If you're in the market for a pair of excellent noise-cancelling headphones, you're spoiled for choice. And you also might be holding out for the AirPods Max 2, which is rumored to launch soon. But what if you really, really wanted to show off? Bang & Olufsen has just the ticket.
Enter the Beoplay H100, a very luxurious pair of headphones that comes courtesy of the premium audio makers. They're a masterpiece of metal, featuring a sumptuous and modular design and some super-premium tech specs. They also come with a scary high $1,549 price that would make even the biggest audiophile quiver.
Wait, how much?!
Yes, you did read it right. No typos here, the Beoplay H100 cost an eye-watering $1,549. For those who like numbers, that's $1,000 more than the AirPods Max, $1,100 more than the Sonos Ace, and $1,180 more than the venerable Sony WH-1000XM5. This high price makes them the most expensive production headphones you can buy — around $550 more than the previous "winners," the $1,000 Mark Levinson No. 5909. They are expensive.
The Beoplay H100 are loaded with some impressive features. For one, there's the materials used. The titanium drivers sit behind aluminum grills, and they're smothered in lambskin and cowhide leather (vegans need not apply, apparently). They're equipped with B&O's latest noise-canceling algorithm, which promises the firm's "most advanced noise cancellation and transparency mode yet." There is a mixture of touch and physical controls on board, the former of which are activated with a toughened glass panel.
It all adds up to a pair of headphones that, at least on paper, sound like a pretty stunning thing to wear. There are layers of cushioning foam to spread their weight and make them more comfortable for long periods time, and the breathable textile avoids making you feel sweaty. The lambskin leather that coats the padded earcups "sits gently against the skin and contributes to an experience that feels as good as it sounds."
Totally modular headphones
Most wireless headphones that you buy at the moment are, in essence, a ticking time bomb of e-waste. Once the battery goes, the earcups start to peel, or the headband bends one degree too far, you're left with a lump of circuit boards, fake leather and plastic that you can't fix. B&O looks to change that with the H100, with some impressive modularity.
Everything can be swapped out and replaced — "The battery. The headband. The cushions. Even the drivers." Of course, that would rely on B&O continuing to offer the replacement parts well into the future, but it does make that $1,549 price a little easier to swallow, knowing that they're not just going to stop working completely when the battery stops holding a charge. There's even a 5-year warranty when you join the Beocare program, so if something does go horribly wrong your portable audio investment is well protected.
It also looks like the modularity is designed to bring new features to the headphones later on down the line. B&O tells us the H100 are "built to evolve," so we could expect different attachments or parts to arrive that could improve the noise canceling, make them more comfortable, or support a future version of wireless connection that sounds better than Bluetooth.
How do they stack up?
Do the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 manage to justify their price against the competition? With a $1,000 price premium on most of them, that answer will likely come down to the person that might want to buy them, but they do stack up well against their closest rivals.
They're lighter than the 13.6 oz AirPods Max by 0.4 ounces, so they're already going to feel lighter on the head than Apple's aluminum monsters. They've got two more microphones for noise canceling and calling than the Sony WH-1000XM5, the current noise canceling champions, so we hope to expect some epic noise blocking.
Of course with a pair of headphones like the H100 there's a certain degree of "They're expensive because they're just as much a fashion piece as a pair of headphones," but they do stack up favorably against the competition.
What's missing?
Do you get a hard case to protect your $1,500 headphones? By the looks of things you just get a snazzy leather pouch, rather than a hard carrying case — and as much as a leather pouch sounds nice, it should really be something more substantial considering the amount you're paying.
The Beoplay H100 are available to purchase now from the B&O website. Stay tuned for our full review.
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