I have purchased H6 because I liked my H7 a lot, and multiple reviews claimed that H7 doesn't sound as good as H6, e.g. https://marco.org/headphones-closed-portable#h7
Before I purchased H7, I have compared it in the store with H6, H8 and Momentum 2. H7 was a clear winner, and I had no doubts that I have made the right choice.
However, the reviews of H6 were so great, that a few months later I have decided to give it a chance.
I've decided to go with the first revision, as I wanted to experience the more "audiophile", less bassy tuning.

This turned out to be a huge disappointment, comparable perhaps only with my disappointment from HD600.
At first, I thought that it just needed some burn-in (H7 sure did), but the sound didn't change.




Comfort:


H6's headband is wider than Takstar Pro 82, but it has less padding.


Same is true when comparing with XPT100


H6 pads are rounder and smaller than Pro 82


Same is true for XPT100

If the NVX XPT100 with the ComfortMax pads is 10 out of 10 comfort-wise, and Pro 82 is an 8-8.5, then H6 is a 7.
Surprisingly, it is more comfortable than H7, despite thinner pads - possibly due to lower pressure on the ears.
H6 and H7 pads are not interchangeable, and of course you can't use 3rd party pads either.

Isolation/Leakage:
There is very little isolation, not a great choice for noisy environments.
Leakage is an issue as well.

Bass:
Quantity is neutral, and I wish I could say that about the quality.
Bass is vert muddy, badly controlled. I don't think I've heard bass that bad since Beats Solo HD.
H7 has a MUCH better bass, closer to Pro 82' quality than H6's.

Mids:
Mids are very veiled and recessed, timbre is off. It reminds me of HD600.
Just look at this horrible FR (from Innerfidelity):


It makes the old Pro 80 sound like a mid-forward phone, not to mention Pro 82.

Treble:
As you can guess from the FR above, this is a dark headphone - nothing to write home about.

Soundstage/imaging:
Sounstage is closed in, very headphone-y
The whole presentation is very headphone-y, music is being played "at me", not around me.
Music is coming from a distance, if only I could push it closer to me...

Accessories:
H6 comes with a horrible cable, and you can't easily replace it - since the cable is showed inside the cup, the plug must be very thin.
Here is a comparison with Pro 82 and B8 cables:


However, cable isn't the reason for the bad sound - H7 sounds great with it.

Overall:
Complete and utter disappointment

It is decent design. Not too much to complain if minimalism is familiar to you. Cable is short what in my case is an advantage.
Comfort is as expected. H6 sit rather hard but the headband tension is acceptable.
Definitively I do not like the plug in system - replacement is nice feature for headphones cable but beo solution is annoying - to get them working you will need some equilibristics. Exchange plugs brings different left-right channel amplification . It is very narrow slot if pushing the plug into the socket you get stereo sound with both channels.
 
So far not too good. If finally get the canes to work the sound is enjoyable. Especially middle range deliver nice touch of impressions.Sound is spacious and echos sound long and gives all what guys in studio designed.
Bass is very well defined since not too heavy. After few days you will like it and even get correct sound balance without losing the mid and high spectrum.
 
Comparing with outstanding T-51p Beo H6 are better in many important areas. Price is a bit too high looking for some engineering problems you will be facing. No travel case.
 
I do not know I will stick to H6 for a long time. If no problems with cable and balance they could be a long term winner.

***** After a month of use, the sound seems to settle upon to something so, I came back to edit them ***** 
 
Background of getting these: Coming from a AKG K551, which were extremely big, I had seen weird looks from people, when I tried to wear them in public. Being 'embarassed' by that, I decided, to move on to something more public friendly, still sounds decent. I just wanted something which fits with most of my dressing style. My kind of liking of sound was 551, always: forward mids, large soundstage. I don't care much about the subbass, just need to be there subtle. Loved the ability of it to render complexity without getting mixed up. To me, that was enough. So overall idea was to get something similar, with small foot print. If K551 was shrinked, and still they had the same sound, I wouldn't have got anything else for some years, would have just enjoyed my music, not craving for fidelity more! 
 
Aesthetics: Enter BandOIts extremely public friendly, more 'executive' styled with lot of elements to match with most of your dressing, if that's important to you. I have the black version, and I find the leather with dark metal compliments most dressing not making them an 'extra thing' that standout. Its a style statement, like an expensive belt or watch! I think they are just sublte, and expressive at the same time. Kudo's to the damn sexy design. These looks just 'stunning'. 6 stars if I can give it!
 
Presentation : Exotic, would make you happy at the first look, but lack of a second cable is disappointing. The bundled cable is okay for me, but it feels a bit cheap compared to the rest of the package! I am not a fan of aftermarket cable, as I always feel, the manufacturer had added the same bundled cable running from your left to the right driver, through the headband. My theory: if you can identify the difference of the cable from your DAP/phone to your headphone, then you must be hearing a difference between left and right, as a different cable is used there! Its okay to upgrade the cable, if left and right have seperate connections! 
 
Build: Great, with quality materials. No squeaking nosies. feels solid. 
 
Comfort, isolation: Extremely comfortable, being not heavy, and not much clamping force. Headband adjustment
 
Now, come to the sound. I do not know how to go poetic about it. So let it be some points I noticed. 
 
1. Sub-bass is boosted, (Its not because my other headphones miss them a bit, have a K701, which I think is more close to something neutral) . I think its done on a purpose, for wearing in public places.  In a noisy environment, it totally makes sense, if it doesnt have a noise cancellation. In a train or bus,they tend to sound more 'flat'    After a month of use, this has gone away, it just has the right amount of bass. 
 
2. Soundstage- wide, but unlike other reviews here, Its not the widest, my K551 easily beats them! K551, feels more 3 dimensional. 
 
3. Because of the the above point, instruments are closer. 
 
4. They are closer, but they dont mix up or enter each others territory, as they are thin.
 
5. Treble is airy, accurate to my ears, though this leads to a 'metallic' texture to some vocals, which is annoying at times, but I think I already got used to it. Cymbals sound accurate, and sharp, and to me 'neutral' , or realistic. 
6. Detailed as good, or better than my K701. They revealed a new layer, of details from my Daft Punk - Random Access Memories. (Damn, I never heard that before! I had listened to that track before numerous times)
7. Dynamic, fast. Bass though they lack a bit of body, they are quite fast, making me tap my feet with it. 
8. Imaging is excellent, I felt they are razor sharp, pinpointed to the places where they are supposed to be.
 
This works decent with an iPhone which would help masses. But benefit from amping. Unfortunately, I don't prefer carrying a stack around. 
 
I believe, if a basshead wants to get to the neutral territory, this would be a perfect fit for him. Except the sub-bass boost I didnt find something much not out of 'flatness' in this.
 
Why I took of 1 star:
 
Need for amping, and being extremely portable and public friendly is a weird combination in my opinion. Not being efficient is not a bad thing, but its kills the convenience. Instruments sounds closely packed, though they are still imaged accurate. For me the best aspect of a system is always the soundstage, as I enjoy the 'wideness' more than other things. In this case, I still prefer my K551 for that. But when accuracy is needed, I look for these!
 
This review was made after a 5 days of burn in followed by a day of listening. I didn't find any change in sound, from what I listened 3 days back, but its different from out of the box. I will edit this review after a month. 

Personally, I feel that this is the best closed back all-rounder I have tried for pure music enjoyment.  It honestly isn't perfect, but neither are any of the other few dozen closed back portables I've tried.
 
Style: This point isn't one I particularly care that much about, but the B&O H6 is one of the most beautifully designed headphones I have ever seen.  It's absolutely stunning to look at.
 

 
Build Quality: I simply can't fault the build quality at all, leather, metal and a little plastic which is some of the best quality plastic I have ever seen.  These headphones are built extremely well!
 
Comfort: The H6 is surprisingly very light! The ear cups are made of a soft lamb skin leather and have a huge opening which can accomodate my larger ears (the Momentum 2's and most other headphones I have tried are too mall for my ears).  The headband is so light and well designed that I honestly can't feel it at all, and the clamping force is just right such that it doesn't hurt or need stretching at all.  One thing that's also impressive with the lamb skin ear pads is that they sweat a lot lot less than other headphones I have tried.  Overall, I would say that this is one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn (and that includes open back headphones I have tried too).  I can literally wear it all day without a problem at all.
 
Accessories: The headphone's cable is a lot thicker than my Momentum cable and I really like its quality although the remote control buttons feel a tad cheap.  Sadly the headphone only comes with a carry pouch, albeit a very very nice pouch, but I would have loved a soft case for this price.  One other issue I have is that B&O charge a huge premium for replacement ear pads, fingers crossed these last long.  I think that sticking to the black colour is the safest bet to ensure that the ear pads last longer.
 
Sound Quality:
 
* Bass: The bass response on these headphones extends all the way down to 20 Hz and picks up every last bit of detail in the bass region.  The bass is a little elevated but not overly so, it gives a wonderful warm and punchy feel to tracks and I would confidently recommend these headphones for EDM as well as acoustic genres.  My only gripe here is that the mid bass (say at around 300 Hz) is pulled back which makes songs sound a little hollow, but at the same time, it gives the bass region less bloat and makes it more focused.  A bit of EQ can compensate for this if you find it a problem.
 
* Mids: The mids are pulled back a bit and not to the degree of something like the ATH-M50s.  Vocals still remain moderately upfront but are extremely smooth and not harsh at all.  The mids are present, but not harsh and vocalists still feel very close to the listener.
 
* Highs:  This is one of the few portable closed headphones I have ever heard with a fully extended (not rolled off) treble, but the treble remains extremely smooth and never strident.  I would say that the highs are some of the best I have ever heard in a closed headphone.  They do lack the sharpness and precise sound of my Audeze open EL-8s, but that's an open planar magnetic, so it's hard to compare them.
 
* Soundstage: Quite simply the widest and most open sounding soundstage I have ever heard in a closed headphone, beating many open headphones (like the HD600).  The soundstage makes these headphones extremely engaging.
 
I will admit that these headphones do seem to benefit from a really good audio interface output (e.g. MacBook Pro) and sound a lot better through this means than they do through a smart phone.  An amp improves their sound a little further too.  The H6s are definitely harder to drive than various other portables, and even some open backs.
 
Overall
 
I honestly can say that this is my favourite portable closed back headphone at this time.  I have tried several dozens of closed headphones from companies such as Focal, PSB, NAD, Audio Technica, Shure, Oppo, Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser, Ultrasone, Bower & Wilkins and various others, and overall can say that this is my favourite of the bunch for pure music enjoyment, comfort, design and style.  I would rate these above the Oppo PM-3 too regardless of the fact they are planars, the H6 has a far wider soundstage, more musical sound, more extended treble and far more present bass.
 
I would like to also mention that B&O stores are a great place to listen to these headphones but not buy them.  They only sell at RRP and are their staff (although very pleasant) are not at all technical.  The stores actually feel a little pretentious and snobby.  I would like to see B&O appeal to the audiophile and common man in their stores, instead of focusing on the headphones as a high end fashion statement.  Your staff should know the products much better than they do on a technical level and be ready to talk "geek" with those that are interested, aspects such as amping, sound differences between models, specs and so forth.

 
...True story: the H6 can make the Spirit Pro sound (a touch) muffled, the Spirit Pro can make the H6 sound (a touch) thin. Both being praised for neutrality.... Conclusion? The neverending quest continues!
 
It is great for classical, jazz, acoustic, and just good for everything else. However for modern pop, hip hop, edm they lack a little punch and warmth/body. EDIT: Don't know if it is psychological getting use to but I think the bass opened up after some burn in.
 
Side note: Sounds just about right on warmer sources.
 
an ATH-M50X would sit in the middle of these, but a little confused and less refined in the vocals and less resolving in the treble and generally attractive bass but less controlled.
 
...in the end I think that there is no right headphone on its own. Just the right headphone for the right song.

I received these beauties yesterday, so this is just a quick review whilst I get to know them better. 
 
First things, these look great, they feel comfy and despite the category that these are in these are definitely over/around ear headphones NOT on ear. The sound at first seems quite thin, but once you have listened to them for a while you begin to realise that actually there is a richness developing - perhaps this is psychological burn-in (I'm not starting that debate). Anyway, after about 6 hours they are already sounding much sweeter to me. 
 
I don't understand the "there is no bass" critique, there seems to be just the perfect amount of bass. If I listen to Seven nation army then the track is predominantly bass, but it other tracks it just behaves nicely. 
 
These are a cracking pair of cans and I'm looking forward to taking them out as my daily drivers for a few days to see how they cope with the outside world. I should point out that I bought these at £200 which is around 1/3 less than B&Os recommended price - at this price point I think these are an excellent buy. 
 
Now I just need to decide if the travelling bag supplied provides enough protection or if I am going to need to get hold of another hard case for day to day use!

Disclaimer: Impressions after a week of use.
 

Actual Ratings
 
Comfort
 
Most comfortable closed-back headphones I've tried to date. No complaints.
 
Design
 
Great isolation.
 
Nice to look at. Both looks and feels high quality.
 
Lightweight, nice leather ear pads and headband with metal hinges but a plastic housing on the outer part of the ear pad.
 
Small in size and comes with a carry bag. It doesn't fold but the cups swivel. Great for portability.
 
Has a detachable 3.5mm rubbery cable which feels a bit flimsy and not as high quality as the rest of the headphone. Luckily, it can be replaced.
 
Sound
 
Sound signature is neutral with little to no emphasis anywhere. The overall sound is very clear across all ranges and is one of the clearest sounding portables in the price range. Soundstage is good for a closed headphone as well.
 
Bass is very underwhelming in an era with bass emphasis everywhere. It has bass where the recording has bass and nothing more. Comes off as pretty boring sounding and lacks almost any excitement whatsoever.
 
They should be good for any genre but I see them being best for things like classical and acoustic music. If those are the only genres you listen to, these may be nearly perfect.
 
If you choose to pair these with a solid amp they can easily come to "life" and are easily capable of providing a more engaging bass response. They just don't do so out of the box.
 
Value
 
Around $400 USD is the highest you can go as of now for a somewhat populated selection of closed portables. That being the case, one should expect a more-or-less a full package. These headphones use a little more plastic than I'd like and the cable is lacklustre. They also require an amp (extra $$) to unlock most of its potential, unlike other competitors at the price range like the Master & Dynamic MH40 and Bowers & Wilkins P7.

so after using these for 4 months they have been awesome, the sound have been awesome apart from a lose connection on the left headphone which was easily fixed, I got these for £220 from richer sounds which may sound a lot of money but the sound is amazing the bass and the treble have an amazing effect from my htc m8 which i think is the best phone for sound quality.
 
Just ordered the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x to compear  these with, after compearing them with the beats and sony for the same price range.

First Impressions

 

​

Bang & Olufsen were established since 1925. I was looking at their stunning products. It was really creative, and a lot of technologies were put in each and every of their products to make sure things are near perfect and simple to use for everyone and at everywhere. All of their products define how great the effort was put into it by Bang & Olufsen's team making a product that everyone can use. I strongly believe that their universal control best describes it. It was designed 20 years ago for controlling everything you can find in Bang & Olufsen. It is not as complicated as you may think, it's simple. It's intelligent. It's convenient. Just like all other Bang & Olufsen's products. The Bang & Olufsen H6, lies another great story to tell.

The Bang & Olufsen H6 is what I would call, an audiophile, portable-reference, fashion-accessories headphone. It is the combination of good sound quality and good design together with luxury touches. They are, of course, as comfortable as all the luxury car brands that Bang & Olufsen are co-operated with; including Aston Martin, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

​

Everywhere you go with the Bang & Olufsen H6, it will not disappoint you nor will it put you to shame because of its design. It isolates extremely well, even in a noisy environment, you can still put on the stylish Bang & Olufsen H6 and enjoy your music. Nothing will ever come between you and the music. Additionally, its stylish design would attract more people than you would think it will. No cheap plastic, cheap pleather. All these are replaced and dominated by high quality and excellent finished genuine leather and aluminum. It is simple. It is convenient as you can plug in the jack into either side of the earcups. The cable features in-line remote control and mic for Smartphone. There's no need of Bluetooth feature here because I believe Bang & Olufsen wish to avoid it as it will compress the music way too much that the headphone will not sound at its best.

After so much designer's effort are put in it, you may ask, how does it sound? The moment I put onto this headphone and play music from my iPhone, I was blown away. Unlike most stylish headphone, the Bang & Olufsen H6 sound very neutral, detailed and airy. Instruments are well separated in the music. The vocals sound very natural. There are no treble spike or upper mids bump. It is very clean sounding with no hint of harshness, muffled and/or piercing. By memory, in comparison to my beloved AKG K550 and PSB M4U1, the Bang & Olufsen H6 basically take all the good sound of those two headphones and make it better. It is like upgrading from BMW 5 series to BMW 7series, a whole new definition of joy. Great imaging, instrument separation, details, soundstage and natural sound can be found in the very well built and comfortable Bang & Olufsen H6. Most importantly, there is no need of amping which is a big add for portable use as it reduces weight.

At this point, you may think I am advertising for Bang & Olufsen.  No, this is my opinionated first impression of this headphone. There are certain point that I though, they can still improve further in, such as, the bass. I would prefer more sub-bass presence and upper bass warmth. It is not at all cold sounding, it is just my preference for more warmth, but if you ask me, it is a perfect spot in between warm and cold. While it is airy sounding, it is still a closed headphone, it is still not as airy as some other open headphone but it would be unfair to compare a closed headphone to open headphones. For price vs performance ratio, I find it on the decent side. For audiophiles, at US$400 it may be asking too much, but if you include it's comfort, features, design and build quality together with sound quality, it's worth it.

Overall, it features what you need and wanted without giving too much that make a headphone complicated. Luxury materials yet lightweight. All the best possible design and materials are put in it to give you the best possible listening experience, but if only the price is not a problem. If I will have to rate it out of 10, it would be somewhere at 8 judging by this first impression. Like what Soren Kokholm, general manager of Bang & Olufsen, Singapore told me during my visit "If something is designed perfectly, there is no need of changing it." I believe the Bang & Olufsen H6 have achieved that standard.

Big thanks to Soren Kokholm for the service!

This Headphone is a masterpiece.
 
Design and/or Quality could´t been better!
 
But all cables transmitting annoying sounds to the side they are connected in. Not perfect!
Special not for a mobile headphone, when you move your head all the time.
The good mobile-thing is that the are lightweight.
 
The sound is very flat to my ears, and nice for hours and hours of listening!
 
They sound B&O style "soft" but not "washed".
 
The bass is precise, but not freaky fat. Well balanced sound, medium good "sound-stage".
 
After hours you still don´t feel them on your ears or head.
(I don´t know how they are in summer!)
 
The remote in the cable works only perfect with apple devices.  
Some functions with android too. (build in mic)
This Low-Impedance Headphones work with most portables.
 
But they need strong amplifying to give an great sound! 
My Denon DCD 700AE CD Player have a good output, and they sound much better.
An extra headphone amp is recommended!
 
For 400 bucks you will get a very stylish, realistic sounding, comfortable headphone!
But for this price B&O could give us a longer extra cable für Home-HiFi. Why not!?
The include soft-bag is ok, but a small case would be better...

Design: 100% Comfort: 95% Sound 93% Quality: 95% Mobility 75% Price 70%
 
What matters ist Comfort and Sound! Go B&O and try one!
 
Kind regards
 
Ingo

I will keep this ultra short. I spent 3 weeks with these and by the end I had had enough.
 
At first they 'wow' the user with a lovely full bodied and detailed sound but after a few hours (these had already been listened to for well in excess of 20 hours by a friend) the cracks start to appear.
That lovely bass extension that was so impressive at first begins to tire, that detail in the highs begins to draw attention to the lack of mids. That price tag begins to look ridiculous given how little you have to spend these days for a good set of cans.
 
All in all I cannot recommend these at their price point. Sure they look and feel great but if you are even remotely serious about your music look elsewhere.

Almost perfect

Hi,
 
I made a video review of Bang & Olufsen H6. Most of the important things are covered in the video so I'll keep it brief here. 
 
YOUTUBE VIDEO (BELOW)

 
BUILD & COMFORT
The overall build quality is great. It's sturdy but lightweight. The top part of the headband is made out of leather. The leather is not very smooth but it's very nice. The ear cup is also covered in soft leather. It is very comfortable, because it's light and doesn't squeeze your head too tightly. I can literally wear it for hours until I fall asleep. 
 
SOUND QUALITY
The sound is surprisingly flat, but a little bit on the warm side. The sound is not as airy as the open back cans, but the soundstage is very good for a portable closed back. The amount of bass is comparable to Beyerdynamic T5p. The H6 has a little bit less bass than the T5p. If you think the T5p is bass light, you will not like the H6. The T5p is also little brighter and more open than the H6. The midrange and high is very sweet and not tiring at all. I listened to the whole album of Comeblack by Scorpions and my ears don't feel tired at all. The separation between instruments is great even for a heavy metal album. I also tested it with Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody (played by Lisitsa). The detail is good but the soundstage is not that big. In my opinion, jazz is the kind of music where the H6 performs best. Try Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E" or Zee Avi's "Siboh Kitak Nangis" and you'll know what I'm talking about. What I don't like about the H6 is the sensitivity. For a portable headphones, I expect the sensitivity to be a little higher. I couldn't find the actual figure on B&O, but I guess it's pretty low. This thing is not much louder than MrSpeakers' Mad Dog plugged in directly to my iPhone, and remember that's an orthodynamic headphones designed to be hooked up to an amp. The H6 sounds even better with an amp, but I'm not a big fan of carrying a portable amp around. The thing is, the H6 sounds pretty good without an amp, just not as loud as I expect it to be.
 
ONE SENTENCE COMPARISONS (Similarly Priced Portable Headphones)
Bowers & Wilkins P5  
- The leather is nicer than the H6, but that's it!
 
Beats Studio (2nd Gen)
- I turned on the Bass Reducer on my iPhone, it still got too much bass!
 
MrSpeakers' Mad Dog
- Sounds better than the H6, but it couldn't even fit my messenger bag!
 
Bose QC 15
- Inside an airplane is the only place it has the advantage over the H6!
 
Sennheiser Momentum
- If you have a large head like me, this thing is just not for you.
 
CONCLUSION
The H6 is not the best sounding headphones for $400, but it got the looks, portability, comfort, and build quality without compromising the sound quality. You can also crank up your iPhone to the max without going deaf instantly. For me it's definitely one of the best all round portable headphones out there.  

Background

When I first got word that Bang & Olufsen would be releasing a new full-size headphone, I could barely contain my excitement. As a long-time B&O customer, I appreciate the unique blend of no-compromise performance, quality and design for which B&O is legendary. My B&O home system, a pair of bookshelf speakers with a sub, has given me countless hours of enjoyment. Let me tell you: My system has knocked the socks off more than one old-school audiophile who, before hearing it, thought B&O was just about good looks. 
 
Yes, B&O's kit looks spectacular. But the company doesn't make vacuous supermodels with empty space between the ears. B&O has been around for almost 90 years and has serious engineering chops. The Danish equipment maker does make supermodels, to be sure. But these are supermodels who can build you a rocket, splice DNA and smash protons. Beauty and brawn. Eye candy and IQ.
 
Case in point: My B&O 4000 bookshelf speaker cabinets are entirely aluminum. Because the speakers are powered, each of the four transducers has its own dedicated, perfectly-matched amp. My sub is also aluminum and is powered by a custom 850-watt Class-D amplifier. How good is the amp? Good enough that Bowers & Wilkins uses amps made by B&O in their subwoofers. They are arguably the best Class-D amps in the world. Aluminum speaker cabinets are commonplace today because aluminum is an ideally strong, rigid and malleable cabinet material. It can be easily shaped to reduce unwanted vibrations and eliminate standing waves. And polished aluminum is beautiful. B&O began using aluminum way back in the 1980's, when self-described audiophiles derided the use of aluminum in speaker cabinet design. Wood was the stuff of which real speaker cabinets were made, they argued. Powered speakers are for neophytes, they argued. Now that some of the greatest speaker manufacturers in the world have jumped on the bandwagon (Linn, B&W et al), making powered speakers and aluminum cabinets, those critics are conspicuously silent.  
 
So two years ago, in a bid to stay relevant in an age of iPhones and iPods, B&O introduced its BeoPlay product line. The latest products in the line are the BeoPlay H3 and H6 headphones, an in-ear monitor and a full-size can, respectively. I didn't care about the H3 IEM. The H6, with its sexy curves and leather upholstery put the twinkle in my eye. The wait between the announcement and the time the product shipped was painfully long, but finally the day arrived and I sauntered down to my local B&O boutique to have a listen. And boy, was I disappointed.
 
I plugged the H6 into my iPhone and spun up a playlist of lossless tracks compiled specifically to test the mettle of headphones. Mids? Check. High-end? Check. Soundstage? Imaging? Check. Check. But wait... Where's the bass? This can't be right. This thing sounds thinner than a stale Triscuit trapped under a steamroller. I skipped ahead to track after track after track, but the result was the same: woefully weak bass response. I couldn't believe it. This, from the company who made the Beolab 2 sub that has rattled my windows (as well as my neighbors' nerves) for the last ten years?
 
I promptly returned home, logged into Head-Fi, and declared that I would not be purchasing the BeoPlay H6. I went further to predict that the H6 headphone, priced at $400 US, would enjoy meager sales at best. My search for a daily driver would begin anew.
 
Then comments and reviews on the H6 began to trickle in. And they were mixed. Very mixed. Some reviewers experienced the same anemic low-end I heard. But others described an ample amount of detailed, textured bass that faithfully and pleasingly rendered any source material. How could this be? What could explain the discrepancies between the reports provided by these listeners? As I've come to find, the explanation is simple. The x-factor, in the case of the H6, is amplification.
 
The H6 simply does not show its true colors when amplified by a smartphone or tablet. Unlike say, the Sennheiser Momentum, which delivers a warm (if slightly boomy) sound, even when jacked directly into a smartphone, the H6 is a more finicky lover who refuses to open the kimono without proper motivation. 
 
I would get the H6 after all, I decided, and I would motivate them properly...with a brand-spanking-new Schiit Asgard 2.
 
I bought the H6 a few days before I ordered the Asgard 2. I listened to it with my iPhone and iPad. I enjoyed the crystal-clear highs, the rich mids and the fantastic soundstage and image. And I longed for deeper, more fully-realized bass. Then the Asgard 2 arrived.

 
I'll skip the unboxing story and cut to the chase. Wow. Hello, bass! Clean bass. Textured bass. Nimble, sprightly bass. Accurate bass. This is the headphone I expected from B&O, the one I knew they could produce. I was pleased and all was right with the world. 
 
Now for the review. I'll start with sound quality, then move on to niceties like build quality, design and packaging. Grades are relative to other headphones in the $300-$500 range, when amplified with a capable headphone amp.
 

Sound Quality

Highs: 9/10

I'd describe B&O's "house sound" as natural and neutral, with a brilliant, feathery-light high-end that resolves a lot of detail. This describes the H6's sound perfectly. It delivers a staggering amount of detail in its price-class. In fact, the H6 delivers an impressive amount of detail when compared to headphones well above its price-class! Cymbals, triangles, snares, and hi-hats all sound crisp and light, with nary a hint of sibilance or stridence. I'm guessing this deftly executed high-end lends much to the headphone's spectacular imaging, which I'll describe later.
 

Mids: 9.5/10

Mids on the BeoPlay H6 are pleasingly neutral. I'm an absolute nut for female vocals, and the H6 articulates vocals exquisitely, as well as any headphone I've heard under $1000 US. Strings, winds, acoustic guitars and brass all render with substantial fidelity and ease. In fact, the mids painted by the H6 are so neutral and musical that there really isn't much to write about them. This is simply the way music should sound.
 

Lows: 8/10

The low-end of the BeoPlay H6 has been a subject of much discussion. As I indicated above, the H6's bass doesn't come alive until proper amplification is supplied. Kind of makes me sad to know most owners of the H6 will never know just how good these cans can sound. Paired with the Asgard 2, the H6 delivers plenty of smooth, clean, textured bass. Never punchy or flabby— just accurate and lively. The H6 is definitely not a headphone for bass-heads, but aficionados of jazz, classical and folk will appreciate the H6's tender touch. It's a mature sound for a mature listening audience. 
 

Sound Stage: 8.5/10

The H6 renders an unusually wide soundstage for a closed-back can, but there is a little added surprise. I find that while the soundstage is not particularly deep on the Z-axis (like the HD800), it creates an impressively tall Y-axis. I don't know how, but I get the illusion of substantial vertical height on certain tracks, one that has caused me to re-think my impressions of tracks I've listened to hundreds of times.
 

Imaging: 9/10

Most reviews of the H6 praise the headphone's pinpoint-accurate imaging, and I concur. The H6 images incredibly well for a closed-back headphone in the $400 price range. In fact, I've read one reviewer who opines that the imaging capabilities of the H6 are comparable to those of the Audeze LCD-2! I'm really enjoying the process of listening to my favorite albums again, this time with a much clear impression of where everything sits. 
 

Listening Impressions

I've selected five tracks for review that I suspect most people reading this already own. I could have selected obscure tracks to suggest the depth of my catalog and my fantastic taste in music, but that wouldn't help anybody. So here we go:
 
 

Build Quality, Design and Packaging

Build Quality and Comfort: 8.5/10

Aluminum and leather, just like a sports car. The H6 is one beautifully built piece of kit. Like all B&O products, the build quality on the H6 is top-notch. The clamping pressure is just a smidgen north of perfect to me, but your results may vary. Still, because it weighs only 230g I can wear the H6 for hours with no discomfort. The lambskin and foam used for the earpads is incredibly soft and there is no visible stitching on the earpad leather, a testament to B&O's attention to detail. There are no visible screws or unpolished seams to be found anywhere on the product. The level of fit and finish is fantastic, but this is typical for Bang & Olufsen. I find that the back-sides of B&O's products often look better than the front-sides of products from other manufacturers. One gripe: I wish B&O had included an additional cable without the iPod controls.
 

Design (Aesthetics): 10/10

What can I write? If you've seen it, you know that the H6 is drop-dead gorgeous. A timeless, carefully considered design. There isn't much else to say here, as B&O has always delivered best-in-class design. They are the Apple, the Audi, the Bell & Ross of stereo gear. They were doing bleeding-edge industrial design eons before anyone else in the audio world, and it shows. 
 

Packaging: 7/10 (not included in final score)

A neat little box with a pleasant, gratifying unboxing experience. The headphone is presented front-and-center on a fitted block of foam. Below the foam rests the cable, the cloth transport bag, the airline adapter and the papers. Nothing to write home about, but a very competent packaging job.
 

Overall Score: 8.9/10

This is a $400 headphone, and as such I consider it a bargain in its class. Fantastically detailed sound, world-class design and easy wearability for a very reasonable price. Now, the BeoPlay H6 is not an Audeze LCD-3 killer. It won't tango with the likes of an HD800 or SR-009, but it delivers a remarkably pleasing listening experience that is very portable. And it can be driven by a iPhone, though it requires a dedicated amp to do its best work. 
 
Bottom line? I love my BeoPlay H6 and can confidently recommend it highly.

I will describe it very simply since I am not English speaker...
 
H6 was demoed with ipod Touch 5thG Galaxy Note2 ifi audio ican + idac.
 
I owns some of flagship headphone like grado PS1000, Gs1000, Audeze LCD-2 Beyerdynamic T90 AKG K702 etc 
 
so I think I know what I am talking about.
 
Out of all the B&o earphone and headphone series (except U70 cuz I never tried) H6 shows the best performance. 
 
I personally don't like B&o Due to over priced products.(So I hate New H3 in-ear) 
 
However H6 has changed my impression of B&o. 
 
H6 has what we call audiofile bass. Its Deep Clean Tight and Fast. the Bass is not really Emphasized but it still does what the bass have to do. 
by Sub-woofer test, I was able to hear down to 30hz which is pretty amazing result for this small type of headphone.  
Separation of each bass instruments are amazing. I can hear every different instruments very well and clean. 
 
Mids are natural, Clean and detail. vocal are very natal and detail. H6 capture all the details of vocal. Guitar is clean vivid and rich. 
Snare drum is not as strong as those Grado or other Metal head cups but it is fast tight and sharp. There are very slight emphasize on mid but  
it's just very little amount. Just like Bass, All instruments separated well and nothing got muddy or mushed
 
high are crystal clear and detail. Some might find it too bright because there are some emphases. Those little bit of accent on high gives clearness and details to the mid and all the high frequency instruments like symbols, Harmonics of Violin and etc. However, as I said its can be disadvantages for listing. It might get tired easily. It seems like it reaches up to 14khz to 15khz but I wish it could
reaches up to like 17khz or 18khz (since its $430!!) Oh well Not many people can hear that high especially in crowded area like train, bus or shopping malls
 
Staging is quite big even though enclosure of H6 is very small and compact. I would say it is biggest than LCD-2 (LCD-2 is not the greatest staging headphone) but it's not 
as great and big as Beyerdynamic T90, Grado ps1000, gs1000 or AKG K701 which is well known for good staging. imaging is accurate. I can hear where are all instruments located. however somehow most of instruments are located at back of my head. It happens with GS1000 as well. so I am guess there are some Phase issue with it. Well as long as it is clear enough to tell, I don't mind.  
 
If you looking for Good design with natural and clean like audiophile headphone with big, and accurate sound stage H6 can be the way.
It's too sad I am paying extra $30 just because I live in Canada..

[size=10pt] [size=medium]

[/size]

[/size]

[size=medium] [/size]