Bang & Olufsen announces BeoLab 11 subwoofer for mid-May
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 14th 2010 12:51PM
posted April 14th 2010 12:51PM
Not getting enough "sub" with your "woofer"? Tweeters tweeting all over the place, ruining your enjoyment of the low-end? Finding yourself unable to fully appreciate your King Tubby LPs? We hate that! And so does Bang & Olufsen, fine purveyor of home audio equipment we can't afford. The company's newest, the BeoLab 11 subwoofer, is vaguely pornographic looking, albeit in a surreal way (please try and control yourselves in the comments, people). This bad boy promises superlative bass quality in a "strong sculptural presence." At the very least, the designers here are trying -- which is more than we can say for almost every other subwoofer on the market (though we really did like the Rubik's Cube). Composed of two 6.5-inch drivers facing each other in an aluminum shell, this bad boy will handle the low frequencies (below 300Hz) and push 200W of bass in yo' face. Available in North America by mid-May 2010 in silver anodized aluminum or white; black, dark gray, red, blue, and golden anodized aluminum should be available shortly thereafter. Prices begin at $2,000. PR after the break.
Bang & Olufsen Announces New BeoLab 11 Subwoofer
Combining excellent bass performance with unconventional design and versatile placement possibilities
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of high-end audio and video products, launches its newest audio solution – the BeoLab 11 subwoofer. BeoLab 11 features a modest size but delivers amazing bass quality nonetheless. With BeoLab 11, Bang & Olufsen is introducing an entirely new look into the subwoofer category. In spite of its strong sculptural presence, it has a discreet presence which makes it easy to integrate into any home environment while maintaining a design-conscious appeal.
The unique acoustic design of BeoLab 11 allows it to be placed on the floor, in a corner, or mounted on the wall. Due to its minimal vibrations, it is one of the very few subwoofers in the world that can be mounted on a wall. With its interesting sculptural design, customers will likely prefer to put BeoLab 11 on display instead of hiding it behind a sofa.
"We are very happy to introduce BeoLab 11," states Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America. "This product is so versatile with a very unique design that will appeal to a vast array of customers."
Powerful bass wrapped in aesthetic discretion
Based on Bang & Olufsen's renowned sound competences, BeoLab 11 offers enhanced sound experience and outstanding acoustic performance. BeoLab 11 represents a significant addition to the bass experience in any small to medium loudspeaker setup, adding low frequencies from 300 Hz and down.
BeoLab 11 is composed of two identical loudspeaker cabinets with baffles facing each other. The outer shells are made of aluminum and easily pop on and off for color customization. The concept is based on two 6 1/2" drivers with electronics making BeoLab 11 fully active and suitable for both Bang & Olufsen and third party applications.
Utilizing the Acoustic Balance Principle for the first time in a Bang & Olufsen subwoofer, BeoLab 11 features uncompromising bass performance with minimal vibrations. It adds a presence to surround sound systems and reveals the subtle nuances of one's favorite music tracks.
Placement flexibility
Due to the omni-directional properties of the bass, the performance is not dependent on the product's orientation; therefore BeoLab 11 can be 'rotated' as wished when positioned on the floor.
"Thanks to its acoustic principle, which reduces vibrations normally experienced from a subwoofer to a minimum, BeoLab 11 can be placed either on the floor or it can be hung on a wall – and it will offer great performance in both positions. Hanging a subwoofer on the wall is quite unorthodox. However, in many home environments this may be the preferred placement, as it will be possible to hide the cables and it will free up floor space," states Michael Jensen, Product Manager Bang & Olufsen.
Rediscover your music collection
By adding a BeoLab 11 to a simple stereo setup, one will experience things in his or her CD collection that were never noticeable before. This is because many audio CDs contain bass information that is not possible to reproduce with smaller loudspeakers as they do not cover the entire frequency range.
BeoLab 11 produces a richer sound not only in the bass area but also in the other frequency areas as it takes over smaller loudspeakers' reproduction of the lower frequencies. This means that all capacity in the smaller speakers can be used to handle upper bass, midrange and treble.
BeoLab 11 will be available in all North American showroom locations by mid-May 2010. Color options upon launch will include silver anodized aluminum and painted white. Shortly following, it will be offered in black, dark grey, red, blue, and golden anodized aluminum. MSRP ranges from $1997 to $2574 depending on color and mounting options.
SOURCE Bang & Olufsen
Combining excellent bass performance with unconventional design and versatile placement possibilities
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of high-end audio and video products, launches its newest audio solution – the BeoLab 11 subwoofer. BeoLab 11 features a modest size but delivers amazing bass quality nonetheless. With BeoLab 11, Bang & Olufsen is introducing an entirely new look into the subwoofer category. In spite of its strong sculptural presence, it has a discreet presence which makes it easy to integrate into any home environment while maintaining a design-conscious appeal.
The unique acoustic design of BeoLab 11 allows it to be placed on the floor, in a corner, or mounted on the wall. Due to its minimal vibrations, it is one of the very few subwoofers in the world that can be mounted on a wall. With its interesting sculptural design, customers will likely prefer to put BeoLab 11 on display instead of hiding it behind a sofa.
"We are very happy to introduce BeoLab 11," states Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America. "This product is so versatile with a very unique design that will appeal to a vast array of customers."
Powerful bass wrapped in aesthetic discretion
Based on Bang & Olufsen's renowned sound competences, BeoLab 11 offers enhanced sound experience and outstanding acoustic performance. BeoLab 11 represents a significant addition to the bass experience in any small to medium loudspeaker setup, adding low frequencies from 300 Hz and down.
BeoLab 11 is composed of two identical loudspeaker cabinets with baffles facing each other. The outer shells are made of aluminum and easily pop on and off for color customization. The concept is based on two 6 1/2" drivers with electronics making BeoLab 11 fully active and suitable for both Bang & Olufsen and third party applications.
Utilizing the Acoustic Balance Principle for the first time in a Bang & Olufsen subwoofer, BeoLab 11 features uncompromising bass performance with minimal vibrations. It adds a presence to surround sound systems and reveals the subtle nuances of one's favorite music tracks.
Placement flexibility
Due to the omni-directional properties of the bass, the performance is not dependent on the product's orientation; therefore BeoLab 11 can be 'rotated' as wished when positioned on the floor.
"Thanks to its acoustic principle, which reduces vibrations normally experienced from a subwoofer to a minimum, BeoLab 11 can be placed either on the floor or it can be hung on a wall – and it will offer great performance in both positions. Hanging a subwoofer on the wall is quite unorthodox. However, in many home environments this may be the preferred placement, as it will be possible to hide the cables and it will free up floor space," states Michael Jensen, Product Manager Bang & Olufsen.
Rediscover your music collection
By adding a BeoLab 11 to a simple stereo setup, one will experience things in his or her CD collection that were never noticeable before. This is because many audio CDs contain bass information that is not possible to reproduce with smaller loudspeakers as they do not cover the entire frequency range.
BeoLab 11 produces a richer sound not only in the bass area but also in the other frequency areas as it takes over smaller loudspeakers' reproduction of the lower frequencies. This means that all capacity in the smaller speakers can be used to handle upper bass, midrange and treble.
BeoLab 11 will be available in all North American showroom locations by mid-May 2010. Color options upon launch will include silver anodized aluminum and painted white. Shortly following, it will be offered in black, dark grey, red, blue, and golden anodized aluminum. MSRP ranges from $1997 to $2574 depending on color and mounting options.
SOURCE Bang & Olufsen
Ehh? Is there a speaker cone in each side of the butt cheek? Why would they make them face each other, does that not muffle the sound?
@Nitesh
Also, aluminum = bad for a Sub.
@Nitesh
I'm pretty sure they would have taken it into consideration! From what I've heard through B&O speakers, they've always sounded as good as it gets while looking a hell of a lot better than most out there.
Let's be fair... It's a nice butt shape. Haha.
@Nitesh
Clearly because art direction is better than the actual functionality of the object.
@Nitesh
It won't muffle the sound if its done correctly. It's an isobaric configuration. Double the cone area in half the space.
http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/boxes2.asp#2
@BigJayDogg3
Actually its just half the space. My mistake.
Terrible case of form over function. For (less than) $2k you can get an incredible sub from the likes of Rythmik, SVS or even a used JL Audio.
@BigJayDogg3 It isn't an isobaric configuration. That involves a clamshell alignment that couples the two drivers together, using an airtight seal as the coupling agent, with one driver operating in reverse phase to effectively create a "two motors pushing one 2x-mass cone" scenario. The higher motor strength and double cone mass both contribute to the smaller enclosure requirements.
This is simply two subwoofers in small sealed alignments that are compound loaded against one another. This is to give you essentially the same gain that loading the subwoofer off the floor would give you, but without requiring that the subwoofer be fired at the floor - that means more bass but less shaking of the floor or things sitting on the floor that don't have much mass to them - as well as an omnidirectional dispersion pattern (although that's not too much of a concern at subwoofer frequencies).
@geolemon
Once again, my mistake. No loaded pictures = me assuming based upon other's comments.
@Nitesh
I'm quite sure they've got it figured out to be selling at the price. Shows how much you guys know! lol... Wait, that includes me...
B&O speakers have always offered some of the best sound qualities I've known, despite their odd designs.
@Nitesh $2000 fora subwoofer and they can't take a live photo of it?
For $2,000, I'd hope they would create something that will actually sound better than a $150 Dayton sub.
Aluminum shell? Seriously? There's a reason speaker manufacturers don't use metal cases. And there's a reason the best sub manufacturers (or any sub manufacturers, really) don't use this cleaved enclosures.
@jonnythan So because no-one has done it, you can say its bad...
@jonnythan So because no-one has done it, you can say its bad...
@JidZ No, its because people have done and realized its shit. They don't do it for a reason, not because they never felt like trying.
@JidZ actually, I think we can say that because its bad, no ones done it :)
@jonnythan
I beg to differ, the Bowers & Wilkins PV1 is an aluminium enclosed subwoofer and it has won multiple awards as one of the best subwoofers you can buy.
In this case, yes, I highly doubt it's worth the money, but that can easily be said of every single product B&O make.
@p0p0
Hold the presses p0p0 here commenting on engadget forums knows more about acoustic design than audiophile stereo company B&O. p0p0 has deemed the design crap, inform the executives at B&O!! They should have consulted with you in the first place. We know you are a very credible source because you comment on forums here while sitting in your skid marked underwear in your moms basement.
@Fictorious
It's seems the last DB1 do the trick too (17hz / 1000w).
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4818&terid=4824
Definitly B&W instead of B&O
@lawl No offense bro, but P0P0 is right. B&O is not known for audio quality. Their systems usually sound really thin. They are really known for aesthetic design and to be honest, they are really good at that. There is great market for them but do not expect this sub to actually outperform anything from $750 and above. Their are some monsters subs from Velodyne, Paradigm, SVS, HSU, B&W and my personal favorite JL Audio. There are probably 10 others out there as well. I am not saying that it will sound terrible, might sound alright but there is much more bang for the buck out there.
Personally, I upgraded to a JL Audio Fathom F113 from a B&W sub so I am a happy camper.
@jonnythan
This is not aimed at people like us, it is aimed at people who can buy this because it looks nice in the shop and will look nice in their mansions/estates.
I don't want this. I need it.
300 hz isnt low. My basic bookshelves are crossed over at 80 hz.
With 6.5s and 200W I can't imagine it going very low. I don't get why you'd spend so much money on such a small underpowered sub. There are so many other sub makers out there that will offer so much more for so much less!
@rhietpas Actually, if you read the press release, it says 300Hz and down. It is shitty of them to not mention specifically how low it goes, but 300Hz is the upper range that it'll do, not the lowest
@piezeppelin
Read the specs on B&O site before talking trash.
It goes down to 33 hz.
@MrKnowItAll
That's advertised specs. It'll be quite interesting to see how they can manage to push low-30s with two six and half inch drivers. Most audiophiles (the people that have $2k to spend on a sub) would consider this a woofer, not a subwoofer.
@Trey
Yeah perhaps, but i was only commenting on the fact that he just talks trash about the company, without at least trying to find the facts. It's to clicks away from the press release.
@MrKnowItAll
I didn't mean to imply that I thought a subwoofer's low end will be at 300hz. That, by its definition, isnt a subwoofer. That statement was basically a wtf would engadget even mention 300 hz anywhere when talking about a piece that would should never hit much above 80 or so hz.
Second, knowing the basics of subwoofers I will totally talk crap about a such an expensive piece that has such poor basic fundamental subwoofer design.
My sub (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html) costs a fraction of that and at 200 watts produces down to 25 hz. To be fair, its not all about extension. Its about sound accuracy. That sub though contradicts everything I know about subwoofer design.
There are alot of shisty companies in the sound world that make expensive pieces that do nothing.....snake oil bastards!
@MrKnowItAll
a) stating a "sub" works from 300 hz down is suspect already (no sub should be playing that high - yes I read the press release and this is meant to cover upper MIDrange freqs as well - so its not even a proper sub).
b) 6.5"? Sealed?? No replacement for displacement, unless you got a long throw and gobs of power, which this does not have. I don't care if it has two of them. "Sensitivity - depends on setting" LOL
c) How much is this thing? LOL
d) "first wall mountable sub" LOL again subs are not so directionally/placement oriented as other speakers but really - you're not wall mounting a sub.
The fact is if you know even a tiny bit about subwoofer and sub design this product is a joke.
@bpm2000
I think it might be something like this: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html
Hsu calls it a mid bass module. Supposed to be cool but there is a very specific way to use it. Basically right behind your couch in a very low vis area. Not on a wall off in the corner or along a wall. Its also 500 bucks. 2000 can be spend on a sub but they are GREAT high power low hitting subs. Shenanigans :)
@bpm2000 and rhietpas
I didnt say anything about if it is a good sub or not. Is was just telling the specs.
"please try and control yourselves in the comments, people". No. It looks like part of the female anatomy where... OK, enough. Seriously, reminds slightly of the pods that dispensed face huggers in Alien.
It looks like two mice glued together. Seriously.
@should be working
Does it come with lube?
Someone has been reading too much Jesus Diaz over at Gizmodo. 6.5-inch drivers in a "subwoofer"? "200 watts"? Two thousand bucks!?
Oh, the credulity of the younger generations....
@Zhuzhu
no kidding man - look at these idiots (dude it says it goes down to 33hz! 300 is the upper limit! lalwz!).
What the @#$@# kind of respectable sub company puts an upper limit spec on a subwoofer? It shouldn't even be playing in those registers crossed over properly. Also, for you people quoting the 33hz (which is hardly a respectable freq to get down to for a sub) that is probably a reaching figure at best, and did they mention the distortion at that freq? The output (soo important)? Some of you need to come back when you know a smidgen of wtf you're talking about.
No real comment to make about the sub woofer but would just like to elevate Joseph Flatley for mentioingn King Tubby.
Kudos.
That's a nice bass...
@HardToBelieve
I was beginning to think I was the only one that thought the same.
Sandberg basses link: http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-overview
@sundevil98 you where not only one. :-)
@HardToBelieve
Same here. Hard to believe, isn't it?
Really? No Bang/bass comments?
People will vote with their wallets.
So many speakers are over priced.
I got a set of Energy's. (4) C-5's, (1) C-5 Center, and a S-8 subwoofer. $399 shipped. Sounds great.
Well B&O speaker cost a lot but they also sound good, not as good as equally priced gear but here you get the best quality/service and design. Also you get something which you actually dont want to hide, although I am not sure about this sub though :D
@Techtrino Might be getting good service but defiantly not the best quality. Good aesthetic design for sure but in the audio world, standards for design has to do with the performance of the sub and not the look of it.
I have seen some really cool looking speakers that sound like complete crap but I have also hear some stuff that is ugly as sin that will take your breath away.
You want to see a monster sub go take a look at the JL Audio Gothem. Design, Power, quality, and service. These guys are awesome. Super Clean sounding subs that will get down to 20hz before they start to really distort. Typical sub 20hz subs that don't distort are ported designs. JL's are encloses so they sound great and are very articulate, SVS's are massive ported designs and get to 10hz no problem.
@AP3X
They are not selling their stuff to the audio world. They are selling them to rich people who appreciate design over sound quality.
There are basic designer roof lamps prized higher than this sub. The high pricetag doesn't necessarily mean the designer lamp has better performance than a cheap €20 lamp from IKEA, but apparently there are enough people buying them anyway.
@mickeko
Well you are right, but still B&O offers a great alternative to most other brands in that they do deliver good sound combined with great design, they are like Macs, but good quality and good looking ;).
But actually B&O makes some of the best speakers in the world e.g. the Beolab 5, also remember all B&O speakers are active powered with icepower, but then these are expensive as hell!
The Bose Lifestyle system has 2x6 inch cones in their Acoustimass modules. I am guessing you'll get that sort of performance here.
@jaffreywali I doubt that. I assume these B&O sound at least better than Bose!
But 33 Hz? Hell, my bookshelf speakers reach 41 Hz at -3dB without distortions (unless you really want to annoy your neighbours)! A subwoofer should get down to 20 Hz easily.
My girlfriend is not gonna like this cuz it looks like a big giant pu....