[457205]

Can anyone give a direct comparison of the H7 H8 and H9? Are the H9's heavier at all? They all look so identical...

I have had The H7, the H8 and the H9 (twice). Aside from the obvious differences, 7 and 9 are over-ear, while 8 is on-ear, and that the 8 and 9 both have ANC while the 7 doesn't, the physical differences aren't substantial. However, from my listening experience there is a noticeable difference in sound.

Of the three I have kept only the H7s. I really like the open lively sound from them, not the richest, but if you want to feel uplifted by the music they do a great job.

I have wanted a set of noise canceling headphones, so tried the H8s, but didn't like the sound in comparison to the H7s, wasn't comfortable with the on-ear design, and did not keep them.

When the H9 came out I was excited that they would have the combination of the H7 sound and ANC. I had a pair very soon after their release, but unfortunately I found that the bass was so thumpy that I couldn't enjoy them. I really wanted to like them, so after reading a lot of reviews that praised the sound quality I tried them again. This time I was scrupulous about giving them more than 100 hours of burn in time, but the result for me was the very similar, thumpy and confused bass, maybe not as bad as the first set I had, but still there. Admittedly it could be made better with equalization in the B&O app, but for me that wasn't an acceptable solution.

At the same time I tested the Sony MDR1000X, the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B, the Sennheiser PXC 550 and Bose QC 35s. The ANC on the H9s was nowhere near as good as the Sony or the Bose and slightly worse than that of the Sennheisers. Couple that with the somewhat finicky touch control and sadly I decided to return the second set as well. I ended up keeping the Sennheisers which have IMHO excellent sound quality, good ANC and a great touch control system.

Just to be clear I am a great fan of B&O equipment, in addition to my H7s I have a pair of the mark 1 H6s which are great (better than the mark 2s) and a set of H5s which I use at the gym and find admirable for the job.

 

[rubyswb]

I know this probably isn't the right place to ask but does anyone know if the H7 and H4's have aptx low latency? Only the H9's and H8's seem to be advertised to have this, but people have said other models have it as well.

 

[zviratko]

Got my H9's today and played them for a few minutes before I charged them up. The first thing I noticed was the bass. It's both prominent and deep. The next thing I did was open the app and add some high frequencies to the mix to balance out the sound. They are very musical and fun sounding headphones. I did have to max out the volume to get them to an acceptable volume level and open up like some of the others on this forum. I had them paired with my iPhone 7+ just for reference.

I wasn't sure if I was going to keep these or not but my initial impressions are very positive. I also have the B&W P7 wireless, the Bose QC35's, and the Master & Dynamic MW60 that I'll compare them to. One or two of these headphones will be sold. The only one of these headphones that have noise canceling features are the Bose. The ANC of the B&O H9's works but it's not as effective as the Bose. The Bose blocks out everything while the H9's block out certain frequencies it seems. This may have been done intentionally by B&O to allow the H9's to maintain its musicality. This works for me because these headphones sound so much better than the Bose with bass comparable to the P7's. The P7's play much louder than the H9's. I'm hoping this can be corrected in a firmware update. But these headphones look and sound great right out the box.

Could you elaborate more on the differences in sound between the P7W and the H9? I have P7W as well and I miss the ANC terribly, but I also got addicted to the rich sound and extremely wide soundstage they have - movies in particular sound absolutely stunning on them. Will I be able to switch to the H9?

 

[Slim1970]

Could you elaborate more on the differences in sound between the P7W and the H9? I have P7W as well and I miss the ANC terribly, but I also got addicted to the rich sound and extremely wide soundstage they have - movies in particular sound absolutely stunning on them. Will I be able to switch to the H9?

The ANC works with B&O H9's but it not deadening like my Bose QC35's. When I turn on the QC35's it's like closing the door in an Anechoic chamber. The H9's are not that dramatic. The H9's sound good with a prominent low end similar to the P7W's with ANC engaged. Unfortunately, it seems that B&O has limited the volume when using them in Bluetooth mode. So they don't get nearly as loud as the P7W's. The H9's are musically engaging and not as forward sounding as the P7W's. The H9's sound can be deemed laid back when compared to P7W's. The two companies really approach sound differently and it's a matter of preference as to which signature you prefer. So to me they're different enough to keep both. Hopefully B&O will issue a software update that'll give the users a few more volume clicks when in Bluetooth mode with ANC engaged.

I can say the H9's are more comfortable to wear. I find myself adjusting the P7W's on my head trying to find that comfort zone after switching from the H9's. Also, something odd happen the other day when I switched from using the H9's back to the P7W's. The P7W's sounded a bit congested to my ear initially. I had to let my ears readjust back to the P7W's sound signature. So I don't know if the H9's are beginning to open up but they sounded really good and musical. The P7W's sound good and offer a little bit more detail and body/weight to the music. The H9's may have a little bit more clarity and instrument separation. If B&O can fix the volume issue it will be a tougher call as to which I prefer. Then I'll be be able to match volume levels for a better comparison.

 

[bedlamite]

Picked up a pair of these for a very good price due to a local sale(I'm in Singapore) and I'm liking them quite a bit. These are still far too expensive at normal retail price, but then again B&O products have never been for people on a budget. Build quality far outdoes all other wireless cans and most surprisingly, I'm actually liking the sound signature quite a bit. These are absolutely not meant for indoor or analytical use, but when I'm on the go, the H9 has a very smooth sound signature that doesn't fatigue at all. I had a pair of QC35s and own the MDR-1000x, the H9s are easily the most musical-sounding out of the three. When I first got these I actually brought the treble up a touch using the app, but as my brain has settled into how the H9 sounds, I actually prefer the default tuning. The touch interface has been mentioned by many in here to be a bit too fiddly for its own good, but I got used to it after a few days of usage.

My biggest gripe with these cans is the ANC...it's pretty useless. I've read online about how B&O deliberately throttled ANC so that it wouldn't kill the musicality of the H9's sound, and while the H9 certainly does sound damn good, the ANC in this so-called ANC headphone just isn't up to par with the competition. I don't expect the H9 to cancel out voices and the odd noise but it should be able to handle things like rumbling train noise or the engine roars of passing buses with ease...it doesn't.

Like I said before, I got these off a sale, and the H9s actually ended up being cheaper than the H7s, which was a no-brainer pickup for me as I was just in the market for the H7. ANC was basically a freebie so I wasn't too put off when the biggest feature of the H9 turned out to be its weakest. I still think these sound great but if you're in the market for ANC you probably should go with Bose or Sony. If you're still dead set on B&0 then the H7. I have a pair of H6v1s as well, and no other headphone exudes class like B&Os do, B&W being a very close second.

 

[Bentoh]

Picked up a pair of these for a very good price due to a local sale(I'm in Singapore) and I'm liking them quite a bit. These are still far too expensive at normal retail price, but then again B&O products have never been for people on a budget. Build quality far outdoes all other wireless cans and most surprisingly, I'm actually liking the sound signature quite a bit. These are absolutely not meant for indoor or analytical use, but when I'm on the go, the H9 has a very smooth sound signature that doesn't fatigue at all. I had a pair of QC35s and own the MDR-1000x, the H9s are easily the most musical-sounding out of the three. When I first got these I actually brought the treble up a touch using the app, but as my brain has settled into how the H9 sounds, I actually prefer the default tuning. The touch interface has been mentioned by many in here to be a bit too fiddly for its own good, but I got used to it after a few days of usage.

My biggest gripe with these cans is the ANC...it's pretty useless. I've read online about how B&O deliberately throttled ANC so that it wouldn't kill the musicality of the H9's sound, and while the H9 certainly does sound damn good, the ANC in this so-called ANC headphone just isn't up to par with the competition. I don't expect the H9 to cancel out voices and the odd noise but it should be able to handle things like rumbling train noise or the engine roars of passing buses with ease...it doesn't.

Like I said before, I got these off a sale, and the H9s actually ended up being cheaper than the H7s, which was a no-brainer pickup for me as I was just in the market for the H7. ANC was basically a freebie so I wasn't too put off when the biggest feature of the H9 turned out to be its weakest. I still think these sound great but if you're in the market for ANC you probably should go with Bose or Sony. If you're still dead set on B&0 then the H7. I have a pair of H6v1s as well, and no other headphone exudes class like B&Os do, B&W being a very close second.

Hi mind to share how much you got it for? how much are the H7 and H9 selling in Singapore? I am planning to get one too and reserved budget for H7 already.

 

[winslord]

Hi everyone, for those who are looking to research about the H9, I have done the favor for you. I've read all 41 pages of this thread and every English review in the Internet (including Amazon reviews and comparisons). Anyway, I've gotten my H9 today and I'd like to share some facts.

ANC is great like some people have mentioned. It's nowhere as strong as Bose or Sony, but pretty distinguishable to ANC off and I barely hear anything (even loud music through my living room speakers) with 50-70% volume on my iPhone 7 Plus. I am 100% sure it would work very ideally at a bus or a plane.

For me, the volume on my iPhone is way more than enough. Sure, H7 is louder by a bit, but it's nothing major. 50% on the H7 is about 55% on the H9. I find myself using it just between 50%-70% anyway. If it's not loud enough for you, maybe consider getting your ears checked! Haha! Also, the current version of the Beoplay app works pretty damn well.

Since I still have my H7, you can absolutely trust me from my side-by-side comparison. Out of the box, the H9 sounds significantly bassier than the H7. This is true whether ANC is on or off, even though they sound slightly different; I noticed that there is less bass and dynamism with ANC off. But just very little, mind you (most people won't even notice). I think the mids on the H9 are a little more pronounced, but I'm not totally sure.

̶C̶o̶m̶p̶a̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶V̶-̶M̶O̶D̶A̶ ̶C̶r̶o̶s̶s̶f̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶I̶I̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶h̶o̶n̶e̶s̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶.̶ ̶O̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶f̶f̶e̶r̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶H̶9̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶w̶i̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶n̶d̶s̶t̶a̶g̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶o̶p̶i̶n̶i̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶n̶e̶i̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶S̶i̶m̶p̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶r̶o̶s̶s̶f̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶I̶I̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶d̶ ̶w̶a̶r̶m̶e̶r̶.̶
Revision: After spending almost 3 hours trying to perfectly tune the H9 through the app to the Crossfade 2 Wireless sound signature, I realize they're totally different. Forget what I said, that was only from a really brief comparison. The H9 has more bass, treble, and less mids. The Crossfade 2 is more neutral (SURPRISINGLY!) and has a way more pronounced mid. Vocals also sound warmer. Are people biased about the Crossfade 2? Do they think because it's V-MODA it must be bass-heavy? I think so. From this experience I realized the V-MODA is fairly balanced and the bass are very tightly controlled.

Now, some people in this thread are claiming that H9's heavy bass would diminish as they get burned-in, but I don't know what to say. Whether it even exists or not I am honestly starting to doubt, but my core believe is that something could physically change by a bit but most of it would be in your head: your brains adjusting to a sound profile. This is why so many people have different opinions to sound qualities. Maybe it's something accustomed differently for everyone. For example, my V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless seemed like it sounded really good after a while, but my brand new replacement pair sounds as good too!

If the time comes where I think the bass of the H9 might have diminished, I would have the H7 to directly compare it again and it'd be interesting to see if my observation differs from today's.

 

[winslord]

Made a diagram of what I think is how TONETOUCH in the Beoplay app works.

I'm guessing one of the reasons they V-shaped the default sound signature is to encourage using the app. Wouldn't surprise me because they purposely excluded H9 and H4 from the computer software updater to encourage people to update over the air through the mobile app.

 

[Slim1970]

Is there an update for the H9's? It sure could use a volume boost over Bluetooth.

 

[winslord]

Is there an update for the H9's? It sure could use a volume boost over Bluetooth.

LOL. There is, but not for volume. From an iPhone it sounds pretty loud at 70% for me and I'm not going any louder. Besides, stick with an iPhone. H9 sounds best with an iPhone. iPhone's amplifier is really good anyway.

 

[Planetic]

Damn... i was a little bit sad seeing those announced shortly after i bought my H8s...
But i stil need to audition them at some time in the future!

 

[Slim1970]

LOL. There is, but not for volume. From an iPhone it sounds pretty loud at 70% for me and I'm not going any louder. Besides, stick with an iPhone. H9 sounds best with an iPhone. iPhone's amplifier is really good anyway.

I have an iPhone 7+ and I enjoy the sound from the pairing very much. The H9's still needs a volume update. It just isn't loud enough for me.

 

[winslord]

I have an iPhone 7+ and I enjoy the sound from the pairing very much. The H9's still needs a volume update. It just isn't loud enough for me.

But if you play it at full volume and that's still not enough, wouldn't it potentially damage your hearing really badly?

 

[Slim1970]

But if you play it at full volume and that's still not enough, wouldn't it potentially damage your hearing really badly?

I imagine it would but at full volume it's still sounds low to me. Maybe I have a defective pair or something....

 

[winslord]

I imagine it would but at full volume it's still sounds low to me. Maybe I have a defective pair or something....

Is this over Bluetooth? And your Sound Check on iPhone is off right?