Definitely good enough as an earpiece with decent sound quality and active noise cancellation, even if the price tag leans on the exclusive end.
B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC
B&O may be a premium brand, but the BeoPlay H3 ANC is simple. The entire unit is made from simple round cables and a pair of rubber joints leading to its metal driver housing. It uses a memory foam-type ear bud that holds up the BeoPlay H3 ANC’s earpiece in place, and the simple construction combined with the lightweight wires makes the device easy and comfortable to wear.
Out of the box, it has a soft pouch, a variety of ear-tip sizes and a flight adaptor. The 20-hour, rechargeable ANC System itself is its main draw, and you turn it on or off simply by nudging the toggle button on the sides. The earpiece uses a provided USB cable to charge, but it can still go on even without any juice left in the unit. Our main concern was the combination of both soft plastic wires that lead into the ANC System without much protection at the joints. We’re not really a fan of the hooked 3.5mm audio jack either, since that’s just more opportunities for it to fray. The noise-cancelling itself works like any other ANC unit, effectively silencing air-conditioning, but not the murmur of the crowd.
Sound quality of the BeoPlay H3 ANC is good – it features a well-weighted bass that sounds natural, and it balances the mid-range and treble well. It comes with a sound profile similar to listening to songs in an enclosed, soundproof booth, making it feel personal and quiet. Out of our four test songs, Hotel California by The Eagles seems to fare well with emphasis on live instruments and well-spaced soundstage, even if it does not have the fill and richness of each strum. Tiesto’s Elements of Life wasn’t as heart-pounding or impactful as we’d like, even though the separation between each snyth was good. It lacked the punch or the ability to handle higher frequencies without distorting.
The B&O BeoPlay H3 ANC comes across as a rather no-frills earpiece, with great noise-cancelling capabilities and decent audio performance, that’s also light enough for long periods of use. As simple as it is, it still comes with some minor flaws – mostly from a design and physical standpoint, but it’s still a good entry level product by the usual Bang & Olufsen standpoint.
AT A GLANCE
Driver 10.8mm
Frequency Range 20 - 16,000Hz
Charging Time 2.5 hours
Dimensions 20 x 26 x 23mm
Price $379
CONCLUSION
Definitely good enough as an earpiece with decent sound quality and active noise cancellation, even if the price tag leans on the exclusive end.
