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
50 thoughts on “Rapha unveils B&O BeoPlay H6 headphones”
I’m so relieved you were able
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.
It goes without saying, that
It goes without saying, that to get the best competitive edge you should only be using these with vinyl.
Hope that special leather is
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.
wait for it….
wait for it….
£330?
£330? =))
vonhelmet wrote:£330?
The
The H6 cost 330 quid anyway so Rapha are selling their version at the same price. Can’t see an issue here.
What? No mark up on the
What? No mark up on the normal BeoPlay H6 price?!? Rapha are losing their touch. 😉
I went to buy some of these,
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.
road stop trolling us
road stop trolling us
“When two overpriced brands
“When two overpriced brands collide”
Alright, one. I think we know who that is.
I have no problem with Rapha
I have no problem with Rapha or B&O. But headphones called “Beoplay”… I am reading thats B. O. Play. And thats gross! :&
Really nice looking
Really nice looking headphones. B&O make some amazing equipment. Brands are only overpriced if they make terrible products. You can’t say that about either Rapha or B&O. Remember, you might not be able to afford them, but that doesn’t make them over priced.
MattCartwright wrote:Really
No that’s not right is it. Things are overpriced if you can get something of comparable quality for less. Whilst I haven’t worn Rapha (because I wont pay it) I have of course compared ‘on the rail’ and it just doesn’t look like you get much more for all that extra money. YMMV of course.
I don’t think you can get
I don’t think you can get something comparable for considerably less. Price check on Bose. Same ball park. A product may just be its function for you, but it is not for a lot of people, the design, presentation, look and feel is part of the buying experience, in that regard these products are top draw. With regards Rapha product, if you have not worn it, then you can’t really comment on its value or worth, all you can say is that for YOU it over price. Just for you.
MattCartwright wrote:buying
=)) =)) =)) =)) =))
Stop! Stop it, you’re kiling me! =)) =))
MattCartwright
That’s not quite right – £330 for any pair of headphones is definitely overpriced. There are some exceptional second hand bikes on Ebay for that price.
…not over priced if one has
…not over priced if one has loads of money.
mtm_01 wrote:MattCartwright
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
In your opinion. That’s all just you.
mtm_01 wrote:MattCartwright
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
We have our winner. You sir can take the rest of the day off.
fatsimonstan wrote:mtm_01
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.
Apples and oranges.
MattCartwright wrote:Really
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,
Yes. That’s thier market, primary function is not everyone’s only buying criteria for a product.
Over the ear headphones
Over the ear headphones aren’t ideal for hard trainer workouts. Your ears get hot and they slide around when you stand to sprint. Good in ears make much more sense.
MNgraveur wrote:Over the ear
I’d have thought wireless bone conduction would be the best ones? Granted their sound quality isn’t up there but …
Good choice of partner.
B
Good choice of partner. =D>
B & O equal Rapha for pretentious retro. They were still making HiFi equipment with cassette decks in up to the 2000’s. (|:
And apparently the cassette mechanisms they made themselves were really unreliable. They only became useful when they used mechanisms made by other companies.
I bought the little Rapha
I bought the little Rapha Citroen Broom van model, and I really loved the packaging. Sometimes wasting money is fun.
Premium pricing is part of
Premium pricing is part of the appeal of both Rapha and B&O and in that respect, this is spot on what people want… their respective target audiences at least.
Google ‘Veblen goods’… high price makes some things more desireable
Also as a hi-fi enthuthiast
Also as a hi-fi enthuthiast these are cheap, try some of these in comparision:
http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/abyss-ab-1266-headphones-deluxe-package
B&O make music hardware for
B&O make music hardware for people who dont like music.
Bugger. Just bought these and
Bugger. Just bought these and can’t get the damn things over my cycling helmet.
b&o, for the people with more
b&o, for the people with more money and less sense than the people buying bose.
Not as good as the Carlsberg
Not as good as the Carlsberg ones obviously.
Well it works for beats by
Well it works for beats by dre so why not?
I’d be more likely to use them to concentrate while typing a document, but I’d give them a try.
For turbo training, Wireless
For turbo training, Wireless headphones work better. One less cable to get tangled up, you can walk away from the bike + monitor (to go to the fridge for an ice cream, loo, etc), and get back on. full-ear phones do need wiping down after but sound-proof against the turbo quite well.
Otherwise, if you have a roku3 box hooked up to the tv/monitor, there’s a headphone socket on its remote. This lets you hook up some in-ear heaphones with a remote you can then stick in the back of the jersey.
Of course, what really matters is comfort. I’ve handed off some £250+ noise cancelling ones to my son as they were slightly too tight and unbearable by the end of a translatantic flight.
This is for those who love
This is for those who love design and quality.
339 for a pair of headphones is not expensive.
I wouldn’t buy one but I would probably go for something wireless and more value for money.
i’m waiting for the Rapha
i’m waiting for the Rapha Aston Martin “designed for when your chauffeur is getting you to the start line on time…”
Raphston Martin
and the Rapha Champagne for when “your on the podium celebrating the sweet taste of victory…”
Rampagne
dibs i get all the copyrights!
‘Whilst I haven’t worn Rapha
‘Whilst I haven’t worn Rapha (because I wont pay it) I have of course compared ‘on the rail’ and it just doesn’t look like you get much more for all that extra money.’
Brilliant. So you haven’t used the kit, but you have decided it’s overpriced?
andyp wrote:’Whilst I haven’t
I have held it in my hands and compared it, good enough. Or do we have to buy things we don’t think are worth it to then later decide, “yeah, that wasn’t worth it”.
“Brilliant” reasoning there mate.
LarryDavidJr wrote:andyp
I have held it in my hands and compared it, good enough. Or do we have to buy things we don’t think are worth it to then later decide, “yeah, that wasn’t worth it”.
“Brilliant” reasoning there mate.— andyp
But without using it, it’s not good enough. To turn the example the other way, I’ve got a pair of shorts with chamois that feels fine to the touch and looks decent, but in use it feels like corrugated cardboard.
I’ve got several base layers, but the it’s the Rapha ones I prefer.
I work in professional audio
I work in professional audio and cycle a lot. This product makes me sick in my mouth a little bit.
sean evans wrote:I work in
Excellent!
Would love to know why (from a rational, unemotional perspective), and which sources we can trust when it comes to determining audio quality and value for money on headphones.
We all know that the audio equipment arena is more stuffed than most markets with fabricated drivel. So where can we find ‘truth’
Choosing headphones is
Choosing headphones is tricky, look for brands who have a professional division. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic etc. The consumer headphones normally have the sound tweaked to satisfy their intended audience, so they might have a bump at 2khz to bring out the vocals or a bit of bass enhancement. This is not really what discerning music listeners want. Some consumer headphones have buzz words attached to them or useless features. “Nosie Cancelling” is a good one, electronic circuitry adding value but diminishing the quality of the audio, some can’t tell the difference but in professional headphones they “isolate” rather than atytenuate the background noise. Thats why at a football match or on a DJ’s neck you will see “isolating” headphones like the Sennheiser HD25. Flat frequency response, detailed, good sound reproduction, without all of the fashionable design (this adds to the costs and can tempt manufacturers to “over value” their product.) Endorsements, marketing hype, exclusivity (in the case of bang and olufsen) these are good reasons to shun the consumer cans……unless you want them for the cool factor and don’t care about accurate reproduction.
sean evans wrote:I work in
Hmmm probably generation gap. Do you mean sick as it is so good or do you mean sick as it is crap?
Another ‘Je suis une
Another ‘Je suis une extrémité de la cloche’ product from the team.
Chapeau.
How much do these weigh….?
How much do these weigh….?
However, if you can get one
However, if you can get one of the Rapha discount codes – 10%, 20% or 30%, these are an absolute bargain…
2 brands that don’t impress
2 brands that don’t impress me.
Obviously marketed at someone else!