Does Bang & Olufsen ever make products that don’t look stunning? We haven’t seen a product from the Danish company that we wouldn’t want to have in our homes and the Beolab 8 keeps up that run with its stunning looks.
The Beolab 8 looks like a chalice you could drink out of, its compact size makes it the smallest speaker in the Beolab range. It’s designed to look “beautiful from every angle”, and from the images alone, we are compelled to agree.
The body of the speaker is carved from aluminium, with the choice of wooden lamellas or a fabric front that mirrors the aesthetic of the Beolab 28 or Beolab 50, and a top surface made from glass. There’s the option of four stands (only three are listed though): table stand (to create a floating illusion), ceiling bracket, and a floor stand.
Tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s tonmeisters, the Beolab has three-driver setup that consists of a 16mm tweeter, 3-inch midrange and 5.2.5-inch woofer. It features B&O’s beam width control that allows users the ability to narrow down the sweet spot or expand it for a wider listening experience. Along with that it, the speaker can direct the acoustic sweet spot based on the user’s phone location via the Bang & Olufsen app.
The speaker’s Room Compensation feature optimises the sound for a room’s specific acoustics, mapping the environment to deliver “crystal clear quality”. It can even understand what type of cover adorns the front of the speaker and fine-tune it for the most optimal performance.
Featuring B&O’s Mozart platform, the Beolab 8 works as a stand-alone product that can be connected through Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.3, a stereo pair, or with Powerlink function (both wireless and wired options), the Beolab can connect to Bang & Olufsen TVs and sound systems going back more than 30 years.
It’s also a speaker designed to last for a long term with “continuous customisation options” and easy upgradability including the option to replace the streaming module. It uses the Cradle-to-Cradle principles that guide products to be designed for a circular future, though the speaker is pending complete Cradle-to Cradle certification.
There was no mention of when it will be released (we presume soon if not already) but we do know how much it’ll cost: £2199 / $2749 / CAD$3799 / €2499.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
