[ubjuris]

Please see: http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/15/bang-olufsen-h7/

Bang and Olufsen held out on Bluetooth for a lot longer than other audio businesses, waiting until it could guarantee that the standard had good enough sound. Ever since it was satisfied, the usually restrained Danish firm has been throwing out wireless audio gear at a rate of knots, and another one arrives today. The BeoPlay H7 is a cheaper, over-ear version of the on-ear H8 cans we first saw in January, the biggest difference between the two being the loss of active noise cancellation. Losing that feature means that the battery, rated for 14 hours on the H8, is promised to last 20 hours on its smaller sibling.

Otherwise, the unit is pretty similar to its big brother, with the same aluminum touch panel and memory foam ear cup. Another similarity is that the H7 will "age with beauty," since the natural materials used in its construction will scuff -- beautifully -- if you treat 'em rough. The BeoPlay H7 goes on sale from today and is priced at $449 / £329 / €449 should you want to grab one in preparation for the holidays. Except, we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't at least point out that the technically superior H8 isn't that much more expensive, costing $499 / £399 / €499. If you're already pulling out four Benjamins from your pocket, it seems silly not to at least consider getting the model with ANC.

---

I've tried a pair very quickly. The pad are thicker than the H6s and the headphones were very comfortable to me. The sound was different than the H8s but I believe it is a over-ear/on-ear difference and not due to any specific tuning. I am willing to defer to someone more knowledgeable though. Did not play with them enough to test for Bluetooth issues or noise isolation in a loud area.

 

[ubjuris]

The chips in the H7 are different than in the H8
 
https://twitter.com/beoplay/status/654899004426162176​

 

[Bananas Ananas]

H7 is actually pretty good pair of headphones. 

 

 

[ubjuris]

Are you able to compare them to the H8s directly?

 

[Bananas Ananas]

I have never heard H8 in my life. 

 I got P5 wireless, which trumps H7 (at least when H7 is straight out of the box) in highs and mids, but H7 is superior in lows and soundstage.

 

[andrewlwood]

Long time lurker, joined up because I've been looking for balanced, comfortable, good looking bluetooth headphones for an age, and as of this morning I think I might have found them.
In my search, I've tried
B&O H8
Beats Studio Pro wireless
Beats Solo2 Wireless
Sennheiser Urbanite XL WIreless
Parrot Zik 1
Sennheiser MM450
 
and I might have even missed a few.
 
These are just GREAT - they are balanced (vs. Beats), comfortable (vs. almost everything else on the list), light, beautifully made, discreet for over-ears (vs. Urbanite), easy to drive (vs. Urbanite - so quiet!), work well with a cable (vs. Parrot), and cost a lot but not an extortionate amount (same as the Beats Studio Pro, but made from aluminium and leather rather than plastic). Promising 20 hrs battery is great; they don't need an app to make the most of them; they don't make me pay for ANC, which I have had before but don't ever use or need (except with the Studio Pro, where you can't turn it off).
 
The build quality is just fabulous - ear cushions in particular are beautiful, flawless sheepskin. I'd like them to fold down a little smaller maybe, though they're not big for over-ears; they should come with a better case (or the optional leather B&O one should cost less than £109); there should be a mic and remote on the cable for wired calls; but that is the end of my grumbles. I'm so happy today - I've gone through so many pairs of headphones looking for something like these. 
 
They're more balanced than the H8s by the way - less dominant bass, more clarity. I haven't tried the H6, but I'd imagine from descriptions that the H7 is closer to the H6 than it is to the H8.

 

[ubjuris]

  Long time lurker, joined up because I've been looking for balanced, comfortable, good looking bluetooth headphones for an age, and as of this morning I think I might have found them.
In my search, I've tried
B&O H8
Beats Studio Pro wireless
Beats Solo2 Wireless
Sennheiser Urbanite XL WIreless
Parrot Zik 1
Sennheiser MM450
 
and I might have even missed a few.
 
These are just GREAT - they are balanced (vs. Beats), comfortable (vs. almost everything else on the list), light, beautifully made, discreet for over-ears (vs. Urbanite), easy to drive (vs. Urbanite - so quiet!), work well with a cable (vs. Parrot), and cost a lot but not an extortionate amount (same as the Beats Studio Pro, but made from aluminium and leather rather than plastic). Promising 20 hrs battery is great; they don't need an app to make the most of them; they don't make me pay for ANC, which I have had before but don't ever use or need (except with the Studio Pro, where you can't turn it off).
 
The build quality is just fabulous - ear cushions in particular are beautiful, flawless sheepskin. I'd like them to fold down a little smaller maybe, though they're not big for over-ears; they should come with a better case (or the optional leather B&O one should cost less than £109); there should be a mic and remote on the cable for wired calls; but that is the end of my grumbles. I'm so happy today - I've gone through so many pairs of headphones looking for something like these. 
 
They're more balanced than the H8s by the way - less dominant bass, more clarity. I haven't tried the H6, but I'd imagine from descriptions that the H7 is closer to the H6 than it is to the H8.

I was able to get a microphone cable from B&O at no charge for my H8s by reaching out them; you may want to do the same.  I am tempted to get these as a replacement for the H8s due to their updated bluetooth chip.

 

[Bananas Ananas]

  They're more balanced than the H8s by the way - less dominant bass, more clarity. I haven't tried the H6, but I'd imagine from descriptions that the H7 is closer to the H6 than it is to the H8.

 
I have had Beoplay H6 myself, and I'd say H7 is pretty far away from H6, at least when H6 was played straight out off iPhone or Macbook headphone output. Beoplay H7 has superb bass compared to H6, but loses in highs and clarity. Still, I'd pick H7 over H6 any day – in my opinion H6 sounds just lifeless. 

 

[andrewlwood]

 
I was able to get a microphone cable from B&O at no charge for my H8s by reaching out them; you may want to do the same.  I am tempted to get these as a replacement for the H8s due to their updated bluetooth chip.

That's really interesting - so you're saying that a cable with mic on it WILL work (i.e. the headphones have a four-pole connector in them)? That fixes one big issue  - I've got a few 3.5-3.5 mic cables kicking around from other headphones. Will give them a go, hadn't dared to hope!
Thanks!
FWIW, I've used these all day in crowded shopping centres with wifi everywhere, on buses and in cafes etc, and haven't had any dropouts at all - looks like the new bluetooth chip has the problems with the H8 fixed.

 

[ubjuris]

 
That's really interesting - so you're saying that a cable with mic on it WILL work (i.e. the headphones have a four-pole connector in them)? That fixes one big issue  - I've got a few 3.5-3.5 mic cables kicking around from other headphones. Will give them a go, hadn't dared to hope!
Thanks!
FWIW, I've used these all day in crowded shopping centres with wifi everywhere, on buses and in cafes etc, and haven't had any dropouts at all - looks like the new bluetooth chip has the problems with the H8 fixed.

I am saying that it has worked with the H8s.  No opportunity to test with H7s.  
 
Thanks for that update; that helps.  I have replacement H8s and would've switched to H7s but the store was being difficult (B&O Broadway- NYC) after lying about the H8s being "updated" via firmware after I purchased them.

 

[andrewlwood]

Thanks, will give them a go and report back.
 
I bought mine from (Ealing) Broadway too - they're in short supply, I got the last pair (black - might have been tempted by the tan, but I really like the understated nature of them - they are all black and grey, a nice contrast to the multicolour Beats thing and also my silver/brown MH30's which are more 'bling'), and most shops don't have them in stock and won't until December, according to B&O Richmond. 

 

[ubjuris]

 
Thanks, will give them a go and report back.
 
I bought mine from (Ealing) Broadway too - they're in short supply, I got the last pair (black - might have been tempted by the tan, but I really like the understated nature of them - they are all black and grey, a nice contrast to the multicolour Beats thing and also my silver/brown MH30's which are more 'bling'), and most shops don't have them in stock and won't until December, according to B&O Richmond. 

I was speaking of Broadway in NYC; just corrected my post.  They didn't have any in stock here, citing the 26th as the target date.  You guys get some of the cool stuff over there first, I'm jealous.

 

[andrewlwood]

 
I was speaking of Broadway in NYC; just corrected my post.  They didn't have any in stock here, citing the 26th as the target date.  You guys get some of the cool stuff over there first, I'm jealous.

Hahaha, brilliant - so I'm talking about EALING Broadway, and Richmond, SURREY
 
I guess occasionally we get stuff first over here - makes sense, B&O being Danish and all. But usually we have to wait for a while after the US; seems Apple is one of the very few companies that does simultaneous US/EU launches.

 

[ubjuris]

 
Hahaha, brilliant - so I'm talking about EALING Broadway, and Richmond, SURREY
 
I guess occasionally we get stuff first over here - makes sense, B&O being Danish and all. But usually we have to wait for a while after the US; seems Apple is one of the very few companies that does simultaneous US/EU launches.

Before the iPhone 5 I was big on Nokia phones - only you received them first and some models we did not get here at all.  I really wish Nokia would've overhauled Symbian or put their $$$ into Maemo/Meego earlier, those phones were great.  So that's the lens I'm coming from.  
 
But yea, the H7s do make sense being released there first.

 

[ubjuris]

   
I have had Beoplay H6 myself, and I'd say H7 is pretty far away from H6, at least when H6 was played straight out off iPhone or Macbook headphone output. Beoplay H7 has superb bass compared to H6, but loses in highs and clarity. Still, I'd pick H7 over H6 any day – in my opinion H6 sounds just lifeless. 

Have you tried the H7s with the cable and compared them to the H6?