Bang and Olufsen BeoLab 50 speakers – not mad or cheap
Those quirky Danes over at Bang & Olufsen have announced the BeoLab 50. I think the most surprising thing, other than their price, is that they actually look just like loudspeakers.
B&O are known for their sometimes unusual take on speaker design. But the BeoLab 50 actually looks like a regular(ish) stereo pair.
Saying that, these are no shrinking violets. They have definitely been made to be seen.
Tech
A lot of the tech in the BeoLab 50 has been nabbed from the company’s flagship BeoLab 90. If you recall, the 90 was produced to celebrate B&O’s 90th birthday.
The new speakers feature B&O’s Active Room Compensation technology. This uses an external microphone to measure its acoustic surroundings and then deliver optimum sound.
The BeoLab 50 also comes with Acoustic Lens technology. When switched on, a ‘lens’ rises from the top of the speaker. You can then set it to one of two different sound dispersion settings, wide or narrow. This will either diffuse music throughout the whole room (good for parties) or in a more focused direction for sweet spot listening.
A total of 2,100 watts is delivered through no less than seven drivers.
Each speaker is packing three 10-inch woofers, three 4-inch midrange drivers and a single 0.74-inch tweeter. This is all partnered with seven 300-watt amplifiers.
Style
Somehow the company has managed to make these monoliths look stylish. They do, of course, feature B&O’s customary aluminium and oak finish.
According to designer André Poulheim:
The balance of the BeoLab 50 is light and refined. This impressive speaker’s footprint is relatively small, making it easy to fit into people’s homes”
But he would say that wouldn’t he?
Price and availability
The BeoLab 50 is a high-end active loudspeaker with 2100 watts of precision power. The BeoLab 50 will be available in selected Bang & Olufsen stores worldwide in August 2017 at a recommended retail price of £22,930.
