Bang & Olufsen is famous for its… unique take on speaker designs. They’re distinctive, often striking. Yes, surreptitious is not the word we’d generally use to describe a Bang and Olufsen product, but the Emerge is exactly that. Thin and discreet, this new speaker fits in perfectly when shouldered up with books on a bookshelf. And that’s the point.
The Emerge, one for the books
In a press release, Bang & Olufsen describes how the idea for the Emerge, “create the slimmest speaker possible that could still deliver full range, ultra-wide sound despite its size through its revolutionary driver configuration.” And it certainly looks like the Emerge pulls that off. Thanks to its slimness, this speaker can sit on a shelf, a kitchen counter, a desk, or any other surface innocuously and without taking up too much room.
Its design was “inspired by the compact form factor of a book”, and you wouldn’t be surprised for mistaking it for one. The sides panels curve around the speaker in the same way a hardcover does, and the speaker is adorned with the Bang & Olufsen logo in a manner resembling an author’s name on the spine of a book.
And all this without sacrificing sound, says Bang & Olufsen. The Emerge is kitted out with a triple loudspeaker driver config. There’s a 37mm midrange at the helm, alongside which is a 14mm tweeter handling the highs, and a woofer in the rear to handle the bass. Fitting, really. The TLDR is that this set-up helps the Emerge deliver, “a full-range sound experience from a slender form.”
The Emerge supports Bluetooth, Airplay, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect, plus Google Assistant if you’re into voice controls. You can also plug in via an AUX chord if you want.
You’ll probably want to hear it out for yourself before you take Bang & Olufsen’s word on the sound quality. The Emerge lands in Europe today, and will make its way to the rest of the world in the latter half of 2021, at a slightly pricey €599 (~R10,200) for the black model, and a pricier €749 (~R12,700) if you’re going for gold.
Source: The Verge