It’s a rather odd pairing to see a British cycling apparel company, team up with an audio brand in Denmark, to create a special edition set of headphones. But, one can be certain, if Rapha and Bang & Olufsen are involved, the result is sure to excite.
Such is the case with Rapha’s special rendition of B&O’s H6 headphones, which features the British brand’s signature logo on the sides, highlighted by their notorious use of pink on the inside pads and cord.
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 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.”
On the technical side, the H6’s feature a durable and detachable audio jack on both earpieces, as well as an inline remote and microphone, enabling voice control. In addition, they’re supplied in a protective case and soft bag to ensure their safety when travelling.
The Rapha BeoPlay H6 headphones are available from rapha.cc and beoplay.com.
http://www.beoplay.com/products/h6-rapha-edition#close-up
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