Aural, visual sophistication

SINGAPORE — Decked out in rose gold and other luxurious materials, Bang & Olufsen’s (B&O) limited-edition BeoPlay H6 headphones from the brand’s Love Affair Collection are about as far from utilitarian as they can get.

To celebrate B&O’s 90th anniversary, the BeoPlay H6 is one of six in the current line of B&O products that have received the rose-gold treatment in the form of accents and finishes.

The Danish brand was first discovered in the Roaring Twenties, and the choice of rose gold is a throwback to Gatsby-era Art Deco and opulence.

With materials such as black cowhide leather for the head strap, lambskin for the soft and comfortable ear cups and a rose-gold finish, the headphones exude sophistication.

But there is more to the product than only the aesthetics.

Like most B&O items, the BeoPlay H6 is built for audiophiles and has been in the market since end-March last year.

This limited-edition pair launched last month features the same clear mid-range, with an articulate and crisp sound regardless of the volume. While the bass and treble are stronger than expected, they have not been overdone.

The BeoPlay H6, being well-balanced, also made me feel like I was listening to songs for the first time and I discovered new details even when I had heard a track hundreds of times. Be it a bass-heavy hip-hop item by Kanye West or a sweeping classical number by Ludovico Einaudi, it felt like the headphones helped to mix tracks and balance equalisation automatically to find the sweet spot.

At 230g, the headphones are light and comfortable enough for long wear, while packing in 40mm drivers and a frequency response of 20 kHz to 22kHz.

The interior of each ear cup states which ear it is for with a large L or R, so you do not have to figure that out.

The BeoPlay H6 also comes with two ports, one at the base of each ear cup, so you can share what you are listening to if a friend plugs in.

They also come with a three-button iPhone inline remote on a 1.25m cable, with an extremely receptive microphone so you can take calls if you are plugged into your phone.

Functionality of the remote, however, varies with other types of smartphones.

That said, they are not exactly the sort of headphones you can sling around your neck or chuck into your bag absent-mindedly.

I would be quite careful with this piece of wearable luxury, especially since it comes with a S$698 price tag.

If you want to treat yourself or are a collector, go for the rose-gold BeoPlay H6s.

If not, stick to the regular version, which comes in black or natural leather and retails at S$100 less.

The Love Affair Collection BeoPlay H6 over-ear headphones are available at B& O’s Grand Hyatt showroom.