Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 – Over-ear Headphones with Active Noise Cancelling

On the occasion of the 95th anniversary of Bang & Olufsen, the company presents the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Black as a limited special model, in silver the regular model is available. In any case, it will be the best Bluetooth headphones from Bang & Olufsen to date, an over-ear headphone equipped with adaptive active noise reduction.

For Bang & Olufsen, the B & O Beoplay brand has for some time been a very important part of the company’s business, as it encompasses products in the personal audio segment that can be described as lifestyle solutions, but the manufacturer is always keen to offer solutions with high quality standards in terms of design, feel and, of course, sound.

According to the company, the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 has set itself particularly ambitious goals, and the company is convinced that it offers the best headphones to date. It is no coincidence that the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is being launched to mark Bang & Olufsen’s 95th birthday, and that these Bluetooth over-ear headphones with adaptive active noise reduction are an expression of what Bang & Olufsen has stood for for 95 years.

Bang & Olufsen’s new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 has three key features that Bang & Olufsen has emphasised in particular: outstanding, elegant design, production using the best materials for impeccable quality and maximum wearing comfort, and modern features for a unique sound experience.

Consequently, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is available in two versions. Firstly, the regular Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Grey Mist Edition, which is available in grey and silver, and secondly, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Black Edition, which is, how could it be otherwise, completely black. However, one should not hope to get hold of the second mentioned version, because there were only 95 pieces of this one worldwide, engraved with the corresponding serial number, which is already now, immediately after the announcement, shown as sold out.

From a technical point of view, there is no difference between the two versions anyway, and the regular serial version is also very elegant.

The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95, as described above, is an over-ear headphone with an aluminium frame and earcup, providing a solid base for the headphones. The connection between the earcup and bow is also made of aluminium. This is all the more important because the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 has a folding mechanism that makes it very compact when folded and can be stored in the included transport case. This is also made of aluminium.

The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 uses extra soft, oval ear pads made of so-called memory foam, which is also used on the inside of the headband. The ear cushions are covered with soft lamb’s leather, while a robust textile fabric is used to pad the temple. On the outside of the temple leather is again used, but here cowhide is used instead. It should be emphasised that the ear pads can be replaced, a not insignificant point when it comes to the durability of a headphone.

The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 uses a 40 mm diameter electrodynamic driver, with a titanium diaphragm and powerful neodymium magnets. The fact that the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 can only reproduce a frequency range between 20 Hz and 22 kHz is due to the signal transmission via Bluetooth, even if, according to the manufacturer, Bluetooth 5.1 is already used. This is due to the fact that the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 uses SBC, AAC and only aptX, so that ultimately only signal transmission in “CD quality” is guaranteed. However, the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 can also be operated by cable via an analogue input in the form of a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack socket.

In order to guarantee a problem-free connection with smartphones and tablets from different manufacturers, the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 has various certifications, namely Google Fast Pair, Made for iPhone, and Microsoft Swift Pair.

The signal processing is DSP-based, with the developers once again promising Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound. In addition, the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 features active noise suppression, which according to the manufacturer’s specifications is supposed to work particularly accurately and thus guarantee undisturbed music enjoyment at all times. The manufacturer refers to this as adaptive active noise cancelling, which uses a total of four microphones and adapts optimally to the respective environment. A transparency mode is also available to enable rapid interaction with the environment without having to take off the headphones.

Of course, the integrated microphones of the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 can be used to make phone calls and also to use the smartphone’s voice assistants.

The operation that Bang & Olufsen engineers have chosen for the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is interesting. For example, the outside of the earcup is designed as a sensor field in the usual way to control playback, but a ring on the earcup can also be used for control. On the one hand, the volume can be controlled and on the other hand, the Active Noise Cancellation including the already mentioned Transparency Mode. A separate button is also available for voice control.

Of course, a suitable app is also available, namely the Bang & Olufsen app for Apple iOS and Google Android.

The long battery life of the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 should be emphasised, as the manufacturer states up to 38 hours for operation with active noise reduction activated. The battery is charged via a USB-C port.

The scope of delivery includes the already mentioned transport case, a USB-C cable, a 3.5 mm jack to 3.5 mm jack cable, an adapter for in-flight entertainment systems and last but not least a cleaning cloth.

The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 will be available in the near future, although the limited Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Black Edition is already sold out. For the time being, only the Grey Silver version is available, at a recommended retail price of € 800,-.

Getting to the point

The new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is a particularly ambitious development, the company says, and is convinced that it is the best headphone yet. It is no coincidence that the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is being launched to mark the 95th anniversary of Bang & Olufsen, and that these Bluetooth over-ear headphones with adaptive active noise reduction are an expression of what Bang & Olufsen has stood for for 95 years. And even if the limited Black Edition is sold out before the market launch, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Grey Mist is also an exquisite headphone…