My H9 arrived yesterday so here are some first impressions compared to my current Bose headphones:

If you know the H6-H8 series, then you already know the design and materials of the H9. The same excellent build quality is present here, too. They look and feel really premium (as they should!)

One thing I've noticed is that, thankfully, the pads on the headband are softer and have a bit more give in them. This makes them much more comfortable for baldies like me; the headband on my H8 used to get quite uncomfortable after a while and didn't grip very well. It just kind of sat precariously on my head instead of settling. With the H9 this is much improved, and I don't feel like they're going to fall off if I lean over.

The pairing process is the same as the H8 and H7 and, I'm happy to report, the Bluetooth connection is rock solid. I've experienced no drop-outs at all so far. I've used them at home and on my commute. They feel very comfortable with their lamb's leather and foam earpieces. Another improvement over the H8 is that I can walk around with the ANC on without mic feedback spoiling the music. I just never bothered having the ANC turned on on my H8 when walking.

The sound: In non-ANC mode the sound seems like it's mid-way between the H7 and the H8. The sound is detailed, but at the default sound profile there's definitely more bass. However, it's not at the expense of mid-range which is something you could accuse the H8 of. There's a good thump to dance and electronic music which personally I enjoy. Vocal and acoustic music was played with a lot of detail and depth.

What's also great is having the Beoplay app to be able to instantly tailor the sound profile to suit certain situations. 

What was slightly jarring for me is that for the past few months I've been using a pair of Bose QC35s. When it comes to ANC, the Bose are the more effective in cutting out the noise of the train on my commute, for example. However, this superior noise cancellation comes at a cost - in that the music on the Bose has a processed and slightly compromised feel. It's hard to describe, but it's almost as though the Bose are processing the music and 'feeding' it to your ears.

In contrast, the H9 delivers the music in a much more natural way - it's like you're listening to the music rather than it being interpreted for you, if that makes any sense. In that way, the H9 are clearly a superior headphone as they can be used with ANC both on and off while using Bluetooth. The Bose can only be used with ANC on when using Bluetooth.

However, the H9 comparative lack of prowess in the ANC department means that I still had to turn the music up a bit during noisy sections of my commute. With the Bose, I could have the music on a bit lower and the processed music would have its highs and lows boosted. Do I want silence and some level of artificial processing, or a bit more noise but more faithful reproduction? It's an interesting dilemma.

So, for better all-round listening the H9 clearly has it. The ANC on the H9 can, in a way, be viewed as a nice-to-have extra, whereas the Bose QC35's raison d'être is noise cancellation.

I may end up hanging on to both, but if I could only own one I think at this stage I would go with the H9. They are an excellent headphone that sound and feel as good as a £400+ pair of headphones should.

Hi, did you notice any ticking sounds (from the left earpad) while on bluetooth or while on anc and bluetooth together, when sound volume is low?

Thank you.

I also received the H9, works fine on iPhone but not in combination with BV-14 !

After H9 is paired you only get one time connection. If you switch the H9 off/on no connection, you have to pair again.

Sound is not working correctly, you have to push BV-14 to go over 60 and higher in volume to get a normal volume.

Anyone else same problems ?

No ticking sounds that I've noticed, no.

I love my H6, and I would love a wireless version of those. I was going to buy the H7, but B&O somehow redesigned the headband on the H7, which made it too short for my large head 🙁  Even with the cans fully stretched out, I could not get a good fit on my ears, whereas the H6 is more than large enough. 

Can anyone tell me if the headband design is the same on the H9 as on the H7? In that case, I cannot purchase the H9 either.... 🙁