Do you want a speaker that blends into your home environment so well that no one will notice it? Bang & Olufsen might have a solution.
The new Beosound Emerge speaker is designed to look pretty much like a book. I say “pretty much” because the speaker does get wider on the back, but you’ll probably still be able to squeeze it amongst the actual books on your shelf.
The cool thing about such placement is that it should actually work sonically, because the higher sound frequencies come through the front, via a 14-millimetre tweeter. The lower frequencies are pushed by a 100-millimetre, side-firing woofer which is guided to the back (it’s harder to hear where the lower frequencies are coming from, which is why subwoofers can be placed pretty much anywhere, while main speakers have to face the listener). Bang & Olufsen says the combo creates a sound dispersion “wide enough to fill the room with sound.”
Beosound Emerge can also be paired to get a stereo sound, or combined with other Bang & Olufsen Connected Speakers. AirPlay 2 and Chromecast are supported, and the speaker can be voice-controlled via Google Assistant.
In typical B&O style, the Beosound Emerge is crafted from premium materials, including oak, pearl-blasted aluminum, and woven textile. It’s controlled via soft touch buttons on top, while the volume adjustment is done via a circular motion.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge costs 599 EUR ($717) in Black Anthracite color and 749 EUR ($897) in Gold Tone. It will be available in Bang & Olufsen stores in “selected European markets” from April 15, 2021, with global availability starting in autumn 2021.