moxxey:

Raeuber:

The Beosound 9000 looked like a product of the next century, the Beolit 12 of the last century!

Agreed, but maybe that was B&O's plan for this device. Produce something that supports all the latest features (AirPlay etc), yet make it look like something from the 90s. There's a bit of an anti-cool feeling to this product.

As I said above though, these photos are not the finished product. They are mockups presented to get CE clearance etc etc. Functional mockups.

I wasn't a fan when I first saw the BS8. In fact, I was quite vocal about it's looks. Ok, it's not the best designed B&O product that I've owned, but it's grown on me since I saw the original photos. The Beolit 12 may do the same on release.

I had the same feeling when the Beolab 5s came out, and now I love them!

moxxey:

Produce something that supports all the latest features (AirPlay etc), yet make it look like something from the 90s.

To me , it looks more like something from the 50's...

Check this guys, I posted it on my FaceBook page and ALL of my friends in their early to mid 20s from the iPhone / MacBook generation are LOVING THIS!!! They are liking the retro character with some saying it has the character of an old SLR camera!

Price wise, im guessing £300/£350???

Yeah, I think it's down to personal taste, for instance I love the look of BS8, I think it's iconic and I love BL600/8000 but I also think the BL5 is the most ugly horrendous 'thing' ive ever seen in my life, they remind me of something really nasty from an electric power station and yet some people are happy to pay the price of a decent small car for them!!! To me it's madness for something so truly ugly but some guys like them! Personal taste I guess!

Paul Winn:

Check this guys, I posted it on my FaceBook page and ALL of my friends in their early to mid 20s from the iPhone / MacBook generation are LOVING THIS!!! 

Yeah, it's ok. The finished version will be even better. I'm not sure if posting these photos all over is a wise idea though. They are clearly demo/unfinished units.

In a bizarre uncool way, it could be cool. I quite like the idea of a retro modern portable device. Better still, remember you'll be able to wirelessly sync you iPhone-stored music to the device, whilst you are sitting in the park.

I think it will be about £300, yeah. It's clearly plastic, most likely constructed in China, so won't be BS3 priced.

Hi Moxxey  Im a huge fan of retro so to me its cool.

Thank God its not priced at the BS3 price - that is one truly bonkers product - I stopped listening to FM in the very early 90s!!!   My MINI has DAB as standard and of course I use that at home.   Yes, Ive made it clear that these are pre-production pix.  Interesting though isnt it that my younger friends are liking it when the only thing that makes them smile is the Apple name.  Normally they could not care less about B&O, so this is obviously winning them over!

Paul, did you tell your friends that it was B&O? If they are huge Apple fans they may be thinking it is an Apple product. I mean if you look at it the right way, it does have that Apple/Braun styling...

@Moxxy, there is a picture of the product label on the FCC/CE (whatever it is) site showing the label. It already says China.

Hi Evan,

Yes certainly did. The B&O name doesnt really mean a lot to them as half are not into the image of the brand and the other half work with me in radio were of course we use the pro and semi pro stuff from Apple, Pioneer, Sony and Tascam.

I find it interesting that they are liking the retro looks and feel to the product but not surprised at the same time. Judging by this response of say 40 - 50 young professionals, I think that this will be a hot seller at the Apple stores especially as BOSE have started their television ad's here in the UK for their bluetooth speaker aimed at a similar market. It will be interesting to see the rest of this range.

Hope you are well Evan!

It's not for me, but i can see at the right price and if it performs like it should it could soon be another winner for B&O!

Evan:

@Moxxy, there is a picture of the product label on the FCC/CE (whatever it is) site showing the label. It already says China.

Yeah, I know. But I still think it's a mockup/demo unit created for pushing through various regulations. I don't think it's a finished end-user product. It's rough around the edges, lacks controls and so on.

moxxey:

Better still, remember you'll be able to wirelessly sync you iPhone-stored music to the device, whilst you are sitting in the park.

FALSE : it's impossible to wirelessly stream your music from your device outside the range of YOUR PRIVATE WIFI, if it's only based on AirPlay. That's a reason why the (BeoLit-looking) Bose SoundLink uses Bluetooth as wireless connexion. We will see, but I would not hope for that kind of use. Anyway, if you're not alone in a park, don't try to play music loud, even if it's on B&O!

And yes : the pictures clearly show a prototype, not a finished product. Wait for tomorrow to see "real" picture of it!

moxxey:

Yeah, I know. But I still think it's a mockup/demo unit created for pushing through various regulations. I don't think it's a finished end-user product. It's rough around the edges, lacks controls and so on.

And I was sure it's going to have a D connector hanging off a length of ribbon cable coming out of a crack in the "battery compartment"

I would also prefer B&O had controlled leaks of some quality instead of the first images being these awful mockups, which everybody and their brother will then paste all over the interwebs.

mbee:

FALSE : it's impossible to wirelessly stream your music from your device outside the range of YOUR PRIVATE WIFI, if it's only based on AirPlay.

presumably one can direct one's iOS music app to use airplay to send its music wirelessly to the BeoLit 12 ... so I think Moxxey's vision is feasible  

elephant:

presumably one can direct one's iOS music app to use airplay to send its music wirelessly to the BeoLit 12 ... so I think Moxxey's vision is feasible  

No, Airplay is not working in "point to point" network. You can not just "send music wirelessly". You have to have a personnaly-managed wifi network where all Airplay-compatible device are connected, and then, one device can send music to the other. It's not Bluetooth.

mbee:

elephant:

presumably one can direct one's iOS music app to use airplay to send its music wirelessly to the BeoLit 12 ... so I think Moxxey's vision is feasible  

No, Airplay is not working in "point to point" network. You can not just "send music wirelessly". You have to have a personnaly-managed wifi network where all Airplay-compatible device are connected, and then, one device can send music to the other. It's not Bluetooth.

So if I just happen to be carrying one of these in my pocket would I be able to use it as a hub to join the two devices ?

mbee:

moxxey:

Better still, remember you'll be able to wirelessly sync you iPhone-stored music to the device, whilst you are sitting in the park.

FALSE : it's impossible to wirelessly stream your music from your device outside the range of YOUR PRIVATE WIFI, if it's only based on AirPlay. 

But you can now setup your iPhone as a personal (closed) wifi hotspot and then stream to your device using this? Your devices would have to connect to your iPhone hotspot, but it can be done.

It reminds me the Beolit 600

If you have a personal WiFi hot-spot device, you can use the AirPlay feature. I can't speak to using the iPhone itself, but I would imagine it would work the same.

Doesn't loook much to me tbh. Reminds me of a Roberts Radio .. eeeurgh

http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=839

41 years old and still looks futuristic...

David Lewis has gone , maybe it's time to bring JJ back to the fold ?

I like it.  

I will get one when they're available

unfortunately, that sounds like it's going to be next year

MJM

elephant:

So if I just happen to be carrying one of these in my pocket would I be able to use it as a hub to join the two devices ?

It can work... But only if this device acts as a wireless router, which I'm quite sure it don't. If you own this device, try to connect 2 computers to it and transfer a file via wifi from one computer to another. If it works, AirPlay will work. If it doesn't work...

And using the embedded wifi hotspot of the iPhone doesn't resolve the problem, while quickly sucking the battery.

Paul Winn:

Price wise, im guessing £300/£350???

I was told today that it will be a lot more than that - at least double that? Remember it has more functionality than the BS3 (which is nearly £600).

mbee:

elephant:

So if I just happen to be carrying one of these in my pocket would I be able to use it as a hub to join the two devices ?

It can work... 

You said it's impossible above? LOL. Anyway, you can always recharge the iPhone. How long do you think you'll be sitting in the park? :)

Anyway, the point is...you can. Stream audio from your iPhone to the Beolit, on the move.

moxxey:

Anyway, the point is...you can. Stream audio from your iPhone to the Beolit, on the move.

A "standard person" with standard computer skills will NEVER think of such a solution : walking with your Beo-Ghettoblaster, connected to a wireless 3G hub+router on your bag, with an iDevice streaming the music... If you are this kind of computer nerd, you're not the typical B&O-lifestyle-consumer...

A normal consumer will stream via Bluetooth to a device while out of the home (maybe the Beolit 12 is Bluetooth, I have not read the FCC facts), and 99% of consumer will never use the Beolit 12 out of the reach of their home wifi network!

Hi Moxxey, there is no way anyone other than rich B&O lovers will pay over £350 for this. At the end of the day it's a mono speaker in retro plastic. The BS3 is purely bonkers - it's madness!