Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9 Noise-cancelling Headphone Review

I’ll compliment B&O’s microphone performance. I’ve had many good-performing ANC headphones that have been intolerable to wear during slightly windy conditions. Many ANC algorithms don’t effectively cancel the sound of wind passing over a headphone’s mics, amplifying the whoosh instead of cancelling it out. So I was pleasantly surprised that the Beoplay H9 doesn’t suffer from this shortcoming. It’s not completely immune to wind noise, but its response is definitely above average.

The B&O’s overall ANC performance, however, is a step down from the top-end offerings from Sony and Bose. In my conversations with B&O’s representatives over the years about ANC performance, they have told me that their goal is to strike the right balance between ANC performance and musical reproduction—a goal that I feel they hit on the mark. Other headphones sacrifice the music for ANC performance.

Thankfully, ANC pressure is light. I never felt that “underwater” feeling that characterize some other companies’ ANC technology exhibit.

B&O calls its ambient-aware mode “transparency.” Transparency mode lets you keep your headphones on while letting the sounds of the outside in, and it sounds remarkably natural—not like I was merely listening to the sounds of the outside world through the headphone’s amplifier and speakers. Taking the headphones on and off was uncanny—there was only some slight differences. Certain frequencies—in the range that HVAC noise occupies, for example—were slightly accentuated, but the overall sound was very natural.

Ephe Nicolakis

A top-notch performer on phone calls

I used the H9 on several phone calls with my iPhone XS during my review period. Not once did individuals on the other end complain that they coudln’t hear me, and being out on bustling streets didn’t cause problems for my calls. I was very impressed with the Beoplay H9’s ability to perform reliably in this regard.

Listening tests

I tested the B&O H9 with an Astell&Kern SR15 hi-res DAP and an iPhone XS. Source material included high-res music files and Tidal, with a preference toward Tidal Hi-Fi and Masters recordings.

The Beoplay H9 will work as a traditional, wired headphone as well as a wireless headphone. Wired performance sans ANC brings out the headphone’s full potential. I found the H9’s wired performance to be more refined. On Sarah McLachlan’s Afterglow Live, for example, the top end had more air; the midrange, greater clarity and separation of vocals and instruments. On tracks like the Revivalists’ “Wish I Knew You,” or Imagine Dragons “Bad Liar,” the bottom end was noticeably more controlled and tight.

The Beoplay H9 supports both AAC and aptX codecs. I confirmed aptX support on A&K SR15. When I used the headphones wirelessly, there was a tonal shift. Upper bass notes especially got a slight bump. This bump is something I’ve consistently noticed with headphones using the aptX codec, and the same characteristic held true here. When I played the headphones wirelessly, bass also lost the control and tightness it exhibited in its wired mode.

Wired and wireless differences aside, there’s nothing analytical or clinical about the Beoplay H9’s sound. I can tell you that the H9 engaged me emotionally every time I put them on, beckoning me to re-sample songs in my music library. Lisa Gerrard’s etherial vocals on “Elegy,” from Immortal Memory, delivered every ounce of their emotive quality, to the point where the hairs on my arms almost stood on end. I felt almost the full thrust of the impassioned, depressing intensity of Ramin Djawadi’s “Nothing Else Matters,” from the Game of Thrones soundtrack.

Ephe Nicolakis

Among this headphone’s greatest strengths is a penchant for midrange clarity and detail. During my review period, one of my friends turned me onto the band Luxury. The metal song “War on Women” blends a variety of electic guitar riffs and vocals that just mush together on lesser systems. The B&O H9 did a fine job of rendering the vocals intelligibly.

Smitten by the Beoplay H9

I’ve simply smitten by B&O’s Beoplay H9 headphone. While relatively expensive at $500, the Beoplay H9 are one of those rare occasions where you get what you pay for. Premium materials are married to exquisite design and build quality. Coupled with solid active noise-cancellation, superb battery life, and B&O’s signature sound, the Beoplay H9 are an easy recommendation. If you enjoy the finer things in life, this headphone should be on your short list to audition.