One of the world’s most stylish audio brands has announced it’s resurrecting another of its classic legacy products with an ambitious recycling plan that shows the industry what a circular economy can look like.

Recently Bang & Olufsen announced the Beosystem 9000c Music System consisting of a fully restored Beosound 9000 CD player marked with a pair of Beolab 28 speakers. The Beosound 9000 CD was one of the most iconic pieces of audio design back in the 1990s thanks to its swish glass panel and ability to handle six discs at a time.

Back in 2020, B&O had the ingenious idea of buying up as many used Beogram 4000 turntables as it could find to remanufacture them. The company bought up used Beogram 4000s and returned them to its legendary Struer factory where it remanufactured the turntables before adding the latest wireless audio technology to create a new product that married the best of B&O’s iconic design with the latest audio technology.

The new Beosystem 9000c is the second product in B&O’s planned series of recreated classics that demonstrates the Danish company’s commitment to longevity and its mission statement of: “Creating products that can stand the test of time.”

“With our Recreated Classics series, we are showcasing how Bang & Olufsen’s unique capabilities within sound, design and craftsmanship are creating long-lasting, circular products. We want to demonstrate that a second-life product can be just as attractive as a new product and that a high-quality item such as the Beosound 9000 doesn’t need to have an end date,” said Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, Head of Product Circularity & Portfolio Planning at Bang & Olufsen.

For More Information: bang-olufsen.com

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WiSA Association member Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 8 speaker has received WiSA Home Theater (HT) Interoperability Certification. WiSA HT Certification ensures speakers can receive uncompressed sound over a multichannel wireless network created by a WiSA Certified transmitter and speakers.

Debuted at CEDIA Expo 2023, the Beolab 8 speaker marks the seventh Bang & Olufsen product to be added to the renowned brand’s roster of WiSA Certified solutions.

Products that earn WiSA HT Interoperability Certification undergo diligent testing to ensure they meet the exceptional, high-quality, multichannel audio standards for which WiSA solutions are known. Also, WiSA HT Certified products work together seamlessly, regardless of the brand.

Utilizing WiSA HT technology, the Beolab 8 speaker transmits and receives 24-bit 48/96 kHz audio over the multichannel network. It utilizes various connection options to create a powerful sound. Users can connect via an RJ45 Powerlink, Wireless Powerlink, 2 Ethernet ports, or a line-in via USB-C.

“The Beolab 8 speaker is the epitome of versatility and functionality — exactly what home theater enthusiasts want and need to equip their space with immersive surround sound,” said Michael Henriksson, vice president of product management & design at Bang & Olufsen. “With the addition of WiSA HT Interoperability Certification, the Beolab 8 speaker gives users the option to customize their listening experience with up to 8 channels of wireless HD audio with absolutely zero latency.”

The Beolab 8 speaker boasts multiple advanced sound features, like the Fluid Sweet Spot that uses a phone connection to the speaker to automatically adjust and provide the best direct acoustic sound — no matter where the listener is or where they move in the room. A built-in dedicated microphone maps out the specifications of the environment to deliver crystal-clear quality, high-fidelity audio in any size or setup of a room. With two listening modes, users can easily switch how the Beolab 8 speaker pushes out sound – switch to narrow for an individualized listening experience or wide to evenly spread sound throughout the whole room. It is available in four base and cover colors and different setup options of table-standing, floor-standing or wall-mounted speakers.

“Representing another revolutionary product from our valued member, Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 8 speaker is a stunning addition to the growing ranks of WiSA-enabled interoperable and wireless products,” said Tony Ostrom, WiSA president. “Don’t let the small size fool you – this speaker effortlessly delivers dynamic, high-def sound whether you place multiples or a single speaker in a room. The Beolab 8 speaker showcases the future of immersive sound and the innovation we want to continue to see in the audio industry.”

For More Information: www.bang-olufsen.com

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Bang & Olufsen, the iconic purveyor of premium audio and design, has introduced the Beolab 8, a compact Bluetooth speaker set that combines the best of their renowned Beolab series in a more diminutive form. This elegantly crafted audio offering is designed for versatile use, whether as a standalone piece or as a stereo pair.

While the compact nature of the Beolab 8 might not be immediately evident from the close-up images, its size is a feature rather than a limitation. Bang & Olufsen emphasizes its adaptability – it can be wall-mounted, placed on the floor, hung from the ceiling, or simply positioned on any flat surface, allowing users to integrate it seamlessly into various living spaces.

In many ways, the Beolab 8 could be seen as Bang & Olufsen’s take on Sonos, sharing some attributes beyond its compact footprint. These features include environmental sound mapping to optimize performance based on the room’s size and contents and a user-friendly touch interface (though, like Sonos, many users may opt for mobile app control).

The Beolab 8 is offered with Bang & Olufsen’s signature wooden lamellas or a fabric front wrapped around a sleek halved-pill aluminum body, embodying a blend of classic and modern design elements.

Beyond its aesthetics, the Beolab 8 impresses with a three-driver setup, featuring a 16mm tweeter, a 3” midrange, and a 5.25” woofer that delivers remarkable audio quality, particularly when used as a stereo pair. Like its taller counterpart, the Beolab 28, the Beolab 8 allows users to adjust the audio beam width, providing both intimate and room-filling sound experiences.

Bang & Olufsen’s commitment to sustainability shines through in the Beolab 8, designed as an upgradeable and repairable modular platform. This means that both exterior parts and internal components can be easily upgraded, ensuring longevity and adaptability as new technologies emerge.

For those who desire a truly immersive audio experience, pairing two Beolab 8 units in stereo mode, configured with an Apple iPhone, unlocks the “Fluid Sweet Spot” feature. This innovative technology utilizes motion tracking spatial audio, dynamically adjusting sound based on the listener’s position within the room, akin to Apple’s AirPods Max headphone’s spatial audio effect, without the need for headphones.

Each Beolab 8 is meticulously crafted in Bang & Olufsen’s renowned Factory 5 facility in Struer, Denmark, maintaining the same uncompromising level of craftsmanship seen in their larger counterparts.

The Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 is now available for pre-orders and will hit the shelves starting October 30th, offered in a range of finishes, including Natural Aluminum, Gold Tone, Black Anthracite, and with a Grey Melange.

For more information, visit www.bang-olufsen.com.

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The collaboration between Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari marks a historic moment when two iconic brands join forces. This collection embodies the rich heritage, passion, and performance that define both Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari. It’s a fusion of excellence in aluminum craftsmanship from Bang & Olufsen and the striking Ferrari red, renowned worldwide.

Creating a successful collaboration requires a product that seamlessly represents both brands. As Christoffer Poulsen, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Bang & Olufsen, explains, this task can be challenging, but when two brands with strong visual identities like Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari come together, the process becomes effortless.

Bang & Olufsen: Aluminum Excellence

For nearly seven decades, Bang & Olufsen has been a pioneer in aluminum design. In a time when heavy metals were the norm, they embraced aluminum for its strength, flexibility, flatness, and resistance to corrosion. Today, their sleek aluminum surfaces define their design aesthetic, especially in their loudspeaker category, from the Beosound 8000 to the Beolab 28 home speakers.

“Aluminum is at the core of Bang & Olufsen’s design philosophy,” says Poulsen. “From accents on our iconic Beosound A9 home speaker to the frame of our flagship Beolab 90 loudspeaker, aluminum is an integral part of our past, present, and future.”

This commitment to aluminum craftsmanship extends to The Ferrari Collection, primarily in Beosound 2. The single-piece aluminum body not only adds aesthetic appeal but also enhances sound quality by reducing distortion, akin to the meticulous design approach of a supercar.

Signature Red

Ferrari’s Enzo Ferrari once remarked, “Ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red.” Red has been synonymous with Ferrari since its inception in 1947, symbolizing Italian pride in international motorsport. This iconic red was a natural choice for the collaboration with Bang & Olufsen.

“When designing this collection, we drew from Ferrari’s signature red, exploring various hues before selecting a modern, mature red with deep cherry undertones,” Poulsen explains. “Paired with timeless black and applied through double anodization, this color unites our brands boldly. The red’s roar is impossible to ignore, while the black reveals layers of craftsmanship.”

Factory 5: Where Worlds Collide

Bang & Olufsen’s Factory 5 in Struer, Denmark, played a crucial role in bringing this historic collaboration to life. The key process, anodization, involves the surface treatment of aluminum. Factory 5’s anodizing facility, with its 50 vats and robot cranes, meticulously treats aluminum components, ensuring precision from degreasing to sealing.

Poulsen describes the magic of watching Beosound 2 emerge from the anodization tank in the vibrant red they carefully selected. “We felt Ferrari’s energy transcend onto Factory 5, witnessing our worlds collide.”

The Ferrari Collection is available online at www.bang-olufsen.com

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The recently released annual report of Bang & Olufsen shows a steep revenue increase of 31% in local currencies to DKK 2,629m. Whereas, EBIT before special items summed to DKK 38m, equivalent to a margin of 1.4%, up 16.4pp compared to 2019/20. Induced by revenue growth and lower net working capital, free cash flow was DKK 119m. Strong strategy execution aided by higher demand for home entertainment products is considered as the reason behind the enhanced financial performance. The company anticipates yielding double-digit revenue growth, backed by continued investments in demand creation and product portfolio consolidation. Also, the company looks forward to increasing profitability and delivering positive free cash flow while building endurance. 

Kristian Teär, CEO, Bang & Olufsen states, “We are pleased with the progress we have made this year as we completed the first phase of our turnaround. We delivered double-digit growth, returned Bang & Olufsen to profitability, and improved our liquidity position. This is a major achievement and the result of the hard work of our passionate colleagues and partners. Despite being faced with many challenges related to the pandemic, they have executed diligently on our strategy, and I want to say a big thank you to all of them. Our financial results for 2020/21 demonstrate that our strategy is working. We reduced our cost base, improved our sales and marketing, and strengthened our digital capabilities and platforms. At the same time, with the launch of 14 new products in the past year we have created a much stronger product portfolio. All in all, we are in a stronger position as we enter the second phase of our strategy”.

“In 2021/22, we will maintain our current strategic direction. We will continue to focus on eight core markets, invest in product development, upgrade our ecosystem of connected products, and strengthen local sales and marketing. We expect to deliver double-digit revenue growth and improve our profitability. However, we expect uncertainty related to the global component shortage to persist throughout the financial year”, he added. 

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