"Beosound A5 is our new high-end portable speaker which combines Bang & Olufsen's long standing approach to timeless design with our vision on sound for the future," says VP of Product Marketing, Michael Henriksson. "We're excited to collaborate with GamFratesi for the first time, to create two speaker designs that are rooted in a Scandinavian aesthetic with a distinct design signature on their own."
Available in two colorways, the new Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 combines natural aluminum with a woven paper fibre front and incorporates a light oak handle, creating "a feeling of laid-back Scandinavian summers spent at the beach." The black anthracite aluminum version paired with a dark oak wood speaker cover and handle "evokes the aesthetic of winter woodlands." Both finishes can sit beautifully inside a home or outside in nature, presenting the best of Scandinavian design excellence.
The Beosound A5 sits at the junction where portable and home audio meet. The solid oak handle allows the speaker to be carried from room to room with ease, whether placed on the floor, shelf or table. Thanks to an IP65 water and dust-proof rating, Beosound A5 can also be taken outside and on any adventure. With more than 12 hours of playtime and a wireless phone charger integrated into the top panel of the speaker, the Beosound A5 is Bang & Olufsen's most versatile speaker to date, and a perfect portable audio companion. It is controlled by either a sleek user-interface or directly from the Bang & Olufsen App.
GamFratesi studio was founded in 2006 by Danish architect Stine Gam and Italian architect Enrico Fratesi, based in Copenhagen. GamFratesi's design takes its creative drive from a fusion of tradition and renewal. With their dual traditional background, Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi draw on the classic Danish furniture and craft tradition as well as the classic Italian intellectual and conceptual approach.
"Our inspiration for Beosound A5 came from many places including the iconic Beolit series as well as natural materials synonymous with the colors and textures found in Scandinavian nature," say GamFratesi. "From the traditional Panama straw hats worn on beaches, to the hand-woven leather accents of Danish chairs from the 1960s, blends of natural materials applied in experimental ways guided our design journey."
The soft organic curves and natural materials of Beosound A5 reference the curved edges and handle from Beolit 607 launched in 1961. The wooden teak finish of the Beolit 800 and Beolit 1000, originally designed by Jacob Jensen between the late 60's and early 70's was also influential in GamFratesi's design process for Beosound A5.
As Bang & Olufsen's most powerful portable speaker to date, the Beosound A5 provides big sound wherever it is placed thanks to one 5.25" woofer, two 2" midrange drivers and one 3/4" tweeter. This four-way driver setup with four digital amplifiers provides a combined 280 watts of power, which can fill large rooms with dynamic 360-degree sound.
Whilst taking aesthetic inspiration from Bang & Olufsen's Beolit series, the technology in Beosound A5 draws from the class leading Beolab 90 and 50 hi-fi speakers. Beamforming technology, an innovation first built into the Beolab series, has been brought to Beosound A5 to control the sound with high precision. This creates an immersive experience far beyond the expectations of a portable speaker.
Bang & Olufsen is renowned for its long-lasting products, and the Beosound A5 is no exception. In addition to its timeless appearance, the speaker has been modularly designed so that it can be easily serviced and repaired to extend its lifetime if needed instead of being replaced by a new speaker. Bang & Olufsen says that it will continue to produce the easily exchangeable front covers in new materials and colorways so that the Beosound A5 can evolve with a customer's style and identity.
Thanks to Bang & Olufsen's Mozart software platform, the longevity of the Beosound A5 has the capacity and capability to evolve with new technologies, and unlock new listening experiences, for years to come. The Mozart module provides the most up-to-date features across audio, connectivity, and software design. It connects the heritage of the past, technology of the present, and innovation of the future for Bang & Olufsen products.
The Mozart platform also allows two Beosound A5s to connect seamlessly with each other in a stereo system or any other Mozart-enabled speaker in Bang & Olufsen's portfolio. Furthermore, it can integrate smoothly into a Bang & Olufsen smart home system, creating an immersive multiroom experience at the tap of a button. A single speaker is able to generate 101dB maximum SPL (measured at 1 meter), which is impressive for a battery powered speaker. But more impressive is in the inclusion of advanced sound features such as Active Room Compensation, Adaptive Bass Linearization, Fluid Sweet Spot (coming with a software update) and customizable sound EQ (with multiple presets available through the Bang & Olufsen app).
The Beosound A5 in Nordic Weave retails for $1049 USD, while the Beosound A5 in Dark Oak sells for $1149 USD. Both models are available now.
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