The new Beolab 8 can be connected wirelessly or wired to a Bang & Olufsen TV or the Besound Theater soundbar as, for example, surround rear units.
Bang & Olufsen has today unveiled a new compact speaker that is highly versatile. Beolab 8 can stand alone, play in a stereo pair or be part of a larger B&O setup. They can be used for music, TV audio and other types of media.
- "Our goal is to create powerful and immersive listening experiences for our customers. Beolab 8 provides exactly this. It is a scalable speaker that is all about flexibility, performance, and innovation," said Michael Henriksson, VP Product Marketing, Bang & Olufsen. "Drawing inspiration from the high-end Beolab range, our aim for Beolab 8 was to distil the acoustic essence of these impressive speakers into a compact offering that maintains the directivity and sound beam control for optimal sound reproduction in any environment. Bringing immersive experiences for every moment."
Beolab 8 comes in a variety of colors and covers. Here is the aluminium version with wooden lamellas. Photo: B&O
Sweet spot follows you
Beolab 8's versatility and technology is in some ways reminiscent of Apple's HomePod. Like HomePod, Beolab 8 can automatically map and calibrate to the room using a built-in microphone, and produce wider, more diffuse room-filling sound using 'Beam width control'. However, the comparison with HomePod stops after looking at the choice of materials and price.
Inside is a 5.25" woofer, 3" midrange and 0.6" tweeter. In addition to room-filling sound, Beolab 8 can operate in a different mode to narrow down the sound for your sweet spot.
A new implementation is UWB (Ultra Wideband) which B&O uses to move the acoustic sweet spot based on your phone's location. It works only in stereo pairing mode and only with iPhone 11 or newer.
Beolab 8 can connect wired or wirelessly to B&O TVs and the Beosound Theatre soundbar. Photo: B&O
Beolab 8 as TV speakers
Beolab 8 can integrate with Bang & Olufsen TVs and the Beosound Theatre soundbar, and act as, for example, rear surround units or left/right front speakers. They can be connected with Powerlink cables or wirelessly with WiSA.
- "With Bang & Olufsen's Mozart platform at the heart of the product, Beolab 8 as a stand-alone product can connect easily through WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. And with Powerlink, both wireless and wired built into the speaker, Beolab 8 is a true system speaker, providing a connection to Bang & Olufsen TVs and sound systems dating back more than 30 years," the company said in a press release
Also read: Review: B&O Beosound Theatre
It is not possible to connect them directly to TVs from other brands, as there is no HDMI input.
A hefty price tag
You can place the speakers on a table, wall, ceiling or floor stand. These are the four mounting solutions that B&O will offer with Beolab 8. The aluminum shell will be available in natural aluminum, gold and black (from February 2024).
The price? Well, it falls in line with B&O's recent strategy change for even more premium pricing. Prices start at 2499 EUR / 2199 GBP / 2749 USD per speaker. They will be available in Europe and North America starting October 30.
B&O Beolab 8 – specifications
| Recommended Room Size
10-60 m²
100-600 ft²
Speaker Configuration
Per Speaker:
1 x 0.6" tweeter
1 x 3" mid-range
1 x 5 ¼" woofer
Amplifier
Per Speaker:
1 x 50 W class D for tweeter
1 x 50 W class D for mid-range
1 x 200 W class D for woofer
Maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) @1m
Per Pair:
104 dB (SPL)
Bass Capability @ 1m
Per Pair:
90 dB (SPL)
Advanced Sound Features
Active Room Compensation
Fluid Sweet Spot
Beam Width Control
Adaptive Bass Linearization
Thermal Protection
Customisable Sound EQ
Presets available and fully customisable through the Bang & Olufsen App
Designer
Noto GmbH
Materials
Aluminium
Fabric / Wood
Polymer
Dimensions
Per Speaker:
Table Stand: 18.9 W x 29 H x 16.5 D cm
Floor Stand: 30 W x 114 H x 30 D cm
Wall Bracket: 21.5 W x 27.9 H x 16.5 D cm
*dimensions depend on the speaker placement & tilt angle
Weight
Per Speaker:
4.1 kg (without stand or bracket)
Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth Codecs
AAC
SBC
Ultra-Wide-Band
Yes
Wi-Fi
Dual-Band Wi-Fi (2.4 & 5 GHz)
IEEE 802.11 b/g/a/n/ac/ax
Streaming Services
Spotify Connect
TIDAL Connect
B&O Radio
Deezer
QPlay 2.0
Beolink Multiroom
Yes
Wireless Powerlink / WiSA
Yes (up to 24 bit / 96 kHz)
Physical Connections
Per Speaker:
2 x Ethernet
1 x Power Link (RJ45)
1 x Line-in via USB-C
1 x Power
Remote Control
Bang & Olufsen App
Beoremote One BT
Beoremote Halo
On-Device Controls
Yes |
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