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In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 vs Focal Bathys, Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3, Px8, Sony WH-1000XM6, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 review in short
The The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is an excellent all-arounder with the best build quality and premium materials tested to date, but even so, it struggles to justify its price in today’s competition. Competes very well against Focal Bathys, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, Bowers & Wilkins Px8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Apple AirPods Max, and Sennheiser Momentum 4.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
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Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Pros and Cons
- Excellent sound quality
- Best build quality we’ve tested
- Comfy
- Dolby Atmos support
- Expensive!
- Noise cancelling can be improved
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Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Sound Quality
Stock sound first impressions…
Out of the box, I’m mostly impressed by the H95’s sound quality for this class of wireless ANC headphones.
Very V-shaped frequency response, consumer-friendly sound signature, and bass and treble-forward.
In other words, FUN, engaging, and exciting sound profile.
One thing that immediately stood out to me is a nice width of soundstage and stereo separation. Not to mention, these do support official Dolby Atmos for even better Spatial Audio immersion.
Aside from that, the other thing that immediately jumped out is that these are one of the most resolving headphones for the class.
The treble is very detailed and resolving, to the point of sibilance and peakiness on certain tracks.
I’d say the peaky treble and recessed mids are the biggest weaknesses to the stock sound of the H95, but minor gripes compared to the overall excellent sound quality.
Now moving onto EQ, the Bang & Olufsen app has quite an interesting graphical EQ as opposed to traditional bands.
You’ll see it below, but it’s essentially a circle that the user can choose a point on the circle to modulate the sound, between “Bright”, “Warm”, “Relaxed”, and “Energetic”.
So, I’ll be sharing my best EQ settings below, and conduct the rest of this review using these settings…
Best Equalizer (EQ) Settings for Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95
V1 – Mainly for Pop, Hip Hop
Result: Smoother treble with less peakiness and sibilance. Better tonality balance versus V-shape stock sound profile.
Sound Quality after EQ…
I do appreciate the innovative effort with this circle graphical EQ, but as an audio engineer, I’d rather more control with a traditional EQ like in the Cambridge Audio P100 or newer Nothing Headphone 1 that even lets you change the Q-factor.
That said, I was able to find a setting that mellows out that sharp treble and sibilance, making the H95 more enjoyable and balanced for my tastes.
The H95 is easily one of the most engaging and exciting headphones in this class that I’ve tested to date, and that includes over 30 wireless ANC headphones so far.
The sub-bass is plentiful, while having enough treble detail, spacing, and soundstage width to not feel claustrophobic like most of these closed-back headphones.
I think the strengths are its impactful yet clean sub-bass, and having one of the most detailed treble in the class.
Let’s do some sound comparisons versus its competitors and wrap up final thoughts below…
vs Sony WH-1000XM6
The H95 is in a tier or half-tier above Sony’s XM6 for sound quality, despite being over 4 years older.
The H95’s wide soundstage and stereo separation can make the XM6 sound pretty compressed and narrow.
Both have plenty of bass response, one of the strengths of the XM6.
The sound is less muffled with more clarity on the H95 versus the muddier XM6.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
The newer Px7 S3 actually shares quite a similar V-shaped sound profile to the H95.
Both headphones focus on bass and treble, while pulling back the mids.
This is actually very close, and is close to a tie when it comes to pure sound quality.
Personally, I might still lean slightly towards the older H95 due to better soundstage and stereo separation.
I simply prefer a wider, more open and spacious sound, while others may prefer the more intimate soundstages of the Bowers & Wilkins family.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px8
Now the Px8 is pretty much the polar opposite of the H95 in sound profile.
Instead of bass and treble, the Px8 is ALL about its midrange, which can be off-putting for most consumers and casual listeners.
Px8 can come across as “muddy” and “muffled”, but really is a warm, lush, smooth, darker sound signature to the H95’s bright clarity and booming bass.
I’ll say, the Px8 is one of the most relaxing headphones I’ve listened to, with some of the more realistic timbre.
While the H95 is much more exciting, fun, better for critical listening, but relatively artificial-sounding.
vs Apple AirPods Max
The AirPods Max has a similar exciting sound profile like the H95, but the H95 is just a cut above in overall sound quality.
There’s simply more resolution, stereo separation, and a more impactful bass response.
There is more resolving details and clarity in the H95, but to a point where the treble can be harsher and less smooth than the APM without EQ.
Still, it’s a little unnerving how decent and similar the APM sounds at half the cost… especially for casual listeners.
vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra (with V2 EQ)
The H95 has less tonal balance than the EQ’d QC Ultra, but is the more consumer-friendly headphone.
QC Ultra has great mids, but the bass can’t compete with the more impactful sub-bass on the H95.
I still very much enjoy the QC Ultra even as an audiophile, but I think the H95 would win most consumers over, and is at least a half-tier above in sound quality.
vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 (with V2 EQ)
The Momentum 4 is a headphone that really exposes the H95’s price for the worst.
Tonally, the Momentum 4 is more balanced with better mids.
But for most listeners, I think the H95 is the more consumer-friendly, fun, and engaging headphone as a whole.
I very much like the bass on the Momentum 4, but the H95’s is a bit cleaner, tighter, and more focused.
Also, the treble details in the H95 seem a slight cut above the Momentum 4 for resolution.
Still, probably not enough of a gap to justify the price difference.
vs Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
The P100 is an even cheaper headphone than the Momentum 4, but clearly has comparable sound quality to the H95.
I think hardware-wise, the P100 and H95 have similar quality of hardware such as the drivers.
But the P100 does have a better, more flexible EQ.
That said, I listened back to back, and actually might slightly prefer the H95.
I prefer the bass on the H95 which has more quantity while also being somehow cleaner and more focused.
They’re equal in most other areas, with the P100 having slightly better tonality and mids. But this is due to its flexible EQ, really.
vs Focal Bathys
Now THIS is the comparison to make IMO.
To my ears, the current crop of “elite” wireless ANC headphones for sound quality include the Bathys, H95, Cambridge Audio P100, and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
Listening back to back, the Bathys actually sounds more muffled than the clearer, brighter H95.
The Bathys is the more tonally-balanced headphone, with more of a “W-shape” consisting of bass, mids, and treble.
I think the technical sound quality on the Bathys is equal or slightly better than the H95, but this can be chalked up to the tuning, honestly.
The H95 is the more consumer-friendly headphone out of the box.
But as an audiophile, I really love the balance of the Bathys as sounding “just right”, especially with a little EQ.
The Bathys also has slightly superior separation, layering, and spacing IMO.
Overall, these are two of the best sounding headphones in this wireless ANC class currently, just different flavors.
Overall thoughts on sound quality…
Yes, the price is eye-watering but at least the sound quality is excellent, even almost after 5 years after its initial release.
One of the most fun, engaging, and exciting headphones to listen to, even right out of the box.
They nailed the consumer-friendly sound, but may not be the cup of tea for some audiophiles who prefer better tonal balance.
Even as an audiophile who prefers a neutral bright sound profile, I appreciate and enjoy this fun colored sound depending on the mood and especially for modern music.
It’s NOT perfect, but it is one of the best-sounding headphones for its class, which is no easy feat after having reviewing 30+ headphones.
Sound Quality Score: 9.3 out of 10 (after EQ)
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Comfort
The H95 is 3nd heaviest in this class, as weighed on my scale:
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 – 298.3 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e – 305.2 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 329.9 grams
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 – 333.3 grams
- Focal Bathys – 357.1 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
The H95 is a heavy one indeed, but I actually find it to be one of the more comfortable headphones for the class.
The lambskin leather earpad cushions are nice, but overall these could use a little more padding in both the headband and earpads.
My only real gripe is that the earcup space is small, so my ears are lightly touching the fabric inside.
But overall, once you get used to the weight, these can be worn for hours at a time without much issue.
Comfort Score: 4.5 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 was released in September 2020 and has many modern wireless ANC headphone features:
- Multiple built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Dolby Atmos support
- Multi-point connection (2 devices at once)
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- Companion Smartphone app to customize EQ, settings, and update firmware
- Graphical EQ
- Includes an average-sized premium metal aluminum Hard Shell case
- Charging cable
- Stereo cable
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Build Quality
If there’s ONE category that can help justify the H95’s exorbitant price, it’s having the best build quality with the most premium materials tested to date.
Everything about the H95 oozes luxury.
There is a brushed metal finish on the headband, hinges, and earcups that reminds me of an Apple MacBook Pro.
Then there’s the lambskin leather earpad cushions.
Scoff at the price all you want, but you cannot deny the luxury aspect of the H95.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Battery Life
The H95 is rated at 38 hours on a single charge with ANC on, 50 hours with ANC off, which is firmly above average:
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 100 hours
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 38 hours (ANC on), 50 hours (ANC off)
- Focal Bathys – “Over 30 hours”
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 30 hours (ANC on), 40 hours (ANC off)
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 24 hours
- AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this figure to be accurate.
To my knowledge, there is no “fast-charging” feature like almost every other headphone in this class, unfortunately.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Noise Cancelling Performance
I would say noise cancelling is arguably the biggest “weakness” of the H95, having been released almost 5 years ago in 2020.
That said, I personally find the ANC to be serviceable, and even slightly above average for the class – especially when compared to “disappointments” like the Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8.
These high-end headphones are more for sound quality first and foremost, but the H95 is one that can actually “do both”.
That said, I’d still look to Sony or Bose if you need the absolute best noise cancelling possible.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 4.5 out of 5
Value
And here is where the party’s over. Just kidding.
But seriously, a $1,250 USD retail price tag at the time of this writing?
Ouch.
It’s a bit strange, as when these were released in 2020, I believe they retailed around $800 or so.
Anyways, what’s important is that the market price for these brand new is around $935 new today.
To soften the blow further, you can find these Used in good condition for under $600-$700.
If I were to give these a “fair” price myself, I’d say they’re worth about $700. I actually saw these sell for $719 brand new on sale on Amazon just a month ago or so.
These are a fantastic overall PRODUCT, but the price is the biggest issue by far, and thus they receive one of the lowest Value scores we’ve given out to date.
But score a deal on these when they dip closer to $700 new or $550-ish used, and that Value score certainly goes up.
Value Score: 2.5 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 9.3 / 10 (after EQ)
Comfort: 4.5 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5
Value: 2.5 / 5
Total: 20.8 / 25
Is the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 WORTH IT?
I do think there WAS a time in history where the H95 was actually worth it.
Sadly, that was likely 2020 when it released along with its lower pricetag around $800 or so.
Still, this is an excellent all-arounder even by 2025 standards almost 5 years later, and it’s one of the few headphones I’d personally consider “if I could only have ONE”.
But as technology progresses, there’s simply too many good options for half the price available today, that it’s hard for me in good faith to recommend the H95.
Although… if you can snag a deal on these when they dip closer to $700 new or $550-ish used, then I wouldn’t mind recommending them to those who like what they read in this review.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Focal Bathys
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Apple AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- JBL Tour One M3
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
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Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $100 or More with USED!
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
