While consumer tech showcase event IFA Berlin – pretty much the CES of Europe – rolls on this week, we’re starting to see a drip-feed form from some of the world’s most recognised tech brands like JBL, Sennheiser, Samsung, LG and Bang & Olufsen. While there are a few new gadgets we’ve got our eyes on, one of the most fascinating reveals so far has been the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Theatre soundbar, functioning very much like your standard high-end soundbars, such as a Sonos Arc or Sennheiser Ambeo, but featuring that idiosyncratic design the premium Danish audio brand has become known for.
Designed to adapt to your TV’s design with different-sized aluminium wings, it takes an appropriately design-forward step towards aligning soundbars with avant-grade speakers. Something that hasn’t really been done before, given most high-end soundbars place function well ahead of form – with the exception of the exceptionally smooth Sonos Arc mentioned above. That much is expected of Bang & Olufsen, though, given the famously expensive brand is often ahead of the pack when it comes to aesthetics.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Theatre soundbar can be attached to the base of your TV and can be finished in different shades of metal and wooden grilles. Other premium attachments that can be used to customise the look of this soundbar include a motorised wall bracket and a motorised floor stand that will actually rotate your TV as part of the set-up. Just in case you want it to face multiple angles at a personal whim.
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Bang & Olufsen has included 6.5-inch woofers behind the grille, which is bigger than most soundbar drivers. In total, there are 12 speakers in an array, delivering 800 watts of power and, according to the company, up to 112 dB of sound pressure. This should translate to an exceptional amount of clarity at all volumes with some reviewers so far noting a strikingly precise Dolby Atmos sound whether that’s for loud, bass-heavy action scenes or rich, present vocals.
Buying into the Bang & Olufsen ecosystem can be a fairly overwhelming prospect as far as price goes, and anyone on a budget should settle with the Beosound Theatre just fine. But you can theoretically create a chain of up to 16 external speakers if you wanted a supersized home theatre to go along with your TV.
The Beosound Theatre will apparently detect any other B&O speakers as part of the ecosystem and optimise performance accordingly, taking into consideration the position of each speakers and individual functionality.
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Another smart design feature that could help the Beosound Theatre sound unlike any soundbar to date is the removal of reflections from side walls, using technology that directs sound away from the listener to increase the perception of spaciousness and widen the soundstage. If you’re forking out this much for a soundbar, you want to be fully drawn into whatever you’re watching or listening and this should help a great deal with immersion.
There’s no word yet on when the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Theatre will be available in Australia, but the company say the price tag for the soundbar alone would be asking £5,590 (~AU$9,504). That isn’t including all the peripheral add-ons like aluminium wings and the motorised stand.
