From £1, 250
bang-olufsen.comWE’RE IMPRESSED Impressive
with movies and music; beautiful
design; Dolby Atmos compatible.
WE’D IMPROVE Doesn’t deliver
full Atmos immersive audio;
heavy price premium for the
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THE LAST WORD A premium
soundbar with ultra-premium
sound. It may not offer a
surround experience, but it’s
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every other way.VERDICT
See great deals on the Beosound
Stage at: bit.ly/t3beostgJUNE 2020 T3 65Te s te d
B&O Beosound Stageerhaps surprisingly, the Stage is the
first dedicated soundbar from the
Bang & Olufsen stable. You might be
forgiven for thinking the Danish
brand is coming late to the party, but we reckon
it’s been hanging back to get things right. Very
right, as it happens.
At 110cm wide, the Stage can be considered
a good fit for screens 55-inch and up.
Intriguingly, it can be used either horizontal
or vertical, for wall mounting. We think it
performs best upright, although it still sounds
pretty good lying flat.
Dolby Atmos is standard, but if you want
additional post-processing you’re in luck.
There’s a choice of listening modes: TV, Music,
Movie and Night, with EQ adjustable using
ToneTouc h, B a n g & Olu f s e n’s e qu a l i s e r.
It features no fewer than 11 drivers, all of
which work in tandem like a fine-tuned
orchestra. There are four bass drivers, in a stereo
configuration, plus two 38mm mid-rangers and
a central 19mm dome tweeter. Additionally,
there are squawkers and tweeters left and right,%DQJ 2OXIVHQèVĆUVW'ROE\$WPRVVRXQGEDULVDVRQLFWRXUGHIRUFH
B&O Beosound Stage
BANG ON
angled upwards at 45 degrees (when in that
wall-mounted orientation). All benefit from
their own 50W amp module.
While you won’t get the wraparound effect
that Dolby Atmos is famed for theatrically, it is
capable of exaggerated sonic height and width.
Play the classic action opener to Mad Max Fury
Road, and there’s a sense of enormous scale. We
can thank those angled edge drivers and height
virtualisation DSP for the oh-so-smooth
panning effects.
The soundbar also handles fine details
brilliantly well, picking up on subtle audio
nuances that distinguish speech and
environmental effects. There’s a realism to its
presentation that’s absolutely convincing.
And despite the fact it lacks an outboard
subwoofer, the Stage has no problem making its
presence felt. We measured bass output down to
31.5Hz, which translates to appreciable slam
with action movies and the like.
Of course there are caveats. One HDMI input
is a bit on the frugal side, as it demands all your
kit goes via the TV. But as it boasts plenty of
style, as well as a commensurate level of
performance, we’re happy enough to forgive
these foibles.
The Stage could well end up being the most
satisfying soundbar of the year. It’s that good.P