Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay H8i Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones - Black

The H8i are gorgeous, on-ear, active noise cancelling headphones with premium build, solid sound quality, and premium looks: they are definitely fashionable. On-ear headphones, by virtue of physics, are just not as effective at blocking noise as over-ear / around-the-ear models like the Bose QuietComfort 35, so I was surprised to find that the H8i were extraordinarily effective at blocking low-frequency sounds, nearly as good (from memory) as the QuietComfort 35 and better than my over-ear, ANC wireless Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. However, I found that achieving that level of noise cancellation with on-ear headphones comes at a cost, at least for my large ears: they hurt noticeably after about 15-20 minutes, requiring me to spell my ears by briefly taking them off and giving my ears a break for a minute or so. I also found the default sound to be a little warm, substantially more so than the wired B&O Beoplay H6 I previously had, but the app on my iPhone (it's available for Android as well) has a simple, consumer-friendly way to tune the sound graphically -- no traditional EQ sliders at specific frequencies here, so this may be a minus for audio nerds who are familiar with traditional EQ controls. The equalization is stored on the headphones themselves, so it works system-wide on the paired device, rather than being limited to a specific app like Spotify's EQ controls in iOS, or like the simplistic EQ presets built into iPhone that only affect the built-in app. Unfortunately for me, the pain on my ears physically from the clamp and pressure on my big ears was too much for me to keep these, and I went back to my Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2, which are more comfortable over-ear headphones. Still, for people with smaller ears, these may work for you, so I advise anyone considering a purchase of the H8i to try them on for a while in-store first!

I’ve had these less than 24 hrs so this will not be a detailed review. Sound: Excellent! These are the best sounding headphones I have ever heard. I compared these to Bose QC35/35 II, B&W PX and Sennheiser HD1 on-ear as others I’ve heard were in a lower class. The B&O software has an EQ built in that once set appears to write to the headphones, in other words you don’t have to play music through it (like the Sennheiser) to get the benefits of the EQ. When you use the EQ make sure you move it all over the screen to get the best sound. BASS, these have excellent Bass! Even though I listen to rock mostly I use Justin Timberlakes song “Can’t stop the Feeling” to test bass on all products I consider purchasing. It has a hard hitting bass line and some speakers/headphones just can’t reproduce it...but these can and in a big way. Bluetooth: Some have reported Bluetooth connectivity issues. My house is 2400 +/- sq ft. I test headphones by placing my phone on the coffee table which is about mid way of the house. I then move around the house upstairs and then venture downstairs (basement) and then eventually out into the garage (downstairs also), I can report the Bluetooth connectivity is excellent. I used an old iPhone 6s for this test. Quality: The quality seems to be excellent as well. They are light weight and yet seem very sturdy. Comfort: Very comfortable on my ears. The ear cushions are very, very cushy and feel very nice. The headband is thick and seems a little firm, so I was concerned about comfort but this is the first time I’ve thought about it since testing them for a few hrs yesterday so it must have been comfortable. Some have reported that the headphones fell off when they leaned over, I bent over at a 90 degree angle and they never fell off BUT felt like they could have. Controls: The pause/play/song skip and volume work like all the other headphones I mentioned earlier but the initial Bluetooth connection is a little wonky. You press power button, then press the pause/play/song skip button for 5 seconds and then it connected to my iPhone BUT then you open the B&O app and it says the Bluetooth is off (which it is not and it’s already connected). You reboot the phone a few times, connect, disconnect a few times and then for some unknown reason the software see’s the headphones. You need the app to use the built in EQ and you want to use the EQ. I tested the B&O EQ against the Spotify EQ which I use constantly and it sounded way better than the Spotify EQ. Once you finally get the app to recognize the headphones it prompts you to push a firmware update to them but for some reason it would error out (could be the new Apple Privacy Policy causing this, not really sure). So I installed the software on my Win 10 laptop and installed the firmware update from there, which was a breeze. After the initial setup issues, I never had a problem again, it worked perfect each time. Just remember that bluetooth is the biggest complaint I’ve seen on all wireless headphones, I assume it’s because so many people are using so many different versions of Bluetooth and they are implemented by so many different manufacturers and people use (carry) their phones in so many different ways. It would be nice if someday bluetooth just worked like say WiFi or LTE...in other words, it just connected.

I’ve been on the hunt for headphones for years. I’ve tried Beats, Skullcandy, Sony, JBL, etc and nothing has came to close to these. Now the volume issue you’ll probably hear about these of people saying “they’re not loud enough” which is true, they’re not. But I have a highly advanced equalizer on my phone and personally that issue has never effected me because they go much louder than an app say like Apple Music or Spotify would allow them to go. The bass is strong, like shake your brain strong. The audio is crisp and clear, the battery life is absolutely endless, and the build quality. Oh the build quality. There’s this super high quality brushed aluminum around the actual headphone piece and the top is this beautiful and flexible stitched synthetic leather. This is the kind of headphones you’d expect for $400. These are right on the money. It’s worth splurging on these. If you’re in the market for the best of the best, these are the best!!

First things first. I have large ears, small head. I first chose the Bose QC 35 II's due to comfort and fit over the ears. I felt it was a splendid choice and all you have to do is look at its 5 star reviews and overall high ratings for everything from comfort to sound quality to understand my point. Yes it is fiberglass reinforced (plastic) but very well made and very light. So, why switch? I encountered two issues with these headphones, 1) I found the "over the ears" somewhat confining like I was wearing a helmet and also they got fairly warm. 2) when people spoke with me I immediately had to remove the headphones to hear what they were asking. There was a third issue however minimal; I never really felt that these sweet sounding cans truly enhanced my music listening pleasure-they are very nice and adequate, not exciting and the Iphone 6S equalizer did not help. So I turned my attention to the B&W PX, but knew that improved sound might be balanced with discomfort from extra weight. Then it occurred to me that I should consider an "On Ear" style since attempting to completely cover my ears seemed counterproductive to comfort. Enter the H8i. I tried these and was surprised at their comfort level for an on ear design. They were extremely light comparable to the Bose yet were cooler on and around the ears. Another feature that is extremely useful is the ability to turn off noise cancelling and immediately stop the music so you can quickly engage in conversation. As for sound, I felt the B&O app was extremely easy to use and set up the phones for music not only from I-phone but also from my PC, enhancing my listening pleasure. This is not an intrusive and not a complicated application it is again like everything else on this headset quite minimal but for me useful. 30 to 40 hr play time between charges is great and these headphones shut off automatically when not being used for more than 15 minutes. But wait, there are a couple of downsides, you have to use the app to know your battery power amount (unless the light turns red on the ear cup, which means it is time to recharge). There is no sexy voice telling you that you are "connected". There is no Apt-x codec which could be a deal breaker for some. Not a fan of a bag instead of a case and would have been nice if they folded smaller. Otherwise, this is a great product.

Was hesitant to purchase due to some reviews mention of discomfort but purchased anyway. I will say I did experience discomfort on the ears at first but after trying different position, I can now wear for three hours or more without the discomfort. Best position I found is low on the ears. Features and battery life are great and so is the sound especially when using the app to customize to the sound to your liking. Changes I would recommend are softer/more cushion on the headband (not as soft as my B&Ws) and a way to recall different app equalizer settings from the headphones.

I wanted to get my wife a noise cancelling head phone. When she lost he B&W P 5's I looked as this as a perfect alternative. She doesn't like the feel of over the ear headphones and in ear won't work for her. Therefore, B&O. As with B&O products, looks come along with quality. This is an attractive product. Sound is good, but light on bass. It is not as comfortable as the P5. The pads are thicker than most. I suspect over time they will soften. Noise cancelling is good, but not as strong as you may find in something like the Sony 1000x3's. Pairing is also a little wonky We own Droids, so I'm not sure how it works with Apple. All in all a good head phone. However, at the present sale price, it's a great headphone. At 399.00 there are better. At the blowout price of 269.00 They were a steal.

I purchased this B&O HiO8 wireless headphone on BestBuy Deal of the Day special. The sound was superb, and it is a smart headphone with auto fading of music when the phone rings (bluetooth connected to the headphone) to all me to answer and hear the caller, and the music comes back on automatically when I hang up the phone call. It is light weight, and I cannot hear anything outside of me when both ears are covered by the headphone cups (great sound proofing with the noise-cancelling feature).

Good things: the ANC is pretty good. It drastically cuts down on office and travel noise. The battery life is solid. They are built like a tank. The headband is a thick aluminum structure. Sound quality is very good. Although it’s not as great when ANC is off...the noise cancelling seems to “protect” the music from outside noise really well. I LOVE the controls and the ability to quickly switch into Transparency mode and pause music. Seriously this is the coolest feature. Can update firmware or EQ via app but the EQ functionality kinda sucks. Neutral: uses USBc to charge so that could be good or bad based on your current devices. I don’t have any usbc devices so this is another cable I need to carry around. Cons: They are quite comfortable at first but the on-ear design makes my ears sore after a while. It’s not painful but it’s definitely a little annoying. Doesn’t come with a case. For the price... cmon. Expensive compared to other exceptional BT/ANC headsets. Overall: I really like these but I may try the Bose QC35 or the Sony 1000mkii for both comfort and financial reasons. These are very good but just not as great as I think the price tag indicates.