Our Verdict
The Beoplay H6 2nd Generation are decent mixed usage headphones. They're best used for critical listening thanks to their above-average sound quality and comfortable listening experience. But they're also lightweight and stable enough to jog with. Unfortunately, they do not block enough noise for very loud environments and they a leak a little at higher volumes.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Lightweight and sturdy build quality.
- Comfortable fit.
- Mediocre noise isolation.
- A bit leaky at high volumes.
The B&O Play H6 are above-average headphones for neutral listening. They have a decently well-balanced frequency response that packs enough bass without drowning the instruments and vocals on any track. They're also lightweight and super comfortable so you can have them on for hours and not feel the fatigue. Unfortunately, their treble range is a little recessed which results in a slight loss of clarity compared to other neutral listening headphones. They're also closed-back, so they won't have the most spacious soundstage.
Average for commuting. The Beoplay H6 do not isolate well in loud environments, so they won't be ideal for the level of noise typical on public transits. On the upside, they're comfortable, lightweight and easy to use.
Average for sports. The Beoplay H6 ae comfortable and easy-to-use they're also stable enough to jog with but won't be ideal for more strenuous exercises. They're also no the most breathable headphones so they will make your ears a little warm during your workouts.
Average for office use. They have a comfortable design you can wear for hours without getting tired, they also do not leak much at moderate volume levels. However, they don't block a lot of ambient noise for really noisy office environments, and if you listen to your music at high volumes, then they may be audible to the people around you.
Decent for gaming. They have a comfortable design and a low latency wired connection. Unfortunately, they lack some of the active features and customization options offered by true gaming headphones. Their microphone performance is also average at best which won't be ideal for multiplayer games.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Jan 23, 2018: Review published.
Check Price
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The Beoplay H6 are stylish looking headphones. They have a low profile headband and large circular and relatively flat ear cups. This results in a design that doesn't protrude much once you head. They look and feel premium although they're much lighter than you would expect when picking them up. They also come in a couple of color schemes including an all-black variation if you want a more understated yet high-end look.
The Beoplay H6 are surprisingly lightweight and have excellent padding but slightly small ear cups. They do not fit as well on all users which may cause a slight pinch on the top of your ears depending on your ear size. On the upside, they're not too tight and you can wear them for hours without feeling any fatigue.
The Beoplay H6 by Bang & Olufsen have a simple control scheme with mediocre-at-best feedback. They provide the basics; call/music, track-skipping, and volume controls. Unfortunately, the buttons do not provide a satisfying click once pushed.
The Beoplay H6 are on the smaller side for over-ear headphones but unfortunately do not fold to save space. The ear cups lay flat which may come in handy in some situations but they're a bit cumbersome to carry around on your person, especially without a bag. Unfortunately, they also do not come with a case which is a bit disappointing considering their premium appeal and price range.
The B&O PLAY by Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H6 headphones have a sturdy and lightweight aluminum frame and quality materials for the padding. The ear cups are a good mix of metal and plastic that will withstand a couple of accidental drops without getting damaged. They're better-build and feel more premium than the Nad VISO HP50. The audio cable is also replaceable if it wears over time. However, they have relatively thin hinges that may loosen over time and are the most susceptible weak points of the H6 premium design.
The B&O Play H6 are decently stable headphones but won't be ideal for working out. They stay put during casual listening sessions and are even stable enough to jog with. Also, the audio cable will detach if it's hooked on something. Unfortunately, they will slide off your head during more strenuous exercises.
Decent frequency response consistency. The H6 shows 5dB of variance at 20Hz across our five human subjects. This amount of variance will be unnoticeable to the majority of the users. In the treble range, the B&O Play H6 also shows 5dB of variance below 10KHz, meaning the perceived brightness of these headphones could vary slightly depending on their positioning on the user's head.
Very good bass range performance for the B&O Play H6. Low-frequency extension is at 10Hz, which is excellent. Low-bass, which is responsible for low-end thump and rumble is over our target by 3dB, adding excess thump which some may like. Mid-bass is flat but overemphasized by about a dB which is barely noticeable. The dip in high-bass would have a small negative effect on the fullness of vocals/leads.
Excellent mid-range performance for the Beoplay H6. The response is virtually flat from 400Hz up to 2KHz, which is great. The dip around 250Hz slightly thins out the vocals/leads, but it won't be noticeable to most.
Average treble range performance for the Beoplay H6. The wide 10dB dip centered around 5KHz, negatively affects the presence and detail of vocals/leads. The 5dB peak at 9KHz could make the S and T sounds (sibilances) slightly sharp.
Mediocre isolation performance. Like most other over-ear headphones that don't have active noise cancellation, the Beoplay H6 doesn't isolate in the bass range. However, they achieve 13dB of isolation in the mid-range, and 26dB of isolation in the treble range, both values being decent.
Average leakage performance. The significant portion of the leakage sits between 1KHz and 6KHz, which is a moderately broad range. However, the overall level of leakage is not very loud.
Average microphone quality. Speech recorded with the microphone of the B&O Play H6 will sound noticeably thin and slightly muffled, but easily comprehensible. Additionally, their noise handling performance is below-average making them unsuitable for environments louder than a busy street.
Decent recording quality. The LFE is at about 500Hz, which is quite high, making recorded speech sound thin. Also, with the HFE at 6KHz, recorded speech will be easily comprehensible, yet lacking in presence and detail. The area between LFE and HFE is quite flat, which is good.
Below-average noise handling. The microphone on the Beoplay H6 achieves a speech-to-noise ratio of 15dB, which is rather mediocre.
No active features.
Wired connection, negligible latency.
