Bang & Olufsen's new $1,549 luxury headphones are so repairable, they can theoretically last forever

[zohaibahd]

What just happened? Bang & Olufsen has unveiled its latest premium headphone offering for audiophiles – the $1,549 Beoplay H100. And while that price is enough to make anyone's eyes water, the Danish audio brand is betting big on luxury materials and a repairable design to justify it.

Everything you touch on the H100 headphones screams premium. The ear cushions are draped in lambskin leather, the fabric headband is knitted, and the headband yoke is made from aluminum. Even the earcups rock scratch-resistant glass over the touchpad controls.

Besides the luxurious design choices, B&O is also focusing on the environment by making the H100 relatively repairable and upgradable. The ear pads and headband cushions can be easily removed and replaced when they start looking worn. More importantly, key components like the battery, drivers, and circuit boards are designed to be accessible for repairs or swaps down the road.

As for sound, the H100 packs 40mm custom titanium drivers capable of pumping out hi-res 96kHz/24-bit audio with Dolby Atmos spatial audio powered by head tracking technology. A whopping 10 microphones provide enhanced active noise cancellation that B&O claims double the performance over their previous flagship model – the H95.

Battery life is a respectable 32 hours with ANC engaged, though that's down a few hours from the predecessor. Activate spatial audio and head tracking, and it drops another two hours. But there's quick charging that can net five hours of usage from just five minutes of juice.

Helping these numbers is the fact that the headphones automatically power on when worn, go into low power mode after removal, and power off completely when stowed in their carrying case. Standby time is advertised at 90 hours.

Rounding out the premium experience are multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, customizable touch controls via the Bang & Olufsen companion app, and signature haptic dials for adjusting noise cancellation levels.

The Beoplay H100 headphones are available now directly from Bang & Olufsen in three colorways: infinite black, hourglass sand, and sunset apricot.

For audiophiles who want top quality sound, premium materials, and something they don't have to toss away simply because the battery gives up, these luxurious headphones are a great option – only for a month's worth of rent.

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Bang & Olufsen's new $1,549 luxury headphones are so repairable, they can theoretically last forever

 

[Tekpot]

Overrated, Overpriced brand.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I love the reparability, lets see it on something more reasonably priced.

 

[Nobina]

Repairable doesn't mean they don't break.

 

[captaincranky]

I love the rep-arability, lets see it on the same thing more realistically priced.

I would normally say "FIXED" However, I've been told to "ease up". With that in mind, I'm merely presenting, "an alternative".

Given that parts are generally priced at upwards of three times their value as compared to when they were installed as OEM. (Like say the front fender on your car). If every part broke once, the head phones could conceivably cost someone over $6,000, in just one of their "9 lives".

More realistically, you have to know that as soon as those lambskin ear cushions got dirty, they'd have to be replaced. I'm guessing about three bills for a pair, give or take.

 

[ZedRM]

For THAT price, it better last forever!

 

[captaincranky]

At that price, I'd insist on being buried with them on. Working or not, as long as the funeral parlor sprang for a fresh set of ear pads. But if they're working, crank 'em up! Loud enough to wake the dead, as it were. (Hey, it's worth a shot).

But then, none of us will,"last forever", so does it (the headphone's longevity) really matter?

 

[someusernam]

High-end wired headphones like the Stax or HD600 have long been known to last 20+ years with cable and pad replacements. It's good to see wireless headphones finally start following suit.