NEW Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 ANC Headphones - Reviews & Impressions

[TooFrank]

Helloo...... Thankyou very much for your response........ actually i had purchased LCD X a while ago and I was very satisfied with the purchase till I was stuck at home but now i will be commuting a lot and it really sucks that i cannot take these with me ( heavy, blast sound from both sides) this is why i decided to go for Beoplay h95........Arya was just something I was interested in because of the huge sound stage.........now after considering your advice about the Beoplay sound I have decided to still go for a wired headset and since you said you own many of good pairs , here's what i am considering now......ZMF ATTICUS VS FOCAL CELESTEE .......have you tried these ????, these are not exactly portable but since these are closed backs they can be used in a lot more places than just my home......

It is so difficult with so many excellent options to choose from As regards Focal, I only know the Stellias, and I indeed love them. But how they compare with the Celestee, I think you may look up in another thread....

 

[nariza7]

@Verificateur ,
i received my H95 and love it. All the PROs are there (built quality, exceptional sound for a bt anc, user interactio, connectivity...) but I have this »electronic » noise when transparency is active. It start with audio stream and if you stop the music/podcast, it last exactly 30s. As I’m using the transparency mode with low volume when at home and that I don’t want to miss a call or something, this is totally annoying.
And in fact, I can hear it anytime now, and I know it’s my brain fuzzing me.
my NC700 don’t have it, my H9 3rd neither. And I wished this H95 would have been the best of breed of both ;( I’ll return it and ask for a new one see if this is a quality check or a design problem.
anyone having this problem ?

I definitely hear the electric noise when transparency is active. It gets louder as transparency is maxed out. Similar to what you said, I only hear it when I play and pause. After pausing, if I wait a few seconds to a few minutes, it stops, but once music starts again, it can be heard again. I wrote to b&o and also recorded a sample for them, but they are saying that they need to wait for a supervisor to give input. This was like 4 days ago, so we'll see if they write back to me. Im guessing it's just how it was designed since im not the only one experiencing it.

I might stick to the APM because of that since I too also feel like i hear it all the time. quite annoying as I usually keep transparency on.

 

[nariza7]

I did a quick first impressions comparison between h95 and airpod max here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/airpods-max.949152/page-241#post-16254337

 

[Verificateur]

I definitely hear the electric noise when transparency is active. It gets louder as transparency is maxed out. Similar to what you said, I only hear it when I play and pause. After pausing, if I wait a few seconds to a few minutes, it stops, but once music starts again, it can be heard again. I wrote to b&o and also recorded a sample for them, but they are saying that they need to wait for a supervisor to give input. This was like 4 days ago, so we'll see if they write back to me. Im guessing it's just how it was designed since im not the only one experiencing it.

I might stick to the APM because of that since I too also feel like i hear it all the time. quite annoying as I usually keep transparency on.

Yep.... since you quoted me, I will respond.

The higher “noise floor” and buzzing on the H95 was one of my main issues that have led me to only keep the APM and return the H95, unfortunately.

These buzzing noises seem to be there all the time, not just in transparency mode (even in Max ANC if you listen really really closely), except you don’t hear them as much during music playback of course. Maybe some people notice it more (like me) and some people notice it less. Or maybe there is a large unit-variation, but that isn’t good either.

With the APM there is no such buzzing noise in transparency mode. And the background is “darker” when in Max ANC mode.

Considering how much I use both of these functions I think I made the right choice, at the cost of a slightly more pleasant tuning of the H95 compared to APM that I remember when initially comparing the two.

That being said, the APM now sound better than I remember them initially, and I like the sub bass and fullness of sound. My brain has probably “burned in”. Also, people report optimizations to the computational audio engine on the APM in the latest firmware update last week, so maybe it plays a role too, sounds more natural with no EQ.

For what it’s worth, the H95 were great overall and didn’t exhibit those buzzing issues when put in the “neutral” mode, however I didn’t buy them for the neutral mode....for that I have my wired headphones.

 

[nariza7]

lol yeah, I think since I'm aware of the buzzing noise, I keep on hearing it and it gets annoying. I got an email back from B&O saying I can send it back for their engineers to check up on it. I'm not sure if I should do that or just straight up return at this point. I'm going to see if I can wear the APM for 2-3 hours+ straight comfortably before I decide since comfort is a big factor in my decision.

I agree with the APM having no buzzing in transparency and having that darker feel with ANC. kind of like in space where sound is suctioned and quiet. Maybe it's because the way my ears are, but I don't hear/experience the cabin pressure feeling like how some ppl said they felt with the APM, so this is definitely a plus for me. My APM came with the latest update, so who knows if they improved the tuning or if you just got used to the sound signature, but im glad to hear you are enjoying them.

For now I'll just have to experience how the APM are with battery, comfort, and possible condensation issues, and then also see if any other inconvenient issues arise.

 

[nariza7]

Yep.... since you quoted me, I will respond.

The higher “noise floor” and buzzing on the H95 was one of my main issues that have led me to only keep the APM and return the H95, unfortunately.

These buzzing noises seem to be there all the time, not just in transparency mode (even in Max ANC if you listen really really closely), except you don’t hear them as much during music playback of course. Maybe some people notice it more (like me) and some people notice it less. Or maybe there is a large unit-variation, but that isn’t good either.

With the APM there is no such buzzing noise in transparency mode. And the background is “darker” when in Max ANC mode.

Considering how much I use both of these functions I think I made the right choice, at the cost of a slightly more pleasant tuning of the H95 compared to APM that I remember when initially comparing the two.

That being said, the APM now sound better than I remember them initially, and I like the sub bass and fullness of sound. My brain has probably “burned in”. Also, people report optimizations to the computational audio engine on the APM in the latest firmware update last week, so maybe it plays a role too, sounds more natural with no EQ.

For what it’s worth, the H95 were great overall and didn’t exhibit those buzzing issues when put in the “neutral” mode, however I didn’t buy them for the neutral mode....for that I have my wired headphones.

Oh also, since you've decided the APM over the H95s, did you find the battery life and lack of a power button to be inconveniences in comparison? Or were those not as bad as they seem?

 

[Verificateur]

Oh also, since you've decided the APM over the H95s, did you find the battery life and lack of a power button to be inconveniences in comparison? Or were those not as bad as they seem?

I actually posted a detailed comparison between the two earlier on in this thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new...ones-reviews-impressions.941031/post-16142650

Hope this is helpful.

The battery life on the H95 is absolutely better, lasts x2 as long than the APM. But it’s not really a big factor for me, as the APM last almost a full work week for me without charging while using them around 4 hours a day.

The lack of an on/off button on the APM was a downside I noted as well. Must admit, have gotten used to it though and the “always ready” mode/ability on the APM is kind of convenient even. Seems like we humans adapt quickly and even justify some things we considered as downsides, haha. But I guess it goes to show the no on/off downside wasn’t a big deal in the first place.

Comfort wearing the APM for 4-6 hours at a time hasn’t been an issue. I find them just as comfortable as I did the H95. Haven’t experienced any “cabin pressure” on either pair. All is good. The pads actually are deeper on the APM and have more space for my ears so they don’t touch, wasn’t a big deal on the H95, but definitely a small improvement on the APM.

It’s been a couple months now that I have used the APM and I am happy with my choice of keeping them. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

To their credit, H95 were my first B&O and they impressed me. I am still thankful to @angelom for his impressions which motivated me to try them - it was worth it. I hope they fix the issues that ended up being deal breakers for me and I am looking forward to B&O’s next gen offerings!

 

[nariza7]

I actually posted a detailed comparison between the two earlier on in this thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new...ones-reviews-impressions.941031/post-16142650

Hope this is helpful.

The battery life on the H95 is absolutely better, lasts x2 as long than the APM. But it’s not really a big factor for me, as the APM last a full work week for me without charging while using them around 4 hours a day.

The lack of an on/off button on the APM was a downside I noted as well. Must admit, have gotten used to it though and the “always ready” mode/ability on the APM is kind of convenient even. Seems like we humans adapt quickly and even justify some things we considered as downsides, haha. But I guess it goes to show the no on/off downside wasn’t a big deal in the first place.

Comfort wearing the APM for 4-6 hours at a time hasn’t been an issue. I find them just as comfortable as I did the H95. Haven’t experienced any “cabin pressure” on either pair. All is good. The pads actually are deeper on the APM and have more space for my ears so they don’t touch, wasn’t a big deal on the H95, but definitely a small improvement on the APM.

It’s been a couple months now that I have used the APM and I am happy with my choice of keeping them. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

To their credit, H95 were my first B&O and they impressed me. I am still thankful to @angelom for his impressions which motivated me to try them - it was worth it. I hope they fix the issues that ended up being deal breakers for me and I am looking forward to B&O’s next gen offerings!

Great! Thank you

 

[nariza7]

Oh man, the more I listen to both APM and H95, I feel like each does great in different ways. H95 has such clear vocals that stand out more, but the bass and the rest of the audio feels just a tad bit thinner in comparison with the APM. The APM on the other hand makes it sound so full and lively, though the vocals might not have the sparkliness from the H95. If only they combined the APM sound imaging and bass with the clear/crispness of the H95 vocals and certain instruments(like guitar/cymbals).

 

[jagwap]

Oh man, the more I listen to both APM and H95, I feel like each does great in different ways. H95 has such clear vocals that stand out more, but the bass and the rest of the audio feels just a tad bit thinner in comparison with the APM. The APM on the other hand makes it sound so full and lively, though the vocals might not have the sparkliness from the H95. If only they combined the APM sound imaging and bass with the clear/crispness of the H95 vocals and certain instruments(like guitar/cymbals).

It is easy to become accustomed to a fuller bass, even if it is not correct. There are so many discussions as to what is correct in this area, because there still isn't a scientific answer. Even the Harman curve is tailored to a subjective preference rather than any objective correctness.

However the way that works for me is to take some extraordinarily will played music you know well, and the one which times the best, has the closest bass. A bigger bass gives a perception of a less coordinated band, and they feel like they are in a hurry. A well aligned bass, the pace of the musicians is more well measured, and the anticipation of the next phrase builds. The band is tight and you just get drawn into the music, rather than analyzing the sound, and being distracted by false sonic tricks like soundstage.
Producers use this low frequency trick to tweak the pace of a track, if the band is a bit off.

Try to stop analyzing, and see which one gets you lost in the music, with a big grin on your face.

 

[matteventu]

Hey guys, a question: if you connect the H95 to a Windows laptop via USB-C port, will the headphones' mic be recognised by the system?

If you open the sound settings you should be able to select it, and once done that, can you try with the "Voice Recorder" app to start a recording, slightly beat with your finger the earcups (so to make it obvious whether the sound recorded comes from the headphones mic or from the laptop/webcam's mic), and stop the recording then listen to it?

Thank you to who has the time to try this

 

[Andricop]

New Beoplay HX
https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/headphones/beoplay-hx?variant=beoplay-hx-black-anthracite

 

[tinyman392]

New Beoplay HX
https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/headphones/beoplay-hx?variant=beoplay-hx-black-anthracite

That Timbre color looks very nice...

 

[angelom]

New Beoplay HX
https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/headphones/beoplay-hx?variant=beoplay-hx-black-anthracite

Is looking like a new h9 v4, but with so many variations of h9 a new name is necessary. Now with bt 5,1, and 35 hours of battery life. AND a hard carry case that is more practical (from the photos) than the h95 case! But like the h9 the hx isn't foldable like the h95 is.

If the sound is the same or very similar with h95, this is very good, more cheap alternative from b&o. I think you don't having a volume dial that is so fantastic in the h95, but maybe this isn't big problem if the sound is so close with h95. For me personally I'm happy paying 100 euros extra (maybe even 150 euros) for the volume dial feature only.

Maybe the h95 'club' will becoming more small. I'm ok about this.

 

[thersites]

Is looking like a new h9 v4, but with so many variations of h9 a new name is necessary. Now with bt 5,1, and 35 hours of battery life. AND a hard carry case that is more practical (from the photos) than the h95 case! But like the h9 the hx isn't foldable like the h95 is.

If the sound is the same or very similar with h95, this is very good, more cheap alternative from b&o. I think you don't having a volume dial that is so fantastic in the h95, but maybe this isn't big problem if the sound is so close with h95. For me personally I'm happy paying 100 euros extra (maybe even 150 euros) for the volume dial feature only.

Maybe the h95 'club' will becoming more small. I'm ok about this.

The volume control advantage of the H95 is a good point. However, unless you need continuously variable ANC, the ANC/transparency button on the HX could seem more convenient than the dial on the left H95 ear cup. Another significant advantage of the HX (to my mind) is the replacement of the off/on/pairing slider on the H95 with a button. Why is this an advantage? Because the slider on the H95 confusingly remains in the "on" position after they have turned off (if auto standby mode after 15 minutes of inactivity is enabled). It is also (IMHO) easier to press a button when wearing the headphones than to slide a slider.