Danish audio and lifestyle brand Bang & Olufsen has announced two new limited editions of its flagship Beolab 90 active speaker. The Phantom Edition is primarily black, while the Mirage Edition features a color scheme that varies between magenta and sapphire blue. Only ten units of each edition will be produced worldwide. That’s ten pairs in total. We haven’t received pricing information, but this is the “if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it” category.
The Phantom Edition opts for a completely unobtrusive appearance with a semi-transparent black PVD acoustic mesh that reveals the technical inner workings. B&O’s marketing department calls this “holographic visual depth.” Hand-laminated carbon fiber adorns the front panel, shoulder plates, and base panels, while a sandblasted aluminum frame forms the structural skeleton. Think motorsport aesthetics applied to a speaker that already looks like it’s from another planet.
The Mirage Edition takes a contrasting approach with iridescent fabric that shifts from sapphire blue to magenta depending on the viewing angle. Five aluminum components per speaker feature an anodized finish with a wavy surface, which, according to the designers, is B&O’s way of visualizing the connection between sound and light. The company’s anodizing lab has been busy hand-polishing and creating these color transitions.
Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: Centenary
These Mirage and Stealth versions join the previously announced Titan Edition as part of Bang & Olufsen’s centennial celebrations. All three come with a certificate of authenticity, which in the world of luxury goods is essentially confirmation that the buyer has truly spent that much money. The standard Beolab 90, launched in 2015, features 18 drivers and beamforming technology in each speaker. Weighing 137 kilograms each, they’re not ideal for quick transport.
The Anniversary Edition retains the same technical specifications but adds artisanal details, i.e. hand-laminated carbon fibre on the Phantom and a hand-polished anodised finish with a gradient colour on the Mirage.
Both editions were unveiled at Bang & Olufsen’s new Culture Store in San Francisco, which is billed as the world’s largest showroom.
Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: price and delivery information
The price is conspicuously missing from the press release, which in the world of luxury audio boils down to “if you have to ask, you can’t afford them.” The standard Beolab 90 already costs around €70,000 a pair. These limited editions will undoubtedly far exceed that amount.
