b and o
Latest
Bang & Olufsen's latest speaker was designed to look like a book
With a design inspired by a book, Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Emerge is an impressively slim and full-featured speaker.
Bang & Olufsen adds WiFi to Beo6 remote control, doesn't think to mention it
It wasn't easy, but we finally managed to spot a few differences between the old Beo5 remote control and Bang & Olufsen's new Beo6 that just appeared on B&O's pages. To start with, the hyperbolic product page for the controller is a word-for-word copy of the old, only with each instance of a "5" replaced with a "6." The user guide doesn't provide much assistance either stating that the "Beo6 is fully compatible with Beo5" right down to using the exact same menus and controls. So what's new? Well, the new "wireless setup" chapter seems to be a clue indicating that the Beo6 can connect to your WiFi network to enable 2-way control with other Bang & Olufsen products supporting 2-way communication -- naturally, these aren't listed and any configuration of the controller will have to be done by a B&O retailer. We did manage to dig up an old article from BeoWorld claiming that the Beo6 would feature a touch (not pressure like the Beo5) sensitive widescreen display to show information like cover art and tag data just as soon as B&O's BeoSound 4 Encore and BeoSound 5 could support it. While this kind of product perplexity would be a knock against any other mainstream consumer electronic remote, B&O owners can rest easy knowing that their man servant will sort it all out.
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 welcomes iPads, iPhones and iPods into its emporium of awesome
iPod and iPhone users aren't exactly bereft of choice for places to dock their audio transporters, but what if you prefer to keep your music collection on your iPad? Okay, actually there are a couple of options for you out there as well, but few will be quite as bodacious (or as expensive, we're sure) as Bang & Olufsen's latest. The BeoSound 8 straps a pair of cones to a connecting bar, adds some feet, a wall bracket, and a remote control, and sends you home to enjoy some "outstanding sound performance." USB and auxiliary line-in connectors are available if you're not dancing to Steve Jobs' tune, while the body can be had in white or black and the speaker covers come in a variety of colors to express your individuality with. Look for the BeoSound 8 at your nearest B&O outlet later this month. [Thanks, Jesper]%Gallery-107107%
Bang & Olufsen announces 46-inch BeoVision 10
Suddenly Bang & Olufsen's 40-inch HDTV seems like a consolation prize. While the BeoVision 10-40 is making its good will tour of the states, the kids in Copenhagen will be checking out the new standard in the company's lavish displays, the BeoVision 10-46. Aside from the 6-inch real estate boost, this thing sports "a new and exciting LED-based, 240Hz LCD panel" and unnamed "sophisticated motion compensation technologies" that apparently sport "a yet unseen level of smoothness." Can you handle all this sophistication? We didn't think so. To be unveiled on April 14 in Denmark, goes on sale this summer. No word yet on a price, but we're guessing you can't afford it anyways. Update: Special thanks to Jesper for sending the price our way: 54,990 DKK (or about $9,940). We were right -- you can't afford it.
Bang & Olufsen announces BeoVision 10 North American Tour
You're probably a little too old to rock out like you used to, and besides your hearing isn't exactly what it was when you first saw Purple Fudge open for Hendrix at Cafe Wha? in the village. That's okay -- we found something for you and the missus now that the kids don't come around as much as they used to. Bang & Olufsen have announced that its BeoVision 10 -- the 40-inch behemoth currently available overseas -- will be making its way to showrooms stateside this spring. To commemorate, the company is taking the thing on tour, with dates including Chicago on March 18, New York on March 25, and LA on April 8. To keep up with your forever escalating tastes, guests who attend the events can check out a special edition Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black (with Bang & Olufsen BeoSound DBS audio system) and enter to win a bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage 2000 champagne. You've certainly come a long way from sipping Narragansett draft at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, huh? Prices start at $6,248 and climb skyward rather quickly. PR after the break.
Bang and Olufsen's 55-inch BeoVision 7 collects a review, much love
55.5 inches of 1080p goodness would draw attention in any case, but when they're supplemented with local dimming of an LED-backlit display, 6ms response time, a stonking 4,000:1 static contrast ratio, and an integrated Blu-ray player... well, our cup runneth over with interest. The BeoVision 7-55 is just such a monstrous, no-compromise display, and it's recently undergone a review over at Flatpanels HD. The reviewers were giddy with the versatile motorized stand and the Blu-ray player (which opens by you waving a hand in front of it), while describing the design and execution as "truly beautiful." Picture quality is no worse, mind you, and epithets like "extraordinary" and "fantastic" were used to describe the experience of watching HD content on this panel. The same words can also be applied to the $18,700 MSRP, but at least the review is free and can be found at the source link below.
Bang & Olufsen's multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled
It's rare that we get to see magic wand-shaped remote controls, and rarer still for them to have integrated alarm clocks. The Bang & Olufsen BeoTime is just that sort of exotic specimen, and its $375 touch-sensitive aluminum body has now been tested for our amusement. Being able to turn on your other B&O products by simply grabbing the remote or setting an alarm for the desired time struck positive notes, and those bite-sized displays earned praise too. With automatic backlighting, built-in accelerometer, and full channel readouts, they ensured the minimum of strain for the user (which is probably still pretty high considering they're tiny!). There wasn't much to complain about, but at that price point you wouldn't expect it either. Full hands-on gallery can be found at the read link.
Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10 orders up the 'hands-on special'
Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that's how you roll), but even the laypeople can't help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show 'em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it -- if money ain't a thang, you know.
Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)
If you're an HDTV buff with style, taste, and money to burn (and if you're reading Engadget we have our doubts about at least two of the three) then you've probably been waiting impatiently for Bang & Olufsen to make this one official. The BeoVision 10 is a wall-mounted LCD flat screen that boasts 40-inches of real estate, a brushed aluminum frame, and bottom mounted speakers that are available in a variety of colors. As the company boasts, "every aspect of the design is thought through." It also said something about "vægplacering," the definition of which we will leave to your imagination. On sale now at the B & O store on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen for 43,495 Kroner (roughly $$8,700) -- not shockingly expensive, as far as this company is concerned, but still far too dear for you. No word on stateside pricing or release date.Update: As several astute readers pointed out, the translated source for this one listed the price in British Pounds when it should have been listed in Danish Kroner (DKK). The thing is far less expensive now -- so feel free to send us one for an early Christmas present! You have the address. Oh, and a vid's after the break!Read - Here is the new B & O televisionRead - B & O's new flat panel
Bang & Olufsen's BeoTime alarm clock / remote favors a flute
Bang & Olufsen -- the Danish boutique retailer famous for engineering gorgeous AV products that only a sliver of humanity can afford -- has just introduced its newest product, and it's a far cry from the gargantuan HDTVs and superfluous sound systems that it's used to shipping. Designed by Steffen Schmelling and inspired by Mozart's The Magic Flute, this elongated wireless alarm clock actually serves another purpose. Once it has awoken you from your slumber just in time to catch The Price Is Right in high-def, you can take it with you in order to control some of your other B&O components. The cubes you see are actually displays, and the built-in motion sensor enables display backlights to activate with a simple touch. We're told that the device should hit showrooms this August for $375, though you should probably budget for an anger management course to keep from smashing this thing to bits the first time it buzzes at 5:30AM.[Via PRNewswire]
Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 4 103-inch plasma on sale in USA: $93,050
So, there are two ways to look at this: the first is that this television set costs almost as much as many homes, while the second is that it's around $40,000 cheaper than the Euro-conversion price. Specially designed for plutocrats who need to brag that Mark Cuban has the bargain version of their HDTV, Bang & Olufsen's 103-inch BeoVision 4-103 plasma brings along a 1080p panel and plenty of wow. The unit has just been let loose here in America, going on a US press tour and becoming available for special order for those with loads of disposable income. It can be purchased in an array of color options including black, silver, red, blue, and dark grey, though there is a three to four month lead time for each set. The pain? $93,050 on wall mount, $111,805 on motorized floor stand -- though we hear that it's hand delivered by Dos Equis himself.
Bang & Olufsen debuts 40-inch BeoVision 8 LCD HDTV
Slowly but surely, the BeoVision 8 is creeping up into big screen territory. Bang & Olufsen's latest iteration, more casually known as the BV8-40, pulls those LCD TV edges out to 40-inches diagonally and features a lush 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution. Other specs include 500 nits of brightness, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, six-millisecond response time, a digital TV tuner (for those in DVB regions) and a pretty swank set of internal speakers to boot. All we're told regarding pricing is that the MSRP is "attractive," but we get the feeling it's only sexy to those who aren't concerned with zeros and decimal places.[Via GadgetReview]
Bang & Olufsen pulls the plug on cellphone production, some jobs
For those who reckoned a company like Bang & Olufsen was safe from any economic turmoil, um, reckon again. As people from all walks of life decide to spend less extravagantly during these curious, curious times, it seems that B&O has been affected quite dramatically. As you well know, said company makes its ends by offering up stupendously pricey gizmos, but starting now, you'll find it only offering "core products" such as televisions and sound systems. Unfortunately for those with cash to blow, that means you'll be scouring the secondhand market for B&O cellphones, DVD players and recorders. In addition, the company is planning to axe 300 jobs to save around $27.5 million, but it is looking to open more shops in "growth markets" such as Russia and China.[Via iDNES]Read - Product cutsRead - Job cuts
B&O teams up with Aston Martin -- but that's not why we're smiling
Aston Martin and Bang & Olufsen just announced a new "creative partnership." No details were provided but we can assume that it means the introduction of some B&O audio into future Aston Martin automobiles... and not the other way around. The result of which will be something you can neither afford nor differentiate from a Delco in the deep cacophony of rage known as mid-town Manhattan. Now hit that read link -- you'll appreciate the blast of over-exuberant, CEO blow-harding which fills your colon. We sure did.[Via Audio Junkies]
