Scouted: The Classic Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H4 headphones Just Got an Update to Support Apple Siri and Google Assistant
There was a mix-up in the shipping department. I had agreed to test out a pair of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H4 headphones, a recently updated model that now lets you talk to a bot. The package arrived and...let’s just say the only thing I like that’s pink is salmon. Not the end of the world, because I do love the sound quality, even if I look like a teenager who eats frozen yogurt and wears skinny jeans. I listened to albums by some of my favorite artists like Bear’s Den (lush orchestration and supple bass) and Angel Olsen (a brilliant and dense mix of bedroom rock). On the song Fossils by Bear’s Den, I heard the fine guitar finger-picking in the right channel and felt enraptured by the uplifting chorus.
Then I tried the Google Assistant. The button is easy to find and access, so with a quick tap, I asked about the weather forecast and set a reminder about a dentist appointment. The assistant understood every word. Bang & Olufsen improved the microphone so it works well for making phone calls. In my tests calling my wife, she said the quality was better than when I used my original set of Apple AirPods. The Beoplay H4 headphones also work with Microsoft Cortana and Apple Siri if you prefer those bots.
The headphones can connect over Bluetooth or using the included wired cable, which is now smaller and less conspicuous. The cable was long enough that it didn’t get in the way when I used the headphones at a coffee-shop with a laptop. I liked the more obvious buttons on the left headphone to access play/pause and skipping tracks.
Other than the pink color (called Limestone), I could see myself wearing these all day long. hey are light enough that I barely noticed them during a long work session yet the full-sized headphones covered my ears completely. Unlike earbuds, you don’t feel like you have something digging into your ear canal all day. I’m a Beoplay H4 convert.
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