Bang & Olufsen unveils BeoSound 1 and 2 wireless speakers, plus new 4K Ultra HD TV

Bang & Olufsen has designed the BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 speakers so they can be placed virtually anywhere around your home, or even outside.

There’s a small gap at the bottom of the speakers, from where bass frequencies - which can go as low as 35Hz - are fired out, and a gap towards the top for “acoustical reasons”.

The BeoSound 1 is a lightweight portable model with a built-in rechargeable battery, which B&O says is good for 16 hours of playback at a moderate sound level, or around four hours at a high volume.

The BeoSound 2 is more powerful and needs to be plugged into the mains to produce the "vigorous output of excellent sound with great clarity and distinction".

B&O has fitted the speakers with the same Acoustic Lens Technology from the BeoLab 5 and BeoLab 18 speakers, which means the acoustic driver is placed in the top and fires down into a reflector that then creates a “spherical and powerful 360-degree sound experience”.

MORE: BeoLink Multiroom is Bang & Olufsen's new multi-room music platform

There are plenty of connection options, with Google Cast, AirPlay, DLNA and Bluetooth all supported, as well as integrated access to Spotify via Spotify Connect, Deezer and TuneIn internet radio. High-resolution FLAC and WAV files are supported up to 24-bit/192kHz.

You can control the speakers using a capacitive touchscreen on the top, which lets you swipe between tracks and stations, change the volume and link it to other B&O products. The touchscreen also features a proximity sensor that will change the direction of the on screen controls to reflect the direction you approach it from.

If you'd rather stay in your seat, you can use the BeoRemote One Bluetooth, BeoMusic app or BeoSound Essence remote instead.

The Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 is available now, priced £995. The BeoSound 2 will be available from the end of October, priced £1350.

It's not just speakers that Bang & Olufsen is unveiling in Germany, as the company has also launched a new 4K Ultra HD TV, called the BeoVision Horizon. B&O says it has been designed to meet "modern lifestyle demands of flexibility, connectivity and extraordinary quality".

The BeoVision Horizon automatically adjusts its picture depending on the viewing conditions thanks to a built-in sensor, and runs on the Android TV platform. It's also unmistakably B&O, sporting a minimalist design and black aluminium frame.

Underneath the screen is a row of speakers, disguised by conical lamellas that are slightly angled to help deliver "the best possible acoustic performance". If these speakers aren't sufficient, the BeoVision Horizon can be wirelessly connected to active speakers around the room and home.

It can also connect to other B&O Play multi-room products and even claims to have space inside it for an external HDD or Apple TV. It comes with the BeoRemote One BT remote control, made from a single piece of aluminium.

The B&O BeoVision Horizon comes in 40in and 48in screen sizes, priced at £2495 and £3695 respectively.

Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.