[Thatton8769]

Hey everyone. This is my first post here. I have lurked for years. I recently decided I was going to search for some over ear headphones with or without ANC. I started with the Bose QC35. Then I bought the Sony MDR1000x. Next I tried the Sennheiser PXC550. Then, I threw in the towel on Bluetooth and grabbed a pair of RHA T20i's. (I really loved the SQ of these but the lack of Bluetooth was a deal breaker). Finally, I settled with the B&W P7 Wireless.
I fell in love with the sound signature on the P7's. I don't fly often so ANC is not a priority. However, after a couple of weeks using the P7's, the headband kills the top of my head. The clamping doesn't really bother me, it is the head strap. I love the not only the SQ of the B&W, but also the VOLUME. So that brings me to today.
I received my H9's yesterday and when I first put them on and paired them with my iPhone 7 Plus, I turned the volume up all the way and turned on a test track. I thought they were broken. I thought to myself "these have to be defective!" There is no way this is full volume. They get quite a bit louder wired and they sound incredible with an amp.
So, here is my dilemma. I wish I could combine the look, feel, fit and finish of the H9 with the volume of the B&W P7 Wireless. I even prefer the SQ of the H9 to the P7 but the volume is just SOOOOO LOW.
Am I going deaf? I have read a few reviews where people commented on the volume being very low. I should let you know, this is the reason I returned the PXC550 as well. They lack bass and the volume was underwhelming. I don't like to blast music but I do like the option to crank them up from time to time.
I want to love the H9 honestly. The look alone is worth the extra $100 to me. Vein, I know. The more I listen to them, the more they seem to grow on me and I suppose I could use the amp, wired if I get the itch to blast some tunes.
I just wanted to get some feedback from some audiophiles. I would call myself an enthusiast but not a certified audiophile by any means. I just like to make an educated buying decision since these will likely last me years to come. Thanks everyone!

 

[MInol]

Hey everyone. This is my first post here. I have lurked for years. I recently decided I was going to search for some over ear headphones with or without ANC. I started with the Bose QC35. Then I bought the Sony MDR1000x. Next I tried the Sennheiser PXC550. Then, I threw in the towel on Bluetooth and grabbed a pair of RHA T20i's. (I really loved the SQ of these but the lack of Bluetooth was a deal breaker). Finally, I settled with the B&W P7 Wireless.
I fell in love with the sound signature on the P7's. I don't fly often so ANC is not a priority. However, after a couple of weeks using the P7's, the headband kills the top of my head. The clamping doesn't really bother me, it is the head strap. I love the not only the SQ of the B&W, but also the VOLUME. So that brings me to today.
I received my H9's yesterday and when I first put them on and paired them with my iPhone 7 Plus, I turned the volume up all the way and turned on a test track. I thought they were broken. I thought to myself "these have to be defective!" There is no way this is full volume. They get quite a bit louder wired and they sound incredible with an amp.
So, here is my dilemma. I wish I could combine the look, feel, fit and finish of the H9 with the volume of the B&W P7 Wireless. I even prefer the SQ of the H9 to the P7 but the volume is just SOOOOO LOW.
Am I going deaf? I have read a few reviews where people commented on the volume being very low. I should let you know, this is the reason I returned the PXC550 as well. They lack bass and the volume was underwhelming. I don't like to blast music but I do like the option to crank them up from time to time.
I want to love the H9 honestly. The look alone is worth the extra $100 to me. Vein, I know. The more I listen to them, the more they seem to grow on me and I suppose I could use the amp, wired if I get the itch to blast some tunes.
I just wanted to get some feedback from some audiophiles. I would call myself an enthusiast but not a certified audiophile by any means. I just like to make an educated buying decision since these will likely last me years to come. Thanks everyone!

I am making an account literally just to reply to this. Have you tried adjusting the volume via the touch panel on the side of the headphones? In my experience that volume acts separately to the volume control on your phone.

 

[brokenhat]

 
I am making an account literally just to reply to this. Have you tried adjusting the volume via the touch panel on the side of the headphones? In my experience that volume acts separately to the volume control on your phone.

 
With iPhones the volume is linked. I agree the H9's have to be turned up much louder than the P7W for the same actual volume but its certainly loud enough for me. For example my normal listening volume would be about 40% on P7W and 70% on H9.

 

[MInol]

   
With iPhones the volume is linked. I agree the H9's have to be turned up much louder than the P7W for the same actual volume but its certainly loud enough for me. For example my normal listening volume would be about 40% on P7W and 70% on H9.

I've found that when on Bluetooth the volume needs to be turned up higher but when connected via the wire I use the same volume I used my H6's with.
But even taking that into account they're much more than loud enough.

 

[mikeb3408]

I just received my Beoplay H9 and I can't imagine listening on full volume. It is certainly sufficiently loud around 50-60%.

I am playing music from Apple Music. What is your music source?

 

[pilotISguy]

Agreed 60-75% is good enough for most listening. (Apple music). Sorry to say thatton8769, I think you might want to try listening to music at a lower volume. Over time your ears will adjust and it will sound loud enough.

 

[FenderP]

 
I've found that when on Bluetooth the volume needs to be turned up higher but when connected via the wire I use the same volume I used my H6's with.
But even taking that into account they're much more than loud enough.

 
Source has to be taken into account. The H9 is harder to drive via wire, as was the H6, by my Sony players. But I still don't need to crank to max.

 

[Aischilos]

Install the beoplay app. Then maximize volume through the app (or the touch controls on the right ear pad). Then test volume by playing with the volume level of the SOURCE. You will see that you can get more than you initially thought. The app will help you play with the sound impression of the h9. One thing I can add to the above contributors is that the app works much better with the h9 than with the H7 (in that it does not lose connection with the headphones). However, with the h9 one must reinitiate pairing between the source and the headphones, but that has already been told some time ago.

 

[FenderP]

Install the beoplay app. Then maximize volume through the app (or the touch controls on the right ear pad). Then test volume by playing with the volume level of the SOURCE. You will see that you can get more than you initially thought. The app will help you play with the sound impression of the h9. One thing I can add to the above contributors is that the app works much better with the h9 than with the H7 (in that it does not lose connection with the headphones). However, with the h9 one must reinitiate pairing between the source and the headphones, but that has already been told some time ago.

 
The Beoplay app is pretty much useless if you're not using BT.
 
Edit: Just tested. Yup, 100% useless if you have it wired. Plugging a wire in disabled BT.

 

[MInol]

What does everyone think of the supplied cable? I'm rather disappointed with it, it's really thin and flimsy, not at all what I expected. I understand that these are primarily supposed to be used as wireless headphones but damn, for £450 I was expecting a decent cable.

 

[FenderP]

  What does everyone think of the supplied cable? I'm rather disappointed with it, it's really thin and flimsy, not at all what I expected. I understand that these are primarily supposed to be used as wireless headphones but damn, for £450 I was expecting a decent cable.

 
It's pretty much the same as every other headphone at this price point I've owned.

 

[MInol]

   
It's pretty much the same as every other headphone at this price point I've owned.

Damn, really? Thats a shame.
Though the wire for my H6s is significantly thicker and just appears to be better built in general.

Looks like I'm gonna have to look for some third party cables.

 

[Thatton8769]

I am making an account literally just to reply to this. Have you tried adjusting the volume via the touch panel on the side of the headphones? In my experience that volume acts separately to the volume control on your phone.

I did try that. Thank you!

I just received my Beoplay H9 and I can't imagine listening on full volume. It is certainly sufficiently loud around 50-60%.

I am playing music from Apple Music. What is your music source?

I've tried Spotify on "extreme quality", Google Play Music All Access and Apple Music. I'm playing them at 100% volume all the time. Even for podcasts. The P7 Wireless are PLENTY loud.

Install the beoplay app. Then maximize volume through the app (or the touch controls on the right ear pad). Then test volume by playing with the volume level of the SOURCE. You will see that you can get more than you initially thought. The app will help you play with the sound impression of the h9. One thing I can add to the above contributors is that the app works much better with the h9 than with the H7 (in that it does not lose connection with the headphones). However, with the h9 one must reinitiate pairing between the source and the headphones, but that has already been told some time ago.

I do have the app installed although I've found that it doesn't do much besides a very slight tweak with the EQ. Sounds like I'm just screwed. Maybe I'll keep the P7 Wireless and just deal with the lack of ANC or get the QC35 and deal with the mediocre sound quality. The Bose are also plenty loud.

 

[Speedv1]

So I popped by my local HIFI store today. I currently own a Momentum 2 Wireless. I like them but feel that more was to be had.
 
I ended up trying a few different headsets and here is my quick feedback. Note that I have small ears - so the comfort levels may differ.
 
 
Sony MDR1000x - Honestly not that impressed. The ANC is fantastic but does give me the uncomfortable vacuum seal so it's a no go. Sound quality isn't half bad but it never wowed me. Felt a bit cheap. I would take these over the QC35s.
 
QC35 - Honestly not a half bad headset. ANC gives you the vacuum, but I feel like people looking to purchase the QC series want this. Sound quality is not it's strong suit - worse out of all tested though. Don't buy these - get the MDR1000x if you want a vacuum environment.
 
P7 Wireless - More lively, to me they sound 'slightly' better than the H9s but they leak to no end. Painful to my head (might change over time, but I really doubt it - YMMV here). Excellent craftsmanship and can be found for a very reasonable price. The isolation issues wrote them off for me.
 
Momentum 2 Wireless (I've owned these for a year, so expect a bit more) - The ANC is similar to the H9 - a lower amount, but cuts the right frequencies. I actually like how the ANC works on them and have travelled with them on multiple occasions. Sound quality is good, but nowhere near the P7 Wireless and H9. Comfortable and feels durable - NOTE nowhere near as comfortable as the H9s. Includes a QUALITY case. Have endured some interesting travels and look brand new. I like how the headphone cable 'locks' when using it in wired mode.
 
H9 - ANC is my idea of the right approach - it'll cut out the right frequencies to allow some isolation from the annoying, consistent noises of regular travel/life. It's not going to seclude you from the world, but it won't give you a headache either. Sound quality - detailed, good ranges, definitely quite bassy. The app helps - good range of adjustments (when the damn app works). I slightly tweaked the soundstage and levels in the app and found a very favourable setting. Overall I enjoy the sound quality. Comfort is unbelievable. My girlfriend couldn't care less about audio quality, but she put them on and wondered off with them! Truly a new level of comfort.
 
 
Long short of it - I bought the H9s. Luckily they were $75 off too. Right step up over the Momentum 2 Wireless. My preference would be (in this order): H9, Momentum Wireless, P7 wireless, MDR1000x, QC35. Again remember that I'm looking for a minimum level of isolation that the P7 wireless do not have.
 
I would say if money is a big factor for you then get the Momentums (best price of ~$350 CAD) but otherwise the H9s would be my personal recommendation (but may be a hard pushed ~$300 CAD difference).

 

[MInol]

Does anyone else prefer the sound of the H9's when the ANC is on? This is the complete opposite of what I was expecting.