Bang & Olufsen adds Google Assistant to its Beoplay H9 headphones, 25-hour battery life

Ben Schoon | May 16 2019 - 11:53 am PT

Bang & Olufsen is a huge and respected name in audio, and they’re no stranger to working with Google Assistant. Today, the company’s popular Beoplay H9 headphones have been updated with battery life improvements, as well as Google Assistant built-in.

B&O’s $500 Beoplay H9 headphones are no small investment, but in exchange for the lofty price tag, you’ll be getting an excellent package. The H9’s offer up an over-ear cup design, Active Noise Cancellation, and the killer sound quality B&O is known for.

With the updated design, the Beoplay H9 gets a bigger battery inside which B&O says should last for up to 25 hours of wireless playback while using ANC on a single charge, or 32 hours without noise cancellation turned on. That’s a bit less than the Sony 1000XM3’s, but it’s still a 7-hour improvement from the previous model.

The other big update in this new generation is built-in voice assistants. Just like Google’s Pixel Buds, the Bose QC35 II, and the Sony 1000XM3’s, the new Beoplay H9 integrates Google Assistant (and Alexa) directly into the headphones themselves. There’s a new dedicated button to summon the assistant on the side of the headphones which is added on to the standard touch controls.

The B&O Beoplay H9 is available directly from the company’s site for $500 in Matte Black or Argilla Bright, both of which have natural leather as part of the finish.