LAYER designs a sculptural speaker for bang & olufsen with oak base and textile cover

created for luxury electronics company bang & olufsen, design agency LAYER presents the beosound balance speaker that combines high-quality audio with a rounded familiar form. designed by LAYER founder, benjamin hubert, the home speaker takes its inspiration from domestic objects rather than high-tech products, resulting in an object that suits a variety of residential interiors. 

all images courtesy of LAYER

measuring 380mm in height, and with a diameter of 200mm, the beosound balance is compact yet mighty. the overall shape is composed of a timber base unit and a textile-covered speaker, with a touch and voice-activated interface on top. the solidity of the oak material at the bottom gives the object a heaviness, while the knitted textile body affords an element of tactility and warmth. the end product is effectively a sculptural silhouette that expresses the speaker’s ‘room-filling’ performance. 

close up view of the beosound balance home speaker

‘with balance for bang & olufsen, we wanted to create a sculptural interior object for the home, while still offering the performance of high-end audio equipment. the pure, geometric volumes are driven by the acoustic performance of the speaker, visually describing how the audio functions. this approach delivers a product that is intuitive to use and easily fits into the domestic environment without compromising on sound quality,’ explains benjamin hubert, founder of LAYER.

the form of balance is driven by the speaker’s audio performance, with a simple, cylindrical base unit on which a more expressive form sits

the beosound balance marks the first project undertaken by LAYER for bang & olufsen, which took a total of 18 months in research and development. the speaker is available in both natural and black oak and retails for $2,250 USD (£1,750 / 2,000 EUR / 15,880 CNY). as of march 2020, the product can be found online, in select third-party retailers and in bang & olufsen stores.

together, these two elemental forms create a sculptural object – like a plinth supporting an artwork or vase – that disrupts the monoblock format of most speakers on the market

being a forerunner in home speaker design did not sacrifice bang & olufsen’s dedication to audio innovation. the seven uniquely configured speaker drivers in the beosound balance are designed to deliver a tight, strong bass performance and a truly room filling sound. as the latest home speaker to join the family, the design brings forward a flexible acoustic experience making use of wide and directional sound modes – a technology that has trickled down from the development of the flagship bang & olufsen beolab speakers.

like an interior object, the medium-sized speaker can sit either on the floor or on a shelf or mantle

‘bang & olufsen has spent decades researching the influence of room acoustics on human perception, which resulted in the development of unique technologies in our flagship speakers. examples of which include; the acoustic lenses on our beolab 18 and beolab 50 speakers, which deliver highly directional sound, and the beam control and advanced active room compensation algorithms found in the beolab 90, which react to each individual space to optimize and enhance the listening experience. we are proud to bring these technologies to our home speaker system’, says bang & olufsen tonmeister neo kaplanis.

the intuitive, touch-sensitive interface is located on the top of the speaker unit, and allows users to control volume and track settings with a simple gesture

the timber base unit contains a large, omnidirectional bass speaker driver, which is positioned in a vertical orientation and topped with a metal mesh dish with perforations in a fibonacci sequence

the softly sculpted upper unit contains the precise mid and top-end drivers, which complete the warm, well-balanced audio performance

these drivers – which provide directional audio – are positioned under a seamlessly knitted textile cover

balance is crafted from a rich palette of materials that are more readily associated with homewares and soft furnishings

the base unit is made from FSC-approved solid timber, blocked and turned as in furniture construction

this material choice not only communicates a high level of craftsmanship but also superior sound resonance

the upper unit is wrapped in textile, referencing interior upholstery; while the metal finishes and interface panel are made from pressed aluminium

benjamin hubert of LAYER with the beosound balance speaker

project info:

project name: beosound balance

design: LAYER x bang & olufsen

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom