Australian technology news, reviews, and guides to help you
Australian technology news, reviews, and guides to help you

Focal offers ears a taste of luxury with $2K cans

Big and expensive headphones can sure be both from any brand, but Focal might just challenge the typical exy prices in a collaboration with Bentley.

We heard quite a few comments regarding the price of the AirPods Max, but that mightn’t hold a candle to a pair of headphones that have arrived in Australia.

Launched by French audio specialists Focal and made in collaboration with the car brand Bentley, it’s a project that has resulted in a pair of headphones called the “Radiance”, developing a closed-back headphones made with gloving leather and inspired by one of Bentley’s concept cars.

It comes as a result of a collaboration not just between Focal and Bentley, but between Naim and Bentley, as well, with each releasing a product focused on that connection. The Naim and Bentley partnership resulted in a $3700 special edition of the Naim Mu-So, a music streaming appliance with wood and copper, while the Focal Bentley Radiance borrows the similar aesthetic, except in a pair of $2000 headphones.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Bentley on our in-car partnership for more than a decade, and an exciting journey taking their extraordinary design DNA beyond the vehicles,” said Simon Matthews, Group Director of Design for Focal and Naim.

“We have blended sustainable materials with innovative technology to develop these unique audio products the user can enjoy at home or on the move.”

It’s worth noting that while the Naim Mu-So is made for wireless sound, the Focal Radiance headphones are not cut of the same cloth, and are instead wired. While some other headphones are made to be wireless, the Radiance aren’t those, opting for a wired connection instead.

That won’t suit all, but for folks keen for a degree of luxury that Bentley offers, except on your ears, you’ll find the Focal Radiance in Australia now for $1999.

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