Bang & Olufsen Denmark Visit

By Gary Reber

July 10, 2006

Last May I was invited to Denmark to visit Bang & Olufsen Audio/Visual a/s, one of four wholly owned subsidiaries that make up the Bang & Olufsen Group. I was part of a group of journalists invited to the Struer headquarters by Torben Ballegaard S¯rensen, President and CEO of Bang & Olufsen a/s. The focus of the visit was to learn about the Bang & Olufsen product philosophy and core competencies, and to witness the unveiling of the BeoSystem 3. The company, known worldwide as simply B&O, has developed a reputation for creating products, which are a unique combination of performance excellence and stylish appeal, and represent a harmonious balance between technology and design. Founded in 1925 by two young Danish engineers, Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, the company manufactured radios in the attic of the Olufsen family manor, Quistrup, near the town of Struer in the north western part of Denmark. Their first product was the B&O Eliminator, which ran on electricity (difficult in the 1920s as the power fluctuated) and made batteries unnecessary. The company’s main factories are still situated in Struer on the same site as the original family manor. The products to this day are still influenced by Bauhaus Functionalism, an influence that has become highly characteristic of Bang & Olufsen's design. Bauhaus is not merely a style, it is also an attitude to quality, consumer-friendliness, and aesthetics. The word “Beo” is Bang & Olufsen’s signature mark to designate products. The “Beo” product was the BeoLit introduced in 1939. In 1964, the company introduced the BeoMaster 900—the first, slim, flat elegant radios based on the new technology of transistors. Marketed “to those who discuss design and quality before price,” the radio receiver became the “model” for most manufacturers in Europe and Japan. So successful were B&O products that in 1978 the Museum of Modern Art in New York City held a special exhibition of Bang & Olufsen’s products in its Permanent Design Collection. The Collection now exhibits 11 B&O products. Many enthusiasts may remember the introduction in 1995 of the BeoSound 9000, a new unique six CD player with a built-in radio. Two years later, B&O introduced the BeoCenter AVS, the first in a series of A/V products that integrates all audio-visual functions into one product. In 2002, B&O launched its first flat screen plasma display, followed by the BeoLab 5 loudspeaker system with acoustic lens technology and adaptive bass construction. The loudspeaker system uses patented digital ICEpower amplifier units, bass adaptation and control technologies, and exclusively licensed sound dispersion technologies. The BeoLab 5 system will be reviewed in a future issue of Widescreen Review. Bang & Olufsen Characteristics The company philosophy is to make technology work in a way that adds value to their products in their everyday use. This is executed through in the choice of advanced components and refined materials, and design of the finished product that facilitates the simple everyday use of B&O products in the homes of their customers. Making well-designed electronic products that make advanced technology easy to live with has always been one of the core competencies of Bang & Olufsen. Core Competencies For more than 75 years, Bang & Olufsen has cultivated and exploited its strengths represented by eight core competence areas: quality, picture, sound, user interaction, design, integration, mechanical movements, materials, and finish. During our visit these core competencies were discussed and demonstrated. In a special facility, company representatives showed how they test picture reproduction under a variety of viewing conditions to be able to continuously improve the experience B&O offers their customers. In another session, the development of the BeoLab 5 loudspeaker system with acoustic lens technology and adaptive bass construction was discussed and demonstrated, exhibiting the full-frequency “natural sound” of the system in a home theatre living laboratory. Much discussion revolved around design of the user interaction of B&O products. The company excels at making technically complex products into something that is easy to understand and use. B&O products have always been intuitive to operate, even new and unfamiliar products. Design is a craft that is at the core of everything Bang & Olufsen manufactures. Even though internally the company is well versed in design, much emphasis is placed on working with freelance designers, who maintain a broad creative palette. Outside designers are involved as part of concept development all the way through implementation. Seamless integration is another Bang & Olufsen core competency and is recognized throughout the world as the major pioneer in the industry. For B&O, integration is implemented in several ways: integration of several entertainment sources into one unit, linking different products to one another, integrating products of the future with products of the past, and integration of B&O products with non-Bang & Olufsen products to make life easier for the user. Finally, Bang & Olufsen’s approach to materials and finish are expressed in a design language found in mechanics––the materials, the surface, the finish and the shape, and the look and the feel. This ultimately translates to the competence in manufacturing skills, internal and from partners. In addition, an internal focus on design using aluminum, different plastics, glass, rubber, zinc, cloth, steel, and wood are also part of the design vocabulary used in B&O products. BeoSystem 3 During my visit, company representatives unveiled the BeoSystem 3, a new home theatre master unit for plasma monitor, projector and projection screens, and all peripheral units. Billed as a “stage manager” the unit’s modularity allows customization on every parameter––connectivity, picture quality, and sound staging. Designed to be experienced at its best with a BeoVision 4 plasma monitor, the unit is designed to interface with both terrestrial and satellite HDTV and HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc high-definition optical disc media. “We are already famous for our picture quality, now with BeoSystem 3 we have raised the bar even higher,” said Villy Hansen, Senior Product Manager, Bang & Olufsen. “The ability to move the sound stage to precisely your viewing position––whether monitor or projection screen––is innovative and unmatched by others, and what BeoSystem 3 does for peripheral unit connectivity offers protection against technology shifts in the future.” The unit is built on an all-digital platform, and both analog and digital signals are digitally optimized. “We describe BeoSystem 3 as ‘fully HD,’ meaning we have gone beyond the requirements of the ‘HD-ready’ standard,” explained Hansen. “Color rendition and noise reduction is improved, and we can now selectively monitor and enhance the contrast for the actual content, creating an overall improvement in the perception of a ‘true to life’ picture.” The all-digital enhancements were demonstrated in which new sensor technology can measure the ambient light in the room at much lower intensities, and the new Dynamic Contrast feature makes it possible to selectively monitor and enhance contrast. The system is capable of recognizing the type and specification of the Bang & Olufsen monitor it is connected to, and various parameters are fine tuned to optimize picture quality. The system supports two optimal display viewing setups placed at different locations in the same room––for example a projection screen on one wall and a plasma monitor on another. The BeoSystem 3 features outputs for up to 12 loudspeakers and two independent subwoofers. Bang & Olufsen’s PowerLink cable connections mean that all loudspeaker ports are neutral. Simply plug in the loudspeakers, and program the soundstage for the particular screen setup for up to seven loudspeakers and two subwoofers for each viewing situation. This means it is possible to move a 5.1 digital surround soundstage from one part of the room to another, depending on your seating position and screen setup. All connections are made conveniently at the front of the BeoSystem 3 to eliminate what normally can be a confusing array of connections and cables. The cables are cleverly guided around the sides by the removal front cable cover. The BeoSystem 3 remote control, the Beo 4, offers complete management of home theatre functions, also lighting and curtains, and can distribute sound and picture around the home with Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLink system. At the conclusion of my visit, I was treated to a Bang & Olufsen deluxe home theatre experience. The room housed a complete home theatre package, including a large cinema screen, light control, a digital projector, and BeoLab 5 loudspeaker system and subwoofers. “We have entered into collaboration with a number of partners to ensure the best possible screen, light control, and projector for our home cinema, said Torben Ballegaard S¯rensen. “These partners supply the most advanced products in their respective fields: the digital projector is based on an entirely new digital technology from Samsung; the light control system is from Lutron Electronics, and the screen is supplied by Stewart Filmscreen.” The Samsung-Joe Kane-inspired SP-H700 DLP projector has been optimized for Bang & Olufsen. The screen component is a Stewart Filmscreen GrayHawk Reference Screen, also inspired by Joe Kane, a Widescreen Review Contributing Video Editor. The system was quite impressive in picture and sound performance. “We are very pleased to be able to offer our customers a technology of this high quality. It will be included as a basis module in a Bang & Olufsen projector that is under development. The projector is simply the best that can be bought, and together with our sound systems, offers a fantastic home cinema experience,” said S¯rensen. Lutron’s Bang & Olufsen keypads allow convenient control of lighting from a B&O Beo4 remote control, allowing the lights to be raised and lowered, preset scenes to be selected, and shades and blinds to be controlled. Twenty selected Bang & Olufsen retailers across Europe can already offer the complete home theatre package. Up to 50 Bang & Olufsen retailers will be able to sell these home theatre solutions before the end of the year, and within the next two to three years up to half of the B&O-qualified B1 shops among the 1,500 retailers in more than 60 countries will offer this solution. Conclusion The company continues its long legacy of designing and introducing innovative consumer electronics products that are honest and uncomplicated in their communication with end users and make advanced technology easy to live with. Bang & Olufsen continues to be recognized worldwide as a prestigious brand, applying high-performance technologies to offer superb listening and viewing experiences, and a renowned design tradition with superb craftsmanship and careful choice of quality materials. For further information, please visit www.bang-olufsen.com.

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