New member looking to add an Emerge to my collection,

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi B,
Welcome to BeoWorld! These are great little speakers, but hard to find at the moment due to chip shortages. There was one black Emerge left in the pop-up B&O store at Copenhagen airport yesterday if that helps?

Please ask if you need any help connecting this speaker to the rest of your system and I will be happy to help!

Kind regards, Steve.

[Idua]

Hello Steve,

Thank you for trying to help! I’m a big fan of your vids, I watch them regularly.  I wonder how I might contact that pop-up store about their Emerge?

I have a task ahead of me,

Brian

[Idua]

Something just occurred to me, if I’m able to get the Emerge at Copenhagen Airport (I’ve sent them an email) will it work in Canada? Is it just a matter of changing the AC cord?

Thanks for any help / advice,

Brian

[Idua]

Hello,

I am a new member here with a small B & O collection and a huge passion for B & O products.

I would like to buy an Emerge, do any members know where I might find one? Or does someone have one for sale?

Thanks all, B.

[Razlaw]

They are great speakers. I live in the USA and don’t think they have ever been officially available here. However, somehow, my dealer here in the USA was able to get some a few months ago and I was lucky enough to get his last two.

[Idua]

We don’t really have a Bang & Olufsen dealer in Ontario, more specifically in the Toronto area, so going to a dealer isn’t an option for me.

Does your dealer have any more? Where are you located? Are you thinking of selling one?

Brian

[Razlaw]

No, I do not want to sell them.  I am Illinois but dealer is in Pennsylvania. There are two locations but same dealer. When I got my two they were the last two he had. That was a few months ago. Don’t know if he ever got any more.

[trackbeo]

(1) To put a finer point on it, the Emerge is believed to be unavailable worldwide because some of the chips it uses are the same as could be put into more expensive products like the Level or the Balance.  Even in Denmark, the black one cannot be ordered from the website, only the more expensive wood one — and even that availability is quoted as November!  (2) Allegedly Canada imported its stock thru the USA, but even if not anymore, they still suffer the same availability (and pricing) issues.  Emerge isn’t visible on the USA version of bang-olufsen.com, so that means Arvato Supply Chain Solutions isn’t shipping any to North America.  If it were, I expect the more-expensive one (which will be the only one available, remember) to cost about CDN$ 1100!  How is this possible?!?!  Convert Euro/D.kr average price to USD, no discount despite no VAT, plus add an additional 10%.  Convert that to CDN, plus add another 5%.  Q.E.D.  (3) Bummer about Toronto, really you can’t ask “the buyer” at Holt Renfrew, even if you could figure out who that was.

As to your potential Copenhagen airport buy, labelling is required by EU law: Just turn any unit over and look at the bottom, for something saying “INPUT ~ 100-240V.”  But you don’t even need to ask a kiosk attendant: Despite claiming 60watt+30watt+30watt amplification, the Emerge power specs list a USB-C cable!  This means a wall wart power supply, probably a 45-watt USB-PD (USB “Power Distribution” type) unit like comes with the Level.  Its ~100-240 etching is almost invisible, but has international, slide-on, power prongs.  Despite B&O intentionally not supplying multiple plugs, you’ll just add a simple adapter to the one they give you, no voltage converter needed.  (Something like the “Kriëger” travel plug, US$ 6.)  Even if I’m wrong and they ship some single-country wall wart, you can buy a USB-PD supply matching the same specs for the higher negotiated voltages.  Just magnify the etchings & you’ll see.  Good luck and let us all know how it works out!

[Razlaw]

That makes sense. I have wondered why they are in such short supply.  I guess I should consider myself very fortunate to have been able to purchase two, of what is no doubt a very small total number of Emerges in the USA. My dealer seems to be good at getting items. When I purchased my 28s a few months ago, somehow he had new, in unopened boxes, black grills that were the limited edition ones for the first 28 pairs of Beolab 28s. I have assumed he sold a pair of the limited edition ones but the buyer did not want the limited edition grills.

[trackbeo]

So what do your power bricks say on the back for input and output voltages/amps?

[Idua]

Wow Razlaw, I’ll bet those ’28s are spectacular!!  If possible could you share the info on the back of the Emerge? I don’t think there would be any differences between the EU version and the North American version but I would feel better if I knew for sure.  I sent the Copenhagen Airport store an email but I haven’t heard back.

Thank you for everyone’s input, it’s really appreciated.

Brian

[Razlaw]

What info specifically are you looking for? They are in my office at work and can look at them tomorrow.

[trackbeo]

@Razlaw, confirm for @idua (1) whether they use wall-wart power block & USB-C cable, or internal power supply & figure-8 AC cord; (2a) if internal look on the bottom for the legend following the word “INPUT”; (2b) if wall-wart look on the plug-side for the legend following the word “INPUT”.

Then if you’re willing, for me/others and if it’s a wall-wart, the multiple legends following the word “OUTPUTS”.  (That’s a bit of typing so if I cannot impose, then just the highest-voltage/wattage one should be enough to divine the rest.)  Thanks!

[Idua]

I think the main thing (I’m not an expert at all) is the voltage. I guessing the EU & North America are both 120 volts. Thank you for your help, I hope I hear back from B & O Copenhagen. If one of those two Emerge’s you have start to hurt your eyes let me know and I’ll help you out.

Brian

[trackbeo]

[No, only North America is 120 volts.  EU is 220 volts.  That’s the whole point of the single power brick and its “INPUT” legend.  See below.]

Here’s a photo of the Level’s USB-PD 45watt power block, just for comparison.  Hope the resolution is enough to read it; you may have to click the link for full size.  Above is the back side of the slide-in power prongs that clip onto the block.  (If it’s identical, it’ll save @Razlaw some typing!)

[Idua]

Great info! So if I’m understanding correctly,  if I find an Emerge in the EU I will need a North American switching adapter.

Brian

[trackbeo]

Sorry it was unclear: *IF* the Emerge uses a USB power supply, likely it’s similar to the one above, which is a *universal* power supply.  Universal?  Yes, you can read from its “INPUT” specs, it will accept anything from 100volts AC (Japan) up thru 240volts AC (United Kingdom), and 50 Hertz (Europe) thru 60 Hz (elsewhere).  That power supply would normally come with prong sets for US, EU, and UK electric, which are nothing but big solid wires in a plastic holder that slides into the slots of that power brick.  If you get the wrong prongs (which you will from the EU) because it’s nothing but wires, all you need is a cheap adapter plug that turns two round prongs into the standard North American flat prongs.  Worth your time & trouble: Read the brief introduction at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity .

Therefore, the only case in which you would buy a North American switching adapter is if B&O cheaped out and Emerge doesn’t come with a universal supply but rather comes with a single-voltage INPUT (220V only).  This is possible but unlikely.  (Or, as stated above, if it has an AC power cord and its own internal power, in which case you need to check those INPUT specs, on the bottom of the unit.)  You’ll know for sure once Razlaw takes a look.

[Razlaw]

My wall plugs look exactly like the one in the picture above.

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