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Mobile Technology

US$800 Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 uses Apple AirPlay

By Mike Hanlon
March 12, 2012
US$800 Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 uses Apple AirPlay
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY is about the size of a small car battery at 23 x 15 x 18.8 cm, weighing slightly less at 2.8 kg
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY is about the size of a small car battery at 23 x 15 x 18.8 cm, weighing slightly less at 2.8 kg
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY connects via Apple's AirPlay, so it plays seamlessly from your iPod, IPad or iPhone unwired for four hours, or wired for eight hours
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY connects via Apple's AirPlay, so it plays seamlessly from your iPod, IPad or iPhone unwired for four hours, or wired for eight hours
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
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The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY
View gallery - 7 images

The Bang & Olufsen PLAY Beolit 12 AIRPLAY is about the size of a small car battery at 23 x 15 x 18.8 cm, weighing slightly less at 2.8 kg. It contains a substantial battery plus 120 Watts of digital Class D power amplifier, plus two 2" tweeters and a 4" woofer. It also connects via Apple's AirPlay, so it plays seamlessly from your iPod, IPad or iPhone by AirPlay for four hours, or wired to your iThing for eight hours. Based on our past experience with B&O, the sound will be exquisite, but the Beolit 12 might also be the most expensive accessory you'll consider for the iPhone - EUR700 or US$800.

Despite the upmarket price, the Beolit 12 is the most affordable sound system from Bang & Olufsen in many years. The dark grey version is available now, with more colors coming in Spring.

The Beolit can be plugged into the mains, in which case it'll run indefinitely.

The quality, design and craftsmanship all look to be the usual B&O standard.

View gallery - 7 images

Tags

Mobile TechnologyiPodBang OlufsenPortable AudioAudioiPhoneRechargeable BatteriesiPadAirPlayBeolit
5 comments
Mike Hanlon
Mike Hanlon
As a photojournalist, Mike’s work has been published in a dozen languages across 20+ countries. He has edited or managed over 75 different print publications, each with a different target audience: sports, automotive, advertising, marketing, design, ad infinitum. Mike has been working in the internet for more than 25 years and was the veteran of five internet start-ups before founding New Atlas in 2002.

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5 comments
zekegri
Why would there be a time limit if hard wired? Nonsense
jmitch83
@zekegri - have another read of the article, the author clearly states "The Beolit can be plugged into the mains, in which case it'll run indefinitely"
Stan Sieler
@jmitch83: have another read yourself :) The photo caption says: "unwired for four hours, or wired for eight hours." (Of course, based on experience and the statement in the main article, I'd expect essentially unlimited play time when plugged in :)
It would be nice to read a review where the reviewers have heard the products, and can also provide tech specs (e.g., watts, decibels). Note that I'm not implying that I think this article is a review...it's essentially a pass-thru of a new-product announcement. I'd love to read a comparison of this vs. some Bose portable sound systems.
Nicolas Zart
Ah! Some of my two favorite designers, Apple and B&O together, kind of!
Db8andswim
They would be better off putting a quality speaker system with a player known for quality audio, like a Cowon S9 or something. Putting an $800 speaker with notoriously-bad iPod sound is a terrible idea.