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TECH NEWS
Rapha unveils B&O BeoPlay H6 headphones
Rapha has a history of collaboration and its latest is with high-end Danish electronics company Bang & Olufsen (B&O), with the release of these customised £329 BeoPlay H6 headphones.
The headphones are “designed for use during warm-up and recovery, travel, and the turbo trainer sessions necessitated by competitive cycling,” says Rapha. It’s a common sight these days for professional racing cyclists to warm up on a turbo trainer before a race wearing a pair of headphones, both to block out distractions and providing some motivational tunes.
“People use it [music] to either motivate themselves or distract themselves from the pain,” says Dr Jon Baker, an exercise physiologist and coach at the MTN-Qhubeka cycling team. “The motivational use is called association. You put on a song you like and might get inspired, or the drumbeat might give you a rhythm to follow. Dissociation, the other use, is where you try and take the pain away from your legs. You daydream yourself away from the suffering, basically.”
B&O is a company well known for its high-end sound and television equipment, typically accompanied by high price tags too. These BeoPlay H6 headphones have been customised with some “signature” Rapha materials: the ear pads are made from the same African hair sheep leather used in Rapha’s GT Gloves, and the headband inner is made from the same material used for Rapha’s Pro Team Softshell Jacket.
The headphones have a durable and detachable audio jack on both earpieces and the inline remote and microphone, enabling voice control, is finished with a splash of pink cord. There’s a Rapha logo embossed on the side of each headphone and a clip to keep the cable in place when riding on the turbo or rollers. They're supplied in a protective case with a soft bag to look after then when travelling.
“B&O PLAY is a keen supporter of cycling and they understand the demands of a road cyclist,” says Rapha’s Head of Brand, James Fairbank. “Music is a catalyst for focused performance and we are delighted to pair our mission to develop the best performing products for road cycling with a company that so truly believes in the love of form and expression.”
The BeoPlay H6 with Rapha headphones are available now from rapha.cc, in all Rapha Cycle Club stores , at beoplay.com, and at select Bang & Olufsen stores worldwide.
They cost £329, the same as the regular Bang & Olufsen H6 headphones, so you're not paying more for the Rapha customisation.
More info at www.rapha.cc
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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50 comments
...not over priced if one has loads of money.
That's an expensive pair of headphones, but not an "out of control expensive" pair of headphones. As others have said, B+O are overpriced for what you get. Actually, headphones (and in ear monitors) are one of life's great little luxuries- you can get pretty close to the "best" in a product for not an unbelievably massive amount of money. Contrast that with speakers (or bikes!!!)
In your opinion. That's all just you.
Yes, I found when I was looking to move house that when I compared the houses in the area I was looking at I could buy a perfectly good second hand tent on ebay.
We have our winner. You sir can take the rest of the day off.
That would only be comparable to what I said when reversed - if you were looking for an expensive tent but found a house for the same money because you'd be getting a lot more.
Apples and oranges.
As a hi-fi enthusiast I regard B&O products as exceptionally poor value for money ... assuming that your priority is sound quality. B&O's market is targeting folk with lots of money and who like fancy design but who don't really care what it sounds like.
If B&O made bicycles then everything would be square ... including the wheels, the handlebars and the saddle.
Yes. That's thier market, primary function is not everyone's only buying criteria for a product.
I have no problem with Rapha or B&O. But headphones called "Beoplay"... I am reading thats B. O. Play. And thats gross!
"When two overpriced brands collide"
Alright, one. I think we know who that is.
road stop trolling us
I went to buy some of these, but without my 200-word essay on why I was worthy of wearing them, I was turned away.
What? No mark up on the normal BeoPlay H6 price?!? Rapha are losing their touch.
£330?
The H6 cost 330 quid anyway so Rapha are selling their version at the same price. Can't see an issue here.
wait for it....
Hope that special leather is water and salt resistant. Surely removable and washable pads would probably make much more sense for training sessions.
It would also be nice to see the actual specifications of the headphone.
But it says Rapha so they'll have a market.
It goes without saying, that to get the best competitive edge you should only be using these with vinyl.
I'm so relieved you were able to bring us this important news article.
What we desperately need, however, are headphones specifically designed for cycling to the shops to get bread, between 12 and 2pm on a Tuesday.
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