Bang & Olufsen launches centennial collection

1 of 2

NOW that it has turned 100, Danish luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has unveiled its Centennial Collection to mark a century of making quality audio equipment.

At B&O’s celebration in the Philippines, held at Gallery by Chele in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, on Nov. 27, B&O Brand Manager Vince Miclat showed off the new products launched for the centenary.

The Danish audio brand updated three of its existing designs for the new collection: the Beoplay H100 headphones, now in Century Brown; the Beosound A5 portable speaker, now in Century Weave (a blend of beige and chestnut brown); and the large Beosound A9 5^th Gen speaker, now in Century Blue.

They all share brushed aluminum details plus the founders’ motto: “A never failing will to create only the best.” The founders, Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, started B&O in Struer, Denmark, in 1925, with the mission to bring better radios into people’s homes.

Mr. Miclat told the media that the Centennial Collection “not only commemorates the past, but also invites people to bring artistry and sound into their homes.

“The main reason behind it is looking back to the designs of the past while injecting the designs of the future,” he said. “Longevity-wise, you can enjoy them for the next five to 10 years because, if there’s anything that needs to be upgraded in the software, you will always get the updates in the app.”

The Beoplay H100 headphones in Century Brown deliver the same rich, detailed sound as the original version, with titanium drivers, Dolby Atmos tuning, and advanced noise cancellation. What sets it apart is that it’s finished in brown leather ear cushions, its glass disc rendered in natural silver tone. It is priced at P168,000.

“The market for this product is people who are design-driven but also very particular with sound,” Mr. Miclat explained. “People who enjoy authentic sound, that’s our market.”

He added that one of B&O’s most popular products in the Philippines, the Beosound A5, is also elevated with its centennial version.

Now clad in a Century Weave that evokes old-time geometric radio grills, the portable speaker still looks like a picnic basket but with more detail in its color. It offers B&O’s signature RoomSense technology that adapts playback based on the acoustics of the space it’s in, able to blend visually and sonically both indoors and outdoors.

The centennial edition is framed in aluminum with a red leather handle and priced at P140,000.

With designs that mix the past and the future, B&O aims to “honor the craftsmanship that has shaped generations while looking forward to inspiring new ones,” according to Ferdinand Ong, owner of B&O’s official Philippine distributor, Living Innovations.

This is most evident in the third item in the collection, the Beosound A9 in Century Blue, a favorite of interior designers. Combining art and acoustics in one sculptural statement piece, its circular silhouette and tripod legs recall mid-century furniture.

The updates for the centenary are the circular fabric in dark blue and legs in solid aluminum instead of wood. Behind the design are seven powerful drivers that fill any space with immersive sound. It is priced at P420,000.

“This brand has always given us magic. It really is beautiful but also sounds wonderful,” Mr. Ong said. “It’s been a long journey of working with B&O in the Philippines, more than a decade, and we’re sure there will be many more years of creating experiences that will stand the test of time.”

Mr. Miclat added that B&O’s speakers are different because they don’t exaggerate specific audio elements like bass.

“The inspiration always is that, whenever you hear music or a movie, it has to sound like how the artist or filmmaker wanted it to sound,” he said. “That’s what you can expect from B&O.”

The limited-edition Centennial Collection is available at Bang & Olufsen’s stores in Power Plant Mall, Makati City, and Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City. For more information, visit their official pages on Facebook and Instagram. — Brontë H. Lacsamana