If the name Bang & Olufsen isn’t reputable enough to motivate you to pick up the audio equipment maker’s Beoplay E8 Sport TWS Earbuds, I am not sure if the involvement of UK’s cycling sportswear and lifestyle brand, Rapha, will (not the first time the two collaborated, btw).
From what we see, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 Sport Rapha Edition Earphones is brings nothing new to the table. It is basically the Beoplay E8 we saw mid of this year, but with Rapha branding.
This means features like IP57 rated for dust and sweat resistance and up to a meter (3.3 feet) immersion in water for 30 minutes, Bluetooth 5.1, support for AAC and aptX codecs, two built-in microphones on each earbud, optimized passive noise cancellation, touch interface with easy controls, and up to seven hours of use per charge, with the charging case offering additional three charges for a total of over 30 hours of playtime.
That is not to say the Rapha version is nothing different. Aesthetically, it has a red anodized aluminum ring against a black earbud, Rapha logo on one of the earbuds, Rapha branding alongside B&O’s on the charging case, and apparently, the earbuds touts an earphone connection tone of cowbell’s ringing to “transport you to the crowds cheering at road races.”
Honestly, I am not sure if the latter is even a thing. The product page did not mention it, but that’s what we read on road.cc anyways. Or is it joke that we are supposed to know?
Anyhoo, the Rapha + Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 Sport Earphones is a limited-edition true wireless earbuds available to Rapha Cycling Club members first (like, now). It will be subsequently offered to everyone else starting November 16 at rapha.cc as well as on www.bang-olufsen.com. The price is no change from the standard issue from B&O, at US$350.
Images: Bang & Olufsen/Rapha Cycle Club.
Source: Road.cc.