Leo, the first over-ear headphones from Loewe, meld high-end components with craft and style

Loewe is an audio brand with heritage. Based in Germany with over a century of history, the company is best known for its televisions and audio players. Now for the first time the company is venturing into headphones, targeting a suitably premium price point that reflects the audio expertise and premium material approach that characterises Loewe’s other products (although there’s also the small matter of accommodating the fees of Loewe’s high-profile ambassadors, footballer Kylian Mbappé and superstar DJ David Guetta).

Loewe’s first foray into over-ear headphones is the Loewe Leo. Right out of the box, the new headphones incorporate the latest suite of technology as well the latest codecs. This includes Hi-Res Audio Wireless support, Spatial Audio, Bluetooth LE, Dolby Atmos, and an Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation system with a full transparency mode. The headphones offer a maximum listening time of 65 hours.

Designed for portability and well as all-enveloping sound, the Loewe Leo has a fold-flat form factor and comes in midnight blue and moonlight beige with a matching protective hard case. There’s also a leather carry bag while the headband and cushions use soft leather, paired with anodised aluminium finishes. The company stresses that ‘most of the components’ in Leo are repairable and/or upgradeable.

All this is powered through Loewe’s own app, with a new profile system, ‘Mimi Sound Personalisation’. Loewe is also offering an integrated AI voice assistant with real-time translation, although it remains to be seen if this’ll match up to the quality of established services.

For those who want a step up from the everyday, Loewe has also announced a collectors’ edition, designed in collaboration with jewellers Jacob & Co. The Leo Bespoke edition consists of ten pairs of gemstone-adorned headphones, complete with six-figure price-tag.

Loewe Leo, €1,299, Loewe.tv, Loewe.International