Actually, I had been considering noise-canceling headphones for a very long time. However, since I’m not a business traveler who flies frequently, nor do I work in an office environment—usually relying on speakers at home and in-ear headphones when out—the need was gradually put on hold. That is, until recently, when I had to work in noisy environments for an extended period and found myself flying often, prompting me to reconsider this purchase.
The main products I considered were the B&O H9i and the B&W PX. In reality, there isn’t much difference between these two models; both feature USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jacks, can be controlled via an app, and come with lambskin ear pads. After reading some reviews, it seems the main point is that the PX might not be particularly friendly to people with larger heads, and the leather pads require some time to break in.
The H9i has a transparency mode, but having used the E8 before, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with B&O’s transparency mode. The PX, on the other hand, automatically pauses playback when taken off and resumes when put back on, which serves as a reasonable alternative.
Personally, I prefer the B&W’s design and longer battery life. Plus, the tactile feedback from its physical buttons feels slightly more reassuring than gesture controls.
I purchased it from the official Tmall flagship store. After chatting with customer service, I was surprisingly offered a very attractive discount as a returning B&W customer, which was completely unexpected. The build quality maintains B&W’s consistently high standards. In fact, the break-in period for the lambskin ear pads was much shorter than expected, becoming very soft quite quickly.
The app is fairly modern, offering features like battery level display, firmware updates, and precise control over noise cancellation levels. The Bluetooth connection is very stable, and the sound quality leaves nothing to be desired. Of course, it sounds significantly better than in-ear headphones and even surpasses my speakers… which is actually one of the advantages of over-ear headphones. In actual use, the soundstage is wide, and the bass is exactly the type I like. I also have to mention the active noise cancellation: although there is a slight change in sound signature when it’s activated, it is incredibly useful in scenarios filled with prolonged loud noise, such as during flights… After experiencing several noise-free flights, I feel like I can’t live without it anymore. The only downside is that you can’t rest your head against the wall while wearing them…
The package includes a cloth pouch. A minor drawback is that once the headphones are extended, they must be collapsed to fit back inside, requiring adjustment every time you pack or unpack them, which is a bit annoying.
Since I’ve already been using them for a while after returning to Shanghai, I’ll just share the official website photos instead. They are available in two color options: Black and Blue/Gold.
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