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Bang & Olufsen unveils Playmaker wireless audio bridge, makes sure AirPlay and DLNA speak Danish
Bang & Olufsen has been slowly but surely adapting to a wireless world. Its new Playmaker (shown at center) brings that evolution to audio: with the receiver linked up, any AirPlay- or DLNA-friendly audio device can beam its sound to a set of the Danish firm's designer speakers. Wireless audio bridging isn't anything new by itself -- we know at least one rival that might say it's old hat -- but the company is promising clean and powerful sound through a built-in DAC that can drive even the beefiest of BeoLabs, like the 2,500-watt BeoLab 5. We can look forward to the Playmaker reaching stores before the end of the month, but we'll pay a premium for all that theoretical power. The bridge by itself costs $425, while a special bundle with BeoLab 3 speakers will set listeners back an eyewatering (if ear-melting) $4,310.
Bang & Olufsen caters to the iOS crowd with Apple TV-friendly BeoPlay V1 TV set, A3 iPad speaker dock (update)
If your gadget life centers equally on Apple devices and luxury Danish home theater, Bang & Olufsen now has you officially covered. The BeoPlay V1 TV, which we got a sneak peek at just over a week ago, has a slot to connect your Apple TV without wires spoiling the look of your upscale loft. Both 32- and 40-inch versions have relatively powerful speakers, too, with as many as three 32W amps in the 40-inch version being joined by discrete treble / mid speakers and a bass unit. Either of the 1080p TVs carries a 100Hz refresh rate, five HDMI inputs, and a USB port for your music and photos. Just as new is a BeoPlay A3 speaker dock for the iPad, which nestles your first- or second-generation iPad into what Bang & Olufsen calls a "stable wedge" that not only keeps the iPad comfy but adapts the speakers to get maximum output depending on its orientation. An eight-hour 10-hour battery keeps the speakers completely wireless, although it won't charge your iPad in the process. The company will have the V1 in British shops on May 3rd at a comparatively frugal £1,999 ($3,238) and £2,499 ($4,047) for the respective 32- and 40-inch sizes, while fans of Hamlet's homeland will have to wait until May 23rd to pay £449 ($727) for an A3 dock, a picture of which you can find after the break. Update: As it turns out, the A3 will priced at $550 with it hits the US later this month, not $727 as we previously reported.
Samsung's M7600 Beat DJ music phone on sale at O2 UK
Quite a bit has gone down in the cellular realm since Barcelona opened its beautiful doors to host Mobile World Congress 2009, but how could we ever forget this gem? Samsung's M7600 Beat DJ is about as close as we'll ever come to a real live Pilotfish Ondo, and after months of waiting, it's finally on sale across the pond. Available for purchase right now at O2 UK, the Bang & Olufsen-infused handset packs a 2.6-inch OLED panel, perfect for mixing, scratching and texting your mum when you stay out too late. It's all yours for between £0.00 and £146.80 ($233) depending on your choice of contract, and if any of you kind, gentle Britons feel like importing a few for the deprived Yanks over here, drop us a note in comments.[Thanks, Todd]
Audioholics peels back the lids on the current crop of ICEpower-based amplifiers
Typically devoid of fancy lights, knobs, and switches, amplifiers typically don't get a lot of marketing hype; heck, most people who own a receiver aren't even aware of the amplifier section. Bang & Olfusen's Class D ICEpower switching amplifiers wrinkle that a bit -- the compact footprint, light weight, energy efficiency and impressive specs are enough to make the newer technology marketable as, well, new. Sadly, from Audioholics' examination of many samples, it also looks like the newness stopped there and several manufacturers have slapped crazy price tags on an essentially "reference design" implementation. There's plenty of good technical info about the test bench performance of these amps in the link, but with several happy ICEpower users it's hard to say that the subjective performance is unsatisfactory; the wide price range for essentially the same amp is what's troubling. If nothing else, let it serve as a cautionary tale of not falling for the latest thing just because it's the latest thing -- when you're shopping for an amp, take your ears along with your wallet.
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
Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 controller in the wild?
We're still retaining a slight bit of disbelief here, but the long teased BeoSound 5 controller could be awfully close to a formal release. Judging by scads of cryptic (and probably diluted) hints and just two images (one above, one after the break), we're led to believe that this here device will sit atop one's table and enable users to flip through multimedia and play back tunes through their Bang & Olufsen gear. The sell, obviously, is the design. Truth be told, this thing looks like something a few years ahead of its time at first glance, but considering just how ridiculous (that's a compliment, we'll have you know) the BeoCenter 2 looked over four years ago, we'd say this is just par for the course with B&O. Here's hoping some more concrete information flows forth shortly.[Thanks, JK]
NYC SoHo luxury condo with matching Bang & Olufsen gear, great view, $975,000
The downturn in the housing market is producing some interesting cross-marketing promotions. Well-heeled jet-setters moving into NYC's SoHo Renwick luxury condos when it opens in 2009 will be greeted by Bang & Olufsen gear, including a BeoVision 8 32-inch LCD TV, BeoSound 4 audio player and a BeoLab 4000 speaker. For sure, luxury space comes at a premium price in SoHo, so we can understand the desire of residents to own a compact system. And with the Renwick's all-glass exterior, the super-bright output of an LCD display also makes sense. Top it all off with B&O's famous design, and you've got a system that's a good fit for the target demographic. Sure, it's not the most bang-for-your-buck setup, but we don't really expect that Renwick residents will be counting pennies anyways -- prices for the units start at $975,000 for a one-bedroom unit. For that price, couldn't they toss in a larger 1080p set?
Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 9, now graced with Automatic Color Management
We all know the angst that comes when you're sitting in front of your ISF-calibrated Kuro plasma, and the only thing separating you from the next rung of video nirvana is recalibrating right now. Rest easy, George Jetson, Bang & Olufsen has brought its Automatic Color Management, previously seen in the BeoVision 4, to the top-of-the-line BeoVision 9 plasma. The 50-inch plasma display that already has an integrated center channel speaker with an acoustic lens will be adding the auto-calibration feature in July. You'll definitely notice the added feature -- every 120 hours of viewing, a robotic arm with a camera (pictured) will flip down from the top of the display, take a white balance measurement, and adjust the set accordingly. Sounds great, but no word in the press release regarding pricing or an upgrade of the panel to 1080p. Seeing as the outgoing version of the BeoVision 9 goes for about $20,000, would that be too much to ask?UPDATE: The spec sheet [warning: PDF link] on the B&O site still shows a 1366 x 768 pixel display for the BeoVision 9, but our sources say that the $19,900 price nets you a 1080p panel. - Thanks, Alex!
Conceptual remote could slip right into Bang & Olufsen's lineup
Although we're seriously concerned that this concept wouldn't play nice with our current stack of components, we're still willing to let it into our hearts based on beauty / design alone. Dreamed up by Joris van Gelder, this wannabe Bang & Olufsen remote simply stays put on one's table and controls volume by being lifted up or down and manages channels by sensing when someone flicks their fingers up / down in the middle. Honestly, we can't see this thing gaining traction in all but the art deco sect, but be sure and check out the demonstration video in the read link below before passing judgment.[Via textually]
Bang & Olufsen announces EarSet 3 stereo headset
The stylish Danes at Bang & Olufsen have announced their EarSet 3, a "unique mobile accessory" that pairs music headphones and a phone headset in a single device (we didn't think those were all that unique -- in fact, they couldn't possibly be much more common -- but whatevs). The headphones are based on B&O's A8 model, a noise isolating set of buds fashioned from aluminum (scratch-free, so they allege) and hard rubber with a frequency range of 50Hz up to a full 20KHz. Look for them to come bundled with a leather carrying case in late February for $250.
Audi's Cross Cabriolet Quattro concept touts internet radio, B&O system
Granted, Audi's Cross Cabriolet Quattro is still a concept for now, but the proposed infotainment setup is quite swanky, indeed. Reportedly, the vehicle would include a Bang & Olufsen sound system that could stream internet radio thanks to its built-in internet link. Additionally, motorists could "judge" the tracks as they were played, enabling the system to "build up a picture of their preferences and offer individual play lists." The whip also boasts a built-in intercom system with noise cancelling capabilities, and What HiFi even has it that the internet link could be used to fetch map data from Google Earth. In case you couldn't guess, there's no definitive launch time frame or an expected price just yet, but there's no harm in hoping that its infotainment system shows up in a production vehicle sooner rather than later.[Via What HiFi]
Meizu's M6SL portable media player now on sale
Those twiddling their thumbs while they wait (not so) patiently for Meizu's M6SL can finally put their digits to better use, as the aforementioned PMP is finally available for your enjoyment. Just to bring you back up to speed, you're looking at a 2.4-inch QVGA display, USB connectivity, black or white motifs and versions that house 2GB, 4GB and 8GB of capacity. The pain? ???99,000 ($108), ???119,000 ($130) and ???149,999 ($164), respectively. Check a few more snapshots after the break.[Via MobileWhack]
Samsung, Bang & Olufsen get official with Serenata
Who would've thought that the bizarre Serene handset (if you can even call it a "handset") would see a successor? Samsung and Bang & Olufsen must think that they have a good thing going, extending their design partnership by officially announcing the Serenata musicphone. Rumored as the Serene II, the predictably strange lookin' device holds a triband GSM radio (no 850 -- sorry, North America) plus UMTS 2100, a 240 x 240 touchscreen display (augmented with a scroll wheel for UI navigation and control), Bluetooth, USB 2.0, and an integrated stand for displaying your pricey toy on a desk while busting out tunes or calls. Look for it to show up in your friendly local Bang & Olufsen boutique, and if you have to ask the price... well, you know what they say.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Bang & Olufsen shows off Beo 5 remote control
Shortly after blessing us with a sneak peek at its BeoVision 8, Bang & Olufsen is now showcasing its interestingly-designed Beo 5 remote control. This device seeks to dictate your AV system and dabble in home automation, and touts a "square glass display with soft touch keys, an aluminum ball with tactile keys and a volume wheel," and a simple charging base as well. Of course, it wouldn't be a B&O unit without a few fanciful extras, such as the adaptive backlight in the LCD, macro support, and an "intelligent" interface that "presents just the relevant menus and controls" on the display. Unsurprisingly, there's no word yet surrounding price or availability, but feel free to check out a few more shots of the Beo 5 over at EngadgetHD's gallery.[Thanks, klaus]
Bang & Olufsen @ CEDIA - Beo System 3 HD Stage Manager
Remember that Beo System 3 HD stage manager thingy that was announced a few weeks ago? You know that large slab of modern electronics that looks like anything but a media hub? Well, you know us and our love for everything high-def and exotic so we managed to get our grubby little hands on the stage manager. The overall design looks a lot less intimidation in person then the press photos indicated as it's in fact a nice size of about 20-inches wide and 8-inches deep. It allows for two ultra-expensive B&O systems to occupy the same room and give the user to switch between 'em at will. This is all thanks to the extensive amount of inputs/outputs including dual DVI outputs, four HDMI inputs, and enough sound outputs to manage two separate 5.1 sound stages, or a 7.1 setup with dual subwoofers. The remote on the other hand is long and slender but surprisingly beefy thanks to the amount of zinc that supposedly reduces sweaty palms. This hub isn't for everyone but if B&O is your cup of tee, this might be worth checking out at your local dealer; just make sure you bring along the check book with more then $7,700 available in it.Click-on for a remotes shot.
