B&O Play recently announced two new flagship headphones – the Beoplay H8i and Beoplay H9i. These two headphones bring new features, streamlined aesthetics, and the latest Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound.
Beoplay H9i – A Comfortable Listening Experience
The wireless Beoplay H9i comes with an over-ear wearing style and is crafted in luxurious materials. The headband has a solid and lightweight aluminium frame covered with stitched cowhide leather, anodised aluminium ear cups, and underneath the soft lambskin ear cushion is a set of adaptive memory foam that adapts to the shape and curve of the ear for comfort and breathability. The new Beoplay H9i brings:
- Enhanced Design – Beoplay H9i comes with an even slimmer ear cushion design, reshaped anodised mono arm and enlarged aluminium discs with mesmerising touch control to give the headphones an even more elegant appearance. Moreover, the ANC microphone grill on the housing has been upgraded for a cleaner design expression, and the battery removal solution is more secure with the removal of the aluminium disc from the left ear cup.
- Improved ANC – The hybrid Active Noise Cancellation in Beoplay H9i has been improved to perform better between 300-800Hz meaning that the cancellation of human voices will be more effective.
- Improved sound – We have introduced a bass port that ensures optimal and more powerful bass.
- Transparency Mode – With just one quick gesture, you can turn off the music and the ANC at the same time listen to your surroundings.
- Proximity sensor – A smart feature that automatically pauses your music or video streaming, when you remove the headphones. When you put the headphones back on, the music or video starts playing again.
- Dual device connectivity – Pair your headphones to two devices at the same time, so you don’t have to disconnect from one device to connect to the other.
- Increased playtime and call quality – Due to a more optimal circuit design, we have been able to achieve better performance with up to 18 hours – four hours extra playtime from Beoplay H9. Also, we have added an additional microphone dedicated to improving voice quality.
Beoplay H8i – Revitalising a Modern Classic
B&O PLAY has streamlined the classic design to give Beoplay H8i a more contemporary and light appearance, increased playtime by more than 100% and added smart features to improve the listening experience. The new Beoplay H8i brings:
- Enhanced design – B&O PLAY has redesigned the classic Beoplay H8 with a more streamlined, contemporary design. The anodised aluminium discs have been streamlined to flush with the earcups, and the mono-arm has been redesigned to give a cleaner and more minimalistic expression.
- Physical button controls – Beoplay H8i comes with button controls on both ear cups for people who prefer physical simplicity over the smart touch control on Beoplay H9i.
- Industry leading playtime – We have increased playtime from Beoplay H8 to H8i by more than 100 % now sporting up to 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC on.
- Transparency Mode – With just one click, you can turn off the music and the ANC at the same time to listen to your surroundings.
- Proximity sensor – A smart feature that automatically pauses your music or video streaming, when you remove the headphones. When you put the headphones back on, the music or video starts playing again.
- Dual device connectivity – Pair your headphones to two devices at the same time, so you don’t have to disconnect from one device to connect to the other.
- Improved call quality – We have added an additional microphone dedicated to improving voice quality.
Pricing and Availability
The Beoplay H8i and Beoplay H9i will be available at Bang & Olufsen stores, on www.beoplay.com/h8i and www.beoplay.com/h9i and select third-party retailers beginning February 2018.
They launch in Natural and Black and will be available for a suggested retail price of $599 for the Beoplay H8i and $699 for the Beoplay H9i at Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt, Bang & Olufsen Takashimaya, Analogue +, Apple Premium Resellers, Changi Airport Duty Free, Newstead, Robinsons, Tangs and other leading independent retailers.
Headphones comes with a cotton carrying bag, a 1.25m USB-C charging cable and an audio cable. Upgrade for a black cowhide leather carrying case is available at above-mentioned outlets.
