The Beoplay HX is part of the Bang & Olufsen’s Moment collection and the special edition comes in dark maroon, which actually borders on a rich chocolate tone. This edition differs from the normal HX with the engraving of the Chinese zodiac of the ox on the left disc, and the B&O logo on the right. For those who want a collectable edition but prefer in-ear buds, the Beoplay E8 also comes in a Year of the Ox version in maroon.
Which looks cooler and fits better?
Apple has always been at the edgier forefront when it comes to innovative design. The Airpods Max are no different. From the coloured cushions and top knot mesh canopy balance to the aluminium rectangular earcups, Apple managed to push the envelope once again. Despite the irregularity of the earcup shapes, I have found them really comfortable for my larger ears, which could fit fully inside with no weight pushing onto my lobes. Despite the heavy weight (385g), the canopy balance is so good that I can wear the AirPods Max for hours without pain or discomfort.In comparison, the Beoplay HX is, well, predictable. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, especially if you’re familiar with any of B&O’s other headsets. The materials are premium quality with leather ear cushions and leather padding on the canopy. I’ve never been fond of round earcups because they usually end up pressing on my lobes and hurting after a while, especially when I’m wearing earrings.
The HX is no different in this respect. Despite weighing 100g less than the Airpods Max, after a few hours, I definitely felt the strain on my ear lobes. I’ve worn the Max for over six hours at a time without feeling a thing. It’s surprising that B&O has not seen fit to go for an oval earcup since they already featured one for the HX95.
Both the Max and the HX have removable ear cushions; the Max uses magnets to keep them in place, while you have to twist and turn the HX cushions to remove them. Apple, being the master business that they are, have provided different colours for the cushions so you can mix and match, and personalise your headphones. The removal of the HX cushions is essentially for practical reasons like cleaning and changing when they get worn out.
Now we come to the case. B&O has, in the past, tried to get away with providing only canvas bags for their headphones, which is kind of cheating given the price points. This time, the HX comes with a hard but light case which is quite chic, if a little big compared to cases for the Sony XM4 or the Bose NC700. Still, it has a one up on the Airpods Max’s weird brassiere-like case.
Verdict: In terms of cool factor and comfort, I will have to give this round to the Airpods Max.
Sound blasts and battery power
When I first got my hands on the Airpods Max, I was quite impressed with the sound quality, which knocked its then nearest competitors – the Sony XM4 and the Bose NC700 – out of the water. Even without an equaliser, the high- and mid-tones were perfectly balanced with the strong bass. It also had one of the best active noise cancelling (ANC) systems at the time.
Now, along comes the Beoplay HX and I have had to revise some of those opinions. One clear advantage the HX has over the Airpods Max is the B&O app, which allows you to use the equaliser and preset settings, so you can adjust your preferences for different genres of music. Even without the equaliser, however, the sound was already more crisp and clear than the Airpods Max, especially when it came to the vocals. The Airpods have adaptive EQ, but that’s obviously not going to work as well as a proper equaliser. B&O aren’t known as the masters of sound for nothing.
The HX also features adaptive ANC, which means the noise cancellation adjusts to the surrounding sounds automatically “without losing sound quality”. For the most part this works well, but the ANC on the Airpods Max still pips it at the post with the cancellation, especially on Hong Kong’s noisy streets and, I suspect, on flights as well. The HX also doesn’t have the Airpods Max’s spatial sound and soundstage setting, although these are negligible advantages with the limitations of what devices can be used.
But where the HX completely clobbers the Airpods Max is the battery life. Where the latter might have set highs with playing times of between 20 to 24 hours, the HX offers a whopping 35 hours with ANC and 40 hours without – enough for round-trip flights to London and back. With me running out of space for charging cables at home, it’s a welcome relief not to have to charge it so often.
Verdict: It’s a close call as each of them has different strengths, but the Beoplay HX takes this round.
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Connectivity and controls
One of the best things about Apple products is the seamless integration Apple provides for all of them. It means you don’t have to worry about fiddling with different apps and software to connect to devices – as long as they are all Apple products, of course. The Airpods Max are no different; just taking them out of their case near an iPhone or an iPad connects them instantly via Bluetooth. The headphones can also connect to more than one device at the same time for shared streaming, and switch from one device to another smoothly.
Meanwhile, you can connect to the Beoplay HX via the Bluetooth function, but to get the most out of it you really need to download the Beosonic app, which means you essentially have to connect it twice. On my laptop, I found it annoying when, after connecting via Bluetooth, I had to click yet another connect button to hear anything.
Like the Airpods, the HX can switch between devices, although it isn’t as seamless as the Airpods Max; in some cases, it dropped my connection completely and I had to go through the double-click connection again.
Although I appreciate the app’s equaliser function, I am not a big fan of having extra apps or fiddling with both my phone and the actual headphones when I’m trying to adjust something, so presetting everything for the HX in advance seems to be the way to go.
Fortunately, for the other usual functions, the Beoplay HX also offers physical controls on the headset itself. The volume can be controlled by brushing on the circular grooves on the earcup, and there are physical buttons for turning ANC on and off and for connection, but other controls still require swiping and tapping.
The HX has Bluetooth 5.1 compared to the Airpods’ 5.0. But it’s not something that would be significant for the average user, unless you are in a crowd where other Bluetooth devices may interfere with your connection.
Verdict: Both sets have their quirks, so we’re calling this round a draw.
So, ultimately, should you spend your HK$4,600, or US$600, on the Airpods Max or the Beoplay HX? It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re not a diehard Apple fan, the Airpods might not appeal to you because none of the ease of connections will benefit you. If you’re looking for the best sound for your buck, then the Beoplay HX are definitely the choice pick for this price point, and you’ll be able to use them with as much ease on both iOS and Android devices.
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