List Price: $249.00
Sale Price: $175.00
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
Just picked up a pair of these in Hong Kong (yes they are legit, went to an actual B&O showroom); here are my initial thoughts.
To preface, I am a musician (play piano, clarinet, saxophone and guitar) and have been blessed with the gift of perfect pitch, so I take my audio equipment purchases very, VERY seriously. I've previously owned several decent pairs of earbuds; I'm on my third pair of B&O A8s/Earphones (the first two each lasted for over 4 years) and also owned a pair of Bowers and Wilkins C5s before they broke. Was looking for a decent replacement for the C5s and had it narrowed down between these and Shure's SE425. I'll break down the review into a few categories for simplicity.
---COMFORT & FIT---
To say these are a wonderful fit is a drastic understatement. The H3s come with 4 different sizes of in-ear tips, and once in, it takes a lot for them to fall out. I've hated wearing traditional in-ear monitors in the past because they often fall out of my ears when I'm running or lifting weights, but these simply stay put. They're extremely light and comfortable and seal very well in the ear. These are truly the first IEMs that I've been able to make work for me fit-wise.
For comparison, the B&Ws use a circular inner ear loop to stay put; they actually worked very well for me. Shure's offering fits with the cord wrapped behind the ear as per usual; it's a love-it or hate-it approach, and for me I simply found the H3s to be a much more solid, comfortable fit. But again it comes down to personal preference.
9/10
---APPEARANCE AND DESIGN---
B&O has always been known for their design work, and the H3s are no different. They're crafted from a single block of aluminum, with 23 port holes drilled into the back of each earpiece framing the BeoPlay logo. In a nutshell, they look simply stunning; I've already been asked about them by a dozen people in the last week alone here in China/HK. They come in silver, black, and red; if you want to make a statement, definitely go with the red, although the black ones have a subtle elegance about them as well. While they're not instantly recognizable in the way that, say, Shure's offerings are,
9.5/10
---SOUND QUALITY, MIDS AND TREBLE---
If you have listened to any B&O headphones before, the common theme among them is fantastic highs and a rich, wide mid. As far as the treble goes, there isn't much more that needs to be said. You'll have a nigh impossible time finding a set of buds for this price that can simply match the depth and clarity that the H3 has for the price. Shure's SE425s come close, but even then there is still a noticeable difference (the C5s, while extraordinarily good in their own right, just can't touch the H3s either). Individual instruments sound clear and precise, almost as if you're actually playing the instrument. If classical/jazz/acoustic is your thing, you'll be blown away by the response.
10/10
---SOUND QUALITY, BASS---
This is the traditional Achilles' heel of any B&O headphone. The A8s and Form 2 alike struggle with any sort of bass whatsoever. So, the verdict with the H3s? Its...a mixed bag. It's a MASSIVE improvement from my A8s, or any other B&O offering, I'll give them that. The bass is quite punchy, but not in the massively oversaturated way that, say, Beats are known for. For the vast majority of songs, the bass complements the outstanding mid and treble nicely, never drowning out the highs but also not hiding in the background the way B&Os usually do. However, where these really start to struggle is with heavy EDM or dubstep. Bass here can sound a bit muddy, as if the drivers are struggling to deliver. It's not horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but if you exclusively listen to heavy hip-hop or EDM, then you definitely are gonna notice a difference if you check out the SE425s or the C5s. The SE425s are just more balanced and precise in their bass delivery, always sounding clear and deep. The C5s also do a fantastic job of delivering powerful bass, but do sacrifice some of the top-range precision to achieve this. That being said, I listen to quite a bit of EDM (going to TomorrowWorld this September!) and still find the H3's perform quite nicely. All in all, a marked improvement, but there is a noticeable gap between these and some of the competition.
8/10
---VALUE---
I'll just get it out of the way: with the vast majority of B&O products, you do pay for the name. However, IMO $250 is a perfectly reasonable price to pay for this level of sound quality. The B&W C5s are cheaper, at about $180, but the H3s sound considerably better. And while the SE425s offer better bass performance, you really have to step up to the SE535s to get the level of mid-range and treble performance that the H3s offer.
Also, it should be stated that B&O offers a 3-YEAR warranty on all of their products, which is substantially better than pretty much any other warranty on the market. You mail in/walk in with the broken headphones, and they replace it no questions asked. Customer service is a big deal for them, and I've been exceptionally satisfied in my 8 years as a B&O customer.
9.5/10
---THE FINAL VERDICT---
All things considered, this offering from B&O is exceptional for the price. The bass response could be improved, but the richness and clarity of the mid and treble range almost (almost!!) render this a moot point. You can't even come close to matching the high-end response at the sub-$300 price point. They are extraordinarily comfortable to wear, and look fantastic. In short, there are a hell of a lot of worse ways to spend $250, and if you are in the market for a higher-end pair of in-ear phones/IEMs, I really, really urge you to try these out before you make a purchase decision. You will not be disappointed.
9.2/10 (4.6 out of 5 on Amazon's star rating)
EDIT: The 3.5mm plug on my pair failed after about 2 months of use. I really wish B&O used an L-type connector on the plug to reduce strain, but unfortunately they don't. However, I walked into my local B&O store in Atlanta and they were replaced with no questions asked. Exceptional customer service to be sure, but it still is unsettling that these failed after only 60 days of use. Hopefully this new pair is more durable.nice a star off is from the $30 charge for international shipping expect for that it is good and nice than I thought. My sis loved itI like B & O products but this one is just mediocre. Wimpy fidelity, not much better than my $30. earbuds I bought at an airport boutique. Claiming this to be a high-end earphone is an exaggeration. It's got the B & O logo but falls far short of B & O quality.
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