Bang & Olufsen reveals its new $6,300 BeoLab 20 wireless speaker

By Alex Tretbar May 16, 2014

bang olufsen releases new high end beolab 20 wireless speaker beo lab — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Earlier this month, Danish purveyor of deluxe audio equipment Bang & Olufsen unveiled its first foray into the Ultra-HD/4K sphere. The nearly $8,000 BeoVision Avant is one badboy piece of hardware whose motorized stand enables the LED panel to re-position itself into one of three customizable preset orientations. And now B&O has released its $6,300 BeoLab 20, an exceptionally high-end wireless floor-standing speaker system with some seriously cutting-edge features.

Sitting atop each BeoLab 20 is an Acoustic Lens (which B&O refers to as the speaker’s “crowning glory”) providing 180-degree horizontal dispersion to push high-frequency sound evenly throughout the room. The Lens also minimizes the effect of floor and ceiling reflections to reduce unwanted distortion – the aluminum base elevates the cabinet to enhance performance as well. Each speaker’s integrated subwoofer, with two 160-watt class-D amplifiers and a 10-inch driver, is sealed away within an independent 18-liter enclosure. B&O’s Adaptive Bass Linearisation constantly monitors and adapts low frequencies, helping to deliver extreme bass without risking subwoofer damage when playing at full volume. And finally, there are two more 160-watt class-D amplifiers dedicated to a 5-inch driver for midrange frequencies and 3/4-inch tweeter.

The speakers are WiSA-compliant, so they are capable of up to 96kHz/24-bit audio resolution (better than CD-quality) and will work with other WiSA compliant components. As for hard connections, the speaker has two Power Link (RJ45) ports, one RCA, and one TOSLINK (optical digital).

Both the vertically oriented, floorstanding BeoLab 20 and the Avant have the proprietary Immaculate Wireless Sound technology that B&O has featured on its other speakers, making interconnection between the devices effortless. And as if one’s not enough, B&O’s product page for the speaker suggests pairing four BeoLab 20s with its Avant TV for “a perfect combination” – one that’ll cost you a cool $33,000.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…

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