B&O BeoLab 11 subwoofer: distinctive looks, painful price

Space tulip, Minority Report prop or achingly expensive home audio equipment: all suitable descriptions for Bang & Olufsen’s latest attempt to squeeze the very last drops from our wallets. The $2,000 BeoLab 11 subwooferpairs two 6.5-inch drivers with a 200W Class D ICEpower amp and covers a user-adjusable 33 to 300 Hz range.

Like all subwoofers, the BeoLab 11 is omnidirectional so you don’t have to position it at a certain point in the room in order to reap the benefits; unlike most, however, the Acoustic Balance Principle – basically the two cones firing at each other – means there are minimal vibrations, too. Since the amp is onboard you don’t need a separate poweramp to drive it, either.

The Danes reckon the BeoLab 11 is so gorgeous that you’ll want to leave it out on show, and so it’s designed for both floor-standing or wall-mounting. The B&O BeoLab 11 will arrive in May, initially available in silver anodized aluminum or white, and then with various color finishes – including black, dark grey, red, blue and golden – following on.