[beoneo]

I listen to a lot of compressed audio for sure, and apps like SoundCloud just lowered its bit-rate from 128 kbps to 64 kbps Opus. It's hard to find "new" music due to less curation in the mp3/blog community. Curation has fallen more into the hands of large corporations than the general Internet scene. Algorithms are usually good in the beginning, but they tend to recommend the same tracks over and over. Discover Weekly was great when it was released, but it has became a bit stale. For big albums from established artists and classical music, I resort to lossless formats. I have a 256GB iPhone X, but I never seem to top it out. It is no longer 1990, where you heard through the same albums until they became relics.

I use a lot of my time travelling listening through new artists and tracks in rather compressed audio, before I acquire the tracks in better quality later, and then it is good to have a headset that works with compressed formats as well as with lossless audio formats.

 

[nremondelli]

Have you read the extensive comparison I wrote in this very thread a few weeks ago? And the updated comments now I’ve bought the H9i?

I know this thread is stupidly long, but it would be very helpful if people could read back a bit.

Didn't they just come out yesterday? I'm not looking for a specs comparison. I am looking for impressions from someone who may have both.

 

[anonymess]

Didn't they just come out yesterday? I'm not looking for a specs comparison. I am looking for impressions from someone who may have both.

If you search the thread you will see that I extensively tested PX next to H9. Then I bought H9i and tested that and compared it with what I had found on the PX. I have not had both PX and H9i physically together. But there is plenty to read. Maybe someone will have more. But read what is there first please. Search the thread before posting. Use the "Search This Thread" box. It will make everyone happier

 

[larzy]

Can someone tell me the point of Transparency Mode? When I enable it the music stops and there's only some noise. I was under the impression that the feature would work like Sony's where the ANC was more or less and let some voices or city noise in. Am I missing the point? If it's only to pause the music why not just do that - press pause?!

Also - when I opened the Beoplay app on my iPhone after connecting my H9i there was a toggle for ANC to enable and disable it (I know it can be done on the earcup...) - but after I closed the app and later wanted to listen to music it was gone? A software bug?!

 

[winslord]

Can someone tell me the point of Transparency Mode? When I enable it the music stops and there's only some noise. I was under the impression that the feature would work like Sony's where the ANC was more or less and let some voices or city noise in. Am I missing the point? If it's only to pause the music why not just do that - press pause?!

Also - when I opened the Beoplay app on my iPhone after connecting my H9i there was a toggle for ANC to enable and disable it (I know it can be done on the earcup...) - but after I closed the app and later wanted to listen to music it was gone? A software bug?!

That software bug does exist. And transparency mode is different to solely pausing the music. Transparency mode uses the microphone to amplify sounds around you, make you hear better while the ear cups aren’t covering you. Like the here one wireless earbuds.

 

[furiousxazn]

Can anyone compare the sound of H9 or H9i to Beats studio 2.0? And no, i'm not crazy

 

[winslord]

Can anyone compare the sound of H9 or H9i to Beats studio 2.0? And no, i'm not crazy

Ah the Beats Studio3 Wireless. The bass was super awesome. The Beats Studio3 is literally just two steps away from becoming a full fledged wireless headphones. The bass was clean and satisfyingly thumping, but the clarity and soundstage are lacking. Yeah, that’s all I could think about. The tuning is pretty similar with V-MODA Crossfade II Wireless albeit a less forward mid.

So, compared to the H9i, less clear. However, the bass is more satisfying than the H9i at its normal tuning. If you know how to tune the H9i right using ToneTouch, I believe you can get the same amount of low. But, be aware that the quality (not quantity) of the bass in the Beats is still about the same like the H9, not the H9i. The H9i’s bass is just clean at another level, especially for a wireless pair.

Soundstage and clarity of highs obviously, are in H9i’s victory.

The treble is obviously way more (and too) high (for me) in the H9i, and the mid more forward; but again, if you know how to use ToneTouch right, everything will work out amazing.

Speaking from memory again here, but ANC seems more or less the same.

 

[Speedv1]

Hey guys,

So grabbed an H9I from my local B&O. Here's my two second, blunt feedback - will likely report back after my Asian travels throughout the month of Feb. Remember, this is my feedback - 100% your mileage may vary. All 'tests' are in wireless mode (my main use).

H9:
I owned these for about a year. Loved them but started looking for more sparkle in the mids/uppers. Very comfortable, fell asleep with them on multiple occasions (plane travels). Great build quality. Great support from B&O (like seriously, wow). ANC is exactly what I want - not a a cocoon but quiet.

QC35:
A thinner sound - just felt like something was missing. A nice sound, just didn't hit the songs with enough punch (guess I'm a basshead?). Impressively comfortable. ANC gave me an off feeling.

PX:
Burn these in - seriously. Impressive ranges - great depth, sparkling trebles, sci fi soundstage. NEEDS high quality music - not a forgiving headset. Comfort was a concern for me. I couldn't pin it on one thing, more a combination of the weight and the clamping force. ANC is fine, it effects the sound, but use it at it's lightest setting and you'll be groovy.

WH1000XM2:
Really like the sound from these. It's wide, plays it safe, with a slightly boosted lower register. They are not fatiguing at all and I bet most would be happy if they bought these and never looked back. Touch/gestures/whatever works - it's not perfect but it works - I'm here to listen to the music, not slap the one cup every four seconds. Comfort was on par to QC35 for me. ANC would probably be titled as 'best' except it gave me an off feeling like the QC35s.

H9I:
Much brighter than the H9 but similar depths. Nice and wide sound, trebles sparkle but might be sibilant for some. Mids are much more prominent. These have my favourite lower register out of all of these headphones - they're very present but not bloated. ANC removes outside sounds better than the H9 but adds a little bit of pressure. Audio quality is narrowed slightly with ANC on but it's still very pleasant. Bad note - they dropped aptX. Now, when Oreo (Android 8.0) comes out all of the mid to high tier Android phones will just utilize AAC but it's food for thought (I happen to have a phone that supports AAC already). Comfort is great, similar to the H9 but feels lighter. The lack of a hard case is a joke at the $599.99 CAD but overall build quality is lovely.

Summary:
I don't know. I prefer the H9I but I imagine everyone will have a different pick for a different reason. Most of the headphones are best at 'something', I guess here's my breakdown:

Sonys are best for ANC and good sound quality.
PXs are best for fairly neutral sound and wide soundstage as long as your source is good - watch for the comfort.
H9Is are best for a deeper sound, good soundstage and a sparkling upper end (but concerns of them being too sibilant). Too expensive (imo).
H9s are hard to justify now.
QC35s seem hollow to me.

If you're penny pushing (well.. kind of) get the Sonys - I see them for ~$350 CAD here and there.

I'll report back in March.

 

[buzzlulu]

Thanks for the excellent write up.
As an owner of the H9's I am a bit confused by your comparison

You question the possible sibilant nature of the H9i's and the increased pressure of the ANC (to which I am sensitive)
So with these two negatives against the H9i's what are the positives about them which make the H9's hard to justify?

I am happy with the H9's - my only reason to consider an upgrade would be if the ANC did a better job on an airplane BUT did not compromise the sound AND the ANC did not increase the pressure to something which would be annoying.

 

[winslord]

Thanks for the excellent write up.
As an owner of the H9's I am a bit confused by your comparison

You question the possible sibilant nature of the H9i's and the increased pressure of the ANC (to which I am sensitive)
So with these two negatives against the H9i's what are the positives about them which make the H9's hard to justify?

I am happy with the H9's - my only reason to consider an upgrade would be if the ANC did a better job on an airplane BUT did not compromise the sound AND the ANC did not increase the pressure to something which would be annoying.

I think the new ANC is more advanced. When I tested them side by side in my noiseless bedroom, the H9i indeed had less pressure. In the bus, the H9i had more pressure which means more noise cancellation.

Also, if you read more of my posts, I said that the H9i has a fuller and more powerful and mid than the H9. Most importantly, the bass is cleaner and tighter. And why buy a Beoplay if I can’t tweak the sound? With ToneTouch, the negative you pointed out is easy to eliminate. I just slide the sound to the left and a up for more (but cleaner than H9) bass.

 

[bedlamite]

I'm very comfortable with the H9's sound, so all these reports of boosted mids and borderline sibilance aren't particularly selling me on the H9i. Especially since aptX has been dropped from the new revision. I also own the PXs so that'll be the can I go to for a more audiophile sound signature. IMHO, if you're a H9 owner and you're looking to trade up, there's not really any compelling reason to, unless you don't like how the H9 sounds in the first place.

The H8is tho....

edit: B&O's own E8s make a great complement to the H9s, btw. They have surprising clarity and enough bass (in controlled amounts!) to handle a wide variety of music genres. Truly wireless inears are still suffering from immature technology, unfortunately, but the sheer portability and sound quality make up for the very infrequent sound dropouts.

 

[winslord]

Thanks for the excellent write up.
As an owner of the H9's I am a bit confused by your comparison

You question the possible sibilant nature of the H9i's and the increased pressure of the ANC (to which I am sensitive)
So with these two negatives against the H9i's what are the positives about them which make the H9's hard to justify?

I am happy with the H9's - my only reason to consider an upgrade would be if the ANC did a better job on an airplane BUT did not compromise the sound AND the ANC did not increase the pressure to something which would be annoying.

I'm very comfortable with the H9's sound, so all these reports of boosted mids and borderline sibilance aren't particularly selling me on the H9i. Especially since aptX has been dropped from the new revision. I also own the PXs so that'll be the can I go to for a more audiophile sound signature. IMHO, if you're a H9 owner and you're looking to trade up, there's not really any compelling reason to, unless you don't like how the H9 sounds in the first place.

Why are so many people underappreciating the addition of cleaner and tighter bass? There are at least two posts in this thread (quoted above) that are omitting the bass improvement.

Also, bedlamite, the improvement on the mids aren’t necessarily something I’d call a “boost”. They just somehow feel more content. Hard to explain, not warmer, not so much boosted either...

As an iPhone user, I don’t think AptX is something you need. Galaxy with AptX sounds so much worse with iPhone on AAC. And yeah, if you’re listening to Bluetooth headphones through Android, you’re not listening with the best mobile amplifier there is.

Again, Beoplay encourages personalization through ToneTouch. Just because, there’s no such thing as “one audiophile sound signature fits all”.

 

[buzzlulu]

edit: B&O's own E8s make a great complement to the H9s, btw. They have surprising clarity and enough bass (in controlled amounts!) to handle a wide variety of music genres. Truly wireless inears are still suffering from immature technology, unfortunately, but the sheer portability and sound quality make up for the very infrequent sound dropouts.

AGREED
I purchased a pair of E8's about two weeks ago to see if they could replace my H9's. I have been one of the fortunate ones who have had zero issues with them and so far they have worked perfectly with my iPhone X.

They are AMAZING. The sound is wonderful - IMHO rivaling the H9's. The touch controls function perfectly and are a phenomenal addition. I have been using the supplied Comply tips and have achieved decent isolation - and they are not even the isolation model but rather the sport model - which is not as isolating. I have a pair of Mandarin tips on the way so I am curious to see how they will perform for usolation.

So far I am impressed with the E8's

 

[larzy]

Great unbox and comparison between H9i and H9 where it’s easy to see the differences in design and earpads:


It’s a B&O retailer so don’t know how valid his opinions are but has some thoughts on them compared to H6.

 

[keniutek]

Tried to find it (i might suck at google) but couldn't... what's the diameter of earcups on these? TIA