Verdict
A delightful object , sure , and a very established speaker in many respect too . If the price does n’t make you swallow hard , though , then many felicitation on your lottery win …
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Bang & Olufsen is one of those party that does n’t even require an launching about how it want no introduction .
The company ’s modus operandi – profoundly private-enterprise audio timbre combine with a unique approach to intent and materials – was established several decades ago and give that it ’s not broken it ’s demonstrably not in motivation of fixing .
Beolab is the most upmarket , most premium and , consequently , most expensive of the Bang & Olufsen chain of mountains – and this Beolab 8 is the latest plus . In footing of both design and asking price , it ’s Bang & Olufsen commercial enterprise as usual – but can it possibly hope to justify the cost in purely sonic terms ?
Availability
The Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 is on sales agreement in the United Kingdom for at least £ 2199 . In America it starts at $ 2749 , and in Australia it ’s a lower limit of AU$4499 . For the turning away of dubiousness , that ’s how it costs for a single loudspeaker in the least showy of the uncommitted finishes , accompanied by the least expensive of its stand options .
It ’s an expensive wireless speaker unit – so expensive , in fact , that there ’s not an horrific lot of monetary value - like competition around . Devialet is about the only other brand prepared to look you in the eye and tear this sort of money for a intersection that is , in the final depth psychology , just a wireless speaker .
Design
It may not be obvious from the picture , but at 290 x 189 x 165 mm ( HxWxD ) the Beolab 8 is a speaker of unremarkable size – but to give the caller its due , Bang & Olufsen has had a proper go at making it look and palpate like the premium product the asking price suggests it is .
The £ 2199 terms cite earlier buys a Beolab 8 in natural aluminium with a grey mélange grille , sitting on a table - stand . My review sample distribution have the slatted oak grille that ’s a trademark of the Beolab range – this option brings the price up to £ 2699 .
And that ’s also how much you ’ll pay up for atomic number 79 tone with light oak tree or black anthracite with dismal oak . If you need a wall- or ceiling - square bracket rather than the tabular array stand , lend another £ 100 to the monetary value . If you need a floor stand , that ’s another £ 200 .
At the risk of repeating myself , I ’m going to repeat myself : the Beolab 8 does not seem to be an option for the note value for money shoppers among us .
Features
Bang & Olufsen , lest we forget , is no ‘ all fur coat and no knickers ’ enterprise . Yes , the Beolab 8 is a pricey ware , but there are no obvious gaps in its spec .
Connectivity choice , for case , are plentiful . two-fold - band Wi - Fi , along with SBC- and AAC - compatibleBluetooth 5.3 , take guardianship of wireless business , and the control app ( which I ’ll cite more full later ) offersApple AirPlay 2 , Chromecast , and the ‘ Connect ’ versions ofSpotifyand TIDAL .
The app also throw access code to Bang & Olufsen Radio , which make a massive bit of broadcasts from all over the human beings usable too . There ’s DLNA compatibility , so your local connection - attached storage can be accessed . Wired connectivity , meanwhile , is handled by a duad of Ethernet socket and a USB - degree Celsius input – they ’re at the rear of the cabinet and are a scrap of a annoyance to get at .
No matter how you get it on board , though , your digital audio content is fettled by a 24 - bit/192kHz DAC chipset – and it does n’t really matter the file type you prefer . Once decoded , audio is serve via a 133 millimetre bass number one wood ( driven by 200 Isaac Watts of Class D power ) , 76 mm midrange equipment driver and 15 mm soft - dome tweeter ( which get 50 James Watt each ) .
Do n’t listen to any music before the Beolab 8 has had a opportunity to optimise itself to its specific environment , though . Its sophisticated room compensation routine , usable in the control app , takes next - to - no time to maximize the performance of the speaker .
Adaptive Bass Linearization does something exchangeable , but with greater attention pay off to latent problem in the humiliated frequencies . After that , you need to decide on which of the beam width dominance options ( wide or narrow ) are preferable – and then you ’re up and running .
There ’s a feature due in the next few months that apply if you ’re wealthy enough to be running two Beolab 8 as a stereo system pair . Fluid sweet-smelling spot wants to use the attitude of your smartphone to optimise the speakers ’ stereo image , which sounds like a fairly demented idea .
The Beolab 8 is built around Bang & Olufsen ’s Mozart platform , which gives it compatibility both send on and backward . The program is adaptable and modular , so the Beolab 8 is designed to be easily upgradable to take advantage of any raw technologies that are not presently available . And because Powerlink is part of the Mozart platform , the Beolab 8 is compatible with Bang & Olufsen audio and video products date back all the way to the 1980s .
Free for iOS and Android , the Bang & Olufsen Music control app is one of the best around – it ’s clear , logical , comprehensive , stable , and in reality quite prissy to use . EQ accommodation , for example , is available via bass and treble sliders – but also via a target graphic . Playback control , establishingmulti - elbow room system , access software update , running the calibration number , establishing presets … you name it , the app is on top of it .
There are also some restraint in the speaker ’s chalk top - plate – illuminated capacitive touch controls , woken by a proximity sensor , handle play / pause , volume up / down , and decamp forward / rearwards . you’re able to also get at your four presets and start Bluetooth pairing from here , too .
About the only matter drop is representative - control . It ’s not as if it is n’t comfortable or quick to get the Beolab 8 to do your bidding using the app or the physical control – but I ca n’t help thinking my money ( so much money ) ought to buy as many drug user user interface selection as possible .
Sound Quality
There ’s some calibration - related admin to be done before you ’re ready to try what the Beolab 8 is capable of . But it does n’t take long , and anyway , it ’s well deserving the minor effort .
give a 24 - bit/96kHz file of Weyes pedigree ’s And in the dark , Hearts Aglowto deal with , there ’s plenty to savor – admire , even – about the way the Bang & Olufsen pass about its business concern . The midrange is the asterisk of this recording , and the Beolab 8 has no problem extracting all the attitude and fictitious character , as well as delineate the extraordinary technique , in the outspoken performances here .
It ’s an articulate and revealing speaker , capable to give over even the finest , most transitory details regarding a singer ’s mindset and intentions . But it does so in a natural and engaging room , prioritise entertainment over depth psychology every prison term .
It can rally significant low - frequency presence , too . Its bass reproductive memory is thick , control , convincingly shaped , and absolutely load with detail – so even though impulse levels are high-pitched , you never feel like there ’s any facet of the low end you ’re missing out on . If it ’s perforate you want , there ’s pot of it here – but it ’s accompanied by shade , discreetness , and confident rhythmic aspect .
The top final stage is a similar story where detail levels , control and eloquence are refer , and the Beolab 8 has enough substance to its twofold replication to balance out the morsel and polish it invests these sounds with . Or , at least , it does if you ’re not listening at antisocial volume level . The more you zigzag it up , the more the tweeter seems to fancy its chances – so large volume can lead to a skewing of the frequency response towards the top end , and a skewing of the otherwise - neutral tonality towards a pinch of unfeelingness and edginess .
You do n’t have to take heed all that loud to reset the Bang & Olufsen has plenty of dynamic headway and can put a lot of distance between quiet and loud in an wink . It demonstrate an equally telling understanding of harmonic and dynamic variations within a unmarried instrument or phonation , too .
There ’s an overall maven of directness and positivity to the way the Beolab 8 sound , regardless of the posture of the music it ’s play . Most of the time , this act upon just fine – it ’s not as if the speaker system is glitch - eyed in its delivery , of course , but it most certainly fuck how to attack a recording .
On occasion , though , its brisk attitude bumps up against a recording that want a gentle , less assertive touch – and the issue is a compromise that does n’t really accommodate either the speaker or the song .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
Not for the first time and for certain not for the last , here ’s a Bang & Olufsen product that just could n’t be the work of anyone else
This is a great - sound speaker system – but this level of performance can be yours for quite a draw less money if you pass it elsewhere
Final Thoughts
Like the rest of us , I ’m not made of money . And like the relief of us , I would prefer the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 to be a fair utterer so that I could steer at the people who buy it and express joy . But while it does n’t vocalize as expensive as it is , it go very , very in force indeed – and so I have to keep my powder dry ready for next time …
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We test every wireless speaker we review exhaustively over an extended period of time . We apply manufacture stock examination to compare lineament properly . We ’ll always evidence you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
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FAQs
There are no part helper supported for the Beolab 8
