Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H4 2nd Generation Over-Ear Headphones (Amazon Exclusive Edition), Matte Black

Sound quality is amazing

Wow, these Beoplay H4 headphones are impressive to look at! While this design has been around for a good while, I still think Bang & Olufsen has one of the most luxurious headsets out there. The headband is made of aluminum covered with leather on top and cloth on the bottom. It is sturdy but I do wish it would be a bit more bendable. The earcup wires are braided and do not protrude too much and do not distract from the looks. The earcups feature a matte metal cup with a chrome accent which definitely make them looks premium.The earcups pads are made of soft, plush cushion and are covered by high quality leather. There is enough clamping pressure to keep the cups against the ears, but not as much as to make them uncomfortable or hot. They are not that heavy at 244 grams. They feel wonderfully and I can wear them all day.When it comes to connectivity, the H4s work as expected. The pairing process is simple enough. One thing that puzzles me is that these headphones feature Bluetooth 4.2, for being a 2nd generation and at this price point, I was kind of disappointed. Having said this, they are still stable enough at a good 20 feet or so. Also, there is no noticeable lag when watching video or playing games on my phone or laptop. Plus, there is compatibility with Sound Codecs SBC, AAC, aptX. I just hope they don’t fall too far behind once newer devices go beyond BT 5.1.On the left cup, there are buttons to control play/pause, volume up/down, a slider to turn on/off the headset and activate pairing mode. Thankfully, there is also a 3.5mm headphone jack should the need arise and a USB-C input for charging. The left cup only has one button to activate the assistant. These buttons are easy to get used to and are fairly convenient and responsive. The USB-C to USB-A power and 3.5mm cords are included.But do they sound as good as they look? Well, I am happy to say that B & O does not disappoint. I would describe the sound as rich, full, and detailed. While not bass heavy, one can still feel it as it still has impact, punch, and depth. The mid frequencies are noticeably clear, making vocals stand out in both music and movies. There may be a bit of emphasis on the higher frequencies, but it is not fatiguing or piercing. There is a lot of left-right channel separation and the soundstage is rather ample. It is quite an experience listening to instrument-based music like salsa, live, and classical. And thanks to the 40mm drivers, these headphones can get loud. Overall, as expected, I am quite impressed with the sound signature from B & O.You can also download the B&O app. There, you can customize the sound quality and some features. You can also update the firmware. It is not robust, but gets the job done.One big gripe I would have with B & O and it is a shame, is that as expensive and premium as they are, B & O did not include ANY carrying case -not even a bag! This is unacceptable and I almost took a star off. B & O, please do better next time!In the end, I would still highly recommend them. Even though the BT 4.2 is outdated, and there is no way to protect your investment out of the box, the style, comfort, and most importantly, the sound quality make the H4s a compelling purchase -especially if you are able to find them on special.

These "Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H4 2nd Gen" Headphones are pretty, they are indeed beautifully designed. Premium materials, ultra plush/soft ear cushions, and comfortable headband. This is the 2nd gen of the B&O Beoplay H4 headphones, it is minimalistic, no ANC(Active Noise Cancellation), no fancy on/off-the-ear detection (it will not pause/resume when you take off or put on the headphone), no touch control etc... just focusing on awesome sound quality and great headphone comfort, simple tactile buttons & slider controls.The most important thing for a high-end headphone is the sound performance. I am very, very happy with this B&O H4 (2nd gen). The overall tonal balance is fantastic, amazingly detailed, very accurate in reproduction of various music I put through for testing this headphone. The soundstage is phenomenal, it is wide and complex, whether you are listening to London Symphony Orchestra's Canon or Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, this headphone will put a huge smile on your face!As this B&O H4 do not have ANC functionality, this may not be the best headphone to bring along on air or train travel. Even though the noise isolation with the over the ear cushions are pretty good, you just can't compare with the active noise cancelling technology. I feel that this headphone is better to stay at home and be used in a relatively quiet environment - sitting on a lounge chair, relax, enjoy yourself with some fantastic music, and a glass wine or whiskey.One surprising thing is that the voice-call quality is superb too, the "side-tone" (me hearing my own voice from the earpiece) is very refine and very comfortable, and the voice pickup (the other party hearing my voice) is also good, according to multiple people I talked to, they all complimented on the solid and good voice quality. This characteristic make this B&O H4 a good contender for my go-to home-office teleconferencing headset. One thing tho, the microphone is quite sensitive to background noise (that means it will pick up your dog's barking or your kids playing). So again, this headphones is meant to be use when you are alone, and in a quite room/office.The only thing I wished is that they include a carry case, for a headphone in this premium price range, it is really a shame that they don't come with a case.Lastly, this B&O H4 is certainly not cheap, but if you want one of the best sounding headphone that money can buy, then this one is going to worth your money.Thank you for reading this review, I hoped that this review & the pictures are helpful to you in support of your purchase decision.

When i first saw the Headphones i was concerned they would have more of an on ear feel because of the round shape of the cups and because of the positioning of the headband. These don't feel like on ears at all and are really comfortable. The genuine lambskin leather smells wonderful. The leather feels like it will hold up well with proper care but also has a slight raw untreated feel to it. I really like this choice.There is ample padding on the headband and the cups slide easily to provide the best fit but also stay in place well.The headphones have controls for track navigation and playpause all on the center button of the 3 buttons on the back of the right earcup. Volume up and down are the other buttons in this grouping, and on the left cup is the Google Assistant button. All these controls work as advertised and are reliable when called upon.Call quality is great in quiet and semi noisy environments.There isn't ANC with this pair but they are great for around the house or other situations where you may not need ANC as much.The sound has an emphasis on bass notes, and at times mid bass bleeds slightly in to the mid section but that hasn't been consistant in my use with them. They definitely aren't muddy by any stretch and mids have a full sound to them. Treble is harsh at times but i love the emphasis placed here. This tuning makes the H4 2nd gen stand out from the crowd in a unique way. This is a solid offering from B&O that i look forward to using for years to come.

I’ve had them for about 3-4 weeks and very satisfied with the sound and quality. User friendly, no problem, setting them up. Love the sound. Didn’t want to pay $400 for the newer model, therefore more than pleased with these price wise.