Loewe Leo Wireless Headphone Review: HiFi Bluetooth Upgrade

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones, names like Focal, Dali, and T+A take the reins as high-end companies. Their models have been at the top of people's budgets and dreams for some time, but now we have a new contender entering the ring. The Loewe Leo wireless Bluetooth headset is a high-fidelity pair of headphones that delivers quality sound at a premium cost. For $2,000, is this the flagship Bluetooth headphone you've been waiting for? Today, we were lucky enough to test it out against some of our favorite wireless pairs here at Audio46 and give a full rundown on all its features and sonic characteristics. 

Before getting into any of the details of sound, let's take a look at the physical design of the headphones. The Leo is sleek in design, with its aluminum shell and leather earpads. The aluminum shell is a silver color is either color option, but you have the choice to have the leather earpads in midnight blue or moonlight beige. Depending on the color you choose, the accessories included in the box will be the same color as the earpads. Everything looks uniform and high quality, and that just accounts for the unboxing experience. 

The Leo headphones were easy to wear and struck a good balance of weight to feel luxurious but not absurdly heavy. As someone who wears glasses, I found the seal and clamping force to be a bit uncomfortable. There wasn't much of a seal on the bottom of the earcup when I wore them over my ears, and I was only able to achieve the full seal without my glasses on. For people who have thicker-framed glasses like myself, you may find the Leo to be a bit fatiguing in its clamping force. That being said, everyone's comfort level is different, and I much preferred the fit without glasses on. The tight clamping force wasn't fatiguing on the head alone, and instead made the Leo very stable during use and secure on my head. 

One interesting feature of the Leo is the option to design it to your liking. While you at first have the option of getting a bronze accessory kit. You can change the earpads and headband very easily to give the Leo headphones a new look without needing to buy a whole new set of headphones. This easy customization is great to have, especially if you find yourself needing replacement earpads in the future. 

Setting up the Leo headphones was pretty simple with the user manual as a guide. There are two action buttons, one on the left and another on the right, and an indicator light on one side. Holding down the button on the right turned on the light and played a sonic tone, and by continuing to hold it, the Leo headphones were in pairing mode. Once that was connected, it was very easy to navigate the controls. The Leo comes with rotating circular controls on the side of the earcips, controlling volume on the right and then track playback on the left. This makes the design much sleeker and more user-friendly, since you can find the controls much easier than a small button. That being said, there are still two action buttons that you can choose to make whatever command fits your listening best with the additional Leo app. 

After the Leo headphones are connected to your device, what kind of features do you get? You can connect the Leo headphones wirelessly or via USB-C, using the included cables or a third-party audio cable. You do need to turn on the headphones to utilize wired listening, 

The Loewe app unlocks a whole other world when using the Leo headphones. Features like noise cancellation, EQ, and spatial audio are all accessible through the app, letting you customize your experience. You can set the buttons to be certain shortcuts, which include all the features you can customize inside the app manually. By making an account in the Leo app, you can gain access to other features like live translation, remote camera capture, Leo AI, and Mimi Personal Sound. 

A lot of over-ear Bluetooth headphones have noise cancellation as a standard feature. The Loewe Leo is no different. The Leo headphones have active noise cancellation and a transparency mode to go along with it. The Leo sits a step above the rest in terms of high-end noise cancellation because you can set the intensity of both ANC and transparency mode. If you find yourself to be someone who gets slightly nauseous when the noise cancellation is too strong, you can always dial it back so the passive isolation takes more effect. Even if the transparency mode is too detailed and distracting, you can make the microphones less sensitive to picking up the sound around you. 

At the maximum intensity, the noise cancellation on the Leo headphones is very effective in cancelling out the sound around you. I was fully isolated in my listening, and even after turning off the noise cancellation, I was impressed with the passive isolation from the physical design alone. The transparency mode was also very clear and allowed me to hear the outside world with stunning precision. For people who work in offices and still need to be aware of their surroundings, or the daily commuter who needs to hear subway announcements, this mode is highly effective. 

Aside from the ANC, the Leo headphones also come with the spatial audio feature and Dolby Atmos compatibility. Spatial audio on Bluetooth headphones can sometimes be hit or miss, so I was a bit wary of this mode on the Leo. I was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy the spatial audio feature; it opened up the sound profile effectively to make it seem more spaced out and immersive. For people who want a more immersive listening experience, either for gaming, movie watching, or just casual music listening, this mode on the Leo is a nice feature to have. 

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

What does this $2,000 Bluetooth experience sound like? When I first started listening to the Leo headphones, I was impressed with the loud sound reproduction. The volume itself reached pretty high levels, which made instruments explode in detail and color. The profile wrapped around your head and had excellent depth, making the sound immersive and engaging for all genres. I liked the horizontal width of the soundstage, which expanded out pretty far to create a wrap-around effect. The imaging was fairly accurate in the sound field, so you could hear the distinct separation between instruments. The Leo headphones have a good amount of depth, so the sound doesn't attack you right up front. The sound stays spread out and a little more relaxed, taking advantage of the spacious depth and width to create a great image in front and around you. 

The Leo's profile is very evenly balanced between bass and treble. I wouldn't call this a reference headphone; instead, it has the profile of something that is perfect for people looking to listen for entertainment. Between the exact detail, bright highs, deep bass, and precise placement, you have a sound signature that is very engaging and perfect for any kind of listening. The spacing makes this also great for gaming or movies, since you have an immersive sound that is crisp in detail. I could see people using the Leo for all kinds of listening, especially since the profile lends itself to entertainment and dynamic sound reproduction.  

BASS FREQUENCIES

Now we move on to the specific ranges. The bass in the Leo headphones has impressive detail, making instruments recognizable instantly. The bass is strong and has a good amount of power behind each instrument, but stays controlled so as not to overtake the whole signature. This restraint made the bass very enjoyable to listen to, since the basic foundation was never lost. The depth of the soundstage was heard best in the bass response, since the subtle push into the sub-bass region really emphasized how far backwards the frequencies could go. This sub-bass response made the Leo sound more realistic as a whole. Even without the noise cancelling on, I was a fan of the attention to detail in the bass to make low strings, percussion, and deep vocals all the more impactful. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

At the very front of the signature are the Leo's midrange frequencies, which hold a lot of the main melodic instruments. Vocals come right up to the front above everything, letting other instruments filter around them. These vocals are realistic in their reproduction and have a very colorful quality that makes them engaging in their respective tracks. The midrange can sound a bit cluttered and overwhelming at times because there are so many instruments, but the horizontal space and depth in the Leo headphones allow all those elements to space out and become less on top of each other. The detail and precision in this space made the Leo a great headphone to listen to for entertainment, but I could see someone who prefers analytical listening appreciate this detail.

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

Last but certainly not least, we take a look at the treble reproduction in the Leo headphones. The top end produces a great amount of detail and sharpness, making everything seem crisper and cleaner. I liked how the treble wasn't just limited to the top range, but instead carried throughout the entire signature to enhance detail and precision. The Leo's treble held an airy quality that made the top end open up much more, so the signature felt much less compressed than some other Bluetooth headphones can end up being. This range balanced out the lows quite well and was equivalent in power, making the Leo's sound signature dynamic and even. The treble was sharp and precise, but it never became too piercing or shrill to be fatiguing. 

Two grand is quite a bit to spend on Bluetooth headphones, but the Loewe Leo is not the only model in this price range. The Dali IO-12 and the T+A Solitaire T are two Bluetooth headphones that already have a reputation for being at the top of the line for wireless headsets. How does the Loewe Leo compare to these two? Physically, the design is very different. While the T+A Solitaire T folds away and is ultra-portable, the Dali IO-12 and Loewe Leo only lay flat. The Leo has the tightest clamping force of the three, and the Dali IO-12 has the largest and softest earpads. Depending on what kind of comfort you find best, you may be able to make a decision on comfort alone. 

Sonically, these headphones all have some pretty distinct characteristics. The Leo is very detailed, balancing the lows and highs fairly evenly in a very wide sound signature. The Dali IO-12 is a bit darker in signature, opting to increase the bass but still keeping the soundstage very open. The T+A has a very detailed top range and forward presentation, making it the most impactful of the three. All of them are incredibly detailed, so you can't go wrong with any of them if you want crisp, precise sound. The Leo offers the most dynamic signature, so people looking for something very engaging might lean towards the Leo as opposed to the others. Below is a helpful chart with their main features outlined for you to compare. 

Are the Loewe Leo wireless headphones the next upgrade for you? During my listening, I fell in love with its dynamic profile and engaging detail. The comfort needed a slight adjustment to be to my liking, but the secure fit is a good reassurance for everyday commuters who may wear the Leo headphones on the go. The customizable features and user-picked shortcuts really give you full access at your fingertips. 

The best way to know if the Leo headphones are for you is to try them out yourself. Testing the comfort, sound, and user experience will help you determine if this $2,000 upgrade is for you. Your ears are the best judge, and you'll be able to make a confident decision. 

You can get the Loewe Leo headphones at Audio46.