10th January 2009
We have launched a website to promote our new book, “Bang & Olufsen”, which can be found at www.collectingbangandolufsen.com.
The site contains high resolution pictures which show the quality of the photography and layout of the book. This is an ideal book for collectors, Bang & Olufsen enthusiasts, fans of Danish design and anyone who is interested in finding out more about Bang & Olufsen’s history. If you haven’t already ordered your copy, please go to the Collecting Bang & Olufsen site and see what you’re missing!
4th January 2009
Bang & Olufsen are now offering the majority of their loudspeakers in white. Models with moulded cases, such as the BeoLab 2 and BeoLab 3 have a shiny white finish, whereas the rest of the range have white fabric covers.
The new colour scheme suits all models very well, and brings to mind the white variations of standard models which were available during the 1970s and 1980s. The full list of white loudspeakers is as follows:
In addition the BeoVision 9 is available with a white speaker cloth and the BeoVision 8 is available with a white cabinet.
The whole range of white products is shown in a superbly-photographed catalogue, which sets a standard of presentation not achieved by the company since they started publishing their main catalogue biannually. With large photographs and minimal text, this is how B&O products should be shown. When products are presented this well, they become much more desirable.
You can download the catalogue here (it’s 47MB, so it might take a while to download).
11th December 2008
B&O is producing a limited edition of 1500 BeoSound 9000s in white. Each one in the series carries its number on the CD clamper.
Number 0001/1500 is being auctioned online with a pair of white BeoLab 8000 loudspeakers. All proceeds go to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. The winner of the auction will have the option to collect their BeoSound 9000 from B&O’s headquarters in Struer, where it will be presented to them by the CEO, Karl Kristian Hvidt Nielsen. They will also be given a tour of some of the company’s production and test facilities, and visit the Bang & Olufsen museum.
The auction runs until 15th January, and can be found here. The 1499 remaining BeoSound 9000s will be sold in B&O’s shops.
10th December 2008
B&O’s A8 headphones are now available in four new colours: yellow, orange, green and white. Prices are the same as the black version, which is still available.
4th December 2008
It’s the time of year when B&O add a new colour to the BeoSound 1 range. This year it’s copper:
Usually one of the existing colours is discontinued, but that’s not the case this year, so the full range is now black, dark grey, silver, white, green and copper.
30th November 2008
Beodesign is a new company which sounds interesting. They are based in Saarbrücken, Germany and describe themselves as a non-profit association of interior designers customising Bang & Olufsen systems. Their website, www.beodesign.org, currently contains details of a single product, a BeoSound Ouverture with the cassette compartment adapted into an iPhone dock.
According to Beodesign, the Ouverture’s iPhone dock contains two microprocessors which communicate with the B&O system in such a way that they seemlessly replace the cassette deck. The iPhone is activated by pressing the Tape button, which allows its music library to be played through the Ouverture or any other system connected to it via BeoLink.
The Beodesign website makes no mention of any plans to sell the completed product, or even to make the design available for people who wish to build it themselves. Perhaps this explains the ‘non-profit’ statement… However, there is surely a small, but not insignificant market for a product as well integrated as this one.
30th November 2008
LifeStyle AV, retailers of pre-owned B&O equipment, have launched an updated website. Visually, the new site is cleaner and brighter than the previous design, which itself wasn’t particularly cluttered!
There is more to the redesign than a fresh appearance: all products except accessories now have their own “Product Information” and FAQ pages, giving far more detail than before. Most of the information appears to be adapted from the Beoworld site, but it is still a useful addition to Lifestyle AV’s pages.
LifeStyle AV’s site is here, they currently have special offers on Beolab 6000 and 8000 loudspeakers and on their stock of BeoVision 7-40s.
30th November 2008
Struer Design is a new company which manufacturers furniture designed specifically for B&O products. Their range consists of cabinets for the BeoVision/BeoCenter 6, BeoVision 7-32 and BeoVision 7-40. The BeoVision 7-32 cabinet is shown below.
The company also makes a wall-hung CD/DVD rack, which helps to broaden the appeal of their products beyond people who own the latest B&O TVs. Standard colours for all furniture are black with aluminium trim, but custom colours are available to special order. Struer Design’s website can be found here.
22nd November 2008
We’ve just had confirmation that our book, “Bang & Olufsen” will be published on 12th December.
This 224 page hardback book is an invaluable resource for collectors, enthusiasts and Bang & Olufsen owners alike. For the first time, the story of the company is told through the products they made, illustrated with hundreds of original colour photographs.
The book also includes detailed information that anyone looking to start or expand a Bang & Olufsen collection will find indispensible. From advice on locating and buying equipment to tips on making the most of what you already have, everything is here to help you build up a collection to be proud of.
The book’s unique “System Builder” section shows which of the many units work well together, in comprehensive and easy to understand tables, so you can put together working systems without trial and error.
This is the ideal present for all Bang & Olufsen enthusiasts, so order now from Amazon or The Crowood Press!
19th November 2008
A version of the excellent and very successful BeoVision 7, without a built-in DVD player is now available. The new model is only available with a 32″ screen, creating a lower-priced entry to the BeoVision 7 range.
The DVD-less variant will be known as the BeoVision 7-32 TV, a similar naming convention to the BeoVision Avant 28 CTV (the variant of the Avant 28 without a video recorder). Despite lacking a DVD player, the BeoVision 7-32 TV still has a built-in surround sound processor, with connections for up to 5 BeoLab loudspeakers. Since the TV itself has no built-in loudspeakers, customers will have to buy at least a pair of BeoLab 4s (pictured above) or a BeoLab 7-1.
