Disrupt Your Neighbor's Dinner Party With the $15K Beolab 28 Sound System

I'm saying that because sound engineering group Bang & Olufsen recently announced the unveiling of the newest addition to the family. Never heard of these guys? Better get with the flow as this team has been pumping out sound-oriented gear since 1925; that’s over 95 years of experience. If you own a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, you clearly know who B&O are as the sound blasts at you via their gear.

Now, this team is looking to shake the walls on your home and bank account with the €12,000 ($14,644 at current exchange rates) Beolab 28 sound system made to give you an exquisite stereo experience. If you’re like me, then you want a system that passes sound right through you, all the while making you vibrate. B&O promises this with the Beolab, and then some.

This system is an advancement on active loudspeaker setups, meaning that the amplifier is included in the speaker enclosure. While some folks may argue that this is not the way, this system can be preferred as the speaker and amp have been specifically tuned to play together.

The beauty behind this system is that it adapts to the space in your home. To do that, the 28 is equipped with an outer membrane that moves, limits, and directs sound as is needed for the occasion or space. A Narrow mode focuses sound into a sweet spot that reaches your ears without being affected by reflections from other surfaces.

A Wide mode does sort of the opposite. Rather than concentrating sound into a focal point, it delivers a broader soundstage meant to entertain a room full of people. It is the mode to use during parties and movie nights.

Overall, the system is designed to work in rooms up to 50 square meters or 500 square feet and does so with a one 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) tweeter, three 3-inch (7.62-centimeter) full range speakers, and one 6.5-inch (16.51-centimeter) woofer.

Accompanying those speakers is one 100-watt tweeter amp, three 100-watt full range amps, and one 225-watt woofer amp. To get an idea of what that means, my Soundsticks 3 setup uses a 20-watt 6-inch woofer, and at half volume, my couch starts to shake.

Advanced features meant to offer an optimum sound include Active Room Compensation, Adaptive Bass Linearization, Beam Width Control, and thermal protection.

As for the speaker design, the Beolab is made from aluminum, ensuring you’ll have the pair for years to come. Other components include handcrafted woods and premium fabrics that aren’t just for visual aesthetics, but play a clear function in your sound quality. You’ll also find an intelligent, proximity-activated user interface with touch controls. Oh, and these puppies can also be mounted directly to your wall.

For connectivity, the main feature you’ll probably be using is the Bluetooth 5.0 connection. Still, you can also handle your audio needs via two ethernet ports, one USB-C, one Powerlink, and of course, analog/optical line-in sensing ports. Streaming services include AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect.

To say that this is all this system can do would be a grand understatement. In fairness, B&O has been tinkering with sound for so long that it actually offers a 20-page sound guide report that tells you all you need to know about your Beolab and how to set it up to its fullest potential.

Now, I'll be honest, I haven’t found anyone to allow me to experience the sound of one of these systems. However, if I had the cash for it, I'd buy it, return it, say I didn’t like it, get my money back, and then dream about it the rest of my life; it's a hard decision.