B&O Beosound Edge review: Hands on with Bang & Olufsen’s new rolling speaker, the giant pound coin

Bang & Olufsen has conquered the luxury speaker market at IFA 2018 with its latest product announcement, the Beosound Edge. It’s a massive, circular, wireless speaker that pumps out crystal clear sound and potent bass from both sides.

It’s loud enough that it could single-handedly keep a house party happy but, in typical Bang & Olufsen fashion, it also doubles up as an artistic centerpiece for your living room with its gorgeous one-piece reflective aluminium case.

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B&O Beosound Edge review: Key specifications, price and release date

• Weight: 13kg
• Connectivity: Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, BeoLink Multiroom
• UK price: £2,960 (based on US price of $3,500)
• UK release date: September 2018

B&O Beosound Edge review: Design, key features and first impressions

The Beosound Edge creator, Michael Anastassiades, cites the British £1 coin as the inspiration for the design of his giant circular wireless speaker.

Indeed, it does appear to have the same dimensions as a massively scaled-up pound coin. I expected the Beosound Edge to be loud, given its size, but it blew me away with a wall of sound that filled the whole room. And this was a big room. Inside, the speaker’s components are tightly packed; the stylish matte black fabric covers five speaker drivers and six sturdy amps, including a massive 10in woofer bass driver.

The Edge distributes sound equally from either of its faces. Place it on a table in the middle of a large gathering, for example, and everyone will be able to enjoy the same audio experience. It can be moved easily, and it’s also possible to aim the sound using the Directional Sound Control, which mutes one of the acoustic fronts to create an active listening area and a passive listening area in the same room.

Having heard that the Beosound Edge was a rolling speaker, I was expecting to see it zoom around the room like a Star Wars droid, but the reality is more subtle. In what B&O call a “magic” feature (it actually uses a motion sensor), the volume can be controlled by tilting the speaker left and right on its well-balanced base.

It’s no BB-8, but it’s a lovely interactive feature that really makes you feel like you’re physically controlling the device, rather than using a remote to do so. The Edge can also be wall-mounted, although I’m not sure how easy it is to take down and move around the house once it’s up there due to its sheer height and width.

Another innovation with the Beosound Edge is its Active Bass Port, a neat automatic feature that mimics the action of a spoiler on a sports car by opening up for big, bold bass activation and closing for more accurate sound reproduction at lower volumes. It’s equally capable at playing a classical symphony or blaring out room-shaking bass, as I found during my hands-on time with the Edge at IFA 2018.

It’s got beauty, but it’s also a beast – It’s just a shame that it costs almost £3,000. But with Bang & Olufsen, that’s hardly a surprise.

B&O Beosound Edge review: Early verdict

The Beosound Edge is a stunning speaker with phenomenal sound quality. I want a Beosound Edge in my living room immediately, despite not having anywhere to house it. To justify the purchase you’d really need to have a home large enough to handle its sound, although you could always just look at it; with its bold design the speaker almost qualities as a modernist sculpture.

If you can afford to pay such a premium, then this looks like the home speaker to own in 2018.

Keep an ear out for our full review of the B&O Beosound Edge, which should be coming soon – the luxurious wireless speaker will be available worldwide by the end of September 2018.