Bang & Olufsen Brings Synergy of Sound and Design The high-end Danish company unveils flagship products at IFA Jason Chen CEO, Acer NEWS IT IS A PLATFORM THAT TAKES GAMERS AND INTENSE GRAPHIC USERS BEYOND THEIR DREAMS BeoVision Eclipse Bang & Olufsen used its press conference on Wednesday to unveil the BeoVision Eclipse TV, the result of its first collaboration with LG Electronics (LG) in the home entertainment space. The Eclipse merges Bang & Olufsen’s design, acoustics and craftsmanship capabilities with LG Electronics’ OLED TV technology to deliver absolute black, infinite contrast ratio and high dynamic range. “By merging LG Electronics’ OLED TV technology to the Bang & Olufsen experience, we have reached an even higher level and created the ultimate TV experience,” said Stefan K Persson, Executive Vice President at Bang & Olufsen Home. “That is why we have chosen the name 'Eclipse' – two outstanding objects meet and create something even more spectacular and beautiful.” BeoVision Eclipse is both a television and a music system that integrates internet radio and music streaming services. The importance of “putting people before technology” was a prevailing theme of the press conference. In his presentation, Steve Devonshire, Training Manager Bang & Olufsen, highlighted the importance of synergy between sound and design, or what he called outer beauty and inner performance. “When we get that synergy, then you get a real Bang & Olufsen product,” he said. Devonshire explained how the company marked its 90th year in 2015 by challenging its acoustic engineers to produce “the best of the best” loudspeaker. The result was the BeoLab 90, which it rapidly dubbed ‘The Beast’. WHEN WE GET THAT SYNERGY, THEN YOU GET A REAL BANG & OLUFSEN PRODUCT At the press conference, Devonshire also announced the Beolab 50 – “the baby brother of the beast” – a high-end active loudspeaker with 2,100W of precision power. The speaker will be available in selected Bang & Olufsen stores worldwide in August 2017. Also launched by Bang & Olufsen at IFA was the BeoSound Shape, a wireless, wall-mounted, modular speaker system based on hexagonal tiles that can be placed creatively on the wall in every imaginable size and pattern Hall 1.2 Stand 208 Acer Presents a “Gamer’s Dream Come True” Acer places itself at the centre of the gaming world Among a range of products launched at its IFA press conference on Wednesday – including powerful PCs, a 35-inch curved screen, and a range of gaming accessories – made it clear that gaming is where Acer sees clear growth potential in the marketplace. Designed to “intimidate enemies and inspire game play”, the Acer Predator Orion 9000 gaming desktop was described by conference presenter, Acer CEO Jason Chen, as “a gamer’s dream come true”. With its black-and-silver spacecraftlike exterior with customisable RGB lighting along parts of the exterior, it is clear that the appearance of the suitcase-sized hub is an important element of its design. A massive side window panel showcases the striking interior with a design that keeps electromagnetic interference (EMI) levels in check despite the size of the opening. Optional fans with customisable RGB lighting create a virtual light show, enhancing the striking sci-fi design. The Acer Predator Orion 9000 is described as “an extreme platform for gaming and content creation” – or, according to Jeff Lee, General Manager, Stationary Computing, IT Products Business, Acer, “the most powerful PC we’ve ever made. With 4-way graphics and 18-core processors, it is a platform that takes gamers and intense graphic users beyond their dreams.” Headsets today are a crucial element of the gamer’s armoury and The Predator Galea 500 gaming headset, unveiled at Wednesday’s press conference, makes the claim of being able to “put you right inside the game, giving you the ability to hear and not just see the exact location of elements within the game”. Acer TrueHarmony 3D Soundscape technology recreates the acoustic space based on the orientation of the player’s head, convincing the brain that sound is coming from a fixed direction. Delivering “clear highs with resounding lows”, gamers can select from a choice of sound modes including EQ Music, Movie and Sport Hall 12 Stand 107 www.ifa-international.org IFAInternational • Friday 1 st September 2017 17
