Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling home/studio-style over-ear model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its closed design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music, and the audio cable can be detached to get it out of the way when the headphones are being used for noise reduction only. The headphones have medium high sensitivity regardless of whether the noise canceling feature is turned on or off, so they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and lower-powered portable audio devices. The Beoplay HX has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include Detachable audio cable. Earcups swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. Bang & Olufsen app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates. Noise cancellation button on headphone toggles between noise cancellation and transparency sound modes. The B&O app can be used to adjust the levels of ANC and transparency. Has touch sensitive volume, music player transport, and call connect/disconnect controls and push button power on/off and Bluetooth pairing controls on right earcup. Has push button noise cancelling control, voice assistant control or multi button on the left earcup. Supports Google Fast Pair, Made for iPhone (MFi), and Microsoft Swift Pair (alternates to traditional Bluetooth pairing method). Supports various compatible digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth connected devices that have those features. Has Bluetooth pairing memory for last 8 paired devices. The Bang & Olufsen app download for Apple and Android mobile devices shows the headphone battery level and can be used to adjust the ANC and transparency mode levels, adjust the tonal balance of the earphones using tonal presets or user adjustable EQ, and update the headphone's firmware. Automatic pause feature can be turned on in app (off by default) when headphones are taken off head. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. This model comes with detachable 50-inch long standard audio cable, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, Quick Start guide, carrying case.
Sound quality:We found the Beoplay HX delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode engaged and the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay app ANC setting at Max and the listening mode set to Optimal (as received state of the earphone), the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact, and goes deep, but is a touch subdued. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is a touch thin, and a bit grainy and hazy. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended but is a touch smeared and sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying). The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a good job of recovering room ambience. Neutral character. The overall sound can be summarized as a touch thin, and a bit hazy and grainy. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these earphones. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. An extremely faint rushing sound can be heard in quiet environments when there is no audio program to drown it out. Users with smaller heads or narrow head shapes may not be able to get a good ear pad seal; if this occurs the noise cancelling performance of this model may be reduced.
Comfort and Fit:We found that these headphones produce a sense of light to moderate pressure around the ears.
As typical of over-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use.
Large
Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range to allow the earcups rest properly over the ears and/or that the headband presses uncomfortably on the top of the head.
Users with larger ears might find that the over-the-ear fit of the ear pads feel cramped, or that the ear pads sit on, rather than around their ears; in that case the less-than-ideal fit around the ears might interfere with the earpad seal and reduce the noise reduction capabilities of the headphone.
Tech note
Some users may find that the touch controls are a bit unresponsive, or that it may take a while to develop the technique to actuate the controls accurately.
Stability
Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward, possibly to the point of falling off.
Other noise
When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones regardless of whether the headphones are in noise cancelling mode.
When the audio cord is used the sound of it rubbing on clothing may be faintly heard through the earphones.
