Bigger isn't always better, and Bang & Olufsen is trying to prove it with their BeoSound Essence — which is about the size of a smoke detector. According to B&O, they wanted to create "a simple way to enjoy today's incredible wealth of digital music, without compromising [their] dedication to the finest audio quality." Through this one-touch sound system you can access all of your digitally-stored music quickly and easily, without even needing your smart phone.
Essence allows you to tap into your phone, computer or tablet, its integrated AirPlay and DLNA streaming, and gives access to Spotify, QPlay and internet radio. You can also get the new BeoMusic App, which gives you an easy way to browse and save music collections for stereo playback.
Speaking of playback, the remote unit has five basic controls: play (which will start playing the song you left off on), silence (pause/stop/mute the sound, based on source context), next, previous, and volume.
Consisting of two components (the remote unit and hideaway box), all you have to do is connect Essence wirelessly to any B&O active speakers and tuck the box away near the speakers. You can mount the remote on your wall or place it on a table, and you can have up to three remotes connected to a single system — giving you access in several rooms.
Though it's not set to go on sale until April, you can expect to be paying around $995 (add $200 for each extra remote you may want).
