Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 Wireless Over-Ear Review

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 is a luxury item with mid-tier performance. It looks and feels premium, but our data shows its sound, ANC, and comfort scores are all around the 50th percentile. At $2200, it's impossible to recommend unless you're buying the brand, not the specs.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 is a luxury statement piece first and a pair of headphones second. It's built with premium materials like an aluminum grille and custom titanium drivers, and it's loaded with high-end features like Dolby Atmos head tracking and Hi-Res audio via USB.

But here's the thing: our data shows it's a middle-of-the-pack performer across the board. Its scores for sound, noise canceling, and comfort all hover right around the 48th to 50th percentile. For a product at this price, that's a tough sell unless the brand name and design are your absolute top priorities.

Performance is, frankly, average. The sound quality lands in the 49th percentile, which means it's fine, but it's not going to wow you compared to other flagships. The active noise canceling and microphone quality are both at the 48th percentile, so they get the job done without being class-leading. The best scores we have are for music and commute listening, but even those are just above 10 out of 100 in our system, which tells us it's competent, not exceptional.

At $2200, the value proposition is almost non-existent unless you have money to burn on a fashion accessory. You can get 90% of the performance—or often more—from a Sony WH-1000XM5 or an Apple AirPods Max for less than half the price. This is for the person who wants Bang & Olufsen on their head and isn't overly concerned with getting the best sonic performance for their dollar.

Stack it up against the leaders: the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max. Both offer superior noise canceling and sound quality that either matches or beats the H100, according to our percentile rankings, and they cost around $400. The Beats Studio Pro and Bose QuietComfort are also strong, more affordable alternatives. The H100's only clear advantage is its material luxury and specific features like head-tracking Atmos, but that's a niche appeal.

Skip these if you care about audio performance per dollar. If you're looking for the best noise cancellation, the best sound, or just a great all-around headphone, your money does much more work with a Sony, Apple, or Bose model. This is for the luxury collector, not the critical listener.

Buy these only if the Bang & Olufsen design and brand are non-negotiable status symbols for you, and you don't mind paying a huge premium for average performance. For everyone else—especially anyone who prioritizes sound quality, noise cancellation, or value—there are significantly better options that won't require a second mortgage.