B&O PLAY launches BeoPlay A3, iPad Sound System – Hands On

By Eliane Fiolet on 05/05/2012, filed in Home > Apple

Bang & Olufsen unveiled their new brand B&O PLAY at CES 2012 alongside the launch of its first product Beolit 12. On Thursday, at an event in San Francisco the Danish manufacturer demonstrated three new products under the B&O PLAY umbrella including the BeoPlay A3, a very innovative and high quality sound system designed for the iPad.

We all know that thinner bodies for mobile devices imply loss of audio quality and battery life. Many people now get their music from online streaming services such as Pandora, Mog, Spotify, Slacker to name a few, and the iPad has become a major media consumption device, thanks to Netflix, Hulu or Youtube. That said, if you want to keep both the mobile experience and a good sound sound quality, you need either to use headphones or a wireless speaker.

The Adaptive Stereo Orientation, one of the key features, uses BeoPlay A3’s motion sensor to adapt the audio experience according to the iPad’s orientation. The sound quality is ensured by an omnidirectional two-inch woofer that delivers solid bass down to 60 Hz and half-inch tweeters are placed in the other three corners (see in the video). I can confirm that the sound quality is great for a portable speaker, and the Adaptive Stereo Orientation works really well!

The other ultra innovative feature is the device’s particular shape featuring facetted wedge that allows users to place it on a flat surface in many different orientations for various usages: watching a video, read in portrait or landscape mode either vertically or slightly inclined (see video). You can also easily hold it on your lap while seating in a couch, since the Beoplay A3 only weight 1,5 kg (3.3 lbs).

As part of the new B&O Play brand, the device is more affordable than traditional Bang & Olufsen products; priced at $549.00 the BeoPlay will be available in black in Bang & Olufsen showrooms, select Apple stores, the BeoPlay online store and www.shopbangolufsen.com

Bang & Olufsen: Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen. The company's first successful product was a radio that worked with alternating currents. Peter Bang, an engineer and a businessman, concentrated on technology and innovation while Olufsen was responsible for the business aspect of the company. Today, Bang & Olufsen employs over 2,000 employees and sells its products to more than 1,000 dealers worldwide. Bang & Olufsen is popular for its high quality audio and video products. The company still prides itself for creating its products mostly by hand.

iPad: the iPad is Apple's tablet computer. While not "invented" by Apple (the newton was arguably a PDA), the iPad has re-ignited the tablet format as it appeared at the right time, with the right hardware and apps. the first iPad was launched on April 2010. It was followed by the iPad 2 in March 2011 and a new iPad (gen 3) in 2012.

About the author: Eliane Fiolet is the co-founder and editor of Ubergizmo.com where she writes about smart devices, web applications, design and usability. In her parallel life, she owns a Corporate ID design business that helps companies create great brands. Prior to opening her own agency, Eliane worked for a top design firm, Minale Tattersfield Design Strategy, where she created identities for Fortune 500 companies. She also worked in the video game industry as a designer for an award-winning adventure game. Eliane holds a master degree in visual communication and design from the “Art Décoratifs” college and she majored in mathematics and physics in high school. Follow the author on Facebook, Twitter

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