Connecting H100 to Theatre

[SimonWeir]

I spent time today in the Manchester store comparing H100 to H95 and seeing how they would integrate with my Theatre.

As an early Theatre adopter (on launch 2 years ago) and now having a 7.1.4 system ( Theatre + 4 x sets of BeoLab 17s using all 8 WiSA connections and a wired BeoLab 19) with a LG G3 65 on the motorised wall bracket, I am interested in using H100 instead of Night Listening mode to keep the volume and spatial experience when the rest of the house will appreciate me keeping the volume down.

I have a Sky Q and Apple TV 4K connected by hdmi into the Theatre controlled by PUC, and a Panasonic 820 UHD Blu-ray connected into the LG by hdmi (only time I need to use a different remote).  I want to use the H100 OR the speakers and it be easy to change.  I am subscribed to Apple Music and YouTube Premium so don’t feel the need to duplicate with Tidal.  Of course I also have Disney+, Prime, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Paramount as well (scary how much you can spend each month on streaming / subscription services!)

Only issue I found is the way I paired in the showroom is via the LG’s Bluetooth which worked great for functionality as each time I put the H100 on my head it changed from eARC to headphone automatically with a screen prompt to accept… but it disables the BeoRemote One volume control instead you need to turn the right ear crown dial.  Also you cannot use the Theatre’s sound mode e.g. change between Music, Movie and Direct.

Question… Is there a way to connect the H100 to the Theatre not the LG?  And not have to use the App!  I was hoping almost to add a new Listening Position of Headphones.

The H100 are a big step up to the H95 and if you are a H95 owner I recommend you audition and take advantage of the limited trade in credit.  At no sound volume was there imbalance between low, mid and high, whereas the low frequencies when played through the H95 crowded out the mid and high frequencies.  Back to back I think the gap is wider than I have heard on YouTube reviews / podcasts… in my mind the H95 are expensive when compared to the HX and H100.  Yes the hard case is better but the leather pouch is beautiful and more practical.

For people with a Theatre the comparative small extra cost of H100 is such a small addition to pay to give you even more flexibility in many more use case scenarios.

We couldn’t get the Hi Res on usb to work.  And for me this needs to be via Apple Music.

For those rare time I can live connecting wired to my iPhone or iPad (using a DAC dongle or direct through USB-C) but my use case is primarily night listening in my front room to all my sources using the BeoRemote One and so maxing out at 48 kHz / 24 bit as this is the best I get with my speakers on WiSA.

In summary the magic of B&O is its connect-ability and to send to different speakers from a remote or app input.  If the H100 are seen as BeoLab 50 / 90 for your ears then they should have the function to fully integrate into the ecosystem… please correct me if they can and I was doing it wrong in the store.

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