Bang and Olufsen have updated their wireless over-ear headphone line with the Beoplay H9i. Now offering more features and better sound, these headphones are an upgrade from its previous model.  They’re quite an expensive pair, but hopefully justified by B&O’s majestic sound quality.  Today, in this “B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review,” I’ll take a look at just how good these headphones are in both sound and functionality.
B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review
IN THE BOX – B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review
Beoplay H9i
1.2 m audio cord with 3.5 mm jack
1.25 m USB-A to USB-C cable
Flight adapter
Carrying pouch
Quick start guide
DESIGN and FEATURES – B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review
The Beoplay H9i has a pretty sturdy build. Most of the construction is made from aluminum. The headband is tightly covered with leather on the top and padded fabric underneath. It’s not a squishy headband, but feels comfortable and secure. The ear pads are made of a soft leather, and the headphones are very easy to wear. It doesn’t fold, which for a wireless pair, is inconvenient considering it’s main capability should be on the go use.
The controls are a touchpad design. It’s not the easiest to navigate, and there’s a bit of a learning curve before you get the hang of it. Even once I got used to the functioning, my tiny finger would often press or swipe in a way that produced an unintended result; I would try to turn up the volume, and instead, I’d trigger the pause or skip function. This became a mild, but annoying problem while testing out these headphones. A bigger problem is that, occasionally, the headphones would automatically stop playing.  It didn’t matter how many times I manually pressed play, it kept pausing after a second or two. For such an expensive pair of headphones, I shouldn’t be running into this kind of difficulty.  There are a couple of features that don’t come on other wireless headphones. One is the transparency mode, which allows you to clearly hear the outside environment when you’re not listening to music. You can also turn on and off active noise cancelling. Another nice touch is that the headphones automatically stop playing when you take them off, and start again when you put them back on. But this function didn’t work flawlessly either.
SOUND – B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review
The volume on these cans is not bad, considering that wireless headphones don’t excel at sound pressure. It didn’t come close to blowing out my ears, but it was loud enough for me to enjoy the music. There’s a smoothness and roundness in sound to these headphones that I think characterizes the B&O brand, and that’s what separates the Beoplay H9i from other less expensive wireless headphones.
I enjoyed the bass on the Beoplay H9i. It’s not particularly heavy or punchy, but it has a warmth and fullness that makes pop fun to listen to. These headphones are quite well balanced. The mids are decent and the highs are free from any sizzle or brightness. They’re pretty well detailed, but there’s only so much you can expect from a wireless listening experience. Rock songs that have big choruses sounded good, and folk was great too. I played a little Simon & Garfunkel, and it conveyed nice vocal presence with detailed acoustic guitars and percussion. The soundstage and imaging is impressive. It has a broadness and depth that B&O fans are accustomed to hearing, and this especially comes through in live recordings.
I was happy with the sound, but less so with the actual functioning of the design. If you prioritize ease of use over quality of sound, I would suggest a different pair. But if your main concern is a good listening experience, the Beoplay H9i won’t disappoint.
You can find these headphones for the best price at:
Audio 46: B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Use our promo code “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount
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SPECIFICATIONS – B&O Beoplay H9i Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones Review
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Bluetooth: 4.2
Driver: 40mm
Battery Life: 18 – 23 Hours
Charging Time: 2.5 Hours
Colors: Black and Natural
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