Bang & Olufsen, Beoplay H95 Headphones

[Acquire from Bang & Olufsen]

Turn a dial, and the cabin goes quiet.

Designed in Struer, Denmark · Aluminium and lambskin · Chestnut

Why it's here

Bang & Olufsen made the H95 to mark its ninety-fifth year, and it has become the traveller's headphone of choice. The reason is the dials. Where others ask you to tap and swipe, these have a metal ring on each ear: one for volume, one for how much of the world you want to hear. It is the most satisfying control on any headphone, and in chestnut it is also the warmest to look at.

The object

An aluminium frame carries cups cushioned in lambskin, with titanium drivers behind them. The rings turn with light, even resistance, like the bezel of a good watch. The cups fold flat into a hard aluminium case, and one charge runs for about 38 hours.

Living with it

Keep them in the carry-on. One turn of the left ring on take-off and the engines fade. Brown leather softens and deepens over time, so these look better at five years than at five days.

Origin: Designed in Struer, Denmark
Materials: Aluminium, lambskin, cowhide
Drivers: 40 mm titanium
Battery: About 38 hours

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