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When the “spirit of Monaco” meets the “sound of Denmark”, it’s sure to be a winning formula — that is, if you were one of the lucky few to be able to snag just one of 216 limited-edition Bang & Olufsen headphones with the Charles Leclerc seal of approval. The Global Brand Ambassador and Ferrari Formula 1 race car driver helped work on the design of the exclusive pair (each headphone is marked “1 of 216”), drawing inspiration from the serene blue hues of Monaco’s coastline, his beloved hometown. But as a reimagining of the brand’s award-winning Beoplay H100 headphones, the good news is you may be able to get as close to his trackside sound as possible.
This release comes off the heels of Leclerc taking second place for Ferrari in his native Grand Prix of Monaco. While he may be most well-known as a driver, the F1 ace is also a budding musician, playing as a self-taught pianist and even composing his own songs. The racing star recently told Rolling Stone that he takes his Bang & Olufsen headphones with him everywhere, whenever he travels. “Just because it’s a way for me to disconnect from everything that around me. You just put the noise-canceling on and disconnect completely. That’s something that I really enjoy, putting my music on.”
“Bang & Olufsen’s sound clarity has helped me…reconnect with the music which is a personal passion of mine,” Leclerc also said in a statement about the headphones collab. “I’m a very creative person by nature and working together on this product has been an exciting journey. Looking at the sea and the movement of the sea, it’s never really the same and that is a huge inspiration to me.”
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The luxurious, Monégasque design is undeniably what makes these special edition cans, well, so special. The headphones feature pearl blasted aluminum, steel blue toughened glass, and a refined silver-foil CL16 insignia, all meticulously chosen to embody a sense of timeless sophistication. But exclusivity aside, you’ll find the same immersive sound quality and advanced noise cancellation under the hood that are in the regular edition Beoplay H100 headphones, which are still available online (and $350 cheaper than the Leclerc pair).
Beoplay H100
$1,850
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$1,850.00
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Both pairs are optimized for Dolby Atmos spatial audio, feature custom titanium drivers, and seriously next-level noise cancellation (they also come with an exclusive leather pouch to protect and carry your headphones in style). You have Hi-Res sound capabilities of course, but their “EarSense” feature also makes for a more personal listening experience , tailoring the sound to your unique fit in real time. One feature that also remains the same is the haptic “dial” on the side of the ear cups, putting you in the driver’s seat and letting you specifically adjust the amount of transparency and noise-cancellation you want without relying on a fixed “ANC” setting.
Traditionally, you’ve had to choose between headphones that provided the best possible sound, and a pair that felt comfortable to wear for several hours at a time without interruption. Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay H100 headphones prove that you don’t need to make that choice. The regular edition are still pricier than most other offerings from big name audio giants, but Bang & Olufsen deserve kudos for making headphones so luxurious to wear, and to listen to, that there really is no competition (on or off the track).
