Bang and Olufsen's BeoSound 35 is an 'all-in-one' soundbar
And its aluminum construction is quite striking.
If you're familiar with Bang & Olufsen, you're well aware of its high-end audio gear for the living room. At CES, the Danish company is showing off its latest speaker: the BeoSound 35. Taking on the design and speaker layout we typically see in soundbars, B&O has far greater aspirations for the BeoSound 35. Rather than only serving as a means of boosting audio from your television, this speaker is meant to be what the company calls an "all-in-one integrated music system." What does that mean exactly? Well, support for streaming services like Spotify and Deezer is integrated into the unit, so you don't have to futz with your phone to get the tunes going. It also supports Google Cast, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity.
The BeoSound 35 can be controlled with a remote from any other B&O product or with the BeoMusic app. And as you might expect, the speaker is easily paired with the company's other gear for multi-room audio. So, if you have a BeoPlay A6, for example, the two can be easily linked. There's an OLED display built in and on-board touch controls handle any volume tweaks, play/pause and more. More specifically, volume is controlled with a swipe, similar to what we saw on the A6.
In terms of design, the BeoSound 35 is rather unique. Most of the soundbars we see are quite boxy and, frankly, rather boring looking. That's not the case here. B&O opted for an aluminum outer shell that not only enhances the aesthetics, but also helps with heat management. Rather than a flat or brick-like housing, the BeoSound 35 has a pentagonal shape that's more narrow at the ends than it is in the center. With the larger loudspeaker in the center and the tweeters on the ends, the form follows function here, and contributes to the overall sound. The BeoSound 35 can be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, whichever fits your needs.
Speaking of sound, the BeoSound 35 beams audio 180 degrees to fill a room. And it does just that. I had the chance to listen to the speaker for a few minutes and it's certainly powerful enough to blanket a room with music. In terms of quality, the BeoSound 35 is on par with what you'd expect from B&O. The audio is well-rounded and really clear, with warm tones and a dash of bass. I tend to gripe that the company's gear could use a bit more on the low end, and that's the case here, too. But overall, there's little to criticize. As you might expect, the BeoSound 35 carries a steep price, as it'll set you back $2,785 (€2,295/£1,745) when it arrives in April.
