Bang & Olufsen Play H6 Review

Bang & Olufsen Play H6 Review

Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that originally got its’ start over 90 years ago with radio technology. Since then they’ve manufactured all kinds of media related electronics. From telephones to televisions, Bang & Olufsen eventually built a reputation in high quality audio products like stereo systems and speakers. In 2012 Bang & Olufsen decided to create a separate line of audio products which are more affordable and appealing to a new generation. In doing so they rebranded their line to be known as B&O Play and created a line of speakers, headphones and accessories. Recently B&O Play released the 2nd generation of the H6 headphone. Most online reviews seem to confirm that the B&O Play brand seems to be living up to its high quality reputation but as a skeptic from a generation overwhelmed with fancy merchandising gimmicks I wanted to give this brand a listen and find out for myself starting with the B&O Play H6 headphones.

DESIGN

Getting the B&O Play H6 headphones out of the box I notice the simplicity and elegance of the design. And not only in the headphones but the package itself. The headphones lay simply in the package without any accessories or wires in your way. All the rest of the goods are carefully packaged beneath the headphone display. When putting the H6 headphones on, the anodized aluminum frame is solid yet light enough you don’t feel it weighing you down. And the leather padding is comfortable like a nice easy-chair or couch. The B&O Play H6 headphones as a complete package reveal a well engineered product. All the adjustable parts move smoothly and flawlessly with an intentional ergonomic feel. My only complaint in this very solid design is the over-ear design doesn’t fit my head quite as well as some other brands but I will say they also don’t feel bulky or cumbersome. The H6 from B&O Play is definitely designed with listening on-the-go in mind and the wired remote control (included) is optimized for iOS.

SOUND

Bang & Olufsen pride themselves on sound quality as well as intuitive design and I’m not disappointed with the sound of the B&O Play H6. They immediately separate themselves from many other consumer brands. The mid-range frequencies and highs are clear and the low-frequencies are punchy but I did sometimes find myself wanting to turn down the level of bass just a hair. In some cases I found that the sound quality of the H6 would even reveal impurities in the tracks that I frequently listen to which speaks volumes (no pun intended) to the actual output quality.

PRICE

Currently the price of the B&O Play H6 is right around $299 depending where you look. A bit pricey for an every-day headphone although I must admit it’s near my price point considering how well designed they are. And these days it’s not uncommon to drop this kind of cash for a well made product that you’re going to use on a daily basis.

OVERVIEW

Giving the B&O Play H6 headphones from Bang & Olufsen an overall look and listen, this wired over-ear headphone feels good and confirms that B&O is serious about making high-quality consumer audio products that are in the “somewhat affordable” range depending on your budget. Personally I want just a little bit more for my money at this price like a solid carrying case and a slight better fit for my head. Especially considering the H7 and H8 models are basically the same design (yet more expensive) with bluetooth wireless function being the main upgrade in those models. The B&O Play H6 however is a very nice set of headphones. It’s one of the nicest pair I’ve tried on recently and I would encourage anyone to give it a try if you’re in the market for a very high-quality, every-day type of headphone. It really is a marvel and certainly sets itself apart from many of its near priced competitors.

You can find these headphones for the best price at:

Audio 46 (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)