Bang & Olufsen Cisco Bang & Olufsen 980 Wireless Over-Ear Headset Review

The Cisco Bang & Olufsen 980 is a premium wireless headset built for business. It delivers excellent call clarity and deep Cisco Webex integration, but its music and noise-canceling performance is just average, especially for its very high $857 price tag. It's a niche product for dedicated Cisco ecosystem users, not the general public.

If you're looking at the Cisco Bang & Olufsen 980 wireless over-ear headset, you're probably a professional who needs serious gear for calls and music. It's a collaboration between a legendary audio brand and a business communications giant, promising top-tier call clarity and adaptive noise cancellation. At a current price of $857, this is squarely in the premium headphone tier, competing with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max. It's designed for work-from-home and everyday listening, packing six microphones and features like Webex integration for a seamless business experience.

Our data shows the 980 lands right in the middle of the pack across the board. Its sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), microphone performance, and battery life all sit around the 48th to 50th percentile compared to other wireless over-ear headphones. That means it's competent, but not exceptional. For context, a score in the 49th percentile for sound means it's fine for most music and calls, but you won't get the rich, detailed audio that true audiophile cans deliver. The ANC is good enough for a busy home office or a coffee shop, but it won't completely erase the roar of an airplane engine like the best-in-class models can.

The value proposition here is tricky. At $857, you're paying a massive premium for the Cisco and Bang & Olufsen branding and the specialized business features. For pure audio quality or noise cancellation, you can get significantly better performance for hundreds of dollars less. This headset's value is almost entirely tied to being a power user within the Cisco ecosystem. If you live in Webex and need the absolute best call audio it can provide, then the price might be justified. For everyone else, it's a hard sell.

Let's name names. The Sony WH-1000XM5, often considered the king of noise cancellation, costs significantly less and will almost certainly deliver better sound and ANC. The Apple AirPods Max, while also pricey, offers a more polished ecosystem experience for Apple users and generally better sound. Even the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are strong alternatives that focus more on the listening experience. The 980's only real advantage over these is its business-centric mic array and Webex integration. If you don't need that specific feature set, any of the competitors offer more for your money.

Skip this if you're buying with your own money for personal use. Music enthusiasts, frequent travelers who need top-tier ANC, commuters, and gamers should all look elsewhere. The value just isn't there outside of a corporate context. Instead, check out the Sony WH-1000XM5 for all-around excellence, or a dedicated headset from Jabra or Poly if your focus is purely on business calls.

So, should you buy the Cisco Bang & Olufsen 980? Only under one very specific condition: you are a corporate professional whose daily workflow is deeply embedded in the Cisco Webex platform, and your company is footing the bill. For that person, the seamless integration and crystal-clear call audio could be worth the premium. For literally anyone else—music lovers, commuters, general remote workers, or gamers—this is an easy skip. You're paying for a business tool, not a best-in-class entertainment headphone.