Microsoft XBox and Bang & Olufsen Audio Proposition [2020-06]

Interesting.
What is that? A speaker?

 

Official headset made by B&O?
AFAIK B&O is strong on analog circuits for sound and speaker design. I doubt the Series X console itself has anything from B&O since it has no analog outputs, so I'm guessing headphones.

It's also a bit odd that Microsoft would pair with B&O to launch a headset for the SeriesX, considering how the former started selling their own headsets too.
However, since the Surface Headphones seem eerily similar to B&O's H9, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft has been purchasing headset designs from B&O for a while, and this just makes it public.


I guess all they need is to launch a headset with either a custom USB wireless adapter or Bluetooth + AptX-LL, to guarantee 2-way communication.

 

microsoft purchased a headphone company
https://www.onmsft.com/news/microsoft-invests-in-next-generation-headphone-company

 

Haha! Good question. The first part of the tweet reads:

We are excited to announce that we have joined forces with @xbox to create a new audio proposition catered for the high-end segment within #gaming, leveraging our core capabilities of sound, design and craft. ​

This is a genuine WTF statement. What does this even mean? Then finally..

More to come on what that means soon.
​

 

Audio proposition == some peripheral or service. Such as...streaming game audio to all rooms in the house?

I expect something like headphones or a convenient sound system. I've always associated B&O with Expensive and Exclusive so I expect it'll be very niche, unless that's changed in recent years.

 

It could be a lot of things. Maybe prostitutes offering COVID-19 deals over Live? This is Jony Ive "feel the emotion of the design"-level nonsense.

I think what happened is somebody in B&O marketing wrote some copy (the first part of the tweet) then their media team read it, re-read it, turned it upside down and read it, read it backwards in a mirror, realised they didn't understand it, then added that final line. "More to come on what that means" is a tacit admission that everything that came before doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

But a B&O partnership makes sense if Microsoft are going to chases the premium market. Most powerful console, most adaptable (Elite) controller, best official sound-system to the money-is-no-object crowd.

 

Their Beoplay line is actually affordable-ish. They're mass produced items unlike the handcrafted wood stuff they're generally known for.
They have what is arguably the best small bluetooth speaker in the market, the Beoplay A1 where they crammed two 140W amplifiers in a hand-sized speaker.

 

Did they not sing this song last generation with Polk? 1 mediocre set of headphones and a sound bar, it did not set the audio world on fire and was quickly forgotten.

 

It was meant more in reflection to Sony hyping their audio processing, asking folks to wear headphones for the reveal due to the potentially stella audio. This excites me which is good as the 1080p 30 stream otherwise is likely to dissapoint pixel wise and possibly compression wise until we get individual game feeds later.

Microsoft trot out a high end audio brand exactly as they did 5odd years ago which did nothing for gamers.

It just seems weak and brand name waving is something I personally do not feel furthers their brand. Better than aligning with some no name I guess, they can make good gear but will gamers appreciate the price?

Perhaps it's timing on their part and honestly on my part as sooner they day is over the better.

If it means more decent audio kit at an affordable price I am all in, but I doubt that's the case so really no real news for the fans and just some pompous noise ahead of Sonys reveal.

I will go back to my gin and surface in a better mood hopefully.

Edit also the Polk collaboration seemed to die even before they launched, especially here in the UK. I did actually look for their gear as was interested in sound bars but it was all noise and no substance.

 

Hang on. Did MS trot out B&O, or did B&O trot out XBox? Seems more the latter to me, in which there's nothing to complain about, If B&O want to make some audio stuff that crap, or not, that's on them.

 

This refers to Microsoft or B&O?

B&O is still a premium brand for audio, but they also provide the objectively bad speaker setup for HP laptops.

https://corporate.bang-olufsen.com/en/partners/hp

 

I'm guessing headphones or a sound bar. Nothing else really makes sense.

 

Every BangOlufsen subwoofer or sound bar includes a Series X built in...