Danish design house Bang & Olufsen has been cranking out some gorgeous, great-sounding audio products recently, like its H6 headphones and A9 speakers. The latest addition to the company's luxury-minded BeoPlay line is yet another stunner.
The BeoPlay S8 is a 2.1 speaker system---one 1.7-foot-tall subwoofer and a pair of 6-inch-diameter satellite speakers. It looks like a miniaturized, free-floating version of the BeoLab 14 5.1 surround-sound setup. The resemblance is no coincidence, as both systems share the same sculptor: Longtime Bang & Olufsen designer Torsten Valeur of David Lewis Designs.
Each piece in the set is a seamless, unibody slab of aluminum. Beyond just looking slick, these matte-black aluminum speakers are equipped to deliver a knock-out blow: The 8-inch bass driver in the class-D sub is powered by a 280-watt amp, while each of the satellites have a 2.5-inch driver powered by dedicated 140-watt amps. These amps that drive the satellite speakers are enclosed inside the subwoofer tower. Table stands and wall brackets for the sats are included in the box.
It’s not a wireless system, but wires and inputs are kept to a minimum. The subwoofer has 3.5mm input and RCA audio input; you can connect a streaming device or any audio component, but the system doesn’t have an integrated wireless receiver. (The new Audioengine B1 Bluetooth receiver would pair nicely.) The satellites are also connected via wires: One from the subwoofer to a single satellite speaker, and one that connects the satellites to one another.
Like previous BeoPlay speaker systems, the S8 set gives you a little bit more freedom in terms of subwoofer placement. The sub has a placement switch that lets you select "Wall" or "Corner" positions, which purportedly optimizes sound coming out of its top-facing bass port to combat standing waves or any low-frequency distortion.
The system sells for $1,200, which is not cheap. But B&O's designs have always commanded high dollars. The sleek S8 system should be available in the U.S. in September.
