▷ Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Reviews

Somehow, the Beoplay HX is a typical Bang & Olufsen product: premium materials, premium construction, premium price. In others, however, they are much less volunteer than we have become accustomed to from the company. The HX headphones don't prioritize design over performance, and while they're undeniably expensive, their price tag isn't as stratospheric as you'd expect.

That means that for a little more than you'd pay for a number of high-performance alternatives, you can buy a pair of Bang & Olufsen active noise canceling wireless in-ear headphones that are specified to race and built to feel good. About life. Specs are up to standard, performance is almost entirely impressive, and less tangible elements like "pride of ownership" are also very high.

Bang & Olufsen has always insisted that you accept their products on their terms. With Beoplay HX, these terms are a bit more acceptable than what is usually the case with B&O.

A close-up of Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay HX in-ear headphones (Image credit: TechRadar)

Reviews for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX 1

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Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX price and release date

Released March 2021
$499 / €449 / AU$839

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Wireless Active Noise Canceling Headphones are on sale now and are priced at $499 / €449 / AU$839.

Of course, everyone is used to high prices for Bang & Olufsen products. However, there are some extremely popular alternatives on this market like Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser and Sony for example, which can only be purchased for $350 / €350 / AU$550. So the fact that the HXs are quite affordable by Bang & Olufsen standards is neither here nor there.

A close-up of Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay HX in-ear headphones (Image credit: TechRadar)

Design

Tactile and comfortable
Awesome specification
Correct battery life

Bang & Olufsen's problem is obvious. For a company that has built its reputation on high-performance products with unique aesthetics, is there wiggle room in terms of design? After all, not many people are looking for a pair of hearing aids that can be called "fake". Form is dictated by function as rigorously here as anywhere else in Consumer Electronics Land, and deviating from the model is likely to alienate many more potential customers than it attracts.

Bang & Olufsen has therefore chosen the sensible path. Which, in this case, gives the Beoplay HX an extremely competitive spec, incorporating high-quality materials and bringing it all together perfectly. Doesn't sound like science fiction, does it? But being pragmatic, By creating a product that is only notable for its complete lack of visual noticeability, Bang & Olufsen has offered its most competitive product in quite some time.

On the outside, the Beoplay HX looks and feels expensive. The combination of lambskin, aluminium, memory foam and high-quality plastics results in a pair of earphones whose aesthetic is on the understated side of 'opulent'. They're tactile: every part is tactile, and the aluminum control surface on the right earcup is both tactile and responsive. At 285g, they are not heavy to carry. And each of the three color options—sand, charcoal black, and wood—works confidently on this understated, opulent tightrope, too.

a close-up of the internal earpiece of the beoplay hx headset

A close-up of the beoplay hx headset's inner earpiece (Image credit: TechRadar)

Inside, things are just as nice. Wireless connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.1 with adaptive aptX capability. As such, the HX will always balance connection stability and streaming quality to ensure you get the best of both worlds. Sound is delivered through a pair of 40mm full-range dynamic neodymium drivers. Also, the HX can sustain that sound for 30 to 40 hours between charges, depending on how you use them.

A USB-C input sits along the edge of the right earcup, where the B&O may need to be charged, along with a 3,5mm input and Bluetooth on/off/pairing button. The left earcup, on the other hand, has a button to cycle through the active noise-canceling options: "on" (which you'll have set the degree to in the monitoring app), "off" or "transparency." Also, there is a button to call your favorite voice assistant. Each headset also has some microphones.

In addition to voice assistance and physical controls on the earphones, performance can be adjusted using Bang & Olufsen's premium predictive control app. Clean, stable and beautiful, this is where you can choose between EQ settings (or create your own, using Beosonic's elegant GUI), adjust the level of noise cancellation and decide how sensitive the auto-pause function is. activates when headphones are removed.

Of course, with the questionable exception of a competent control app and the luxurious materials used in its construction, the Beoplay HX doesn't offer everything that a stack of considerably cheaper rivals doesn't.

a close up of the beoplay hx headphones (Image credit: TechRadar)

Audio performance

Vibrant, detailed sound
Composed even in large volumes
Regular noise cancellation

This is also true for audio performance. That's not to say that the Beoplay HX is a disappointing listener; In pound-for-pound terms, these are probably the best wireless headphones Bang & Olufsen has ever made.

Of course, it's possible to have a pretty profound impact on the Beoplay HX's sound by messing around with the equalizer settings. Leave them in what Bang & Olufsen considers to be the default position; however, load up a nice big hi-res file of Snapped Ankles' Forest of Your Problems, and the HX wastes no time establishing its credentials as an animated, highly detailed, in-depth file to sound engaging.

At the lower end of the frequency range, there's warmth and oomph, but nothing overcookes or gets unruly. Low frequencies hit hard, but with beautiful straight edges at the beginning and end of each individual note or hit. As a result, the HXs are a lively and dynamic listener. The rhythm management is good and the tempos are described with confidence - Bang & Olufsen will be happy to set foot on the listener.

At the opposite end of the frequency range, there is substance and bite, but, again, that is well judged. Even at considerable volume, the HX doesn't get harsh or loud when it comes to treble information; Bang & Olufsen has enough reserve to make dynamic peaks and valleys evident.

In between, the HXs are spacious and informative to listen to. Levels of detail are as high in the mid-range as anywhere else, so a singer's character and technique are fully expressed. The overall tone is slightly on the rich side of neutral, but so will future HX owners. And although it is possible to reduce that heat a bit, a touch of substance accompanies it, so we would be inclined to leave it practically alone.

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

The soundstage generated by the HX isn't the biggest out there, but it's not cramped or confined either. The individual threads of a recording are securely locked in place. There's a winning sense of unity here in the overall presentation, and while there's plenty of breathing room for the separate pieces to stretch out and do their work, they never seem isolated. The HXs are also quite adept when it comes to low-level harmonic dynamics: the detail levels are high enough to make even the smallest note-by-note variations apparent, even when the whole recording gets busy or complicated.

Noise suppression is a more nuanced hit. There is no doubt that the Beoplay HX can handle most external sounds efficiently, leaving virtually no trace of counter signals in place. However, there are more efficient units. If you're looking for silence coverage, there are more affordable (and less luxurious) headphones, the overall tone of which may not be affected as clearly when adjusting the noise cancellation level.