| Driver type | Electro-dynamic driver w/ Neodymium magnets, 40 mm diameter |
| Impedance | 24 Ohm +/- 15% |
| Effective frequency range | 20 – 22 000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 95 dB, 1 mW @1 kHz |
| Sound codecs | aptX TM Adaptive/AAC/SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Connections | Bluetooth 5.1 / USB-C port / 3.5 mm mini-jack |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 195 mm x 200 mm x 52 mm |
| Weight | 285 g |
PRICE R15 999.00
IMPORTED BY Bang & Olufsen South Africa
Sandton City 011 783-8550 / Mall Of Africa 010 020-3450
AVAILABLE THROUGH Cinema Architects 010 601 0653 / hello@cinea.co.za
WEBSITE www.cinemaarchitects.co.za
The Short Of It…
R15 000?! Are you insane? For a set of headphones? And yet, if I had that sort of moolah, I’d buy them in an instant, they’re that good. Of course my wife would murder me in my sleep, so I’d have to hide the purchase somehow. And this is the entry-level version of what Bang & Olufsen has on offer.
The Long Of It…
I haven’t had the luck of dealing with Bang & Olufsen products since the old AVSA Magazine folded years ago, so man was I keen to get to grips with the HXs! The headphones come in a sturdy, protective container, which hosts an equally protective fabric carry case for them. Visually, everything about the presentation here states in very clear terms that you have a high quality product in your hands.
Inside, you’ll find the HXs, along with a USB-A to USB-C cable, a 3.5 mm audio cable, and a Quick Start Guide. This is where you’ll find my only complaint. While I understand that the 3.5 mm connection is pretty much universal these days, at this price point I’d have expected to see a 6.5 mm adapter included. It comes across as a questionable omission, based on how much effort Bang & Olufsen has put into the rest of the product. The headphones are available in colours of Black Anthracite, Gold Tone and Timber.
First impressions are important, and I have to say that here, B&O score 10/10.
I have reviewed headphones for decades (yes, that’s how old I am). In-ears, over-ears, on-ears, oh-Good-Lord-Those-Are-Awful-Ears.
And never. Ever. Have I found a set of headphones so comfortable. Yes, I know that’s the least of what I am supposed to be concentrating on, but let’s be honest – how can you enjoy your music if the headphones make you feel uncomfortable? Again, everything just exudes quality. The headphones are light, the earcups are soft, plush, and sit against your ears, sealing them perfectly, but without the slightest hint of undue pressure.
So now, we’re going to talk about the technology behind these headphones. It’s the boring stuff for a lot of us, but we have to acknowledge that headphones these days are most likely more complicated technology-wise than the computers that helped the Americans land on the moon.
As with all products these days, there’s an App. Download it from the Android Play Store, or the Apple App store. Once downloaded, open it and turn the headphones on, and moments later you’ll be connected and (if needed) a firmware update will be offered – which obviously you have to agree to if you want your headphones to be completely ready to go.
The App itself is pretty user-friendly and allows you to – amongst other things – tailor the sound according to your specific needs: so, Optimal, Commute, Clear, Workout and Podcast. I used Optimal for most of the review process, for obvious reasons, because at AV News we want to experience the best our test products have to offer.
It also allows you to activate Wind Protection for phone calls. Four microphones inside the earcups help deal with this issue. Calls are clear (signal dependent) and both myself and the people calling me had no clarity issues.
As far as ‘Workout’ is concerned, I’d consider it blasphemy of the highest order to wear these at a gym. And ‘Commute’, well…in South Africa going out in public wearing these headphones…might not end well. Let’s just keep them safely in our listening rooms!
There is also a ‘Beosonic’ section for more manual control of your music, to make it more suitable for your own personal tastes. I tend to try and leave these settings alone, as over the years my musical tastes have changed so much, that in retrospect I understand that my personal tastes have often left me missing out on certain elements contained in the music.
Other options available via the App include being able to see your battery percentage, control volume, enable standby if you haven’t interacted with the headphones for a set period of time, as well as activate the ‘Wear Detection’ feature, that automatically pauses the music if the headphones sense you have taken them off your head.
The headphones’ earcups have a few unexpected surprises of their own: gesture controls. Depending on whether you tap, slide or swipe in a circle, you can Play/Pause, adjust volume or skip tracks.
I have had headphones before with buttons for these actions, including answering and ending phone calls. And the brutal fact of the matter is that since I have the co-ordination of a drunk octopus, I never use these features because it always ends in utter chaos. But I’m certain the majority of the planet’s population will succeed and appreciate the tech.
Talking of buttons, there are a few that deal with the headphones’ ANC ability, allowing you to switch it to Transparency Mode if needed, as well as the Bluetooth button (version 5.1), and power on/off.
The headphones have an IP rating of 53 (protected against limited dust ingress and water spray from angles up to 60 degrees from vertical), so a certain amount of caution must be exercised to protect them from the elements.
One last thing before we get to the actual listening sessions. Which is battery life. Thankfully, gone are the days of charging for 8 hours to get 1 hour of music, volume dependent! The Bang & Olufsen HXs are able to deliver an estimated 40 hours of music on a single charge. Of course, as I mentioned above, these figures are obviously going to depend on usage volume.
But still, that’s pretty cool.
Listening was done on Spotify and TIDAL, and across a wide range of music genres. The HXs were connected via Bluetooth as well as the 3.5 mm cable to my Smartphone, as well as wirelessly to Bluesound’s new NODE Icon streamer.
Tracks listened to included, The Curse by Agnes Obel, Supermassive Black Hole by Muse, My Father’s Eyes by Eric Clapton, High Hopes by Pink Floyd, World on Fire by Sarah McLachlan, a whole lot of Mike Oldfield, and even some Hans Zimmer film soundtracks.
My original listening session was extended, and then extended some more – the performance was so good. I have to be honest and say that I did have my doubt initially, as to whether the asking price would actually be worth it music-wise.
Well, from the opening moments of Mike Oldfield’s Man in the Rain, I was hooked. The clarity of the acoustic guitars was incredible, as was the electric guitar work in Pink Floyd’s High Hopes. So incredibly clear, yet avoiding any of the shrillness that treble can produce in lesser quality reproductions.
On the other end of the spectrum, so to speak, the cello in Agnes Obel’s The Curse was so beautifully rendered that it gave you goosebumps. Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole proved the HX’s could rock with the best of them, while Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks perfectly showed of the B&O’s ability to recreate that wide orchestral presence and soundstage. It’s vital that headphones, loudspeakers get this balance right, because if they don’t, then listener fatigue sets in. The first two or three tracks may blow your socks off, but after awhile, you find yourself starting to turn the volume down, and the enjoyment starts fading.
Bang & Olufsens’ Beoplay HX headphones are truly the best I have ever had the luxury of enjoying, and as mentioned in the opening paragraph, if these are considered the entry-level version in the range that comprises three of them, then the mind boggles as to what the other two sound like. Audition a pair of the HXs – I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Andrew Rowland
