Bang & Olufsen, who recently moved to close some of their stores in Australia after moving to sell a new range of products via Apple stores and selected retailers, has launched a new device that adds wireless-network capability to any of the company’s active home speakers.The new Playmaker wireless receiver, which sells in the USA for $425, connects any pair of active B&O speakers wirelessly to a home network, tablet or a smartphone. It incorporates Apple AirPlay and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) network technology.
With multiple Playmakers in different rooms, consumers can create a multizone audio system, with the same song playing in sync throughout the house or different rooms playing different songs, the company said. When music is streamed from a handheld device, users can adjust volume and mute from the device, from a Bang & Olufsen remote, or from a control on the Playmaker itself.
To connect the receiver to a wireless network, users push a button on the bottom of Playmaker.
Zean Nielsen, president of Bang & Olufsen USA, said he believes most consumers who buy a new pair of B&O speakers will opt for the Playmaker.
“We have strong expectations for its sales performance,” he said, “especially among an entirely new customer segment that may have aspired to own world-class B&O loudspeakers but chose not to invest in an audio or video system to drive the B&O speakers for one reason or another.” The Playmaker, he said, “allows these customers to use their own device” to deliver music to B&O speakers.
