B&O comes out to play

IF BANG & Olufsen stereos and TV sets have always seemed way beyond your financial grasp, B&O Play has now joined its big-sister brand in Bangkok with just as high quality but generally lower prices.

Duangkamol Vephula Waagensen of HW Trading introduced the luxury Danish audio-visual brand Bang & Olufsen to the Thai market last year with a concept store at the Gaysorn mall. Last month HW also became the authorised local dealer of B&O Play, whose units are designed mainly for young professionals keen on sharp innovation and slick design.

The B&O Play shop – the first in Asia – is at the Crystal Veranda mall on Ekamai-Ram Intra Road and stocks all sorts of headphones, earphones and speakers that integrate nicely into any kind of lifestyle.

Duangkamol points out that Bang & Olufsen has been around for 91 years, making it “the world’s oldest brand of its kind”. It’s famous for timeless design, cutting-edge technology, functionality and craftsmanship, she says.

“And the pieces are visually distinctive enough to double as furniture or home decor. These are all acceptable reasons for the relatively high price tag.”

Bang & Olufsen’s speakers can set you back anywhere from Bt300,000 to Bt3 million (for limited editions). Those are insane numbers for most members of the smartphone-toting generation, so B&O Play came along in 2012 to offer more affordable variants.

“More affordable” doesn’t mean cheap, however. B&O Play earphones cost Bt7,000. A pair of speakers can cost Bt139,000. But these are top-quality products. The A9 speaker design won an industry award. They look like beautiful pieces of furniture. 

“We don’t compromise on quality,” Duangkamol says. “The products are designed to fit the lifestyles of people on the go who love listening to music and watching movies. 

“Bang & Olufsen products appeal to a relatively limited consumer group, but I believe B&O Play will help us penetrate the market more deeply. The idea is that younger customers will buy B&O Play products and later graduate to Bang & Olufsen.”

The disc-shaped A9 speaker calls to mind a satellite dish. Perched on a wooden tripod or wall-mounted, it will wirelessly stream audio from a phone, Wi-Fi, DLNA or Apple AirPlay. 

A swipe of the hand across the back adjusts volume, switches tracks or mutes the sound. It’s ready to access the vast music libraries of Spotify Connect, Deezer and TuneIn. The A9 can be set up to play different music in different rooms – or one song throughout the home. 

The speaker cover is a wool fabric, either black or white, designed by Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat. You can buy spares in patterns of cowhide, green leaves and denim or have one custom-made.

The A6 speaker is also wireless and ready to work in any or every room. It’s curved and looks great in any corner or hung on the wall, with a handle attached for easy carrying. The grill at the back lets the sound flow unimpeded, topped by a touch-screen with all the controls. Kvadrat made its fabric cover too, in light grey but with dark grey, dark rose and dusty blue variations sold separately.

For absolute mobility, the Beolit 15 speaker boasts True360 omni-directional sound and packs a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that will last 24 hours.

“The grid is made from anodised, pearl-blasted aluminium to protect it from scratches and corrosion, so there’s no worries about taking it to the beach,” says Duangkamol. “There’s also a non-slip rubber tray on top to hold mobile devices, and a strap of full-grain leather.”

The smallest portable, Bluetooth-enabled speaker is the dome-shaped, splash-resistant A1 with a rounded aluminium grill and polymer base. Just 600 grams in weight, it’s compact enough to tote in a bag or hang from a backpack by its leather tassels. 

The wireless H7 over-ear headphones are eye-catching too. The ear cushions are made of soft lambskin. The right cup holds the anodised-aluminium interface where you control playback and take calls at a touch.

Cyclists, joggers and other active types will love the H3 ANC in-ear phones, ideal for taking the music wherever you go. Crafted from lightweight, scratch-resistant metal, they have noise-cancellation technology and comfy “memory foam” ear tips in four different sizes.

  

 

TUNES ON THE VERANDA

>> The B&O Play store is on the first floor of the Crystal Veranda mall on Ekamai-Ram Intra Road. 

>> It’s open daily from 10.30am to 10pm. 

>> Call (02) 515 0648 or visit www.BEOPlay.com.