Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX 1224002

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX over-ear headphones deliver some of the best wireless sound we've heard, with outstanding comfort and adaptive ANC that keeps up with the pack. Build durability and a steep, scattered price range are the main drawbacks, so they're a compelling luxury pick only if you're willing to pay for the design.

The star of the show is the sound. Our measurements place the HX in the absolute top tier of over-ear wireless headphones—talking crisp, natural tuning that flatters everything from acoustic folk to dense electronic tracks. The bass is controlled, the mids are present and clear, and treble stays just shy of harsh. In practice, this means you can listen for hours without fatigue. The 40mm neodymium drivers hang with the best, and the Hi-Res audio support over aptX Adaptive helps squeeze out every detail.

ANC is nearly as impressive. It lands in the 88th percentile, which means it's easily one of the best noise-cancelling implementations we've tested. It adapts smoothly to changing environments, reducing the rumble of a train or the hum of an office AC without sucking the life out of the music. Call quality, thanks to those four mics, sits at the 85th percentile—top-tier for work meetings and voice chats. Battery life, at a stated 40 hours, is solidly above average (75th percentile) and holds up well in real-world day-long use. Only the build quality metric gives pause: it falls to the 35th percentile in our durability scoring, which is disappointing for a luxury product. The materials feel incredible, but some long-term users have reported hardware creaks or earcup joint failures over time.

Stacked against the Sony WH-1000XM6, the HX takes a narrow lead in sound refinement and design, but Sony's ANC is a hair stronger and its app gives you deep customization. Sony also wins on build consistency and price stability. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is a closer rival in audio quality, often trading punches with the HX, but the Sennheiser gets better battery life (60 hours) and a more conventional look. If you value the tactile luxury of metal and lambskin, the HX still feels more special. Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 offers a similarly opulent build and exciting sound signature, but it's heavier and leans into a brighter presentation that might be fatiguing over long sessions. Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen focuses on supreme comfort and class-leading ANC, but doesn't match the HX's sonic nuance. And the Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N brings a bass-forward, energetic profile at a much lower price, though it can't touch the HX's refinement or material quality. For pure audio bliss in a luxury package, the HX holds its own, but it's not an obvious winner unless you find it at a smart price.

Bang & Olufsen doesn't do budget, and the Beoplay HX carries a premium badge. But the actual cash you'll part with varies more than any headphone we've seen: from a steep $549 at some retailers up to an eye-watering $75,482 (we're guessing that's a typo or a scalper trying their luck). Even at that low end, you're paying a lot more than you would have a while back, which makes the value equation tougher. You still get competitive ANC, elite sound, and a design that turns heads, but functionally similar performance is available in the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Sennheiser Momentum 4 for less. We'd recommend hunting for deals, though at time of writing the best current offer was hovering around that $549 mark, so the days of snagging these for under $200 appear to be over.

If you're shopping for over-ear wireless headphones that don't just sound good but feel like a design statement, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX is probably on your radar. These closed-back cans wrap 40mm dynamic drivers in lambskin and memory foam, and they pack adaptive ANC, 40-hour battery life, and Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive. In other words, B&O is gunning for the premium crowd that values craftsmanship as much as codec support. Our test bench puts the HX at a 96th-percentile sound score, which means you're getting some of the most articulate, balanced audio in this entire category.

At 285g they're not the lightest pair, but that center-relief headband and plush lambskin ear pads mean you can wear them all day without hotspots. And with four beamforming mics, calls are clear enough to rival dedicated work headsets. The price, however, is a moving target. We've seen them listed anywhere from $549 to a head-scratching $75,482 (scalper pricing or a data glitch, we assume). At the lower end of that spread, you're still paying a serious premium, and the value proposition has shifted. For the MSRP, you're entering territory where the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 also live, so how the HX stacks up matters.

For anyone who wants headphones that look and feel like modern furniture for your ears, and you're willing to spend for that, the Beoplay HX makes a strong case. They're also a solid pick for gaming and work, though they stumble in the studio department.

You can skip the Beoplay HX if you're rough with your gear or need near-bulletproof build quality—our durability score is underwhelming. Frequent Windows users may also get annoyed by volume control hiccups and spotty multipoint behavior. If you're chasing the absolute best ANC for frequent flying, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony XM6 still edge it out. And if bang-for-buck is king, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 gives you comparable sound, longer battery, and a more durable build for less coin.

Should you buy the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX? If sound quality and industrial design are your top priorities and you're comfortable spending around $549 or more, these are a joy to listen to, with a balanced, detailed presentation that outclasses most mainstream flagships. The adaptive ANC is strong enough for flights and offices, and comfort is all-day good. But if you're tough on gear, need flawless Windows connectivity, or consider price a dealbreaker, the HX might frustrate you. The build durability gap is real, our data shows more longevity complaints than you'd hope for at this level, and the price has climbed enough to make the competition look even more appealing. For most people, we'd steer toward the Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Sony XM6 as safer, more consistent bets unless you're chasing that Scandinavian aesthetic.