2ndRick
05-11-2012, 11:18 AM
The company who once pulled out of all specialists to make a move into company stores only, has now made a change and announced that it will have some SKUs in a new line called "B&O Play" that will be sold though selected a/v dealers.
http://www.dealerscope.com/article/bang-olufsen-play-adds-new-tv-ipad-sound-system-upgraded-beosound-8/1
B&O Adds New A/V Lines to Play Brand
Plans to sell audio products through select CE retailers
Bang & Olufsen has added new A/V lines to its B&O Play brand and plans to distribute the audio products through specialty CE and design-oriented retailers.
The company is currently in talks with several CE specialty retailers but Henrick Lorensen , vice president of B&O Play, would not say which ones. Related announcements should come during the next few months. Amazon.com is already carrying B&O Play's first product, the Beolit 12 ($799), which was released in January, and is on board to carry the new audio products, Lorensen said, adding that the Apple Stores will also carry the line.
The new products include the brand's first TV, the 32-inch (MRP $3,249) and 40-inch ($3,999) BeoPlay V1 edge-lit LED sets. Those will only be sold through B&O retail stores and are scheduled to hit at the end of May.
The new BeoPlay A3 ($549) is an iPad sound system featuring B&O's Adaptive Stereo Orientation. The technology works with an imbedded motion sensor that is designed to deliver optimized sound depending on the iPad's orientation. The omini-directional two-inch woofer is always on, but the unit automatically decides which two of the three one-inch tweeters to activate depending on landscape or portrait orientation.
The unit has a wedge-like design that can stand in portrait mode or in landscape mode for watching videos. It can also lie on a table at a slight angle. The product includes a rubber gasket for the original iPad and another for the second and third versions. Lorensen predicts that many consumers will choose to dedicate their old iPads to the system. Other than using it for watching video of listening to music, Lorensen said it's perfect for Skype and video conferencing.
"It's quite magical what you find out you can do with it once you've lived with it for a while," he said.
B&O also updated its BeoSound 8 (B&O's best-selling sound system ever) by adding an integrated AirPlay for wireless connection and renaming it the BeoPlay A8 ($1,149). It features a removable docking station, 5-inch midrange/bass speakers that deliver 70 watts from integrated Class D amplifiers, and three-quarter-inch tweeters. B&O dropped the price of the BeoSound 8 15 percent to $999 and will eventually phase out the model.
The BeoPlay V1 is as much about sound as it is about video. The Class D ICEpower amps drive the woofer and two midrange speakers, which are built into the set's steel cabinet. The TV includes an integrated 5.1 surround module and additional speaker connections for full surround sound.
A compartment with a removable cover spans the lower back of the set where a removable Wi-Fi antenna and Apple TV2 module fit snuggly in separate compartments. The TVs are designed to easily detect and configure connected set-top boxes, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, NAS servers and hard disks. They also have pre-set audio and video modes to optimize a particular listening or viewing experience.
The TVs include a stand and a wall-hanging bracket. They can also be hung from the ceiling by thin, motorized cables, which can be used for adjusting the viewing angle.
"We decided to make a TV that's more joyful," Lorensen said.
http://www.dealerscope.com/article/bang-olufsen-play-adds-new-tv-ipad-sound-system-upgraded-beosound-8/1
B&O Adds New A/V Lines to Play Brand
Plans to sell audio products through select CE retailers
Bang & Olufsen has added new A/V lines to its B&O Play brand and plans to distribute the audio products through specialty CE and design-oriented retailers.
The company is currently in talks with several CE specialty retailers but Henrick Lorensen , vice president of B&O Play, would not say which ones. Related announcements should come during the next few months. Amazon.com is already carrying B&O Play's first product, the Beolit 12 ($799), which was released in January, and is on board to carry the new audio products, Lorensen said, adding that the Apple Stores will also carry the line.
The new products include the brand's first TV, the 32-inch (MRP $3,249) and 40-inch ($3,999) BeoPlay V1 edge-lit LED sets. Those will only be sold through B&O retail stores and are scheduled to hit at the end of May.
The new BeoPlay A3 ($549) is an iPad sound system featuring B&O's Adaptive Stereo Orientation. The technology works with an imbedded motion sensor that is designed to deliver optimized sound depending on the iPad's orientation. The omini-directional two-inch woofer is always on, but the unit automatically decides which two of the three one-inch tweeters to activate depending on landscape or portrait orientation.
The unit has a wedge-like design that can stand in portrait mode or in landscape mode for watching videos. It can also lie on a table at a slight angle. The product includes a rubber gasket for the original iPad and another for the second and third versions. Lorensen predicts that many consumers will choose to dedicate their old iPads to the system. Other than using it for watching video of listening to music, Lorensen said it's perfect for Skype and video conferencing.
"It's quite magical what you find out you can do with it once you've lived with it for a while," he said.
B&O also updated its BeoSound 8 (B&O's best-selling sound system ever) by adding an integrated AirPlay for wireless connection and renaming it the BeoPlay A8 ($1,149). It features a removable docking station, 5-inch midrange/bass speakers that deliver 70 watts from integrated Class D amplifiers, and three-quarter-inch tweeters. B&O dropped the price of the BeoSound 8 15 percent to $999 and will eventually phase out the model.
The BeoPlay V1 is as much about sound as it is about video. The Class D ICEpower amps drive the woofer and two midrange speakers, which are built into the set's steel cabinet. The TV includes an integrated 5.1 surround module and additional speaker connections for full surround sound.
A compartment with a removable cover spans the lower back of the set where a removable Wi-Fi antenna and Apple TV2 module fit snuggly in separate compartments. The TVs are designed to easily detect and configure connected set-top boxes, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, NAS servers and hard disks. They also have pre-set audio and video modes to optimize a particular listening or viewing experience.
The TVs include a stand and a wall-hanging bracket. They can also be hung from the ceiling by thin, motorized cables, which can be used for adjusting the viewing angle.
"We decided to make a TV that's more joyful," Lorensen said.