Hi everyone,
Just wanted to share a small update. After my 4th or 5th (I honestly lost count) issue with a H9i, I contacted B&O customer service once again. They were very helpful and understanding, and offered to swap my H9i for a H9 3rd gen. I agreed with the offer, since I completely lost trust in getting a fully working H9i ever again. The issue with my last H9i was that every now and then the headphone wouldn't turn off. If you'd turn the switch, it would stay on as if you hadn't touched it. Anyways, the story with the H9i is over now, and I've been trying out the H9 3rd gen for a few days now and I thought you'd be interested in some of my findings
- H9 3rd gen definitely has a more comfortable headband and slightly more comfortable earcups (even though I didnt have any issues with the H9i's earcups)
- ANC is slightly better, but more importantly: the sound with ANC on doesn't change nearly as much as with the H9i; I'd go as far as saying that there's barely any difference anymore between ANC on or off. This is the biggest plus between the 2 models in my opinion.
-The soundstage is rich, but more neutral than the H9i's. I had gotten so used to the H9i's punchy and vibrant sound that my ears had to adjust to the more neutral H9 3rd gens. But after listening to them for quite a few days now, it makes me realize how fatiguing the H9i's brightness could be for my ears from time to time. I can listen to the 3rd gens for many more hours without any problem.
-Didn't notice any difference with regards to the touch controls, they respond exactly the same as on the H9i's in my experience
-The app is (still) finicky
That's it basically. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Just to add that this absolutely reflects my perception too, after B&O replaced my H9i with the H9 3rd Gen.
Story: the H9i whistled when switched on until I turned the ANC off. Not really a problem for me as I used them with ANC off 99% of the time, and the whistle did fade after time. However, I feel the H95s calling, so I asked B&O about this. I would have (had) to sell them and I don't like selling things with a known possible fault. Anyway, after some email discussion, B&O asked me to return them (still just within guarantee) and a few days later they confirmed they would swap them for the 3rd Gen. Great service. Really impressed. They arrived 2 working days later.
In addition to what Demis mentions, I find the sound more coherent maybe, with a stronger bass (not too strong), but also less spacious and bright. Bright on the H9i was not always nice.
The ANC on the 3G is much, much better - less 'pressure' and I sometimes have to check the app to seee if it's on or off. I could alweays tell with the H9i.
I find the touch controls slightly easier to feel on the H9i (the 3G has a slightly different chamfer) but this could be a question of muscle memory.
The on/off switch is now ridged, which I don't recall on the H9i and the cover plates are grey rather than silver.
The mic is still good.
I'm keeping the 3rd Gen for the moment (unless the H95 drops in price by a couple of hundred euros or I see a good secondhand deal).
For reference, I also have the Dali io-6, which I also like. I previously owned the Sennheiser Momentum 2 (too thumpy (bass) and uncomfortable) and PXC 550 (a bit boring and plasticy), B&W P7 wireless (too much bass for me - unbearable after 5 minutes) and PX (too tight on my head! - those things really hurt), Parrot Zik v1 (heavy, short battery life, bit uncomfortable but not bad).
Cheers,
Alastair
