[slsmaster]

Hi Guys,
I just order my H95 as I am switching from APM as I find APP 2 to be superior in SQ (which I use for traveling and the gym) to the APM and want a better sounding wireless over ear headphone for office + home office use.
I just sold my BT-W4 and upgraded to the BT-W5 as in HQ Mode it not only offers a high sample rate but also a higher bitrate across all sample rates.

Here is some proof showing a detailed difference between aptX Adaptive LL and aptX Adaptive HQ:

aptX Adaptive @ 276 kbit/s -> aptX LL, aptX Adaptive @ 420 kbit/s -> aptX Adaptive HQ

Results with Qudelix 5k:

I am very curious on how the H95 will sound. My main headphone setup is a Hifiman Arya Stealth EQed with a D30+A30 stack in desktop use and a Qudelix 5k for portable home use. I am not expecting the H95 to outperform the Arya but I hope it will be more resolving then the APM, which is laughably bad even compared to the APP 2.

 

[slsmaster]

I had my H95 for 2 days now and here are my early impressions:

Nice fit and finish, I would say the build is comparable to the APM. Both are superior to my Arya (which is not a high bar to cross lol).

The pads of the H95 are a little small for my liking as they lack a little depth but surprisingly they are still fairly comfortable.
The headband of the APM is way superior to that of the H95, at least for my head.

The ANC of the H95 is mediocre when compared to the APM, it manages to block lower frequencies to an somewhat similar extent then the APM but the APM is much better in blocking the higher spectrum of the frequency range. So overall ANC is 50-60% as effective as with the APM I would say. In my testing, the APP2 also surpasses the H95 in ANC capabilities by a big margin.

The transparency mode is ok but creates a lot of background noise when used in its higher settings. I tend to us it at its lowest or medium setting for this reason. APM/APP2 is also way superior here.

When using the H95 for conference calls transparency mode becomes "Own Voice", which tries to amplify the own voice while speaking. This feature creates a loud buzzing sound for me when cranked up all the way. For me it is only usable in its lowest setting.
ANC can be enabled during calls though, like with APM/APP2.

Apple Music in Lossless Mode was used for all platforms.

I first tried the H95 with AAC directly coupled to an MacBook Air M1 and an iPhone 13 Pro Max:

My first impressions here where they sound definitely better then APM when used under the same conditions, meaning with an Apple Device and AAC Codec.
But not as much as I initially hoped for.

The sound signature changes quite a bit here when switching between ANC/Transparency to Neutral, with Neutral having considerably less bass impact and amount.

The volume control doesn't seem to work very well either, as it can't be adjusted as precisely as the APM could be (less volume steps). This seems to be an OS limitation in combination with 3rd party BT headphones, as I have encountered the same issue using other Brands.

The sound itself is a little more detailed than the APM and there is definitely more impact in the bass region + it extends deeper into the frequency region.

Would I recommend the H95 purly for using it via AAC (directly connected to Apple Devices)? No, definitely not. The SQ improvement is too little with all of its drawbacks (worse ANC, worse transparency, bad volume Control granularity, Background noises under certain settings).


But then I coupled it to my old Pixel 2 XL running an Android 13 Custom Rom, the codec used is aptX HD:

Paring was seamless with Google Fast Pair, almost as seamless as paring APM to an iOS device. Volume Controls is SO much better under Android. Not as granular as APM under iOS/macOS but almost.

The SQ is also much better now. Details are much more easily to pick up now without raising the volume level. The bass amount is slightly reduced but it's crisper and better defined in its texture. The sound also seems to suffer from less distortion, as the whole frequency range seems to be clearer.
Also, which I cannot really explain, the difference in Sound between ANC/Transparency and Neutral in Sound is almost not existent when using the H95 via aptX.

Would I recommend the H95 for using it via aptX HD/Adaptive HQ (via BT-W5 or directly)? YES, I would go so far to say that if you definitely will not use the H95 via aptX HD/aptX Adaptive the drawbacks compared to the APM/APP2 are definitely not worth it and both of them are a better product. But when used at its full potential, meaning via aptX HD or aptX Adaptive in its HQ mode, then the H95 really shine!


Edit: I found out, that the Adaptive ANC actually works. But it's very subtle. You can test it as follows: set ANC to Max and Adaptive ANC to off. You should notice a faint background hiss from the ANC. Now open YouTube and play a video on speakers with lots of chatter (for example a LTT video lol). While the video is playing, enable Adaptive ANC in the APP. The faint hiss should adjust and change its pitch as it is adapting to the noise made by the YT video, in my case the hiss decreased noticeably.


Range of the H95 using aptX HD is really good, as good as APM via AAC which is surprising as AAC uses much less data.

 

[CBT177]

I just purchased the BT W5 and I'm noticing quite a bit of distortion while in the AptX Adaptive HQ mode. I am using it on a M1 14" MacBook Pro through Apple Music lossless with the bit rate set to 24/96 through the Creative app. Changing the bit rate does not help but going to the low latency mode in the Creative app does stop the distortion. I also use the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 on the BT W5 and I have zero issues no matter what mode I am in on the device.

The distortion I am experiencing is essentially cracks and pops during song playback and there is also a "popping" sound when switching tracks on Apple Music. I've tried resetting the device but that hasn't helped. Has anyone experienced anything similar or am I doing something wrong here?

 

[charlieo]

I just purchased the BT W5 and I'm noticing quite a bit of distortion while in the AptX Adaptive HQ mode. I am using it on a M1 14" MacBook Pro through Apple Music lossless with the bit rate set to 24/96 through the Creative app. Changing the bit rate does not help but going to the low latency mode in the Creative app does stop the distortion. I also use the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 on the BT W5 and I have zero issues no matter what mode I am in on the device.

The distortion I am experiencing is essentially cracks and pops during song playback and there is also a "popping" sound when switching tracks on Apple Music. I've tried resetting the device but that hasn't helped. Has anyone experienced anything similar or am I doing something wrong here?

I just received mine few days ago to pair it with ipad. I noticed that the AptX adaptive HQ worked very well for me, but when I switch to the low latency mode, I'm getting some pops and stutter on a random period. So I just stick with the adaptive HQ mode. You might want to check with creative on your issue.

Also, my Sennheiser btd 600 just arrived today, did testing between the dongles and I feel Sennheiser is more stable without the pops etc from creative. I’ll probably be using this for iPad while I’ll use Creative’s for the Mac.

 

[RickInHouston]

A H95 arrived late Monday. I also have the H8i.

Update:

The cups of the H95 barely fit around the ear, which is interesting. I thought the cups would be bigger. I like it this way. I do like the sound signature - pretty spot on with the H8i. Slightly more refined. A bit more expansive. I'm thinking they will open up even more with a few hours of use.

My BIG ISSUE was they really aren't very loud at all! I've used them how I use my H8i's and didn't go full volume, at all. So I am really fine with the volume. I was a bit worried. They'll be staying with me.

The volume control, I wish it would click or had more resistance. As for the noise cancelling dial. I have NO IDEA how that works. I hear the clicks, but can't quite figure it out. I'll have to read up on them.

 

[TooFrank]

A H95 arrived late Monday. I also have the H8i. The cups of the H95 barely fit around the ear, which is interesting. I thought the cups would be bigger. I like it this way. I do like the sound. Slightly more refined.

BIG ISSUE is they really aren't very loud at all! I'm going to hand on to them for a week and then decide if they are going back for that only one reason.

The volume control, I wish it would click or had more resistance. Also, the touch front to back or pause is inconsistent even though I did the firmware update.

That's all, for now.

FWIW: It is interesting how we use HPs also in terms of volume levels. I have both the H7 and the H95 and I rarely play louder than 60-70% and in those instances only for a relatively short period of time. Otherwise my brain (and ears) are fatigued I do hope you can live with the loudness (or lack off); the H95 - for me - is a fantastic sounding HP

 

[CBT177]

I just received mine few days ago to pair it with ipad. I noticed that the AptX adaptive HQ worked very well for me, but when I switch to the low latency mode, I'm getting some pops and stutter on a random period. So I just stick with the adaptive HQ mode. You might want to check with creative on your issue.

Also, my Sennheiser btd 600 just arrived today, did testing between the dongles and I feel Sennheiser is more stable without the pops etc from creative. I’ll probably be using this for iPad while I’ll use Creative’s for the Mac.

Thanks for your reply. So far I've ordered a new BT W5 and the issue is still persistent. I've tried removing anything that would interfere with the signal and turning off Bluetooth on the surrounding devices. I even messed around with my Wi-Fi settings to see if it would make a difference. So far I haven't pinpointed anything but it's an intermittent issue, one day will have no cracks and pops and the next day will have some interference in the same environment with no changes.

I will say using the BT W5 has improved the H95's sound quite a bit. The first difference you notice is the volume. H95's running off my Mac or iPhone just don't have the volume of pretty much any other headphone I've tried. Using the BT W5 at around 40% volume is the equivalent to having my iPhone volume at 60-70% when connected directly. This difference alone makes me want to continue using the BT W5 despite the interference I'm getting.

 

[nariza7]

On sale on amazon prime day now

 

[TooFrank]

On sale on amazon prime day now

Go for it (just kidding - but I do still love mine - have had them since 2020)

 

[charlieo]

Thanks for your reply. So far I've ordered a new BT W5 and the issue is still persistent. I've tried removing anything that would interfere with the signal and turning off Bluetooth on the surrounding devices. I even messed around with my Wi-Fi settings to see if it would make a difference. So far I haven't pinpointed anything but it's an intermittent issue, one day will have no cracks and pops and the next day will have some interference in the same environment with no changes.

I will say using the BT W5 has improved the H95's sound quite a bit. The first difference you notice is the volume. H95's running off my Mac or iPhone just don't have the volume of pretty much any other headphone I've tried. Using the BT W5 at around 40% volume is the equivalent to having my iPhone volume at 60-70% when connected directly. This difference alone makes me want to continue using the BT W5 despite the interference I'm getting.

One tip I can give is maintain your B&o sound profile to optimal, then all the clicks n pop will go away. I used it frequently with Mac and iPad and it worked well now.

Also if you change to aptx-ll then the interference will go away regardless B&o app sound profile.

The moment you switch to aptx adaptive hd, the B&o app sound profile should only stay with optimal or else that weird interference occurs.

If you use t10p from aliexpress, it doesn’t introduce any interference but the volume is much lower… which I dislike after using it a while cause it drains my h95 quicker since volume was set almost maximum to get decent sound.

 

[natalieann]

Amazing headphones, but they really do need to be louder and I don't even like loud music

 

[CFCHenri]

Best sounding headphone I’ve used and enjoyed but I might return it. There’s an issue with ticking/clicking sound constantly in each cup when connected to Windows 10/11(exactly like the second hand in a clock but very faint). The ticking happens when audio playback is paused/stopped, it won’t stop ticking till audio is played, Anyone have this issue on PC? I’ve used the PX8, Momentum 4, Backbeat Pro 2 and my Jabra 75t and Active 7s don’t have this issue. Also, this is the 2nd H95 I’ve tried with the ticking/clicking sound. I could deal with the very low sounding coil whine but the constant ticking was an annoyance. Completely fine on my phone. I feel like I should just deal with it because I like everything else about it.

 

[CBT177]

One tip I can give is maintain your B&o sound profile to optimal, then all the clicks n pop will go away. I used it frequently with Mac and iPad and it worked well now.

Also if you change to aptx-ll then the interference will go away regardless B&o app sound profile.

The moment you switch to aptx adaptive hd, the B&o app sound profile should only stay with optimal or else that weird interference occurs.

If you use t10p from aliexpress, it doesn’t introduce any interference but the volume is much lower… which I dislike after using it a while cause it drains my h95 quicker since volume was set almost maximum to get decent sound.

I've always left the sound profile on Optimal but since you mentioned it I tried to change the profile while listening to music on the BT W5 and wow the pops and clicks became unbearable on anything other than Optimal.

That being said, leaving it on Optimal does minimize the interference but I still experience some pops and clicks on this profile in AptX HQ mode. Switching to AptX LL does indeed fix the issue but low latency mode does sacrifice some sound quality on paper, can I hear that difference? the juries still out on that one.

One weird observation I've noticed is while on AptX HQ mode, if I leave the room where my MacBook is the issue disappears. Even going to the first floor while my MacBook is on the second floor eliminates the interference completely. I tried bringing the laptop with me to the first floor to pinpoint the issue and lo and behold, there were pops and cracks in the sound!

This makes me think my MacBook itself is causing the issue. I've tried turning off bluetooth on the laptop and heck even the Wi-Fi to see what was causing the interference and nothing appears to work. I'm at my wits end with this adapter, I think I'll just deal with the interference for now since it does make the H95 sound so much better than AAC on Apple devices.

 

[charlieo]

I've always left the sound profile on Optimal but since you mentioned it I tried to change the profile while listening to music on the BT W5 and wow the pops and clicks became unbearable on anything other than Optimal.

That being said, leaving it on Optimal does minimize the interference but I still experience some pops and clicks on this profile in AptX HQ mode. Switching to AptX LL does indeed fix the issue but low latency mode does sacrifice some sound quality on paper, can I hear that difference? the juries still out on that one.

One weird observation I've noticed is while on AptX HQ mode, if I leave the room where my MacBook is the issue disappears. Even going to the first floor while my MacBook is on the second floor eliminates the interference completely. I tried bringing the laptop with me to the first floor to pinpoint the issue and lo and behold, there were pops and cracks in the sound!

This makes me think my MacBook itself is causing the issue. I've tried turning off bluetooth on the laptop and heck even the Wi-Fi to see what was causing the interference and nothing appears to work. I'm at my wits end with this adapter, I think I'll just deal with the interference for now since it does make the H95 sound so much better than AAC on Apple devices.

Haha my man yes exactly the same behavior with my BT-W5… I also notice if I distance away from the adapter the interference goes away. It seem to need to be not near to the adapter to work well.

You’ll also notice when on HQ, you move your head around near your adapter it will cause some clicks and pops. If you stay still listening it would be less interference. I start to think the way the signal is transmitted might cause this issue. Try blocking your adapter with your hands would also reduce the interference. So if I’m using the desktop I would plug it behind the desktop instead of the front to reduce the interference.

But regardless, optimal sound profile reduces it the most… Hope creative will publish some firmware update to fix all these issues…

 

[klaboor]

I have tested Sennheiser BTD600, Creative BT-W4, BT-W5 and this chinese KB8P. So far the best option for me is KB8P with no issues, no cracks, no pops, no connection issues, no sound issues. It's hard to believe well-known brands cannot compete or maybe it's just combination with H95 headphones. BTD600 sounds better than KB8P (it's just my subjective feeling probably), but sound cracks and pops are horrible. Not usable until I open phone B&O app, toggle between presets like Optimal -> something else -> Optimel and cracks are gone until phone is locked again. And this is happening while BTD600 is plugged to my desktop PC. BT-W5 on the other hand has no cracks, very very rare, but sound quality is like listening to some low bitrate mp3 encoded in 1998 with ton of background artifacts noticeable during quieter parts. I tried even raise current for USB ports about 0.3V to naively thing it will be beneficial. Same result. Do you have similar experience or it's just me?