Crafted Like A Musical Instrument
BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 are both speakers with omni-directional sound profiles and exceptional quality. They are related visually, and they can be wirelessly grouped together with ease. The shape of the design means they take up little space, which allows for total flexibility when it comes to placement.
“Simplicity is paramount,” says Torsten Valeur, the man behind the design of BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2, “and our dream was to create something that resembled a musical instrument.”
“A product where every part conveys its purpose, which is to spread music.”
Their conical aluminium bodies hover slightly above the surface on which they are placed, letting the thumps of the bass reverberate out from below. They are slightly open at the top where the speaker driver has been placed facing downwards so it plays directly onto the acoustic lens reflector. This results in a spherical sound profile and a more even sound distribution. BeoSound 2 differs from its smaller sibling by employing two mid-range speakers, hidden by an intricate grill system.
“Aluminium is a signature material of ours and a natural choice for this type of product.”
“Our goal is to create a uniform expression on the surface – so what you experience is solidness and a design that has been reduced with precision,” says Torsten Valeur and continues, “when you look closer at the structures of the aluminium, you get the sense that this has been made by hand, almost formed like an instrument.”
Manufacturing the aluminium bodies for BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 proved challenging; the flexibility and precision required in the milling process is extremely demanding – and when you combine that with how difficult it is to press and shape a conic aluminium profile, you push the engineering capabilities to the limit. Something which is necessary, not only for aesthetic reasons, but because a closed aluminium cabinet provides the best acoustic properties thanks to material stiffness, avoidance of dissonance from joints and corners, and the elimination of distortion.
In the end, BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 represent the finest qualities of Factory 5 in Struer, the acclaimed aluminium facility that was put through the challenge of creating the best possible foundation for the acoustics department – and to make a product that would both fit in and stand out at the same time.
