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The BeoPlay A6 Explores a New Angle for Audio

Bang & Olufsen launched their B&O PLAY line as an avenue for the heritage brand to break the mold of their own reputation, focusing on stand-alone products with portability and a more youthful design language compared to their more seriously attuned (and priced) Bang & Olufsen home audio & video component line. The new BeoPlay A6 wireless speaker, unveiled at IFA 2015 in Berlin, is a continuation of the Danish brand’s commitment to integrating an element of luxurious material into more youth spirited lifestyle devices.

Upholstered in a fine wool-blend fabric designed in collaboration with Danish studio Kvadrat, the BeoPlay A6’s fabric cover is stretched across a gently convex curved perforated speaker housing the Apple Airplay, Bluetooth 4.0, and DLN wireless streaming compatible technology within. The cover can be swapped out for different colors to match decor or mood, with options for light gray, dark gray, dark rose, and dusty blue, all which cover two amply powered 60 watt 5.5″ woofers, two 30 watt 0.75″ tweeters, and one 60 watt 1.5″ speaker.

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If the BeoPlay A6 reminds you of a piece of furniture, it’s by no chance. Danish designer Jakob Wagner says the A6 was intentionally designed to blend into a modern space as a “contemporary jukebox” with the home in mind:

“In a way I have designed BeoPlay A6 the same way I design a piece of furniture, however here form follows sound and interaction. Its intuitive, yet surprising shape always ‘plays to you’ no matter where you are and generates a much more intimate relationship than you would normally get from a conventional music system.”

The speaker can be wall-mounted, used table top, or positioned on the floor, a flexible solution adaptable for personal daily listening habits and social occasions where portability come into play.

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The B&O PLAY BeoPlay A6 will be available from October 19th, 2015 for $999.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.