Hmmmm, that would explain a lot of things…

matador43 wrote:

@ benoit.

Of course. Even if my post was a little "cavalier" it wasn't intend as a judgment.

It's just that nowadays design seems to have been replaced by "unexpected form": you take anything, you give it the shape of something else, you drawn it in any wording shenanigans and you declare it is iconic, like movies that are "cult" even before reaching the audience.

It's too easy and it sometimes cover a lack of novelty. Can you believe the last groundbreaking feature of the revolutionary (in his time) VW golf is… you can adjust volume by weaving your hand in the air ?

Now let's be honest: if the Emerge has some feature or use that is new, efficient, never seen or well engineered, ok, Why not: all tastes allowed.
If its just another speaker with a weird form factor (that wording must never have been go public), I cant see the point and rather and M3 or an M5 that looks like a speaker because they are speakers.

(wasn't there a movie or tv show or ad, where appliance were so designed that they did'nt look what they were and a guest was keeping confusing them?)

If I wanted a speaker that looked like a speaker I would choose another brand...

I have the M3 in my bathroom, very good 200 euro speaker, but boring to look at, and it is just plastic.

Emil Jensen wrote:

If I wanted a speaker that looked like a speaker I would choose another brand...

Don't say that to people who criticize B&O for being Style over Substance…
(200€ ? you're lucky!) 

I think it is now sad.....sad that a company such as B&O with all their inovation and history is now just reduced to knocking out Chinese built wireless solitary speakers endlessly!  Again and again and again. We all have these now surely? I have 3 that I don't use! 

Keep re-inventing the wheel........it's still a wheel.

When you look at a 30 year old Beocentre 9500 and compare with today don't you just shudder? I do.

The designs of the recent stuff has been decent enough for the most part.

But at the same time they all fall far short of anything with wow factor, and its hard to think any will be regarded as classic.

The last (that could conceivably make its way into MOMA) is the A9.

An argument could be made for the BS1 and BS2, but not a strong argument.

The rest (Edge, Shape, Level, Balance, Emerge, M series) range between not good (Balance)  to pretty nice (Level).

These single point wireless units (and I guess headphones too) are where a good chunk of sales are available I suppose - but I agree, while its good to have refreshed designs etc, its not the most inspiring set of releases.

The only thing in a newer / different product category was the Halo, and thats been a missed opportunity (its hardly sparked a lot of buzz even here has it?)

Onwards I guess...

Beofile7 wrote:

I think it is now sad.....sad that a company such as B&O with all their inovation and history is now just reduced to knocking out Chinese built wireless solitary speakers endlessly!  Again and again and again. We all have these now surely? I have 3 that I don't use! 

Keep re-inventing the wheel........it's still a wheel.

When you look at a 30 year old Beocentre 9500 and compare with today don't you just shudder? I do.

The Emerge looks pretty cool.  I might be interested in a pair if I can use them as speakers for my computer.

Beofile7 wrote:

I think it is now sad.....sad that a company such as B&O with all their inovation and history is now just reduced to knocking out Chinese built wireless solitary speakers endlessly!  Again and again and again. We all have these now surely? I have 3 that I don't use! 

Keep re-inventing the wheel........it's still a wheel.

When you look at a 30 year old Beocentre 9500 and compare with today don't you just shudder? I do.

When you’d take away what of the BC9500 is absolutely useless as of today, there would not be much left....to design.

The design of the BC9500 has had it’s time, because of the functions it covered (yes, covered) - a piece of aluminium and some touch controls behind a piece of glass isn’t much of a design after all, but it was different, different than anything else at that time, I must admit.

Some look back - others try to find a way forward.

Don’t expect me to agree with you.

MM

matador43 wrote:

Don't say that to people who criticize B&O for being Style over Substance… (200€ ? you're lucky!)

While reading about the new Emerge, my thoughts were as follows:

"Damn,... another mono speaker"

"Isn't that woofer firing directly into a solid panel? How would they have gotten that to sound good?"

"Looks good enough to me, the price is 'alright, and I'm sure it sounds great'"

"Damn,... another mono speaker"

😎

Millemissen wrote:

The design of the BC9500 has had it’s time, because of the functions it covered (yes, covered) - a piece of aluminium and some touch controls behind a piece of glass isn’t much of a design after all, but it was different, different than anything else at that time, I must admit.

Some look back - others try to find a way forward.

Don’t expect me to agree with you.

MM

The products breathe more "NOW" than "the NEXT" in design, concept and specs.