Bang and Olufsen’s Beosound Level is a portable home speaker built to last
Bang & Olufsen has unveiled its newest wireless speaker. The Beosound Level is a portable home speaker designed to be repaired, not replaced.
The standout feature here is the versatile design. The Beosound Level is a rectangular speaker that can be displayed in three ways – flat, upright and hung vertically on the wall with the help of an optional wall bracket.
It can even be taken out of the house thanks to its wireless tech and IP54 splash resistance rating – although we’re not sure we’d advise going to the park with this £1099 piece of kit.
The idea behind the portable design is to give users the option to carry their music from room-to-room without the need for a multi-room setup. That said, built-in Wi-Fi means the Beosound Level can easily be used to create a multi-room system or to expand an existing one.
Not only can the speaker be displayed in three different ways, but the tuning will automatically adjust to deliver the best sound for each position. For example, the Beosound Level will centre the sweet spot directly ahead to reduce reflections from walls when the speaker is standing upright or hanging on the wall.
The five-driver setup consists of two 4-inch woofers, one 2-inch full range driver and two 8-inch tweeters, promising excellent clarity and dynamic bass.
One of the most interesting and sustainable features here is the speaker’s modular design. The Beosound Level can easily be taken apart to customise the appearance with new materials and colours, to repair the speaker if it’s dropped, or to replace key components (such as the battery) if they begin to degrade over time.
The Beosound Level also introduces a new physical platform for B&O, not previously found in the company’s other speakers. Right now, the company is only using 50% of the platform’s capacity but if any of the components do become obsolete in the future then customers will be able to visit a B&O store and upgrade to the newest platform.
The speaker boasts 16 hours of battery at a medium volume, or four-hours at full volume, and comes with a stylish magnetic USB-C charger. It can also be charged with the wall bracket.
The Beosound Level is available online and in Bang & Olufsen stores from today, with prices starting at $1499/£1099/€1249 for the Natural Aluminium model and €1299 for the Light Oak version. The Wall Bracket will be available from April 29 and is priced at $119/£89/€99.