Bang & Olufsen’s $1,549 headphones bring improved noise-cancellation and repairability

Bang & Olufsen has announced its caller $1,549 Beoplay H100 headphones, which are debuting pinch an moreover steeper value tag than its H95, which were introduced 4 years ago and which now costs $999. The institution is justifying that pricing pinch a attraction connected premium materials, improved noise-cancellation, and amended repairability that will perchance widen nan lifespan of nan headphones.

The usage of materials for illustration lambskin leather connected nan H100’s receptor pad cushions and scratch-resistant solid protecting nan headphone’s touchpad controls isn’t caller for Bang & Olufsen. But nan receptor pad and headband cushions tin now beryllium easy detached and replaced erstwhile they get worn aliases dirty, and nan institution says nan H100 characteristic a revamped design, making it easier for components for illustration batteries, drivers, and circuit boards to beryllium repaired aliases replaced. That’s a large trading constituent because erstwhile you’re spending complete $1,500 connected headphones, you don’t want them to go e-waste conscionable because nan batteries nary longer clasp a charge.

Sound is delivered done a brace of 40-millimeter “custom-made titanium drivers,” and nan H100 support not only high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit audio but besides Dolby Atmos spatial audio pinch built-in caput tracking. Active noise-cancellation is now powered by 10 microphones, which Band & Olufsen claims double its performance, and switching betwixt ANC and transparency modes is handled by an adjustable haptic dial connected nan receptor cups — a characteristic included connected older Band & Olufsen headphones and 1 that was pioneered by Microsoft’s Surface headphones.

The H100’s 32 hours of artillery life (with ANC on) is simply a spot of a measurement down from nan H95, which managed 38 hours. With spatial audio and caput search active, nan H100’s artillery life is reduced by different 2 hours. Similar to Apple’s AirPods Max, nan H100 don’t person a powerfulness button. They alternatively move connected automatically erstwhile worn, spell into a low-power mode erstwhile taken disconnected pinch 90 days of standby time, and powerfulness disconnected wholly erstwhile placed successful an included carrying case. Should nan headphones wholly dice astatine an inopportune time, Bang & Olufsen says a five-minute complaint will present an further 5 hours of playback.