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The Beosound Emerge: Bang & Olufsen’s New Book-Shaped Bookshelf Speaker

Bang & Olufsen has revealed their new Beosound Emerge, a book-shaped wi-fi speaker designed by Benjamin Hubert and his UK-based design firm, LAYER.

In a market where cylinders and spheroids seem like the shape to beat, Hubert’s gone with a slim, tower-like form factor just 16.5cm (6.5") tall, with a 25.5cm (9.25") x 6.7cm (2.64") footprint.

B&O’s engineers have managed to cram tiny drivers that can deliver “a full range audio experience” into the form; the tweeter and mid-range driver are up top, while a 4" woofer at the bottom “produces omnidirectional low frequencies no matter where it is pointing.”

As is usually the case with B&O’s stuff, I find the form pleasing enough, but am turned off by the touch interfaces, preferring tactile buttons instead. (Although thankfully, there is a physical switch that lets you turn the microphone off, if you don’t want the built-in Google Assistant listening to you all the time.)

Here’s a look at the UI, which is of course on the tech-y side:

The $900 Emerge is rolling out in Europe first, with North American availability slated for later this year.