Can’t afford a Continental GT but like the idea of telling everyone you own a Bentley? Focal’s luxury headphones can help you live (a bit of) the dream…

£1199 / stuff.tv / Radiance

There’s a sweet spot connecting audiophiles and petrolheads. British hi-fi firm Naim has been in the zone with Bentley for over a decade, creating audio systems for its luxury cars. The business was even founded by sometime racing driver Julian Vereker.

French speaker company Focal came on board in 2011 and made that partnership even mightier: on the 2020 Bentley Continental GT you’ll find an 18-speaker system with 2200W of power.

Luckily, you don’t need a lavish whip to relish the trio’s latest joint efforts (although they’re still very expensive). The Bentley edition of Naim’s Mu-so speaker (see panel) and the Focal For Bentley Radiance closed-back headphones mark the great car maker’s centenary celebrations, and give a visual nod to its EXP 100 GT concept.

The ’phones might seem like a portable sideline to the imposing Mu-so opposite, but they make their own presence felt in terms of sonics and eye-catching style.

Get ur chic on

These are undeniably ‘statement’ headphones. Bentley fans will note plenty of visual echoes to signature car designs, including burnished copper accents, winged symbols (1) and diamond motifs. These aesthetics extend to the packaging, including a hard-shell carry case in coordinating colours.

Plush it

Belying their chunky dimensions and weight (nearly half a kilo), the cans’ aluminium construction is designed to mould to the shape of your face, and the full-grain leather headband (2)and earpads create a soft, snug fit allowing you to settle deeply into any extended-mix session.

Dome believe the hype

The 40mm drivers (3)feature a patented M-shaped dome developed from the company’s car tweeter designs. A broad frequency response makes for superbly spacious sound: bass is lushly resonant, top notes never feel constrained, and there’s a thrilling intimacy to vocals.

Can I click it?

Headphone cables tend to be where connections - and tempers - get frayed over time. The 1.2m Radiance leads feel reassuringly sturdy and click in securely (4), so you barely notice them when you’re listening. It all adds to the old-school experience for audiophile purists.

Me, myself and hi-fi

While there’s no noise-cancelling option here, those snug earpads allow you to feel enveloped in the music without muffling the sound, while the closed-cup design (5) ensures they don’t leak sound even when you’re blasting out Skindred at full throttle while headbanging around the kitchen.

Tech specs

Drivers 40mm full-range aluminium/magnesium domes

Connectivity 3.5mm jack with 6.35mm adapter

Weight 435g

Or, for a mere £600 more…

Naim Mu-so for Bentley

£1799 / stuff.tv / MusoBentley

Naim’s Mu-so all-in-one sound system has always seemed immensely assured in its own skin. But here it gets a dashing visual makeover for its Bentley special edition, with copper-toned accents to a lacquered hardwood finish crafted from sustainable ayous African timber.

Only the illuminated logo on the base seems like an overstated detail. It’s sleek yet heavyweight (12kg), and sounds quite sublime - based as it is on the award-festooned Mu-so 2nd Gen.

Setup is simple via the Naim app, and it’s a joy to interact with thanks to an array of digital connectivity and analogue inputs. As with the Mu-so 2nd Gen, the remote feels surprisingly flimsy in contrast to the speaker, but you can take control via the tactile dial or access all of its features via mobile - including Spotify, AirPlay 2, Tidal, internet radio, multiroom and Chromecast.

HDMI ARC connectivity also makes TV and gaming feel enchantingly immersive owing to its 450W power. It’s capable of heady volume without distortion, but you don’t really need to turn it up to feel moved by the music - the Mu-so for Bentley earns its place as a contemporary classic.

Stuff says

These are very much stay-at-home headphones for hi-fi buffs who have no interest in embracing Bluetooth or active noise-cancelling - and the sound quality on offer is quite exceptional, even connected to the humblest of mobile devices. The Bentley thing might be enough for some to justify the heady price, but this is very much a niche product. @ArwaHaider

STUFF SAYS Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Enveloping your ears in pure luxury comes at a cost, but these ’phones are a boon for lovers of British heritage