B&O wants its new Biosound level to exclude your average connected speaker

Bang & Ol Lufsen’s Biosound Level is the Danish brand’s latest battery-powered connected speaker. It supports voice control via Google Assistant, Bluetooth, and you can also stream it via AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Spotify Connect standards. B&O says Biosound Level uses modular construction which it claims will be very useful in the future. Given the speaker’s starting price of $ 1,499 (1,099), it’s a welcome feature.

While many stereos and amplifiers can still be used today from the middle of the last century, the average lifespan of modern integrated audio dio systems is still short. If your music system has a computer, it is inevitable that it will eventually become obsolete. B&O hopes that the modular design it uses for the biosound level will help keep the company supported longer, as well as make it easier to repair when components fail.

Image: Bang and Olufsen

Image: Bang and Olufsen

Central to this modularity is the Biosound level streaming module, which includes the speaker’s Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, wireless connectivity tech and antenna array. It’s the first B&O speaker to use it, but the company says it won’t be the last; It will be standardized in the future lineup of its home speakers. B&O says the hardware has enough processing headroom to ship with a biosound level that it should be able to handle updates in the immediate future. But when the hardware reaches its limit, the company plans to replace the streaming module, providing an upgrade service for users who are willing to send their device to the company.

The Biosound level battery is also modular, and unlike the streaming module, it is user-replaceable. However, its form factor will not be standardized in B & O’s speaker lineup, so replacing it will require a battery specifically designed for Biosound level. B levels tree life is rated at 16 hours with moderate volumes, with a maximum volume of four hours.

Image: Bang and Olufsen

Image: Bang and Olufsen

Other features include a built-in ce accelerometer that allows the Biosound level to adjust its sound, depending on whether it is hanging horizontally or on the wall. (Wall brackets are available separately for 119 or £ 89.) Internally, the speaker has five drivers: two 4-inch woofer, a 2-inch full-range driver, and two 0.8-inch twitter.

Charging is done either via the USB-C port on the speaker or by attaching a small magnetic plug (which is powered by USB). The speaker has an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, touch controls and a wood or fabric finish for it.

We have seen companies try to take a modular approach with their devices before, but the success has been kind so far. Modular smartphones never really got on the field, and Alienware’s promises about modular future-proof laptops fell apart just a year later. Bang Bang and Ol Lufsen tell me that he hopes to support the Biosound level for years after he finally stops building the speaker, so it may be a while before we see if he is able to deliver on his goal.

Biosound level is available from today.