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VISION<br />
OF<br />
SOUND<br />
It will not be for everybody, but it will be for the right somebody. <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> is our proudest loudspeaker<br />
to date, built for optimum precision in sound. It will blow the roof off your house and knock the socks off<br />
your guests.<br />
3
“THIS LOUDSPEAKER IS<br />
A DREAM COME TRUE.<br />
A LOT OF THE THOUGHTS<br />
WE TOY WITH IN THE<br />
ACOUSTICS DEPARTMENT –<br />
HOW TO CREATE PERFECT<br />
SOUND FOR THE HOME,<br />
HOW TO PUSH THE<br />
BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IS<br />
POSSIBLE, HOW TO MAKE<br />
THE EXPERIENCE COMPLETE<br />
FOR THE CUSTOMER –<br />
HAVE BEEN REALIZED<br />
WITH BEOLAB <strong>90</strong>. IT IS<br />
THE BIGGEST AND MOST<br />
ADVANCED LOUDSPEAKER<br />
WE HAVE EVER MADE AT<br />
BANG & OLUFSEN.”<br />
GERT MUNCH, BANG & OLUFSEN<br />
TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST IN ELECTRO ACOUSTICS
CHANGING THE FUTURE OF SOUND Imagine a loudspeaker so intelligently conceptualized, so<br />
exquisitely crafted, and so finely tuned that it can deliver the ultimate sound experience no matter what<br />
the circumstances. That is the new <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> loudspeaker by Bang & Olufsen. It will change the future<br />
of sound.<br />
7
THE INTELLIGENT LOUDSPEAKER <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> contains a multitude of technologies. It’s a perfect mix of<br />
world-class design and acoustics in, what may well be, the most <strong>com</strong>plete and powerful digital loudspeaker designed<br />
for use in your home. This highly intelligent loudspeaker provides you with clarity, range and a sound staging<br />
8<br />
that is second-to-none. <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> features an impressive 360-degree design, has a variety of settings, and<br />
regardless of its placement, the room or your listening position it will give you mind-blowing sound.
THE SPEAKER, NOT THE ROOM, DEFINES THE SOUND Resonances in your room and boundary effects<br />
from your walls affect the sound you get from your loudspeakers. <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> is fitted with Bang & Olufsen’s new Active<br />
Room Compensation technology, making up for the impact of your room, your furniture, the placement of<br />
the loudspeakers and the location of the listening position. This advanced technology guarantees you a<br />
sensational sound experience exactly where you want it.<br />
11
ONCE IN A WHILE YOU TAKE<br />
ON A CHALLENGE SO BIG THAT<br />
SUCCESS WILL MEAN PUSHING<br />
THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT<br />
IS POSSIBLE. YOU TEST YOUR<br />
KNOWLEDGE AND VENTURE<br />
INTO UNKNOWN TERRITORY.<br />
IT IS NOT MERELY INNOVATION.<br />
IT IS PIONEERING. IT WILL<br />
PROBABLY COST YOU<br />
DEARLY AND YOU WILL MOST<br />
DEFINITELY RUN A RISK.<br />
BUT WHEN YOU SUCCEED<br />
YOU WILL HAVE CREATED<br />
SOMETHING TRULY NEW.<br />
BEOLAB <strong>90</strong> IS THAT KIND<br />
OF A BEAST.<br />
CONTROL THE WIDTH AND THE DIRECTION OF THE SOUND Reflections from your room’s surfaces<br />
affect your listening experience by altering both the tonal balance and the precision of the placement of instruments<br />
and voices. With Beam Width Control you get the power to ensure that these reflections do not interfere with<br />
the experience when you sit in the sweet spot. Invite friends to join you, and you can widen the beam to ensure<br />
that everyone shares the same sound. The beam can even be expanded to provide a full 360º dispersion, if you are<br />
hosting a party.<br />
<strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> delivers the sound where you want it. With loudspeaker drivers placed in various directions,<br />
12<br />
you can use the Beam Direction Control to steer the sound radiation to your favourite listening location.<br />
These groundbreaking new Bang & Olufsen technologies will give you an experience you get nowhere else.
TECHNOLOGY MADE SIMPLE Control the settings of your <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> using the Bang & Olufsen remote<br />
or by using the dedicated app on your phone. It is easy to control the beam width and direction. In addition, you<br />
can pre-program all of <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>’s features and save presets that best suit your preferences for different<br />
16<br />
occasions. These presets can also be automatically selected by your Bang & Olufsen television, or triggered<br />
by devices connected to <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>’s many inputs.
65kg<br />
THE DESIGN IS BASED ON AN EXTREMELY<br />
COMPLEX ALUMINIUM CABINET TOTALLING MORE<br />
THAN 65 KG OF ALUMINIUM PER LOUDSPEAKER<br />
19
20
“BEOLAB <strong>90</strong> STARTED<br />
AS A COLLECTION OF IDEAS<br />
THAT SOME OF US IN THE<br />
ACOUSTICS DEPARTMENT<br />
HAD BEEN WORKING ON<br />
FOR A LONG TIME. SUCH AS<br />
CONTROLLING DIRECTIVITY<br />
AND MULTICHANNEL ROOM<br />
COMPENSATION. SOMEHOW<br />
WE MANAGED TO MERGE<br />
THESE AMBITIONS LIKE<br />
LITTLE STREAMS FORMING<br />
A RIVER AND THE GRAND<br />
CONCEPT OF BEOLAB <strong>90</strong><br />
WAS BORN.”<br />
GEOFF MARTIN, BANG & OLUFSEN<br />
TONMEISTER<br />
21
18<br />
STATE-OF-THE-ART<br />
SCAN-SPEAK LOUDSPEAKER DRIVERS<br />
22
A POWERHOUSE <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> has 18 state-of-the-art Scan-Speak loudspeaker drivers placed in carefully<br />
defined locations and directions to deliver maximum performance in frequency, time and space. The loudspeaker<br />
packs a <strong>com</strong>bination of 14 channels of the latest generation ICEpower amplifiers – a <strong>com</strong>pact and highly<br />
efficient platform developed by Bang & Olufsen – and four additional class D amplifiers – all customized<br />
for <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>s specific requirements. In total, the amplifiers can deliver up to 8200 watts per loudspeaker.<br />
25
26
IT IS ONE THING TO<br />
CREATE PERFECT<br />
SOUND IN A ROOM<br />
MEANT FOR NOTHING<br />
BUT LISTENING. IT<br />
IS A WHOLE OTHER<br />
BALL GAME TO CREATE<br />
PERFECT SOUND IN A<br />
ROOM DESIGNED FOR<br />
LIVING. YOUR HOME IS<br />
WHERE YOU READ, YOU<br />
KICK BACK, YOU HANG<br />
OUT, YOU SPEND TIME<br />
WITH YOUR FAMILY, AND<br />
YOU INVITE FRIENDS<br />
OVER FOR DRINKS AND<br />
DINNER. HOME IS FOR<br />
THE GOOD TIMES. IT IS<br />
FOR BEING SURROUNDED<br />
BY STUFF YOU LIKE AND<br />
PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LIFE<br />
IS MESSY – IN A GOOD<br />
WAY. PLAY IT RIGHT.<br />
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8200<br />
WATTS POWER PER LOUDSPEAKER
“WE NEEDED TO CREATE<br />
A DESIGN THAT SOMEHOW<br />
TRANSLATED THE POWER<br />
AND THE POTENTIAL OF THIS<br />
INCREDIBLY INNOVATIVE<br />
LOUDSPEAKER; ALMOST A<br />
PRIMORDIAL FORCE COMING<br />
ALL THE WAY FROM THE<br />
CORE OF THE EARTH.<br />
BY STAYING TRUE TO OUR<br />
SCANDINAVIAN IDEAL OF<br />
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION<br />
AND GREAT ATTENTION TO<br />
DETAIL WE HAVE SUCCEEDED<br />
IN CREATING SOMETHING<br />
BEAUTIFUL IN ITS<br />
OWN RIGHT.”<br />
30<br />
KRESTEN KRAB-BJERRE, BANG & OLUFSEN<br />
CONCEPT MANAGER
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> is designed according to the overall idea that form follows function.<br />
The loudspeaker driver positions and orientations are defined by the acoustical requirements. The placement of the<br />
electronics’ cooling fins was chosen to ensure that the rising heat could have no impact on the sound experience.<br />
The design is based on a <strong>com</strong>plex aluminium cabinet totalling more than 65 kg, so the structure is rock solid. In a<br />
subtle contrast to the massiveness of the loudspeakers, the outer ‘skin’ is made of acoustically transparent<br />
fabric stretched like sails hovering in front of the driver units. The curved wooden base visually raises the<br />
large structure above the floor, making <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> appear to float in your home.<br />
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34
THE<br />
SOUND<br />
&<br />
THE<br />
FURY<br />
WHEN<br />
ACOUSTICS<br />
RUNS IN THE<br />
BLOOD<br />
INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB DYREBY,<br />
BANG & OLUFSEN ACOUSTICAL ENGINEER<br />
35
INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB DYREBY<br />
Jakob Dyreby is a Technology Specialist in<br />
Acoustics at Bang & Olufsen. In this interview<br />
he talks about the development, the ambitions<br />
and the technology behind the <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong><br />
loudspeaker. Few people live and breathe sound<br />
more vividly than Jakob. It is in his blood.<br />
WHAT WAS YOUR<br />
OVERALL AMBITION<br />
WITH BEOLAB <strong>90</strong>?<br />
With <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> we wanted to<br />
create a lighthouse for Bang & Olufsen.<br />
A loudspeaker so intelligent and<br />
precise that it will change the way we<br />
think about sound and acoustics in<br />
the home.<br />
Some of the real innovation<br />
lies in the way that <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> can<br />
analyse the room that it is in and<br />
perfect the sound for the specific<br />
situation. We call this technology<br />
Active Room Compensation.<br />
Basically, it works like this: Using an<br />
external microphone supplied with<br />
the loudspeaker, you can measure<br />
the effects of your room’s acoustical<br />
behaviour in different zones, and<br />
subsequently select<br />
36<br />
<strong>com</strong>pensation filters for<br />
different situations.<br />
For example, you can customise<br />
a filter for the sofa, and another for<br />
your dining area. In cases where<br />
you are moving between these<br />
locations, you can simply select a<br />
<strong>com</strong>bination of both filters to create<br />
a single <strong>com</strong>pensation filter that<br />
improves the sound experience in<br />
both locations. This gives the owner<br />
the freedom to decorate his or her<br />
house just the way he or she prefers<br />
and still get really great sound from<br />
the loudspeakers. With <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>,<br />
acoustics no longer has to dictate<br />
how you decorate your home.<br />
The tweeters and the midrange<br />
drivers are placed in a top tower,<br />
which is cast in a 10 mm thick<br />
<strong>com</strong>posite material to achieve<br />
maximum stability. The top<br />
cabinet is designed in a <strong>com</strong>plex<br />
geometric shape calculated<br />
and refined by the acoustical<br />
engineers to provide the best<br />
possible performance.
INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB DYREBY<br />
IS ACTIVE ROOM<br />
COMPENSATION<br />
A BRAND NEW<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
DEVELOPED BY<br />
BANG & OLUFSEN?<br />
Yes and no. In previous loudspeakers<br />
we have been working with<br />
Adaptive Bass Control – a technology<br />
that automatically calibrated the low<br />
frequencies according to the surroundings<br />
and the loudspeaker’s placement<br />
in the room. <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> takes this<br />
concept to a whole new level with its<br />
Active Room Compensation or ARC<br />
that also includes the upper frequencies.<br />
Basically, a microphone will ‘listen’<br />
to the room in the listening position<br />
and calibrate <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> to perform<br />
outstandingly. Together with the Beam<br />
Width Control and Beam Direction<br />
Control also featured in <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> we<br />
can truly say that we provide<br />
38<br />
great sound no matter what<br />
the circumstances.<br />
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE<br />
BEAM WIDTH CONTROL<br />
AND BEAM DIRECTION<br />
CONTROL IN A LITTLE<br />
MORE DETAIL?<br />
With pleasure. As explained,<br />
the ARC is kind of the next step of<br />
an existing technology. Beam Width<br />
Control is truly unique to <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>.<br />
It has been developed specifically<br />
for this loudspeaker and is a feature<br />
you get nowhere else in the world.<br />
The ambition behind Beam Width<br />
Control is closely linked to that of<br />
ARC – it is all about getting as clear<br />
and precise a sound reproduction as<br />
possible. Imagine if you could direct<br />
an incredibly narrow beam of sound<br />
right into the ear of the listener –<br />
then you would get no disturbing influences<br />
from the surrounding room.<br />
That is what we are toying with when<br />
dealing with Beam Width Control.<br />
At the bottom the loudspeaker<br />
is fitted with a wooden cover<br />
made of pressure-moulded<br />
oak veneer. The wooden base<br />
adds a visual lightness to the<br />
loudspeaker, lifting it from<br />
the floor. The oak veneer is<br />
made using tried and tested<br />
craftsmanship techniques<br />
from the furniture industry,<br />
ensuring elegance and<br />
robustness at the same time.
“The main cabinet itself weighs<br />
65 kg and is a solidly cast<br />
aluminium cabinet in which no<br />
less than 18 drivers pointing in<br />
different directions have been<br />
placed. The cabinet is then<br />
clad in an elastic and semitransparent<br />
fabric that lets you<br />
have a glimpse of all the drivers.”<br />
Technically speaking,<br />
<strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> gives the option of<br />
choosing how wide the sound beam<br />
from the loudspeaker is: Narrow<br />
equalling 45 degrees for a personal<br />
listening experience in the sweet<br />
spot, wide equalling 180 degrees<br />
for listening with guests, and omni<br />
equalling 360 degrees for filling<br />
the whole room with music when<br />
throwing a party.<br />
But that is not all. It is also<br />
possible to choose the direction<br />
of the sound, so you can point the<br />
sound in the direction from where<br />
you are listening. A light on top of the<br />
loudspeaker indicates the direction<br />
the sound is being beamed.<br />
AND IF YOU WERE<br />
TO TRY AND EXPLAIN<br />
THE EXPERIENCE<br />
THE LISTENER WILL<br />
RECEIVE THANKS TO<br />
ALL THESE GREAT<br />
TECHNOLOGICAL<br />
INVENTIONS?<br />
The listening experience will<br />
be a lot more consistent. We can<br />
make the sound image appear much<br />
closer to and further from the listener.<br />
<strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> is able to deliver such<br />
precise stereo imaging for active<br />
listening because it is able to reduce<br />
the level of reflections off the side<br />
walls of your listening room. This<br />
gives the same result at the listening<br />
position as if you used acoustically<br />
absorptive materials on your walls,<br />
or changed the geometry of your<br />
listening room to avoid reflections<br />
in the listening position.<br />
It is a very persuading and<br />
authentic experience.<br />
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INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB DYREBY<br />
<strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> is a very versatile<br />
loudspeaker – it is able to ac<strong>com</strong>modate<br />
many different needs and situations,<br />
creating a perfect sound experience<br />
no matter what the circumstances.<br />
COULD YOU EXPLAIN<br />
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES<br />
BEHIND THE DESIGN?<br />
Sure. What distinguishes<br />
<strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong> from most other<br />
loudspeakers is that the speaker<br />
drivers are distributed on all sides<br />
of the loudspeaker. Tweeters,<br />
midrange and bass drivers are placed<br />
in multiple directions to provide<br />
the flexibility of creating different<br />
radiation patterns. The tweeters and<br />
midrange drivers are placed<br />
40<br />
in a top tower designed<br />
in a <strong>com</strong>plex geometric<br />
shape calculated to provide the best<br />
possible acoustical performance and<br />
to ac<strong>com</strong>modate different sound<br />
directions.<br />
The main cabinet holds the<br />
four woofers and the electronics,<br />
weighs 65 kg and is cast in solid<br />
aluminium. The cabinet is then clad<br />
in an elastic and semi-transparent<br />
fabric that lets you have a glimpse of<br />
all the drivers. Due to the huge driver<br />
units at the bottom, the loudspeaker<br />
appears slightly darker at the bottom<br />
and more transparent towards<br />
the top. The overall appearance is<br />
somewhere in between ‘naked’ and<br />
‘clothed’ – that is quite intriguing.<br />
Every single <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong><br />
loudspeaker produced is<br />
tested in a custom-built<br />
anechoic chamber at the<br />
factory in Struer, Denmark.<br />
Most <strong>com</strong>ponents are made<br />
in Denmark, and everything is<br />
assembled at Bang & Olufsen’s<br />
main facility. Craftsmanship<br />
and quality are pivotal to the<br />
production of <strong>BeoLab</strong> <strong>90</strong>.
BEOLAB <strong>90</strong><br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
WEIGHT<br />
137 kg<br />
FEATURES<br />
Beam Width Control<br />
Beam Direction Control<br />
Active Room Compensation<br />
125.3 cm<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Frackenpohl Poulheim<br />
INPUTS<br />
73.5 cm<br />
ANALOGUE (MASTER SPEAKER)<br />
Power Link<br />
RCA<br />
XLR (fully balanced)<br />
DIGITAL (MASTER SPEAKER)<br />
USB Audio (24 bit / 192 kHz)<br />
S/P-DIF (24 bit / 192 kHz)<br />
TOSLINK (24 bit / 96 kHz)<br />
125.3 cm<br />
DIGITAL (MASTER AND SLAVE SPEAKER)<br />
Digital Power Link (24 bit / 192 kHz)<br />
74.7 cm<br />
WIRELESS (MASTER AND SLAVE SPEAKER)<br />
Wireless Power Link (24 bit / 48 kHz)<br />
WiSA (24 bit / 96 kHz)<br />
SPEAKER DRIVERS<br />
TWEETER: 7 × Scan-Speak Illuminator 30 mm<br />
MIDRANGE: 7 × Scan-Speak Illuminator 86 mm<br />
WOOFER:<br />
3 × Scan-Speak Discovery 212 mm<br />
FRONT WOOFER: 1 × Scan-Speak Revelator 260 mm<br />
AMPLIFIERS (CUSTOM DESIGNED FOR BEOLAB <strong>90</strong>)<br />
73.5 cm<br />
74.7 cm<br />
FOR TWEETERS:<br />
FOR MIDRANGES:<br />
FOR WOOFERS:<br />
FOR FRONT WOOFER:<br />
7 × Bang & Olufsen ICEpower AM300-X<br />
7 × Bang & Olufsen ICEpower AM300-X<br />
3 × Heliox AM1000-1<br />
1 × Heliox AM1000-1<br />
DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR<br />
DSP TYPE: 2 x Analogue Devices ADSP-21489 – 450 MHz<br />
SAMPLING RATE: 192 kHz fixed<br />
42
LIKE NO<br />
ONE ELSE<br />
BANG & OLUFSEN<br />
bang-olufsen.<strong>com</strong>/beolab<strong>90</strong>