TechTvsB&O Beosound Theatre: 5 features that blew my mindB&O’s champion soundbar, Beosound Theatre, is not only a sensational piece of design, it’s an audio auteurWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechTvsB&O Beosound Theatre: 5 features that blew my mindB&O’s champion soundbar, Beosound Theatre, is not only a sensational piece of design, it’s an audio auteurWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
B&O’s champion soundbar, Beosound Theatre, is not only a sensational piece of design, it’s an audio auteur
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Away from the grounds of IFA 2022 show in Berlin, Bang & Olufsen had setup a stylish apartment space kitted out with its latest and greatest soundbar: theBeosound Theatre. And I got to kick back and listen to this ultra-premium and ultra-pricey soundbar to get a genuine feel of what it’s capable of delivering.
From a medley of musical genres, to a James Bond scene fromNo Time To Die, and that ‘We Will Rock You’ scene from the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody, B&O was keen to show off the soundbar’s range, while I was pleased as pie to let my ears be on the receiving end. Here are the Beosound Theatre’s standout features that blew my mind and, well, ears…
1. The integrated-with-TV style
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Beosound Theatre is actually a B&O TV unit with integrated soundbar. It’s not, as there’s no TV included, but it’s designed to fit with almost any TV on the market, and explicitly designed to handshake best with LG’s C2 and G2 OLED tellies.
It doesn’t really matter which size of set you own (up to 77-inches anyway, no larger just yet), as the Beosound Theatre has aluminium ‘wings’ that detach and can be replaced to ensure a fluid design with 55-, 65- and 77-inch models (or less and you forego those ‘wings’ in the design).
It all looks very flush, as if a single piece of design. There’s a panel that slots into the soundbar and is fully weigh supporting, plus adjustable. So you can move the screen position forward or backwards to ensure perfect symmetry on the mount, to adapt for differing TV thicknesses. Then all the cables and tucked away behind a cover on this panel, so it looks seamless even from the rear side.
It’s easily the most integrated soundbar design I’ve ever seen paired with a TV, although you can wall-mount the ‘bar instead if you prefer. All mounts are included in the box, too, so the choice is yours.
2. It’s a single box solution with 7.1.4 output
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The Beosound Theatre has a total of 12 speakers. Now, I know plenty of the otherbest soundbarscan claim to have as many, perhaps even more. But in this B&O it’s the sheer scale of the product that gives them greater oomph. They’re also positioned to deliver height and width channels (that’s the ‘4’ of the 7.1.4 arrangement) without you really seeing the drivers at all (just the openings atop the soundbar’s fabric finish).
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
And boy is this thing loud: there’s 800W of power, so even with the volume set to 60 per cent, I couldfeelthe output. And I’m pretty sure various neighbouring apartments in Berlin centre were wondering what was happening in the middle of the day on a Thursday (or perhaps not, given how embedded techno culture is in this city).
3. Impact of the bass from those 6.5in woofers
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
In among those 12 speakers are two 6.5-inch woofers. That means those are physically larger than you’ll find in any other soundbar on the market. And let me tell you: you’ll definitely know about it.
I was dubious at first, as I’m a sucker for a big subwoofer. But, no, the Beosound Theatre’s bass delivery, which is said to cater for as low as 23Hz, is absolutely massive. It’s truly impactful, not muddied, and listening to the foot-stomping scene from Bohemian Rhapsody really hit home just how well the low-end is catered for in this soundbar.
It’s the biggest bass delivery from a single box soundbar solution on the market, in my view, genuinely negating the need for a separate subwoofer.
4. Expansive connectivity and future-proofed modularity
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
However, if you do have additional speakers then you can pair them with the Beosound Theatre as you wish. It’s backwards compatible with anything from B&O’s older range, thanks to its ‘Mozart’ chipset, so whether you want to add some small additions or have giant floor-standing speakers to act as rear surrounds, you can set up this system to be even more all-encompassing.
I find B&O’s approach to modularity interesting too, as every component within the soundbar is accessible and the company’s services mean various components can be upgraded in the future, should that become necessary. Let’s say ‘HDMI 3.0’ becomes a thing (it isn’t yet) – you could have B&O upgrade that rear connectivity section to ensure it’s compatible. As it stands, however, theHDMI 2.1 with eARCpassthrough will cater for 4K at 120fps withALLMandVRRanyway, so it’s as up-to-date as can be at the time of release.
5. …oh, and the price!
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
But its asking price is about as mind-blowing as its sound quality: at £5,590 in the UK, it’s double the price of most top-end tellies and way,waymore than many soundbar setups with even more speaker outputs (Samsung HW-Q990Bbeing one such example).
B&O suggests it’s all about ‘buying better, not buying more’ and that the Theatre will outlive your TV set’s life thanks to its future-proofing modularity and clear high-end finish (the wood, the aluminium – it’s quite a stunner). I can respect that idea, as it’s one to get behind, it’s just that only a select and exclusive customer base is going to be lucky enough to even be able to consider owning such a product. But if you fall into that category then, well, after listing to this Bang & Olufsen soundbar I already envy you…
How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and what to expectWe should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
We should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
A fitness expert says you only need this three minute mobility routine to improve your posture – so I tried itWas three minutes really enough to ease stiffness in my shoulders, neck and hips?
Was three minutes really enough to ease stiffness in my shoulders, neck and hips?
The best AI feature I’ve seen this week didn’t come from Apple IntelligenceThis could be a game changer in the fight against AI bad actors
This could be a game changer in the fight against AI bad actors
Honor’s new laptop is a MacBook Air killer thanks to one neat privacy featureThis leaves it a notch above the competition
This leaves it a notch above the competition
Move over Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 – Honor is preparing to launch a flip phone globallyThe Honor foldable phone range could grow even more
The Honor foldable phone range could grow even more
New Honor Magic V3 is thinner and lighter than ever beforeIt’s lighter than a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
It’s lighter than a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Asus Vivobook S 15 is the first to feature a new Snapdragon processorThis could be a turning point for Windows laptops
This could be a turning point for Windows laptops
Qualcomm’s groundbreaking Intel rival just turned laptops up to 11Your next Windows laptop just snagged a powerful upgrade
Your next Windows laptop just snagged a powerful upgrade
The best new tech: T3’s IFA 2023 Awards from Europe’s biggest tech showFrom soundbars to smartphones, IFA is back with a bang – and here’s our selection of the show’s most banging products
From soundbars to smartphones, IFA is back with a bang – and here’s our selection of the show’s most banging products
Honor 70 review: a sleek and stylish mid-range smartphoneThe Honor 70 packs in just about everything you could need from your next phone
The Honor 70 packs in just about everything you could need from your next phone
