Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

B&O’s Beolab 8 wireless speaker uses AirTag tech to track you

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 next to a turntable.
Bang & Olufsen

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is the secret sauce behind the super-precise location system built into Apple’s AirTags, which provide a great way for you to track down lost items like keys. But Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has found a new use for UWB: Its Beoloab 8 wireless speaker uses it track you, or more accurately, your position in a room, so that it can keep you in its acoustic sweet spot.

The B&O Beolab 8, a stunning, all-aluminum wireless speaker that looks like it’s floating in space, starts at $2,749 and will be available in October from bang-olufsen.com or at authorized retailers. That starting price can quickly climb depending on the finishes and type of stand you choose. It works with your home wireless network using Wi-Fi 6, or you can set up ad-hoc streaming connections using Bluetooth 5.3.

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 seen from front and rear.
Bang & Olufsen

The aluminum shell has three color options, while the front grille can be ordered in plain acoustic fabric or three colors of oak. It’s a design that matches the company’s Beolab 28 wireless tower speakers and Beosound Theatre soundbar. There are four stand options, including an available ceiling mount.

The speaker’s tracking system isn’t quite as creepy as it initially sounds. It only works in conjunction with your smartphone (it doesn’t track actual people), and you have to enable it inside the B&O app.  Another choice you can make about how sound is directed is via the speaker’s beam width control feature. It lets you switch between two listening experiences: a narrow mode with precision audio to optimize the sweet spot, or a wide mode that diffuses sound throughout the room. LEDs on the speaker display which sound mode status the speaker is in.

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 top touch controls.
Bang & Olufsen

However, the Beolab 8 can also tune its sound for your space without the help of you (or your phone). Its Room Compensation feature can map your environment and adjust itself to match your room’s unique acoustic properties. It’s also smart enough to know what type of grille you’ve installed, and can compensate for that choice too.

Under that sleek enclosure is a three-driver setup consisting of a 16mm tweeter, a 3-inch midrange, and a 5.25-inch woofer. B&O hasn’t released any details on the number of amps (likely three — one for each driver) or the total number of watts, but B&O speakers have never been described as underpowered.

You’ll also find two Ethernet ports and a USB-C port that can be used a line-in for analog and digital music sources, similar to how Sonos uses USB-C on its new Era 100 and Era 300 speakers.

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8 seen with black fabric grille.
Bang & Olufsen

You can use a single Beolab 8 on its own, or you can create a stereo pair with a second Beolab 8. It can also be used as part of a larger sound system thanks to its Powerlink and Beolink features, which can create both wired and wireless connections to other B&O speakers and components.

The Beolab 8 is also a WiSA-compatible speaker, so you can use it to set up fully wireless home theater systems if you have a compatible TV or a WiSA SoundSend adapter, plus the speaker supports several music streaming options including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Deezer.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
New Beoplay E8 Sport true wireless earbuds from B&O are colorful and sporty
beolplay e8 sport news ear

Bang & Olufsen has announced the Beoplay E8 Sport, a pair of luxury true wireless earbuds made for the fashion-conscious exercise fiend. The new E8 Sport follow up on B&O's first tentative move into earbuds for active people, the E8 Motion, which launched in May 2019. For the E8 Sport, the company has switched up the design to something less minimalist and more funky, and added some crucial features that will encourage people to wear them when exercising.

To emphasize their sporting nature, the Beoplay E8 Sport’s case is made from rubber and silicone so it can withstand some rough treatment, like being thrown into bags or jostled around in your pocket. The textured exterior is carried over onto the earbuds themselves, which have ridges that run around the outer edge to make them easier to grip and adjust while running. Not only does this serve a function, but it also gives the earbuds a really unusual look.

Read more
At $100 more than the AirPods Pro, B&O’s new wireless buds may be a tough sell
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 3rd generation

Almost one year to the date, Danish audio icon Bang & Olufsen is back with the latest version of its Beoplay E8 true wireless earbuds. Now in their third generation, the elegant wireless buds are 17% smaller than the previous version for a more comfortable fit. But perhaps more significantly, battery life has doubled. In 2020, that was nearly an imperative given the state of the market (and their previous 3.5-hour playback time).

What hasn't changed for the E8 is the price: The buds still command a whopping $350, which is likely to give pause to all but the most ardent (and affluent) audio fans.

Read more
VIZIO rolls out all-new Quantum 4K QLED smart TVs: Get them at Walmart right now [Sponsored]
VIZIO M75Q6-L4 all-new Quantum 4K QLED HDR smart TVs

When brands launch new TVs, especially models that utilize the latest technologies, the prices tend to be expensive. But it doesn't always have to be that way, and one brand proving it to the world is VIZIO. More specifically, VIZIO is launching all-new Quantum 4K QLED Smart TVs in 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. Here's the kicker: Both models will be available at Walmart and are incredibly affordable. Starting at $498, you can get your hands on a shiny new Quantum 4K QLED Smart TV, leveraging next-generation colors and clarity with HDR Dolby Vision support and spectacular Quantum Color technology (QLED) that puts over 1 billion colors on screen. These sets are excellent for gaming, too, thanks to AMD FreeSync compatibility and the option to crank up frame rates to 120Hz when in 1080P. Of course, there's much more to share about these VIZIO TVs, so keep reading.

Why you should buy the all-new VIZIO Quantum 4K QLED HDR smart TVs
There are two new models, one a 65-inch panel and the other in a 75-inch size. Both utilize QLED Quantum Color technology in a 4K UHD (2160P) resolution. At the top of the list of features is WiFi 6, the latest wireless connectivity tech for faster, better, and less congested internet connections. You'll want a WiFi 6-capable router to support those faster connections, by the way. Central to the wireless connectivity is VIZIO's smart TV platform with WatchFree+, a service not unlike cable TV that gives you access to thousands of on-demand and freely available content.

Read more