Beoplay H8

658 replies
......

I've just spotted on Beoplay Support page for H8 there is a link to Software Updater, same like we've got recently for A2/Beolit 15.

Clicking on it brings you to A2/Beolit 15 download page with nothing specific yet related to H8 - but I suspect this is just temporary landing.

Could it be we might see soon a software update for H8 to fix BT drop issues?

AnalogPlanet wrote:

I've just spotted on Beoplay Support page for H8 there is a link to Software Updater, same like we've got recently for A2/Beolit 15.

Clicking on it brings you to A2/Beolit 15 download page with nothing specific yet related to H8 - but I suspect this is just temporary landing.

Could it be we might see soon a software update for H8 to fix BT drop issues?

So did I and I took the precaution of immediately downloading it

I also downloaded the PDF guide for the H8 and so was able to resolve the wired ANC question in the office 😜

Thanks for the tip, seems somewhat extreme though !  But interesting point as I use my MacBook Pro with BT and Plantronics for Cisco Jabber Video and Telephone, this normally works well both in the office and at home but does suffer from other BT device interference occassionally - ie; Mouse / Touch Pad and other BT telephony devices in range.  Will try the dongle see if that improves life as I can't stand having cables everywhere !

Got my H8s after the questionnaire promotion with 20% off.  Very happy with them generally - noise cancelling on flights was superb.  BT seems stable when I'm stationary but drop outs when walking around. After some experimentation it seems that drop outs are very much more common when my i-pod is in my pocket rather than in my hand. Distance between i-pod and H8s does not appear significant but contact with clothing or my body seems to be?

Got my H8s after the questionnaire promotion with 20% off.  Very happy with them generally - noise cancelling on flights was superb.  BT seems stable when I'm stationary but drop outs when walking around. After some experimentation it seems that drop outs are very much more common when my i-pod is in my pocket rather than in my hand. Distance between i-pod and H8s does not appear significant but contact with clothing or my body seems to be?

Further walks with the iPod and the H8s suggest that the issue is proximity of the iPod to my thigh. If it is in the pocket alone then drop-outs are frequent, if I put my phone in the pocket between the iPod and my thigh then there are no issues at all.  Reading around suggests that water in body tissues has a significant attenuating effect on Bluetooth and that seems to be what is happening here.

The following review is on the John Lewis website. Apparently no good when hoovering or walking in high heels.
The many comparisons to other makes makes me think that this may not be a genuine review but a spoiler.
Graham
2 / 5
Overpriced and badly designed
01 September 2015
Age:35-44
Location:London, UK
I've had two pairs of these heaphones that have had to go back to John Lewis because they had a fault (or as I now suspect, a design flaw) whereby excruciating high pitched feedback occurs when the noise-cancelling is engaged and has to do any serious work, for example whilst hoovering. In addition to this, despite having very soft earcups made of luxury leather, they are very uncomfortable to wear. Furthermore, when you walk wearing them, the thud from your heel transmits very loudly into your ear, enough to be a serious irritation unless you are willing to walk in time to the beat of your music. The noise-cancelling is quite good though (not as good as Bose, but with almost no hiss), and they isolate well without the noise-cancelling even activated (this is related to the pain issue however, since it is due to the cups pressing very hard against your ears) and the touch controls are great, but they don't work if you use a cable (the one included doesn't even have a remote/mic), which is a crazy waste of a great feature. The sound quality is only quite good for the price, better than Bose, but not as good as Sennheiser Momentum 2 from my experience. This is essentailly a Beats-style headphone in overdesigned clothing. I've given the headphones two stars because, for the price, and from a company priding itself SO much on design, it really is a disappointing product that hasn't been properly tested after it left the design board. John Lewis on the other hand get 5 stars, they have been fantastic.
Was this review useful?Yes3No0

This is many of the same problems i reported earlier. You don't need to wear high heels to have the problem. I have tried to contact B&O to ask if there is a new model with improved bluetooth also. But just get the standard answer that i have to return my set to the dealer to take a look at it. 

 

danielh wrote:

Bought these, here the other day.

Can`t say that I`m impressed when you consider the price.

Bluetooth is not good. Stuttering occurs even when I`m relatively close to the phone. I have used bluetooth much so I know it`s not supposed to be like this. 

When I walk i will get noise in the headphones when i put the foot down a little to hard. NC is picking up the sound or something.(Normal walking) I have used QC15 for a few years so i know it is possible to  do this better!

The headset is also very top heavy so it falls of the head easy. Not a good thing on something you are wearing when you are travelling. Does anybody have an easy fix for this? Beside gel in my hair 😎

 

Positive : I like the sound very much. NC is working good. Used to Bose QC and I don`t complain. 😁 And it is so nice to get rid of the cable!

Will continue to use it for a few weeks, but I might return it and maybe wait for an updated version.

This thread is fascinating. Definitely would like the H8s but this Bluetooth problem is such a serious issue. To me, £400 is a H-U-G-E amount of money to pay for headphones that are made in China. For this price, I really want them to work beautifully and last many many years.

B&O should be the LEICA of headphones, so they really need to get their act together and improve their quality control. Their flaws are not doing them any favours. 

Bought the H8 this week (again). Owned 2 H8's already in the past year but returned them because the bluetooth dropt out continuously. It was quit annoying. I decided to give it a go again with the 20% off on Beoplay.com. 

But sadly, again bluetooth dropouts happen. I honestly can't believe people are saying that they are not having issues with the bluetooth. Or am i just having bad luck? 

Thinking of returning them now, emailed Beoplay already as advised by the dealer. 

Roy.

......
or
BeoWorld Gold Membership card
Join BeoWorld

Register to access the forums, reference material, and exclusive member benefits — including our monthly prize draw.

Become a Member

December 2026 Prize Draw

Gold Members Only

As a Gold member you're automatically entered into our exclusive prize draw — your chance to win iconic Bang & Olufsen products. A unique benefit of BeoWorld Gold membership, every draw brings a new opportunity to win something special.