Blocking the noise isn’t just for flights or public transport. If you want to immerse yourself while gaming, B&O has something there, as well.
While Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) has its origins in dealing with the noise of the aircraft, the technology has grown in how it can be used. You can obviously still quell engine noise mid-flight, or even at the beginning or end, and as the technology has improved, you can use it for any repeating sound: buses, trains, cars, and even the choir of human traffic as you walk around.
But there are other things it can be used for, such as killing the hum of an extra loud computer, or even just securing a bubble of sound around you, picking up on the outside world, flattening it, and amping up what you listen to, pushing the sound out just that much more.
Active noise cancelling headphones tend to make audio sound like it has more oomph because they’re powered, making them an ideal technology for gamers, as well.
We’ve seen a few gamer-styled noise cancelling headphones in the past — Razer Opus X, we’re looking at you — and it’s an area Bang & Olufsen isn’t shying away from, either.
The latest is an update to its “Portal” gaming headphones, video game focused versions of what appear to be larger noise cancelling headphones not unlike the H9 or H95.
While they don’t come in blue and orange and have no mentions of cake, the 2022 update to the B&O Portal boasts more battery life, supporting up to 42 hours in total using Bluetooth and ANC, or 19 if you opt for a wireless mode using a a dedicated adaptor.
That dedicated adaptor provides a faster connection for PC and PlayStation gamers, essentially offering a low latency headphone connection designed to replace the cable with a USB Type C dongle.
That’s about the bulk of the upgrades from the original, with 40mm drivers still a part of the package, as well as adaptive noise cancellation, support for Dolby Atmos (just not head-tracking Atmos), and a combination of aluminium and lambskin-wrapped memory foam.
The high price is also still very much a part of the package, too, with last year’s price of $840 being pushed a little higher, as the 2022 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal PC PS is set to cost $880 when it launches in March.
