TripEnglish:

It's funny that the term retro was so readily applied. Seeing it in person there's nothing retro looking or feeling about it. It's just a very simple design and in many ways even cleaner than the BeoSound 3. If you were designing a portable fully digital speaker system I can't imagine a much better form factor. The sound is astonishing, the build is top notch, and it's a fresh design perspective that incorporates enough B&O design DNA to fit nicely in the canon. The only thing remotely retro is the revival of the BeoLit name, which could easily have been done for the BeoSound 1 or BeoSound 3.

When I look at the pictures of that old Beolit 600, I would say that the new Beolit 12 is wery much inspired by that...And there's nothing wrong with that -if you like retro. 

As much as the 'New Mini' is inspired by the old Mini, and the new Fiat 500 is inspired by the old one. We're not talking about new and innovating design -but products inspired by an old design. That's 'retro' to me...

rednik:

BYPAHTEC:

I like the idea, but I will hold judgment until ALL the form/function is determined.

That's not the Beoworld way - AT ALL!

What you have to do is make some guesses at what features you think it may have, what the price may be, what the build quality will be like, and what it looks like based on some unofficial photos of a mock up.  Then, based on your guesses you conclude that it's going to be rubbish and no one will buy it before you have actually seen any propoer specs, or heaven forbid, seen and heard one for real.

That's the BeoWorld way

speaking of specs .... does anyone know which version of DAB this will support ... hopefully both DAB and DAB+ ???

elephant:

speaking of specs .... does anyone know which version of DAB this will support ... hopefully both DAB and DAB+ ???

?? Hmm ?? ... I heard - neither analogue FM nor digital DAB radio - just streaming ... 

Vienna:

elephant:

speaking of specs .... does anyone know which version of DAB this will support ... hopefully both DAB and DAB+ ???

?? Hmm ?? ... I heard - neither analogue FM nor digital DAB radio - just streaming ... 

once upon a ime, long before the internet, shortwave radio made the world flat where anyone could build a "cat whiskers" radio and have their horizons opened very cheaply ... now we have a trillion dollars of technology to connect the affluent first world while disconnecting the poor third world ... at least a battery operated shortwave radio could work in the middle of flood and earthquake devastation 

sorry: I will now climb down from my soapbox

What a Ugly Speaker !!  Where is the touch of Bang & Olufsen ?

The Bowens & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Play look better and is cheaper !

I like the look actually.

I lkie the idea of a new Beolit, and I don't mind where its made if its made well.

BUT ...from what Trip suggests, its sounds like it is essentially one of these 

http://www.simplysonos.co.uk/acatalog/Bundles.html?gclid=CJf-uq-lx6wCFQIf4QodnBReqg

My fear is it will have less "mass market" appeal than the sonos bundle has.... because it has lower specs, no current complimentary products like the sonos does, and on top of these drawbacks, it will apparently cost substantially more.

The first day I saw and heard an S5, I told my (then) B&O area manager that is exactly the product that would sell in big numbers out of B1 shops, and pave the way for a new generation of digital link customers.

Neary two years later.... and it seems the beolit 12 may be a less featured, costly B&O variant on this established technology....  

If your going to start entering a new market, with established sector leaders, but with that element of B&O design and build quality (which justifies the premium) then you should not also be trying to re-invent the (very popular, most suitable) wheel....

imo, that is where the serene and serenata also went wrong  - they had the design touches and build quality....but some basic pre-requisites that people just expect/want were missed out, putting off buyers.

It is a net based music player, so ( like BS5) where on earth is the easy, native access to spotify - something that I can get on a FREE phone from anywhere, or run on my kids £180 netbook all day long  ??

I think you misunderstand the BeoLit 12.

TripEnglish:

I think you misunderstand the BeoLit 12.

Well I'm all ears, so by all means put me straight.

My understanding is that it isn't a radio (DAB, FM) like previous Beolit's  but it IS wireless, and it IS a speaker.

So now I am assuming (as there is no other option) that it must get its source material from either locally stored or streamed content.

WHich sounds a lot like the S5 - aside from a battery option.  Both have handles, both need connectivity to a network of some kind, and both will be able to work via an ipad/iphone app, or the manufactureres remote ( Beolit ??, but maybe )

As you say though, this is speculation and assumption....so I eagerly await The Truth

Is it true that the top is shaped exactly to fit an iPad and it has built in inductive wireless charging for your Apple products?

This is a good point you mentioned , an Ipad is approx. 24 to 18 cm in size, the Beolit unit is bigger than that, so quite possible.

Also the Beolit doesn't provide an kind of display or interface to navigate through your stored music content and radio station , so I assume all navigation will be done over your iphone/ipod/ipad + BeoApp. This means your apple gear need constant charging ,all this without the annoying 0815 docking. Therefore this inductive wireless charging is quite reasonable and would be an innovative solution. In the overall a true B&o product :))

So. A device you can Put your iPod, iPad etc on top of, and it charges while you use the apple device to navigate your music.

Like a beosound 8?

Details will come out in time.  Until then, why not just enjoy Christmas and the new year ( and maybe Easter)

That would be really neat.... although the batteries in the Beolit will need to be on form, powering the device whilst charging another.

Looks pretty similiar to this...

http://www.loewe-int.de/en/loewe-ag/press/press-releases/archive/newspost/beitrag/leichter-als-luft.html

Either they missed the deadline or they will be in stores soon - just got a gift card from B&O that mentions the product on the back. Photo here.