Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 50 are significantly proportioned floor standing speakers impressively capable of revealing nuances and previously unperceived elements of songs you’ve listened to hundreds of times before. The more svelte and cylindrical, but architecturally sculptural Beogram 28 performs with similar abilities in smaller spaces, and is equipped with a dramatic curtain movement that adjusts the speaker’s beam output. Now combine those two iconic Beolab models, shrink it down to proportions similar to the Sonos Era 100, and you’ve got something resembling the new Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8, an elegantly crafted compact Bluetooth speaker set designed to operate solo or in stereo pairs.
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It’s not immediately apparent upon glancing at the cropped and close-up images of the Beolab 8 speakers how remarkably small the new addition to the premium Beolab family are. Bang & Olufsen emphasize the Beolab’s size empowers its adaptable flexibility; they can be installed onto walls, set upon floors, secured onto ceilings, or enjoyed out of the box set upon any flat surface.
In many ways the Beolab 8 could be perceived as Sonos as interpreted by Bang & Olufsen, sharing a few attributes and features beyond its compact dimensions. This includes environmental sound mapping to tweak performance according to the dimensions and contents of the room the unit is placed within, alongside a simplified touch interface (though we suspect just like Sonos, users will opt to interact with their Beolab via mobile app).
Available with Bang & Olufsen’s signature wooden lamellas or with a fabric front wrapped around a halved pill aluminum body, the speaker resembles a Grecian urn filtered through a Danish modern eye.
Get beyond the Beolab 8’s striking good looks and you’ll come to appreciate the three-driver setup consisting of a 16mm tweeter, a 3” midrange, and a 5.25” woofer that sounds particularly impressive when performing in pairs.
Like its taller counterpart the Beolab 28, the Beolab 8’s audio beam width can be adjusted to provide an intimate narrow sound or stretched out wide to embrace an entire room (minus the cool open/close slat curtain effect).
The Danish audio brand continues their eco-minded efforts by engineering the Beolab 8 as an upgradeable and repairable modular platform. Both exterior parts and interior components are designed to be upgraded as desired or when newer technologies dictate.
What’s better than one Beolab 8? Two in stereo mode, of course. When paired in stereo mode, and set up using an Apple iPhone, Beolab 8 users can access an additional feature – Fluid Sweet Spot – activating motion tracking spatial audio that actively moves according to where the listener (and their iPhone) are within a room. The effect is akin to the Apple AirPods Max headphone’s spatial audio effect, sans the headphones themselves.
The Beolab 8’s one-piece aluminum body is crafted in Bang & Olufsen’s storied Factory 5 facility in Struer, Denmark, exhibiting the same degree of uncompromising fit and finish as its larger counterparts.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 is currently available for pre-orders, and will be available in-store starting from 30th October in Natural Aluminum, Gold Tone, Black Anthracite, or with a Grey Melange cover for $5,498.
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Source: design-milk