Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020) vs Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8 (2018)

The Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020) is an exemplary product and sets the bar for all other Closed-Back Headphones at the $330 budget.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i (2018), however, is merely passable for its price. We suggest taking a look at some better options if you're considering buying a Closed-Back Headphone in the $220 range.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020) managed to impress reviewers from many of the internet's most highly trusted sources, including TechGearLab, PCmag, CNET, Tom's Guide, SoundGuys, Laptop Mag, Wirecutter (NYTimes), and Rtings. It performed really well in their Closed-Back Headphone roundups - it was named "Top Pick" by TechGearLab, "Best for Noise-Sensitive Audiophiles" by PCmag, and "Best all around" by CNET. That's high praise coming from sources that conduct in-depth hands-on testing.

As for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i (2018), it wasn't able to earn a top spot in any roundups from trusted sources that conduct their own hands-on testing. Nevertheless, it managed to impress reviewers at Techradar, PCmag, and Wirecutter (NYTimes) enough to make it onto their respective shortlists.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Closed-Back Headphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Closed-Back Headphones being 7.4 out of 10, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020) and Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i (2018) managed averages of 9.3 and 8.5 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020) vs. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i (2018) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.