Bang & Olufsen is turning 95, and for that special birthday, the Danish audio specialists have a pair of special noise cancelling headphones, though you may not want to ask the price.
Sony’s benchmark-setting WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling cans could be under threat from their best-in-class status, at least if the Danes have anything to say about it. One of Denmark’s leading audio brands (and there are a few) has a new pair of headphones on the way, and they’re definitely aiming for the top of the active noise cancelling pile.
With an aluminium frame, lambskin ear cushions covering memory foam, a leather headband, and featuring titanium drivers, Bang & Olufsen’s latest headphones are clearly focused on the high-end, and are timed for B&O’s 95th anniversary.
Started in 1925 by friends Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, B&O has grown to be a powerhouse of audio and design, and 95 years later, the company is adding the H95 headphones to its line.
A step up from the H9 noise cancelling headphones B&O has out, these apparently a form of adaptive active noise cancellation technology that is also adjustable, controlled by the left side of the headphones, tweaking the cancellation and transparency settings of the headphones.
Inside the headphones, B&O is using large 40mm titanium drivers for the sound, working with a digital signal processing (DSP) system, and supporting aptX Adaptive and Bluetooth 5.1 for high-end audio, while four microphones are used on the H95 headphones for clear microphone audio via beam forming and noise reduction.
The result is something B&O hopes will equal a serious pair of headphones, complete with textured dial controls on each side of the headphones, with these inspired by the focus rings of camera lenses.
“Beoplay H95 is the product of our philosophy that purposeful design is beautiful design — aesthetics and performance working together,” said Gavin Ivester, Vice President of Design at B&O.
“We express purposeful design with essential forms, driven by function, pristinely executed. That attention to detail and outstanding performance are the core of our design language, Expressive Minimalism, and give the Beoplay H95 its calm, confident personality,” he said.
While a sleek design and a focus on big drivers are obvious parts of the B&O H95, an Australian price isn’t one we have. Officially, Bang & Olufsen has pointed to recommended retail prices of 800 Euros or 800 USD, which translates to a little over a grand locally before taxes.
That suggests if Bang & Olufsen does release the B&O Beoplay H95 headphones locally, you can probably expect them closer to the $1200 mark locally at a minimum, and possibly as high as $1499.
We’ll let you know what that is soon enough, but for now, if you want the B&O H95 wireless noise cancelling headphones, you might want to put aside some money for when they do eventually turn up.
