Credit: Youtube
Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX is a very modest device by the company’s normal “kitchen sink” standards – and it’s all the better for it. B&O has found a satisfying equilibrium by focusing as much effort on performance as on a beautiful appearance. However, it comes at a price.
Pros
- The sound is vivid and vibrant
- Feel, look, and even smell like a high-end item
- Control software with a lot of features
Cons
- It’s priced like an uber-premium item
- There’s plenty of capable competitors
- Noise cancellation can be improved
The Beoplay HX is a classic Bang & Olufsen product in several ways: quality materials, premium construction, and premium pricing. Others, on the other hand, are far less obstinate than we’ve come to expect from the corporation. The HX headphones don’t put design before the performance, and while they’re unquestionably pricey, they’re not as exorbitant as you might think.
This implies that for a lot more money than you’d pay for any number of very capable alternatives, you might have this and you may get a set of Bang & Olufsen active noise-cancelling wireless over-ear headphones that are made to compete and make you happy. The specifications are up to par, the performance is nearly flawless, and intangibles like ‘pride of ownership’ are at an all-time high.
Bang & Olufsen has always demanded that you accept their products on their terms. Those phrases are marginally more appropriate with the Beoplay HX than they are with B&O.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Headphones
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Price
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Specifications
- Design
- Audio Performance of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX
- Workmanship and Package
- Features
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Price
Credit: Bang & Olufsen
These luxurious over-ear headphones have an equally luxurious price tag of ÂŁ499, $499, and offer a whopping 35 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled, or 40 hours without it, on a single charge. That’s 15 hours longer than our current favorite, the Sony WH-1000XM4, and 30 hours longer than the Apple AirPods Max.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Specifications
| Dimensions | 8.5 x 9.2 x 2.6 inches |
| Weight | 10.1 ounces |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium-ion battery is required |
| Frequency Range | 20-22,000 Hz |
| Battery Life | Up to 35 hours with active Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancellation, Up to 40 hours with Bluetooth, 12000 mAH |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1, Dedicated button for native Voice Assistant, 2 active devices concurrently |
Design
Credit: Tech Reviews
Bang & Olufsen’s dilemma is apparent. Is there space for maneuver in terms of design for a firm that has established its name on high-performing products with a distinct aesthetic? After all, not everyone is searching for a pair of over-ear headphones that are regarded as “crazy looking.” Here, as elsewhere in Consumer Electronics Land, form is driven by function, and straying from the pattern is likely to offend far more potential consumers than it entices.
As a result, Bang & Olufsen has taken the prudent route. Which, in this case, means designing a highly competitive specification for the Beoplay HX, using high-quality materials, and putting it all together perfectly. Isn’t it obvious that this isn’t rocket science? Bang & Olufsen, on the other hand, has served up its most competitive offering in a long time by being pragmatic and developing a device that is noteworthy only for its utter lack of aesthetic remarkableness.
Credit: Unimore Trading
The Beoplay HX seems and feels expensive from the exterior. Lambskin, aluminum, memory foam, and high-quality plastics combine to create a set of headphones that are on the modest side of ‘opulent.’ They’re tactile: every component is nice to the touch, and the metal control interface is on the right earcup is both pleasurable and sensitive. They’re not too heavy to wear at 285g. Each of the three color selections also confidently walks the discreet/opulent line.
Things are similarly appealing on the inside. Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive functionality is used for wireless communication. As a result, the HX will always strike a balance between connection reliability and streaming quality to give you the best of both worlds. A pair of 40mm full-range neodymium dynamic drivers provide sound. Furthermore, depending on how you use them, the HX may last anywhere between 30 and 40 hours between charges.
A USB-C connector, as well as a 3.5mm input and a power on/off/Bluetooth pairing button, are included along the edge of the right earcup for when the B&O needs to be charged. Meanwhile, a button on the left earcup cycles between your active noise-cancellation settings — ‘on,’ ‘off,’ or ‘transparent.’ There’s also a button that lets you summon your preferred voice assistant. There are two microphones in each earcup.
Bang & Olufsen’s unsurprisingly posh control software may be used to fine-tune performance in addition to voice help and tactile controls on the headphones. It’s where you can pick between EQ settings, modify the amount of noise-cancellation, and adjust the sensitivity of the auto-pause feature – kicks in when you remove the headphones. It’s clean, stable, and attractive.
Of course, other than a decent control software and the opulent materials utilized in its construction, the Beoplay HX doesn’t provide anything that a slew of competitors costing far less do.
Audio Performance of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX
Credit: Amazon
This holds for true audio performance as well. This is not to say the Beoplay HX isn’t worth a listen – they’re probably the greatest wireless headphones Bang & Olufsen has ever created in terms of value for money.
Of course, tinkering about with the EQ settings may have a significant influence on the sound of the Beoplay HX. Keep them in the default position, according to Bang & Olufsen, but put up a very huge high-resolution file of Forest of Your Issues by Snapped Ankles, and the HX doesn’t waste any time establishing themselves as a vibrant, detailed, and fascinating listen.
Heat and punch are toward the bottom of the frequency spectrum, yet nothing is overdone or disorderly. Low-frequency sounds are loud, yet they have wonderfully straight edges at the beginning and finish of each note or strike. As a result, the HX is a lively, forward-thinking listener. The Bang & Olufsen will joyfully get the listener’s toes tapping thanks to superb rhythm management and confident pace descriptions.
There’s substance and bite at the other end of the frequency spectrum, but it’s well-judged. The Bang & Olufsen HX doesn’t get harsh or shouty when it comes to treble information, even at high volumes; the Bang & Olufsen has enough reserve to make dynamic peaks and troughs evident.
The HX is a spacious and instructive listen-in between. Detail levels in the mid-range are just as high as they are everywhere, allowing a vocalist’s personality and technique to shine through. The overall tone is somewhat richer than neutral, but potential HX owners will be as well. While it’s feasible to tone down the warmth a little, it comes with a certain amount of substance, so we’d like to leave it alone.
Credit: Amazon
The soundstage created by the HX isn’t the largest, but it’s also not claustrophobic or limited in any manner. Individual strands of a recording are firmly secured in place. The entire presentation has a wonderful feeling of oneness, and while there’s plenty of breathing room for individual parts to expand out and do their thing, they never sound isolated. When it comes to low-level harmonic dynamics, the HX excels — detail levels are high enough to reveal even the tiniest note-by-note changes, even when the overall recording becomes crowded or convoluted.
The success of noise cancellation is more qualified. There’s little question that the Beoplay HX can successfully handle the bulk of external noises, leaving almost no trace of a counter-signal behind. There are, however, more effective units available. If you’re looking for a blanket of silence, there are more cheap headphones out there whose overall tone may not be as impacted by the degree of noise cancellation.
Workmanship and Package
The sturdy outer box houses a case containing the HX. A side compartment of the box conceals a 1.20-meter USB-A to USB-C cable and an identical 1.20-meter audio cable. The very attractive HX is available in anthracite, sand, and timber color schemes. The Beoplay HX is characterized by quality materials, very good workmanship, a chic design, and – as already mentioned – a high level of wearing comfort.
The ear cups are made of aluminum, the cushions of soft leather. The headband is made of composite fabric, and the HX can be comfortably adjusted to fit your head via a padded telescopic mechanism. The underside is covered with fabric. The top is adorned with a leather patch in the same color as the headphones. In look and feel, this is a high-quality product.
Features
The HX supports Bluetooth 5.1, as well as the audio codecs aptX Adaptive, AAC, and SBC. As a result, they give the greatest possible audio connection with all current devices. For the quickest and most reliable Bluetooth connections, certifications for Google Fast Pair, MFi, and Microsoft Swift Pair are also available. The multipoint capability allows you to control two devices at the same time. The 40 mm drivers cover a frequency range of 20 to 22,000 Hz effectively.
Four digital microphones are used to provide adaptive noise cancellation. A replaceable 1,200 mAh lithium-ion battery delivers up to 35 hours of noise cancellation and up to 40 hours without noise cancellation, according to the manufacturer.
Is the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX worth buying?
Yes, predictably and gratifyingly the material quality is excellent. There aren’t as many of these as there are of the Bose or Sony equivalents. The Beoplay HX most certainly has the performance substance to back up the style.
Wind noise sensitivity is an issue with a product that most people will use for commuting. And, unlike what we’re used to hearing, noise reduction takes up a bigger amount of the music.
Reviews
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Headphones
Summary
The Beoplay HX is a classic Bang & Olufsen product in several ways: quality materials, premium construction, and premium pricing. Others, on the other hand, are far less obstinate than we’ve come to expect from the corporation. The HX headphones don’t put design before the performance, and while they’re unquestionably pricey, they’re not as exorbitant as you might think.
