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

Bang & Olufsen has announced its caller $1,549 Beoplay H100 headphones, which are debuting with an adjacent steeper terms tag than its H95, which were introduced 4 years ago and which present outgo $999. The institution is justifying that pricing with a absorption connected premium materials, improved noise-canceling, and amended repairability that volition perchance widen the lifespan of the headphones.

The usage of materials similar lambskin leather connected the H100’s receptor pad cushions and scratch-resistant solid protecting the headphone’s touchpad controls isn’t caller for Bang & Olufsen. But the receptor pad and headband cushions tin present beryllium easy detached and replaced erstwhile they get worn oregon dirty, and the institution says the H100 diagnostic a revamped plan making it easier for components similar batteries, drivers, and circuit boards to beryllium repaired oregon replaced. That’s a large selling point, due to the fact that erstwhile you’re spending implicit $1,500 connected headphones, you don’t privation them to go e-waste conscionable due to the fact that the batteries nary longer clasp a charge.

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

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