Bang & Olufsen, the luxury Danish speaker manufacturer, has announced its latest speaker, the Beolab 8, and I'm already in love with its elegant styling. It's the Sonos Era alternative I never knew I needed in my life and a clear contender for the best wireless speakers you can buy.
When I first saw images of the latest speaker, I was surprised it carried the 'Beolab' designation, though, as its apparently small size – as you can see from the pictures on this page, no specific measurements are available at the time of writing – made me assume it would be a 'Beosound' product.
But, no, the Beolab 8 is a top-tier product of no compromise, pulling inspiration from the famed Beolab 17 speaker which launched a decade ago. Its form is of the contemporary Bang & Olufsen style, akin to the Beosound Theatre which launched last year, replete with wooden 'lamellas' as part of its distinctive design (a fabric front is also available), complementing its single-piece aluminium frame.
I'm certainly taken by the visuals, and while I'm yet to hear the Beolab 8, its internal credentials sound positively brimming with potential. The speaker consists of a three-driver setup, comprising a 0.63-inch tweeter, 3-inch mid-range, and 5.25-inch woofer. That's not all, though, as the speaker incorporates beam control, room compensation, adaptive tuning and ultra-wideband technology to maximise its output in any given space.
I've been increasingly interested in Bang & Olufsen's 'Mozart' platform in recent years, too, which is effectively a modular platform that will allow users the right to upgrade components in the future. Not only is that great from a repair perspective, it's great from a future-proofing perspective. So when, say, a new Bluetooth format, or other high-resolution decoding that requires hardware transmission appears on the market, in theory the speaker can be upgraded without needing to go out and buy a whole new product.
Which can only be a good thing. Because, as we've so often pointed out at T3, Bang & Olufsen products come with a price that represents "the cost of quality". Which is to say these products are always exquisite in style and sound, but always punchy when it comes to price. The Beolab 8 can be yours from £2199/€2499/$2749, though, so as Beolab products go it's actually one of the more affordable options in this range. That does mean it may remain the speaker of my dreams rather than a reality, though. But, hey, it's good to dream big...
