The Bang & Olufsen Gift-Buying Guide for the Holidays

At Blueprint, we are dedicated to providing your family with best-in-class audio solutions. A world leader in manufacturing high-performance loudspeakers, the Bang & Olufsen brand is synonymous with not only high quality but also with sleek and innovative designs. We not only are proud to bring Bang & Olufsen and its high-fidelity audio products here to the Honolulu area, but we are excited to be your local resource for all things B&O this holiday season. In this Blueprint gift-buying guide to the holidays, we will explore five of our favorite B&O products as you look to find the perfect present for the audiophile or music enthusiast in your life. Just keep reading below to find out more.

SEE ALSO:Bang & Olufsen Whole-Home Audio: Here’s What You Need to Know

Beoplay H9i - $499

High-end audio doesn’t have to be limited to the confines of your house. If you’re on the go, don’t just settle for low-quality earbuds or headphones. The Beoplay H9i is one of Bang & Olufsen´s premier over-ear wireless headphones, available in three colors – natural (pictured above), limestone or black. Not only does the H9i offer up to 18 hours of wireless battery life, but the headphones also feature active noise cancellation technology and a transparency mode that allows you to listen to your surroundings without needing to remove your headphones. The H9i also features a bass port to ensure deep and powerful bass response. Additionally, the H9i boasts an intuitive touch interface that allows you to control volume or change songs through just a couple taps on the ear cup. With both high-tech and sleek design features, the Beoplay H9i is the perfect gift for the music enthusiast always on the go.

BeoSound 2 with Google Assistant - $2,250

We highlighted the BeoSound 2 in last month’s blog, but it’s worth mentioning on this list as well. Available in natural aluminum, brass tone and bronze tone finishes, the BeoSound 2 is perfect not only as a standalone speaker but also as a part of any Bang & Olufsen multi-room audio setup. So, what makes the BeoSound2 stand out? Not only does it offer an innovative 360-degree sound field with separate built-in midrange and bass drivers, but it also is crafted with high-grade aluminum to deliver superior acoustic performance and eliminate any distortion of the sound. Additionally, its built-in Google Assistant allows you to enjoy smarter, more elegant and hands-free home control. The BeoSound 2 also features its own innovative control features. An intuitive wheel built onto the speaker allows for simplified control, but additionally, you can manage your BeoSound 2 through Bang & Olufsen's mobile application – with easy access to many of your favorite streaming services, including Spotify, Deezer and more. Weighing just over 9 pounds and only about 17 inches tall, the BeoSound 2 is a portable speaker that also delivers a high-fidelity listening experience. And, just in time for the holiday season, if you purchase a BeoSound 2 by December 31, 2018, you can get a free Beoplay M3 speaker – valued at $299.

BeoSound Shape – Price Varies

The BeoSound Shape is unlike any high-fidelity audio product on the market. That’s because the BeoSound Shape doesn’t even look like a speaker. But don’t let its appearance fool you. Its stunning appearance seemingly makes it a piece of artwork to the untrained eye. But with a combination of speakers, noise dampers, amplifiers and a BeoSound Core all integrated within the wall-mounted tile setup, the BeoSound Shape doubles as a high-performance speaker system that can even be connected to your multi-room audio setup. One of our favorite features of the BeoSound Shape, though, is that it’s entirely customizable. While you can choose from preset tile configurations, you can build your BeoSound Shape however you desire. You can choose from up to 10 colors for each hexagonal tile – from black to pink and more – and can include as many speakers, dampers or amplifiers as you desire. It’s a genuinely modular design. Because the BeoSound Shape is such a customizable product, it’s difficult to accurately provide a price. However, we are more than happy to invite you to our Honolulu showroom so you can see first-hand how customizable the BeoSound Shape truly is and to meet with our team to configure a unique system that meets both your aesthetic and acoustic preferences. Additionally, we will include a free Beoplay M3 as part of any BeoSound Shape purchase through December 31.

Beosound Edge - $3,500

The Beosound Edge is one of Bang & Olufsen's newest products, with a release scheduled for November 2018. And it boasts a variety of innovative control and audio-quality features. You can either place a Beosound Edge on the floor or wall-mount it, already giving you a flexibility that most loudspeakers don’t provide. But some unique control features distinguish the Beosound Edge as well. First, while you are listening to music and want to adjust the volume, you simply can roll the balancing circle of the speaker – just like a dial. Additionally, the Beosound Edge features built-in proximity sensors that automatically will light up the user interface as you approach. Easily start, stop or change songs with just a couple taps of your speaker. The Beosound Edge also boasts several audio components that make it a leading loudspeaker. Not only does the Edge feature B&O´s True360 multidirectional capability, but you also can make simple adjustments to direct sound to only specific areas of your listening space. With two 3/4-inch tweeters, two 4-inch midrange drivers, a 10-inch woofer and an active bass port, as well, you can enjoy lifelike audio quality with all your music.

Beoplay A9 – Starting at $2,699

The Beoplay A9 is a classic Bang & Olufsen product – and by classic, we mean exactly what B&O prides itself on: designed both for appearance and audio quality. The Beoplay A9 is designed to be in plain sight; with a look that enhances or complements your interior design instead of detracting from it. You can choose from either white or black finishes for the base price of $2,699; however, additional bronze or smoked oak tones are available for an additional fee. Built into the sleek A9 are two 3-inch midrange drivers, two 3/4-inch tweeters and an 8-inch woofer. And with five built-in amplifiers to power up to 480 watts of sound, the A9 is just as powerful as it is expertly designed. One of our other favorite features of the A9 is that it can not only connect to your Bang & Olufsen multi-room audio system but also to your iPhone or iPad through a built-in USB port. Just as you can with the BeoSound 2 and the BeoSound Shape, if you purchase a Beoplay A9 through Dec. 31, you also can receive a free Beoplay M3. At Blueprint, we are here to be your local source for all things B&O. If you’re interested in gifting one of these high-fidelity audio products this holiday season – or you just want to buy one for yourself – we encourage you to reach out to us today. Schedule your visit to our showroom today by clicking here or by giving us a call at 808.797.3200. We look forward to hearing from you!