[RamGuy]

I think it's time to RMA my BeoPlay H9's... They've acted weird from the day I bought them. One of the first time I turned them on they made this high-pitched and very loud noise and nothing happened. But upon turning them off and on again they worked. But this has started to happen more and more often. For the past week this has happened twice. It not all that big of a deal, but I the noise is ear piercingly loud and extremely uncomfortable and it's really disappointing that I have to deal with something like this on such premium headphones for a really steep price.
 
But it's not only that. The noise the headphones make in order to prompt you about low battery life seems to be bugging out on my at times. I've run them almost empty a few times, and the prompt normally starts when the headphones are pretty much dead. I normally get about 5-15 minutes playtime on the after I get the prompt about low battery the first time. But twice now, the headphones have gone into some kind of "meltdown" where they have kept prompting me about low battery life almost constantly even though the battery is reported to be above 50%. And it's not the usual "prompt", wait five minutes before you get a new prompt. No it's more like "prompt", wait 5-10 seconds, another "prompt", wait 5-10 seconds and yet another "prompt" and it was like this until I hooked it to a charger. Again, it's not that big of a deal that something fuzzy like this happens now and then, but for the price of these headphones....
 
And it seems to be like the volume levels are really inconsistent? I can listen to them on commute to work on my iPhone on a set volume level, and still when I commute back home, all without using the headphones or touching the volume levels on my iPhone or anything the volume level is noticeably lower on the commute home... I feel like the amount of volume the headphones can output seems to vary from time-to-time for some inexplicable reason? Sometimes I have to push the volume almost to max in order to get satisfactory volume levels, and other times I barely need to go past 50%. This is all playing from the same iPhone 7 Plus.
 
 
All this is just small things that is starting to get rather infuriating. We also have the battery life which feels really bad compared to my BeoPlay H7, even when running with ANC disabled. I'm almost tempted to just say; BeoPlay, listen. I love your products. The BeoPlay H6 and H6v2 are great headphones, and I was one of the first to grab the H7 when they got to market and I loved them ever since. But these BeoPlay H9's are just not working out, could you please take them back.. I'm not really that interested in getting them fixed. They don't spark much joy for me anymore even if you are able to iron out all the various issues I'm struggling with..

 

[shockre91]

well, sounds like you got a defect pair. it sucks, but you'll get new ones.
 
btw, is anyone switching between devices often? how do you do it? 
I'm asking because sometimes it takes me 1 try, sometimes a few more. dunno if I'm doing something wrong..

 

[mikeb3408]

Anybody heard anything about these Beoplay H4 wireless headphones?

[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/rNEVjzwllqQ[/VIDEO]

 

[jramskov]

I just got a newsletter from B&O about them. Looks and sounds like a pretty nice option if you don't need/want ANC.

 

[SoundMark]

Greetings to all. First post here.
 
After reading every single post in this thread, I decided to cave in and order a pair of H9, as a possible upgrade to my almost one year old H8. I’ve had the H9 for a week and I have to report that sadly they’re going back to B&O.
 
The H9 is more comfortable than the H8, and I can wear them for 4 or 5 hours with no discomfort. BT connection is more solid on the H9 (fewer dropouts), but not significantly better in the end. I know that earlier H8 sets had lots of issues with the BT implementation, but I got one of the later sets and it’s been fine overall.
 
The main reason I’m returning the H9: Sound Quality. The H8 sounds better than the H9. Basically, the H9’s midrange, the most critical frequency band, is way too recessed and, as a result, this produces a larger soundstage, but unfortunately the mids are just way off with vocals and other instruments sounding too distant, buried in the mix. Due to this fatal flaw the soundstage may initially impress, because it does, but in the end it’s unnatural. 
 
The treble on the H9 is a little more sparkly than on the H8 and is mostly not offensive, with a false sense of appearing to give more details due to the slight treble boost, but it does sound thin in comparison, with cymbals, in particular, sounding unnatural. Occasionally the H9 can be sibilant but not often, and vocals can often sound not only distant, but unnaturally nasal. By contrast, cymbals on the H8 are much more natural, with more correct body and decay and there’s never any sibilance, and vocals sound more prsent in the mix, just the way they should.
 
Bass is similar on both H9 and H8, perhaps just a tad tighter on the H9, but the problems I’ve been having with the mids and highs just made me forget to pay more attention to the bass, but I didn’t hear any significant differences.
 
The H8 is easier to drive. With the H9 several times I found myself needing more volume than they can provide, this was frustrating and very evident with some old classical and rock CD masters I have which have better dynamics than recent masters. With the H8 I’ve never needed to go above 75-80% volume levels on my iPhone 6 and MBP Retina.
 
ANC seems to be very similar on both models, or perhaps the H8 is just a tiny bit better than the H9 from the very limited ANC testing I’ve carried out. Haven’t had the opportunity to test both headphones on a plane, but I’ve been very pleased with the H8’s performance on planes, trains and buses.

 

[pilotISguy]

Thanks for the reviews.

But I wouldn't pay any attention to them, good or bad. None whatsoever.

Because you can read reviews of any Bluetooth headphones on the market....and some reviewer will hate them, while another loves them.

Just today, I read a review of the Sony 1000x Bluetooth headphones in Digital Trends....it's title? "The Best Noise-Canceling Wireless Headphones That You Can Buy." I read it - and wow, it was a wildly positive review....so much so, I dropped by BB and tried 'em out. 

First of all, this so-called 'silence' Sony NC is supposed to create...nope. I clearly heard audio demos playing throughout the store. And the music? Cardboard. Like a loud TV speaker. Bass? No way were they in the same zip code as the H9s.

Plus - the absolute kiss of death: They creaked. Yes. The head-turning 'creak.' I had that with Denon's noise-canceling wireless headphones....never again. 

The only thing I loved about them? Put your hand over the right earcup, and the NC turns off. Drop your hand and it goes back on.  Loved that.

Again, I appreciate the links to the reviews. But here's the question to every H9 owner: Do YOU like 'em?

That's the only review that means anything at all. 

Exactly. And I want to ask anyone who gives these H9s a bad review for sound; show me a wireless noise canceling over ear headphone that sounds better than the H9. Put them in front of me. News flash. THEY DON'T EXIST.

 

[dbdynsty25]

Exactly. And I want to ask anyone who gives these H9s a bad review for sound; show me a wireless noise canceling over ear headphone that sounds better than the H9. Put them in front of me. News flash. THEY DON'T EXIST.

 
Look above you.  LOL.  Good timing.

 

[pilotISguy]

   
Look above you.  LOL.  Good timing.

lol. Pretty funny, but joking aside I did say, "Over-Ear". H8's are On-Ear. 
 
And I respect SoundMark's review. The H9's are definitely not perfect and have many flaws. But it doesn't change the fact that there isn't a better sounding [Over-Ear, ANC, wireless headphone]. It's simply the best the world has at the moment. I've looked but please prove me wrong. It doesn't surprise me though because good sound quality and ANC have never really mixed.

 

[brokenhat]

 
lol. Pretty funny, but joking aside I did say, "Over-Ear". H8's are On-Ear. 
 
And I respect SoundMark's review. The H9's are definitely not perfect and have many flaws. But it doesn't change the fact that there isn't a better sounding [Over-Ear, ANC, wireless headphone]. It's simply the best the world has at the moment. I've looked but please prove me wrong. It doesn't surprise me though because good sound quality and ANC have never really mixed.

 
They are the best that currently exist without any doubt. 

 

[dbdynsty25]

 
lol. Pretty funny, but joking aside I did say, "Over-Ear". H8's are On-Ear. 
 
And I respect SoundMark's review. The H9's are definitely not perfect and have many flaws. But it doesn't change the fact that there isn't a better sounding [Over-Ear, ANC, wireless headphone]. It's simply the best the world has at the moment. I've looked but please prove me wrong. It doesn't surprise me though because good sound quality and ANC have never really mixed.

 
Haha...fair enough.  ANC really kills most headphones.

 

[MrBaker]

  The main reason I’m returning the H9: Sound Quality. The H8 sounds better than the H9

Hi friend!
 
I also ordered these headphones in a blind without listening. And also as in your case, my first impressions were hard even garbage sound. I was sooo disappointed and wanted to return them. But I remembered that the same was the case with my lovely and favorite H6, when in the store when you audition they sounded better than new out of the box. And only after 400 hours of burning the headphones I stopped noticing that the sound quality has ceased to change. The headphones are very musical and air and suddenly there was bass (what I did not expect), and all hardness is gone.
 
Now my H9 has 200 hours buring up and I can already see the fantastic changes in the sound quality. So if you haven't had a chance to return, drive them well at different frequencies. I promise you will be surprised at what they can do (= SQ).
 
Have a good time, 
Serge

 

[SoundMark]

  Hi friend!
 
I also ordered these headphones in a blind without listening. And also as in your case, my first impressions were hard even garbage sound. I was sooo disappointed and wanted to return them. But I remembered that the same was the case with my lovely and favorite H6, when in the store when you audition they sounded better than new out of the box. And only after 400 hours of burning the headphones I stopped noticing that the sound quality has ceased to change. The headphones are very musical and air and suddenly there was bass (what I did not expect), and all hardness is gone.
 
Now my H9 has 200 hours buring up and I can already see the fantastic changes in the sound quality. So if you haven't had a chance to return, drive them well at different frequencies. I promise you will be surprised at what they can do (= SQ).
 
Have a good time, 
Serge

 
Hi Serge,
 
Thank you for your suggestion, but unfortunately I returned the H9 on Friday. 
 
I must have clocked in about 50 hours on the H9 and I did not hear a difference in sound quality throughout that time. In my experience, burn in doesn’t cause a perceptible or significant change in sound. I believe that people who claim burn in makes a big difference is more a case of 'brain burn in', simply the brain gradually adjusting to what is presented to it and filling out the blanks, so to speak. I can tell you that I was able to gradually enjoy the H9, yes, though never as much as the H8, but whenever I switched to my H8 the difference was not small, always favouring the H8.
 
If you enjoy your H9 so much, I’m very glad you do, perhaps its sound signature is just right for you. Unfortunately the H9 was not for me and, believe me, I really wanted to like it a lot, all the more when I quickly realised how comfortable this headphone was. I really think the very recessed midrange is a fatal flaw, and the thin and slightly boosted treble just made things worse for me.

 

[DoKaTSuYa]

So which one you prefer in sound ? H7 or H9 ? or they are exactly the same... I tried both they sound similar, maybe the H7 better, but the H9 wasn't burn in yet.

 

[brokenhat]

  So which one you prefer in sound ? H7 or H9 ? or they are exactly the same... I tried both they sound similar, maybe the H7 better, but the H9 wasn't burn in yet.

 
For me the H7 (and H8) had Bluetooth issues and dropped out all the time from turning my head and depending where I carried my iPhone; they fixed it with the H9 which is solid as a rock with Bluetooth. I think the H7 had slightly better overall sound, probably due to the ANC implementation on the H9's. So I returned the H7's at the time and have kept the H9's. I also love having ANC if needed and not needing yet another pair of headphones just for that (I fly Internationally several  times a year).

 

[Aischilos]

+1