Beosound Emerge smart speaker

Beosound Emerge smart speaker (Cool gadgets)

This might just be the best-looking smart speaker money can buy. Beneath the bookish disguise, the Beosound Emerge is equipped with Google Assistant so it can control any compatible connected home tech.

The audio is powered by a separate tweeter, mid-range driver and subwoofer so it will create room-filling, detailed sound, despite its size. And if you somehow have enough spare cash to buy two, you can pair it with a second speaker to create stereo sound.

Beosound Emerge has one 4-inch woofer, one 1.45-inch mid-range driver, and one 0.6-inch tweeter.

HIGHLIGHTS

Beosound Emerge is powered by a USB Type-C port

It has a 60W woofer, 30W mid-range driver, and 30W tweeter

Beosound Emerge also comes in a Black Anthracite colour

Beosound Emerge by Bang & Olufsen With 120W Output, Unique Book-Like Design Launched

Beosound Emerge has controls on the top and speaker grill at the front

Beosound Emerge is the latest Wi-Fi speaker by Bang & Olufsen and it has been designed to look like a book. This compact speaker will blend into a book cabinet and is said to offer “full-range, ultra-wide sound.” Beosound Emerge is offered in two colour options and comes with support for streaming services like AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, apart from having Chromecast built-in. Beosound Emerge can also be paired with another Beosound Emerge for stereo sound.

Beosound Emerge price, availability

Beosound Emerge is priced at EUR 669 (roughly Rs. 59,700) and has two colour options: Black Anthracite and Gold Tone/ Light Oak. Only the Gold Tone variant actually looks like a book. It can also be purchased with or without Google Assistant. Beosound Emerge is currently available in the European market and will be available globally from October this year.

Beosound Emerge specifications, features

Beosound Emerge has a three speaker configuration with one 4-inch woofer, one 1.45-inch mid-range driver, and one 0.6-inch tweeter. The woofer delivers 60W output, the mid-range driver delivers 30W, and the tweeter delivers another 30W. It has a frequency response range of 45 to 22,000Hz and customisable sound EQs that can be adjusted through the Bang & Olufsen app.

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Beosound Emerge is powered by a USB Type-C cable and for connectivity, you get dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, an Ethernet port, a line-in/ optical jack, and a Micro-USB service port. It comes with optional Google Voice Assistant built in. Bang & Olufsen says the Beosound Emerge delivers ultra-wide 180-degree sound and has Active Room Compensation that optimises the sound of the speaker based on the room.

Talking about the design, it has been made using precision cut pearl-blasted aluminium, natural oak, and textile from Kvadrat. It looks like a closed book with wooden plates on either side. The speaker grill can be seen on the front and there are physical buttons on the top. Beosound Emerge measures 255x165x67 mm and weighs 1.3 kg for the Gold Tone/ Light Oak and 1.38 kg for the Black Anthracite model.

Bang & Olufsen is known for unique designs for its range of audio gear. With its newest product, the company has taken inspiration from something that's already on your shelves. In collaboration with London-based design agency Layer, B&O has created the Beosound Emerge: an impressively slim smart speaker that offers all of the features and connectivity you could ask for. In true B&O fashion, the device is made with premium materials like oak, knitted fabric and aluminum. It also requires a significant investment. 

Back in February, Bang & Olufsen revealed the $1,500 Beosound Level that looks a bit like a VCR. With the Beosound Emerge, Layer founder Benjamin Hubert took inspiration from "the compact form factor of a book" to create a "slim, sculptural structure," according to B&O. The idea was to build a speaker that was as thin as possible while still able to muster full-power sound. The small footprint also means the Beosound Emerge doesn't take up much space, making it suitable the end of a bookshelf or other small areas. B&O says the design allows you to position the speaker so its "discreetly tucked away or prominently on display." The speaker isn't a uniform thickness though, as it is narrower in the front before getting wider in the back. It's more of a slightly open book than one that's closed and resting vertically on a shelf. 

With a design inspired by a book, Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Emerge is an impressively slim and full-featured speaker. 

With a design inspired by a book, Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Emerge is an impressively slim and full-featured speaker.

Working in collaboration with Hubert, the company selected materials inspired by interior design. The premium (and more expensive) Gold Tone option has an oak cover with a woven textile spine and gold-tone aluminum. There's also a Black Anthracite version with an aluminum grille and polymer side panels. 

To complete the book vibe, the speaker's side panels wrap around like a cover and the company's iconic word mark is on the front like text on the spine. Hubert opted to put touch controls on top, with options for play/pause, changing tracks and quick access to stations and playlists. There's a volume control as well, which requires a circular motion to make a level change. Bang & Olufsen says the Beosound Emerge has a modular design that allows easier access to the replaceable connectivity module it debuted in the Beosound Level. Like that recent product, the company explains that the removable component has enough processing power to accommodate updates and new features "for years to come." If at some point it becomes obsolete, B&O says you'll be able to replace that part with the latest version and continue using the speaker.  

With a design inspired by a book, Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Emerge is an impressively slim and full-featured speaker. 

With a design inspired by a book, Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Emerge is an impressively slim and full-featured speaker.

Inside, Bang & Olufsen designed a driver setup "that enables a full-range sound experience" despite the Beosound Emerge's slim profile. A 37mm mid-range driver is positioned at an angle, beaming sound out of the front along with a 14mm tweeter. A 100mm side-firing woofer handles the low-end tone, sending it out the back of the speaker. The company explains that this speaker layout allows the narrow unit to still produce room-filling sound. The Beosound Emerge is equipped with room calibration tech that optimizes the overall audio profile according to where you place it in a room.

Beosound Emerge supports AirPlay 2 and Chromecast for wireless connectivity. It also has built-in microphones for voice control via Google Assistant. The company plans to add its Beolink tech for multiroom setups with its other speaker models via an update this fall. For now, B&O says you can add the Beosound Emerge to your existing multiroom audio gear via AirPlay 2 or Chromecast. In terms of physical connectivity, there's an Ethernet port and a line-in/optical combo jack.

The Beosound Emerge will be available online and in B&O retail stores in some European markets on April 15th with a global launch planned for this fall. The Gold Tone version is $899 (€749/£669) while the Black Anthracite model is $699 (€599/£539). Bang & Olufsen products typically carry a premium price, and these are no different.