B&O H6 Premium Headphones Review: Balanced and Sweet
Headphones Sweeter than my Latte
Audio on the go has never been my best friend. Most portable headphones tend to have an energetic sound, with boosted highs and overblown bass, exciting at first but ultimately fatiguing over time. I tend to yank them off just as soon as I put them on. Most of my critical and serious listening is done at home, but I’ve always been looking for that one portable pair to accompany me on the road. Enter the B&O Play H6 by Danish audio company, Bang and Olufsen.
Unboxing and Build
The unboxing was a simple yet elegant affair. Scarce paperwork, and only one cable housed in some cardboard packets. The headphones themselves are nestled nicely in some padded foam and are just asking for you to grab them. Picking them up, I immediately noticed the polish and attention to detail these headphones were given. The build is high quality and screams class. The headband is a tough, stitched leather flowing down to some of the smoothest aluminum headphone adjusters I have ever used. Seriously — sliding them in and out of the headband is therapeutic. The earcups themselves are black aluminum as well, with the outer cups shined and machined to perfection, and the B&O logo embossed and displayed proudly. Finally, the earpads are a plush sheepskin leather that cover your ears and stay on snugly. The combination of all these materials results in the most handsome pair of headphones I’ve personally used with amazing comfort as well.
The Sound
Now to the sound quality, and oh my goodness do they deliver. When I first put them on, I was immediately struck by the sense of space these have when listening to my music. Theres a place for every sound and instrument in the mix, with sound seeming to almost come from beyond the headphones themselves. These never once sounded claustrophobic or boxed in and I must give the engineers at Bang and Olufsen serious props for their engineering despite the limitations of closed headphones.
The sound as a whole can be described in one word: Crisp. Bass is present and full bodied, providing a solid foundation for your music, but never becoming bloated. The midrange is clean and refined, with vocals and instruments coming through with so much texture. You can hear the faint smacking of lips from a vocalist about to belt her heart out, or the crunchiness and bite of an electric guitar. To round out the whole package, the highs are present, sparkly and incredibly detailed, revealing the most minute details in a recording or video effortlessley. The balance between all frequencies lead to a very engaging headphone with soul and one that you can listen to the whole day and never tire from.
The Verdict
The B&O H6 has left me with a stupid smile on my face, and from a guy who goes through too many headphones to count, these seriously impressed me. From their audio performance, aston martin-like looks, comfort and attention to detail these are a knockout package and should be at the top of anyone’s list whos in the market for portable and simply beautiful looking headphones.
Nikhil Cerejo, Eazy-Fi
Check out the B&O Play H6 here: