‘Inspired by the past, designed by the future’ is the tag line for Bang and Olufsen’s new portable speaker, Beosound A5, launched Thursday, April 27. The speaker features USB charging for mobile devices, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and is housed in a picnic basket design, complete with a handle.
“Our inspiration for Beosound A5 came from many places including the iconic Beolit series, as well as natural materials synonymous with the colours and textures found in Scandinavian nature,” says Danish-Italian design duo GamFratesi who worked with Bang and Olufsen for the first time to collaborate on the speaker’s look and feel.
“From the traditional Panama straw hats worn on beaches, to the hand-woven leather accents of Danish chairs from the 1960s, blends of natural materials applied in experimental ways guided our design journey.”
The speaker isn’t cheap at $1800 for the Black Anthra-cite/Dark Oak version and $1650 for Nordic Weave/Natural Aluminium (by comparison, the Sonos Move is $699), but it was specially made with a modular design, allowing for it to be easily serviced and repaired to extend its lifetime, rather than having to buy a new unit. Once it does reach eventually its end-of-life point, it’s easy to dismantle, and so supports circular solutions.
It also boasts an IP65 water and dustproof rating, meaning it’s sturdy enough to be used on any outdoor adventures and, with the help of its handle, can easily be taken on them. Not to mention its 12 hours of playtime with a single charge will ensure it’ll last on a day out.
Though, if you do want to simply use it indoors, it’ll fill large rooms with its dynamic, 360-degree sound. The company says it’s its most powerful portable speaker so far, thanks to its four drivers and four digital amplifiers mustering 280 watts.
It’s compatible with Beolink Multiroom, Airplay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth 5.2 and more, and can be smoothly integrated into an existing Bang and Olufsen smart home system for an immersive, multi-room experience at the tap of a button.
The Bang and Olufsen Beosound A5 is available in stores and online starting today. The Nordic Weave color option costs $1650 while the Dark Oak version is $1800.
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