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B&O H9 Discussion and Impressions thread
Dec 12, 2016 at 10:05 AM Post #64 of 1,671
The noise cancelling appears to work well for me and there is noticeable.  I haven't been around terribly loud sounds (NYC subway or airplanes), but for walking around town, it is definitely working.  
 
Dec 12, 2016 at 10:45 AM Post #65 of 1,671
How would the H9 work as a voice headset while connected (via Bluetooth) to a computer (Mac, in my case)? Is the microphone fully functional for voice calls (Skype)?
 
Still no reviews for the H9 from any of the major tech/audio websites. Hmm...
 
Dec 12, 2016 at 11:27 AM Post #66 of 1,671
http://thegadgetflow.com/portfolio/beoplay-h9-wireless-headphones-bo-play/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thegadgetflow+(The+Gadget+Flow)
 
Sorry saw 4 stars and thought a real review..... NOT
 
Dec 12, 2016 at 11:43 AM Post #68 of 1,671
flautash said:
 
H9 has a tighter sound signature than H7, it goes more into the H8 territory, which I personally like. 
THAT is the reason I am selling my H7 in favour of H9.
 
Noise cancelling is there, but as someone mentioned it cannot be compared with Sony MDR_1000x or Bose QC35. It is more subtle, two stage "whoop".
I personally use Sony quite often so these are my NC-reference. That being said - I obtained H9 strictly for the B&o sound quality.
 
Buying H7 instead of H9 you will save some bucks - true - but might also miss some the H9 superb dynamics. :wink:
Click to expand...

 
So what's better from a sound standpoint about the H9 over the H7?  I have the H6 v2 and the H7 and they are quite similar, via wired connection, which I used most of the time.  The BT is just for random convenience.  Not to mention the pads on the H7 are thicker than the H6...so they add some more comfort as well.  If the H9 really is better, in wired mode, I'd have to give it a good look.
 
Dec 13, 2016 at 5:31 PM Post #72 of 1,671
Marco Arment (of Tumblr and Instapaper) tweeted that he found the H9s no better than the H7s in the audio department, and found both vastly inferior to the H6 v2. That's a bummer. Apparently it's impossible to equal the H6 v2 wirelessly? 
frown.gif

 
Dec 13, 2016 at 5:42 PM Post #73 of 1,671
Here are my quick thoughts on the H9 vs. the Space One and the H8. I gave the H8 to someone already but after nearly two years with it, I'm pretty qualified to talk about it :)
 
  1. The H9 is by far the most comfortable of the three. That was an easy thing to determine even 2 minutes after putting them on. For long haul flights, I bet these things are great. Sadly, I have no more this year.
  2. The H8 and H9 are similar sonically, but things are definitely less muddy and a more clear, so I'd say it's an improvement over the H8. If you like the B&O sound, you'll like these IMO. I never tried the H6v2 or H7, so I can't compare it to them at all. I have the H6v1 and did not like those.
  3. The H9 is harder to drive, just like the H6 was. The Space One is much easier to drive, as was the H8. I need to nearly double the volume on my NW-ZX1 to get equivalent volumes. This was one of my concerns which turns out to be well founded.
  4. Sonically, I'd rank them Space One > H9 > H8. The Space One sounds more natural in all registers to me (YMMV). The second I heard the Space One, it agreed with me. It's got good bass extension and midbass (so you get accuracy and reach), and the high end sounds good. There's none of the weirdness that happens with things like cymbals. A snare sounds like a snare. The soundstage is wide (which I like) and open. Pianos sounds like pianos. The H9 is more polite. There is some sibilance I hear on some vocals. Bass does not extend as low (i.e. you don't feel it as much). Mid-bass is still good, as it was on the H8. I've always found the voicing of cymbals/high end and snares a touch off on the H8, and they're a bit better on the H9, but not Space One good. The soundstage is wide, but at the same time, feels more cluttered versus the Space One due to how they voiced things. I don't want to give the impression that the H9 doesn't sound good - it does. But it's a very different thing than the Space One. A great song that exemplifies all of this is Phil Collins' "The West Side" (the 96/24 hi-rez remaster that came out recently). The kick drum and the air around the reverb trail are telling. To be honest, the whole of Hello, I Must Be Going ! is great for auditioning headphones :)
  5. I don't have any real noise in my apartment to see how effective the ANC is, but like the Space One, the H9 does not seem to alter the sound much with ANC on. If I had to guess, the ANC on the H9 is as effective as on the H8 which is to say not bad. I used them for a long time on planes for a reason.
 
I'd obviously have to put more time in on the H9 to have more of a real feel, but knowing how familiar I am with the H8 and having already put a lot of hours into the Space One, I'm pretty sure things won't change. The H9 sounds good. Will it displace the Space One for me? I'm not convinced even though from a comfort perspective, I know it's better. If it does, it would be based on comfort not sound. To my ears, the Space One are clearly superior. I'm realizing how good of a job KEF did with tuning them, even if the ANC is not 1000X/QC35 levels (nor did I expect that). If you have the H8 and like it, outside of it possibly not being easier to drive, I'd say the upgrade is more clear. I'd swap the H9 for the H8. If I never heard the Space One, I'd totally like the H9 without reservations even if it's slightly harder to drive. To me it sounds better than the 1000X which I spent some time auditioning in Heathrow and did not like as much as the H8 or Space One. It was better than other Sony ANC cans I've heard but if you care mainly about ANC, get the 1000X.
 
Dec 13, 2016 at 9:52 PM Post #75 of 1,671
To fenderp, just a thought but perhaps the h9s need some more burn in? :)

Thanks for the write up! I have purchased the H9s for my fiance and out of curiosity I'm trying to find all the impressions before she opens them. I know they will be great regardless. It seems they have sorted out most if not all the short comings from previous versions.
 
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