B&O's New Beoplay H100 May Be the Future of Headphones Except the Price
Bang & Olufsen is known for its pricey Bluetooth headphones compared to brands like Apple or Sony. Now, the Danish audio maker has unveiled an even pricier set of noise-canceling headphones, the Beoplay H100, which cost over $1500 but bring an even more premium and sustainable build and improved sound from the predecessors.
The Beoplay H100 are direct successor to the dated Beoplay H95 that debuted for $800 over four years ago, and surprisingly, have even become pricier now at $900 despite the age.
B&O Beoplay H100 get user-replaceable parts
The Beoplay H100 keep the soft lambskin leather on the ear pads, knitted textile wrapping on the headband cushions, and scratch-resistant glass on the outer ear cups that works as a touchpad for controls. The plush leather touches extend to the headphones' case, which might be mistaken as a classic handbag.
Beoplay H100's headband and ear cups are made of the same solid aluminum. Despite the metal being lighter than stainless steel, the headphones weigh 375 grams and are heavier than most alternatives but slightly lighter than the already bulky AirPods Max (review). The H100 will be offered in infinite black, hourglass sand, and sunset apricot colorways.
B&O not only justifies the price hike to the luxurious materials as the Beoplay H100 are also designed with sustainability in mind and are modular similar to the recently launched Dyson OnTrac headphones. When worn out or damaged, users can replace the headband cushions and ear pads. More importantly, they can have the battery or drivers replaced in case either set of components has died out.
But even so, B&O offers up to five years of extended warranty on the Beoplay H100 through its Beocare program.
B&O Beoplay H100 have up to 2x more effective ANC
The Beoplay H100 utilize custom titanium 40 mm drivers and deliver high-resolution sound up to 96 kHz/24 bits. They are also optimized by Dolby Atmos with support for spatial audio with head tracking. B&O says they will add wireless high-resolution codecs and a 3-device multipoint pairing feature in 2025 via updates.
There's also are sizeable upgrades in noise cancelation, with the Beoplay H100 equipped with a total of 10 microphones. The company touts that the setup has twice more effective noise-blocking solution than the H95. Furthermore, there is a new EarSense technology, which is akin to personalized and adaptive audio profiles in some high-end over-ear Bluetooth headphones.
B&O Beoplay H100 have no power button and gets a faster charging speed
Like the Apple AirPods Max, the Beoplay H100 have automated power management. According to B&O, the headphones will last up to 90 days if not in use and not in their case while they automatically switched off when stowed.
The battery life of the Beoplay H100 is rated to last 34 hours with ANC enabled, slightly lower than the H95. However, they now come with faster charging, which gives you a 5-hour play from a 5-minute plug.
The Beoplay H100 are already listed on the B&O's online stores and should hit the shelves of third-party retailers soon.
Do you support that more headphones should be modular or that manufacturers should offer repairable wearables? We want to hear your opinion in the comments.
