Many people may want to prominently display the Beosound Level, as it is constructed of sandblasted aluminum and comes with an option of natural oak and mesh fabric covers. The controls are integrated into the metal frame and the “buttons” are activated with touch gestures. Bang & Olufsen says the speaker “lights up to greet you” thanks to proximity sensors, which measure the time of day by automatically adjusting the brightness.
To improve portability, Bang & Olufsen included a rechargeable battery capable of 16 hours of playback “at normal volumes”. The company says it can achieve this “by intelligently analyzing behavior and continuously adjusting energy consumption and adjustment”. B&O also made the charger a magnetic disk that fits the back of the speaker instead of a regular plug. In addition, IP54 dust and splash resistance makes the Beosound Level suitable for casual outdoor entertainment.
Bang & Olufsen
Inside, an array of five speakers controls all of your audio content. The company says its collection of two four-inch woofers, a two-inch full range driver, two 0.8-inch tweeters and low-distortion amplifiers can bring together 79dB of bass and 96dB of average volume. However, the most interesting components are those that B&O says will “combat technology obsolescence, increase resource efficiency and increase longevity”.
The Beosound Level comes with a replaceable streaming module that will power more of the company’s home speakers. Bang & Olufsen explains that part has received “sufficient processing power and connectivity technology” to accommodate updates to improve performance and new features “for many years”. The company also claims that the “modular” design of the speakers allows customers to perform easy maintenance tasks, such as replacing the battery, and offers service partners better access to key components. Of course, depending on the new audio technology available, we will have to wait and see if this speaker can really stay up to date for “decades of great sound experiences”.
The Beosound Level is now available for $ 1,999 (€ 1099 / £ 9,499) in natural and gold tone for $ 2,299 (€ 1299 / £ 10,900). The wall bracket you will need to hang the speaker will not arrive until April 29 and costs an additional $ 149 (€ 89 / £ 739). As it did in the past with other speakers, B&O is promising that more colors and materials for the front covers are on the way.