Bang & Olufsen are a well recognised and respected name in high end speakers, headphones and televisions. Overnight they’ve announced the 2019 update to the Beoplay range with the A9 speaker.
The 2019 update doesn’t just bring an evolutionary iteration of the speaker, they’ve taken a leap forward and added Google Assistant to the capabilities of this outstanding piece of hardware. This puts the Beoplay A9 in a unique position of being a top range speaker with Google Assistant capabilities, something other manufacturers have been promising for a while but yet to deliver.
The “smart” in the speaker doesn’t end there though with “Active Room Compensation” giving the best possible sound for the environment that the speaker is in, taking in to consideration the size of the room as well as the acoustics by using the sound feedback it gets and adjusting accordingly. You can also cast directly to it from Android devices or using Airplay 2.
The roadblock for most potential buyers is that this is one of those pieces of kit that you invest in for a lifetime. The Australian RRP is $4,100.00 so it’s going to be the centrepiece of your entertainment and you’ll want it to stand out.
Being honest though, it will stand out whether you want it to or not. The footprint is huge, measuring 70.1 x 90.8 x 41.5 cm, weighing in at 14.7 kg and with multiple speakers (1 x 8′ woofer, 2 x 3” mid-range, 2 x 1½” full-range and 2 x ¾” tweeters) you’re going to see and really hear this beast when its in the room.
The controls are very intuitive and similar to previous models with touch controls on top with a slide gesture for volume and tap for track control (play, pause or next track) it’s very simple to use.
Clearly the Beoplay range of speakers isn’t for everyone. If you’re in the market for a stylish centrepiece for your living and entertainment that can absolutely make the party, find your nearest stockist and go check them out.
