam
• Multi-connection options (pair 2 devices at once)
• 10-meter operating range
• 25 hours of battery with ANC and Bluetooth on

B&O Beoplay H9 review: Performance

Looks are clearly a big component driving the success of the B&O Beoplay H9. However, there’s more to this headset than aesthetics.

From a connectivity perspective, you get a strong Bluetooth 4.2 range, with multi-device connectivity available.

You can link up to 8 devices, and pair with 2 at a time. Your smart assistant also helps you to manage your music easily, with a dedicated button on the left cup to launch the assistant easily.

You’ll also have access to the B&O headset app, which allows you to check your battery life, play with EQ options, and apply sound filters too.

Volume on the B&O headphones is phenomenal, and the audio sounds amazing, with a fantastic bass boost and plenty of crisp tones at the higher ends too. The slightly wider earcups help to improve the sound stage, so you don’t feel too hemmed in.

Additionally, we particularly like the fact that you can choose from a range of EQs to find the sound that works best for you.

Another point to note is that the microphone clarity on these headphones is quite decent too.

Although you won’t sound crystal clear when taking hands-free calls, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem using your Bang & Olufsen headphones to connect with friends.