Bang & Olufsen H95 Headphones First Impressions

[@jimworksvlog]

Happy to report that firmware 5.7.4 solves the issue of ANC off during phone calls. Upon first use you can still hear the ANC switch, but now turning the left dial re-engages ANC during the call, and ANC will stay on for future calls. They also change the tones for ANC fully on and off, the tones now sound much louder and drastically different from the middle tone. I personally prefer the old tones, but must admit that they can get confusing sometimes, and I need to turn the left dial all the way on or off to make sure what ANC level it's on. The new tones will work better outdoors and better indicates the ANC levels.

[@julianread1996]

Excellent video thank you and I love the background music. The design is certainly B&O with incredible engineering and attention to details. The quality is second to none. Audio excellence. Like no one else.

[@mohamedahmed1023]

I've had a few B&O cans and was typically willing to pay a bit of a premium for the build quality/ aesthetic. To put it frankly, they were able to trade blows with class leaders in the past but were rarely class leaders in their own respect. But this price hike is absurd. At this price range, they need to deliver what is unambiguously the greatest audio experience I've heard. I'm expecting the fidelity of planar headphones, the comfort and ANC of Sony or BOSE cans, and the durability of B&W. And nothing less in any one category. They're positioning themselves as a luxury brand that happens to focus on audio rather than an audio-first brand. They've always leaned into this but it's becoming a bit obnoxious at this point.

[@jimworksvlog]

They probably just reference the Rimowa H9i pricing. IMHO Sony's R&D capability and marketing really shine in the general ANC headphone competition, while in comparison B&O is lacking quite a bit: - Official site doesn't sell to some of the most populated countries, one has to buy from 3rd party channel. - Even in countries like Germany, one used to find H9is easily in electronics stores, but since the H9 3rd gen, they got rarer and now many stores only have a few packages in stock without a test unit. - With the Sony XM4 at 379€ and XM3 at 250€, also Bose 700 somewhere in between, does it make a big difference if the H95 is selling at 600€ instead of 800€? They are keeping the H9 at the launch price of 500€, which has its own right when the 3rd party channels ask for 400€. If these are sold at 500€ while the H9 at 300-ish, fairer prices in my mind, then the sales volume can really jump. I'd be very happy if they move down the price grid by two three notches or up the audio grid by some notches. Yet at the volume they sold and marketing networks they have, it's likely that they self-select into this expensive boutique path. The H95 at its price is quite often out of stock on the official site, which is absurd for a new product.

[@mohamedahmed1023]

@@jimworksvlog I thought these were supposed to replace the H9. Why even make the H9 anymore? It's getting quite old. I hope they do replace the H9 eventually. Anyways, I think your pricing suggestion of 500 Euros is more reasonable.

[@jimworksvlog]

With these now selling, suddenly those 400€ H9s look like a good deal, isn't it :-) I guess the H9 needs to be there for people who prefer the round earcups and don't want the H4. Even H9i is still having some new limited edition runs in certain markets.

[@mohamedahmed1023]

@@jimworksvlog the H9 for 400 euro is a terrible deal. They still use bt 4.2 and lack AptX-HD aptx-adaptive, or LDAC. They have average noise cancelling and are not class leading in terms of their sound quality. I had the H9 - I would recommend people buy them for no more than 200 euros either used or open box. With headphones like the B&W PX7, the H9 are irrelevant.

[@jimworksvlog]

I am not into B&W except for their discontinued P7. If you talk specs I think B&O in general is not a good deal. The target audience for them are those who look at their products and say gosh this looks great, not those who read the specs and think the pricing is nuts. Have you seen their new 900$ remote? I agree with you that some of the products went really far, but I am glad that brands like this exist in general. To me it's kinda like Vitra furniture, looking beyond the pricing helps one appreciate what's really valuable in there and hopefully some nice ideas can trickle down to the mainstream brands.

[@jimworksvlog]

Update 2020-09-21: quick note on Alex's comment on ANC not working during calls, tested it out and I can confirm that it switches off ANC during calls over cellular network indeed, the Band & Olufsen app would also display a message about ANC being disabled. ANC works fine in other situations, including recording and phone calls over a data network, for instance, Skype or Teams calls. --- I made a quick video on the H95's ANC when using the mics. In short, ANC works well against road and wind noises, also good enough against loud music indoors, I can get a clear recording of my voice in all cases via Bluetooth or cable. Although to be honest, I don't think ANC should be the primary reason for recommending B&O, it should rather be a bonus feature on top of other good reasons. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5q6mJyjZqyLo9U

[@user-xl9ms7eg4o]

You can’t compare b and o with Sony folks , it likes bmw vs toyota

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Very wrong analogy! Some of Sony's products in audio go way beyond what B&O is able to produce! Be it in headphones, iem or TV just to name a few categories...

[@jontenhave1851]

Hi Jim, thanks for your clear review. I bought them last week and I'm very happy with the built- and sound quality. Unfortunately I'm experiencing some issues with the bluetooth connection. When I put my Iphone SE in my pocket or lock the screen the sound interrupts. I've tried everything but I can't find a solution. (It's not he phone, when I walk away from my macbook the same happens). Do you have any idea what the problem might be? Thanks Jon

[@jimworksvlog]

No I haven't had bluetooth issues with Macs, I suggest try cable connection to see whether the lock screen issue persists (hopefully not), then try "forget" the headphone in all devices and pair them again. I had once weird connections with a Window laptop and turned out that the reason was that the headphone was twice paired to it (saw two H95s connected, and it switched constantly between them). Also when paired and connected to two devices at the same time (say phone and laptop), it may not always prioritize the device you want, need some trials there as well. If none works I guess in the worst case you can replace it or return it.

[@smithboyben]

Hi Jim how are the sound on these headphones I don’t mind paying extra for build quality and case but I would like the sound to be on par with the rest as I in Sony and Bose and the rest? How would you rate these?. Or any one else reading this comment can help me out it would be appreciated!

[@jimworksvlog]

Sound signature is highly personal and you will find contracting verdicts even from big name audiophiles on KZbin. It's best and most time saving to go to a shop and try them side by side. My personal taste in sound (not ANC) is this > Bose 700 / Sony > Bose QC35. Sony has quite a unique sound that's most noticably bassy, it probably works well with R&B or rap that I seldom listen to. Bose I have mixed experience, 700 sounds good to me but not really a fan of the QC35. Before getting into this, please note that ANC on the H95 is off for cellular phone calls and some Mac applications. This is not a deal breaker for me, but some seemed really concerned and in this case I would say just get the 700 or XM4.

[@smithboyben]

Jim's Vlog thank you for getting back to me! After reading what you have had to say i will buy the h95’s and try them out as i have never listened to the b&o signature sound and have always wanted to try. The phone calls do not bother me as a headphone is made fore music! There for sound quality come before call quality in my books. I did want to try all that i could but most shops are not allowing me to do so because of the current pandemic!. Again thank you for your response!

[@jimworksvlog]

@@smithboyben You can return it if you don't like. I think trying it out at home is even better since you can listen to it longer and get a better feeling about how it works with more of your music, the comfort, etc. It would be a good experience even if you don't like it in the end and get something else instead (won't miss it anymore :-)).

[@smithboyben]

Jim's Vlog yeah i have purchased them just waiting for them to arrive i am really looking forward to trying them out! Thanks again jim for the help and the review.

[@jimworksvlog]

@@smithboyben You are always welcome! I'd love to hear your feedback about these headphones as well.

[@sadsack1981]

Hey thanks for the review. Trying to get a feel for the call quality from those who have reviewed. What are you impressions ?

[@jimworksvlog]

You can check my other video regarding voice quality: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5q6mJyjZqyLo9U It is known that ANC is off for cellular calls and also some Mac apps like VoiceMemo, which I used to record the voice-over for this video. ANC works fine for calls over WiFi on Android and Windows (Teams, Skype, etc.), also with cable connection, in which cases the call quality is quite good. B&O's reply is that the headphone is not engineered for calls, so it may not get fixed in the future. If having calls with ANC is a key feature for you, maybe it's better to look elsewhere.

[@atosetto]

let me express my frustration here... I bought a new H95. - Beautiful - Sound amazing as expected from B&O -Very very good noise cancelling and transparency modes - Amazing finishing lines and materials BUT: During calls (over the phone or using apps like Skype, Teams, Zoom, etc..) the Noise Cancelling feature is disabled!!! It is just unbelievable. Such a great piece of art with this issue. how can B&O launch it into market with this restriction???? I am so, so frustrated. Waited it for so long and now Just returned the Headphones :-(

[@MichaelWilliams-cd9if]

Wow I can't believe they would make such an oversight, that should be a standard feature on any decent pair of NC headphones let alone one that costs $800.

[@atosetto]

@@MichaelWilliams-cd9if Exactly!!! Its just absurd to force deactivation of NC during calls!!! One other thing I realized is tere is no button or touch control for "mute"... also absurd... BOSE solved it with a configuration... if you press and hold the "assistant" button it works as a "mute" button. Not perfect but works fine. B&O could easily do that too!!!

[@iu1191]

@@atosetto I agree with all your points and as a fan of B&O I am quite disappointed by what they have done. I have the Sennheiser M3 and I just tried them with a call. My daughter could not hear my music as we spoke but my wife was complaining that the music was too loud. This means that the noise of the music was being taken out of the call by the NC engine. Just as you would expect. I cannot believe that B&O made this oversight. I hope they are able to fix it with a firmware update. At this price, people who had 2 sets pf headphones may want to have the H95 as their only pair which means they need to be able to fulfil all the functions of a headset and a pair of headphones. Also, Bose has made this standard by releasing the NC700 with such good mics. The Plantronics Voyager 8200 had mics just as good but was marketed as a dedicated Bluetooth call headset. The same is true for the Sennheiser MB660 which look exactly like the PXC550 but are geared towards call making. Even they have now been updated to the Sennheiser EPOS Adapt 600. They have the sound quality of the Sennheiser PXC550II but the call quality of the best call centre headsets ... and all without a boom mic. Now since Bose NC700, and since COVID19 has kept us all at home for longer, all high-end headphones just have to fulfil this function or lose sales. Especially the ones which cost so much. Once again - I really like B&O and was waiting for this myself but they simply HAVE to do better!

[@atosetto]

Iyare Umweni you said all. That’s it. It’s just unacceptable the deactivation of noise cancelling during calls. I’m also love B&O but this kind of thing should never go to market like that...

[@jimworksvlog]

Hi Alex, sorry to hear about your experience. I had multiple Teams meetings and it worked as expected. Could it be a firmware issue? Mine is running 5.2.1 and it was updated after unboxing. To test, I cast some clips to my home speakers and record my talk. I find: - Front mics for voice and rear mics for ambient noise during a call, which might reduce the noise-canceling capability compared to having all 4 picking up ambient sound. - The noise-canceling levels do not affect the recording quality, it is always on. It seems I cannot change the level of noise-canceling during a call. - It blocks road noises even in transparent mode. Almost no road noise was recorded when I hold it next to the speaker and talk to it. - It struggles with music sometimes, the recording stays silent when I am not talking, but once I talk, some notes would slip in.

[@lcvs]

you think sound is better in sony XM4? Sony have also LDAC to play with Tidal

[@jimworksvlog]

Sony crushes the competition on specs, the XM3 and XM4s are very comfy, and they sound incredible too, with probably better noise cancellation. The choice of B&O is quite subjective as I prefer the way my favorite songs are played on their headphones.

[@AlexFischer1]

I bought the XM4 and H95 to compare. The H95 sounds way better, it's not even close. I listen mostly to hip hop and electronic music for reference. The XM4's are pretty much unlistenable to me after using the H95's, and I am in no way an audiophile. The bass on the XM4's just sounds like punching air into your ear. The H95's have full detailed bass and you can just hear so much detail in whatever you are listening to. I also find the H95 more comfortable for longer, despite them being heavier than the XM4. Something about the materials and distribution of weight makes them amazingly comfortable. The noise cancellation is good, but I wish they wouldn't turn it off when using the microphone for calls and such. As for the controls, the H95's win again. The dials for the volume and noise cancellation is just better than having to swipe for every volume notch on the XM4. I also much prefer the switch style interface for power and bluetooth pairing over the button you have to hold for a long time on the XM4's. The reason I have decided to keep both the XM4 and the H95 is because the H95's do not work well as travel headphones. For one, they are made of premium materials that I would not want to scuff up through travel. Then there is the fact that H95's are heavier and their case is ridiculously heavy, especially compared the the XM4 case which was clearly designed to be lightweight. Lastly the XM4's have noticeably better noise cancellation, especially for voices. So the H95's will be my wfh headphones and the XM4's will be my travel headphones.

[@jimworksvlog]

Sorry I missed your reply earlier. Yeah Sony's bass is way punchier than the H95, some may find it more exciting. The signature of Sony is just quite distinct that probably works better with certain genre of music, I think for people who are into Sony, there's also few alternatives out there. Bose, in comparison, has a less distinct signature IMHO. A bit surprised to hear that you find the H95 better with hip-hop. The clarity of the H95 definitely helps with electronics, it sounds great when playing Max Cooper's 3D Reworks. The dials just nail it hands down, I guess no one would really compare it against the Microsoft headphones. This feature alone wins me. For travel, can't agree more. The way the Sony folds is the smallest package and probably protects the joints better. The B&O way is pretty, but now a bulkier case seems necessary to toss it in a backpack.

[@iu1191]

Great video. Thanks for showing these to us. I would love to know how they compare to the Sennheiser Momentum 3 for sound quality - the signature is different of course but I wonder which is more pleasing to your ears and why. Thanks again for the video.

[@jimworksvlog]

Many thanks for the comment and you are welcome. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a Momentum 3 nearby. If I find one later let me come back to you.

[@urbanistgod]

How is the bass compared to Bose?

[@jimworksvlog]

Hi Jesse, I haven't AB compared them so cannot give a definitive answer. From memory, the Bose 700 has nice bass. H95 at first listen is not like XM4's in-your-face bass, but after some sessions, I found that this depends crucially on tracks. With good recording ("Trapped" by They Dream By Day, "Resynthesis 3D" by Max Cooper), even from KZbin videos, the sub-bass is definitely there and very punchy. When I first got the H95, I tested it on some Muse and Franz Ferdinand tracks looking for bass, they seem less punchy. I figured out later that this is probably due to the more neutral tune and better control of different frequencies, so you probably get less boomy bass as a whole, but nicer bass as you can distinguish mid-bass and sub-bass now.

[@urbanistgod]

@@jimworksvlog I hope these are neutral headphones. I’m not a bass head that’s why I’m asking this.

[@jimworksvlog]

Yes they are pretty neutral. I think lack of bass has been a past complaint from some people for B&O. I find the bass quite adequate for my taste.

[@tissetass96]

I was so excited when i got this pair, but i was so disappointed. The wind noise you hear while wearing them is absolutely dreadful, even if its almost no wind outside...

[@jimworksvlog]

My other video re. ANC next to a busy road was done on a pretty windy day, I won't exclude the wind issue, but it was mostly minor for my usage. Still, if you are after ANC, there are likely better options out there.

[@DURANWORKS]

In terms of brand identity, it is not suitable for B&O at all. It was a very ordinary design. It doesn't look sophisticated at all. The sound quality may be very good, I cannot comment on it.

[@jimworksvlog]

I guess it's time to move forward from the H6 design, probably that's why they choose to collaborate with MNML. Some details of the H4 actually look cleaner and more modern, however, since that's been done on the H4 already, they couldn't implement a similar idea on the H95. Previously many users complaint about the round earcups being too small, so it's just a matter of time before they adopt the mainstream elongated shape. Simply increase the diameter of the round earcups may not work aesthetically. I still think this is one of the most elegant joint designs between the headband and the earcup, despite moving away from the more geometric hexagon shape. My only issue with the design is the plastic back of the earcups that shows fingerprints easily.

[@kinocchio]

Strangely enough this looks like the rumoured Studiopods from Apple.

[@jimworksvlog]

I also read rumors that Apple has B&O help designing the Airpods Studio and they are manufactured in the same factory as the B&O. Can't verify any of those. I find it funny that this time the H95 is designed by MNML studio (maybe Apple should just visit MNML).