There’s nothing subtle about Bang and Olufsen. They go out of their way to grab your attention, sometimes by outlandish or inspired design, other times by a price tag that would make James Packer whistle.
So it’s no surprise that their recently renovated flagship store on Oxford Street in Paddington is the same. From the speakers outside playing the latest music to passersby to the bright red wall which catches the light reflecting off cars headlights and therefore people’s attention, everything is meant to stand out, loud and proud. Like Beckham. Or a Big Brother Housemate.
Inside, there’s all the latest B&O products, from their new entry model LCD TVs (for a paltry $4K) to their incredible new Serenata phone, which looks and feels like sex in circuitry form. But the main attraction in the store is what Bang and Olufsen calls “BeoLiving”.
Zara over at Shiny Shiny got her hands on the Bang & Olufsen/Samsung Serenata phone, which isn’t just a phone, it’s a “personal music system”. Even after watching the video it’s unclear how the music UI capabilities outclass say, the iPhone, but the external speakers seem like they sound pretty great—it even has bass. Not like Enya even has any bass in any of her songs. We’ll see if we can get a close up video of the UI for you. [Shiny Shiny]
Bang & Olufsen and Samsung made their new Serenata music phone official today, as promised, sporting the distinctive look and sure-to-be ludicrous pricing that B&O is known for. Loaded with 4GB of flash memory, the Serenata has a built-in speaker that’s designed to pump out your jams with no headphones necessary. I’d say don’t use this on the subway, but anyone who can afford a B&O phone doesn’t use public transportation.
No one will be mistaking the Bang and Olufsen Beo5 for another remote anytime soon, thanks to its distinctive form factor and features. The Beo5 sports a touchscreen on top and an array of buttons arranged in a circle below. What makes this thing special, besides the obvious design, is that it is fully programmable to your liking. Anything that can be remote controlled is, in theory, compatible with the Beo5. But honestly, we want one just to feel like we are conquerors of our own domain. No word on release date or pricing yet, but you might want to start saving now. [New Launches via Sci Fi]
Bang & Olufsen’s latest sex-tastic DVD player doesn’t just play back DVDs, there’s an analog TV tuner, HDMI output, Guide Plus+, a 250GB hard drive and the ability to burn shows to DVD as well. This may not have TiVo-level functionality, but it’s infinitely better looking. And when’s the last time anyone besides that redhead on Sex and the City wanted to hump a TiVo? [B&O via Far East Gizmos via New Launches]
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Back in May there was a sighting of an interesting new phone on the FCC website. Now, a Russian cellphone retailer has passed on some more details of the Samsung F310, also called the B&O Serenata.
Bang and Olufsen, that Danish designer that loves to charge way too much for oftentimes oddly-designed electronics, is really living up to their reputation with the new Beolab 3 speakers. These portable computer speakers pump out 250 watts of power in 180 degrees, which is impressive. The look is, well, OK, I guess, depending on your taste for “unique” design. The price, on the other hand, is tough to justify: $3,200. For computer speakers. These guys make Bose look like the cheap option. [New Launches]
Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound 6 MP3 player is definitely a “come and get me” nod towards the Nano market – albeit the few people in the Nano market who would be happy to spunk a schmazillion bucks on an MP3 player with poxy 4GB memory (are there any out there?) So what has ramped the price up to over four times the price of an equivalent Nano – surely it’s not the leather case and A8 earphones that accompany it…
Based on the design of the Samsung YP-Z5 MP3, the Beosound 6 shares the Korean player’s interface. Measuring 3.5 x 1.7 x 0.5 inches, it sports a 1.8-inch color LCD screen. Battery life is 24 hours, and it supports both MP3 and WMA formats.
So, all that for $812, eh? *Faints*. [Beoworld]
Yes, they did it again. Danish pals, clown number and technology re-packers Bang & Olufsen want to sell you another Samsung LCD panel in a nice box: the BeoVision 7. Nothing wrong with that. Their 40-inch TV with integrated DVD and central speaker certainly looks amazing, but when Kim Gravesen, B&O Chief here, says she’s “very excited for the arrival of BeoVision 7 as it is truly an unparalleled LCD television and home entertainment unit that exhibits renowned Bang & Olufsen design and technology” I just have to jump in. Three words for you, Kim. Made. In. Korea.
If you want unparalleled technology for its $13,250 price tag, you can get yourself a better Samsung Full HD TV, a good AV receiver and some good speakers. And if you want something to look great on your bachelor pad then burn that credit card in the BeoVision 7. And eat less danish pastry. – Jesus Diaz
AU: Just to add further condemnation, last I knew, it was Samsung who supplied panels to B&O for their TVs. So when they aren’t even delivering the latest in Samsung high-end, and charging a lot more for them, that B&O cache begins to lose its edge. -SB
Bang & Olufsen Introduces BeoVision 7 – Its Premier LCD Screen to Arrive in North America [PR Newswire]
B&O components usually require a hefty bank account, but the company's latest HDTV claims it's worth the splurge featuring something no other TVs have—realistic speakers.
You see, rather than have sound emanate from the side speakers (like most TVs do), the BeoVision 8 claims its sound comes from the mouths of the people on screen, giving it a more realistic feel. B&O doesn't say how they pull this off, but for $3,582, I wouldn't be willing to find out. – Louis Ramirez
"Affordable" Luxury from Bang & Olufsen [Shiny Shiny]
