Skip to main content

Origin Acoustics, Bang & Olufsen show off new architectural speakers at CEDIA 2016

bang olufsen origin acoustics partnership cedia 2016 and celestial speaker
Bang & Olufsen is well known for its high-end audio gear, but the Origin Acoustics name might not be as recognizable. The company is certainly notable, however, as the company was the first to sell in-ceiling and in-wall speakers. Now the two companies have teamed up and brought the fruits of that partnership to show off at CEDIA 2016.

“Bang & Olufsen’s modern electronics design have been, are and will be a step above the rest in terms of luxury aesthetics,” Origin Acoustics executive vice president Nick Berry said in a statement. “We are honored to be B&O’s chosen partner for the engineering, design and build of their architectural speaker products.”

The first of the new Bang & Olufsen architectural speakers is the Celestial in-wall speaker. This features Origin’s Weather-X technology, allowing it to be used both inside and outside, this model comes with a premium grille featuring branding from both companies. It’s even to install, thanks to Zip-Clip 2.0 Tool-Less Installation. At the start, there will be six models in the Celestial line.

Complementing the Celestial line is the Palatial in-wall high performance theater collection. This model features two 6.5-inch woofers, two midrange drivers, and a 1-inch tweeter to cover the entire frequency range in one unit. This unit can be used with either a Weather-X grille, or an Advanced grille that adds style elements the two companies say can’t be found in any other in-wall speaker. This model is also easy to install thanks to Spring-Lock 2.0 Tool-Less Installation.

While the partnership with Bang & Olufsen is important to Origin Acoustics, the company is still offering its own unique models as well. On Wednesday the company announced its Minimal Opening 5 System, which allows for easy placement of speakers in the same 4-inch or 6-inch spaces that would normally house recessed lighting.

“We exist to innovate and offer more products that sound better than our competitors,” Origin Acoustics CEO Jeremy Burkhardt said. The new Minimal Opening 5 System is a testament to this as it offers our partners a unique option that no one else has. It will stun and amaze our upscale clientele with a solution that look just as impressive as they sound.”

If you’re wondering how much bass an entirely in-ceiling speaker system could offer, Origin Acoustics has already addressed that with its dual 6.5-inch in-ceiling subwoofer, which hides a larger subwoofer in the ceiling, using a 3-inch opening to pump out sound. The company says that this is capable of producing lows dipping in the higher end of the 30Hz range, which is fairly impressive.

Both Origin and Bang & Olufsen are showing products at their own boots at CEDIA 2016 in Dallas, which runs through September 17.

Editors' Recommendations

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Bang & Olufsen looks to the future with new headphones and Airplay 2 support
h9i collection header

Bang and Olufsen joined the chorus of companies making big announcements at CES 2018. The audio manufacturer detailed several upcoming headphone models, as well as teased future updates that will bring Google Assistant and Apple Airplay 2 to its existing products.

The first of those headphone models are the Beoplay H9i and H8i, which are updated versions of Bang & Olufsen's previously available H9 and H8 over-ear headphones.

Read more
Bang & Olufsen and LG team up for luxurious new BeoVision Eclipse 4K OLED TV
Beovision eclipse lifestyle 1

The seeds of the partnership that Bang & Olufsen announced last year with LG have blossomed. The combination of LG's OLED display tech and Bang & Olufsen's impeccable audio engineering has brought to life a high-end 4K Ultra HD OLED TV, the BeoVision Eclipse, which launched during September's IFA trade show in Berlin.

While this isn't the first TV Bang & Olufsen has produced, it is the company's first OLED model, and the BeoVision Eclipse ticks all the boxes you could want from an OLED TV, including 4K UHD resolution (of course), as well as Dolby Vision HDR support for better contrast and richer colors, all of which is further enhanced by the pure blacks and "near infinite contrast ratio" that OLEDs can achieve.

Read more
Polk showcases a shrunken sound bar and hi-fi speakers at CEDIA 2016
polk announces signature series magnifi mini sound bar 2

Polk is a company that offers both classic audio components like passive speakers, as well as newer, more technology-driven products like Bluetooth headphones. In its showing at CEDIA on Thursday, the company showed both of those sides, announcing the new MagniFi Mini compact sound bar, as well as its new Signature Series line of speakers.
MagniFi Mini
Measuring only 13.4 inches long and 3.1 inches tall, the Polk MagniFi Mini is described as a perfect companion for TVs in bedrooms and other smaller spaces. Despite the small size, it manages to pack in four 2.25-inch drivers and two 12mm tweeters. Polk says the MagniFi Mini is "universally compatible" with any television, cable box, or satellite remote control, meaning you won't need a separate remote to control it.

"As home entertainment solutions continue to evolve, and TVs continue to become thinner, sound bars are increasingly in demand for users looking to boost their home theater and, ultimately, their TV-watching experience,” Michael Greco, Polk Audio global brand director, said in a statement “In step with Polk Audio’s tact for innovation, the MagniFi Mini delivers the performance of sound bars more than twice its size.”

Read more