In the audio market, there are those who want a good helmet and those who want an even more premium experience. It is not about containing a simple noise reduction, space sound or compatibility with the best codecs available. With more than 1,000 euros on the bill, this demanding clientele wants more than sound. She wants excellence in design as much as listening.
Together with Focal, Audaze, Meze and other Audio specialists from Hifiman, very high, where they often find helmets in more than 1,200 euros, Loewe also wants to carve a part of the cake. Better known for his sound bars and especially for his televisions, the German manufacturer has decided to venture into a new segment with his Leo. This is the “most affordable” decline of its unlikely helmet of 100,000 euros, located with diamonds, designed with New York Jacob & Co. jeweler and now renamed Loewe Leo – Custom Edition.
Luxury in substance and form
Because if its price falls to 1,300 euros, ultimately, it only abandoned the luxury subcontracting to keep only certain codes, especially in the premium design: anodized aluminum frame, real leather pads, flat design designed for mobility, two ordered finishes (midnight blue and beige to the moonlight). Therefore, Leo is seen as a healthy object and is not the only one who wants to follow this voice. Bang & Olufsen wants to do the same with its Beo Grace headphones, placed at 1,200 euros.
The Danish brand is focusing on extreme miniaturization and its design heritage to promote its headphones as portable jewels, both in substance and form. And for that, the same recipe applies: a knowledge of the recognized house about design and efficiency (Beeo grace is inspired by headphones with A8 cable of yesteryear), noble materials (polished aluminum for stems and accounts for the case, titanium speaker, leather accessories such as luxury leather items …). But B&O is not in his first attempt and has his credit with the intra-or headphones to more than 500 euros and a helmet at 2,000 euros.
A desire to make artisanal (usually mechanical instead of tactile controls) for design and professional approach to audio experience. Because in Loewe as Bang & Olufsen, we don’t trust his only image. We also want to position ourselves in serious challengers.
Aim at demanding audiophiles with a solid proposal
To perform the main roles, the sound proposal must be up to ambitions, far beyond the adaptive reduction of impeccable noise, with the ability to calibrate a personalized auditory profile and avant -garde connectivity (with or wireless). Loewe wanted to turn it into an autonomous solution of high fidelity and the media occurs. The Leo helmet shows the same sound architecture as its ultra luxurious acolyte that wanted to put all sliding controls to the maximum: 50 mm speakers have dynamism and a wide range of frequency, a powerful, balanced and detailed sound; The amplifier and the DAC are integrated to have a wireless height sound, with light and deep acute acute without being omnipresent. Admits all lossless transmission standards, high -resolution audio, Dolby Atmos, space audio, Audio Bluetooth, LC3+, Aptx Adaptive.
And Loewe adds the ability to replace everything, replace or improve with time to perpetuate sound quality over time and take advantage of the helmet for a long time, already capable of keeping 65 hours of listening for load. And Leo also takes advantage of the assets linked to the AI of his older brother with the help of Chatgpt to serve as a true audio assistant, capable of blowing the appointments, calendar reminders, messages, etc.
Even in a lighter version, Bang & Olufsen spared in innovations. Behind the premium design, the audio experience is equally striking (Dolby Atmos compatible with the compatible audio space to be surrounded by sound, ancient adaptive according to the morphology of the ear with reduction of wind noise, accent in the quality of the calls to have a clear voice), with regular updates to optimize listening and use, a battery undoubtedly classical in autonomy (4:30 cases), but in the long term of The voice of the load cycles (in the long term of the battery, without a doubt, a battery of the battery, no doubt, with a large amount of 500. generally).
Therefore, to stand out from the tenors of the consumer market, there is a part of the audio industry that is seriously luxurious to seal luxury audio, halfway between the fashion accessory and the maximum high fidelity, but with renowned ambassadors as soon as possible, such as Kylian Mbappé for Loewe. A legal positioning as much as a desire to stand out with very high quality products, such as the connected watchmaking.
But it should be said that 1,200 euros and more, these headphones and helmets are not intended for all users and the lovers of the target sound, ready to put the price if the experience is there. And if you can decorate at all as a haute couture outfit, it is even better. Arguments that distinguish them from Bose Quietcomfort, Airpods Pro (headphones) or Pro Max (Helmet), Sony Wh-1000xm6 and another impulse from Sennheiser. Excellent products, but are forced to often concessions on premium design to remain more affordable.
Source: BFM TV
