B&O PLAY introduces the button-less Beoplay P2

Beoplay P2

B&O PLAY has recently introduced the portable Bluetooth speaker Beoplay P2. The most notable feature of the new device is the absence of buttons, as it is controlled with gestures and taps on the metal grille that protects it. Do not let the small size fool you, though: the Beoplay P2 uses a driver which is an evolution over the A1’s.

The minimalistic design is of course under the spotlight, but this is not news for B&O PLAY products – see the Beoplay A2 Active as a valid example. What’s new is the fact the company ditched physical buttons in favour of a more touch-y user experience. The Beoplay P2 can be controlled by swiping and tapping on the aluminium grille that covers its top, or by shaking it to skip tracks. It’s not clear if there is a power button, but my guess is it is the only button that can’t be ditched.

The Beoplay P2 is shaped after the pebbles “you find on the beach” to achieve the “perfect shape to slip easily into a pocket or bag”. Marketing aside, it seems like it is very small and portable and its shape may truly be an advantage.

B&O PLAY does not put all its eggs in the design basket, though, and promises the Beoplay P2 sounds great, too. Their engineers took the Beoplay A1 driver and re-designed it to fit in the P2 while keeping the same sound signature. The tweeter is the same as in the A1. All that is powered by two 15 W RMD Class D amps with 50 W peak power.

As most of the Beoplay Bluetooth product line-up, the Beoplay P2 is compatible with the Beoplay app. It allows to tune the sound as well as deliver firmware updates and set alarms. There’s also a microphone to take phone calls without reaching for the actual phone.

The Beoplay P2 is already available for $169/€169 on the manufacturer’s site and selected third party retailers.

Spoiler
Double tap on the anodized aluminium grill to play or pause music. Shake to skip track. Beoplay P2 is an intelligent and unapologetically beautiful portable speaker that easily slips into your bag or pocket to take anywhere – always ready to amplify moments with goosebump inducing Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound.

B&O PLAY continues to empower the transformation of everyday moments with the introduction of Beoplay P2. Beoplay P2 is the smallest and most intelligent member of the B&O PLAY range of wireless Bluetooth speakers and is designed by award-winning Cecilie Manz for a spontaneous and spirited approach to life. It comes in premium materials such as pearl-blasted aluminium and real leather, with customizable and intuitive control features via Beoplay App and, despite its minimal footprint, renowned Bang & Olufsen sound engineers have packed Beoplay P2 with power and stamina to punch out the rich, clear and crisp sound that you would expect from a B&O PLAY speaker.

“Music plays a big part in amplifying everyday moments, so we made a personal speaker that you don’t want to leave your home without. Beoplay P2 is a stunning piece of Danish design, a study in stupendous craftsmanship and the accumulation of 90 years in sound and acoustics with a sound quality that is second to none in this category”, says Director of Concept and Design in B&O PLAY Matthias F. Ørum-Hansen.

“We decided to remove all switches and buttons for a beautiful exterior and a simple and magical user experience that can be customized in Beoplay App. With just a double tap or shake, you can play, pause and skip track, launch your favourite voice assistant, change sound profile in ToneTouch and you can set up Beoplay App to wake you up with the same music that concluded a beautiful evening – reliving your latest goosebump moment as you wake up and get ready to chase the next”.

A highly tactile and refined appearance

Like a pebble you find on the beach, the appearance of Beoplay P2 is rounded, smooth and desirable and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. A basic geometrical shape with a defined rim separates the pearl-blasted anodized aluminium top from the soft and warm polymer that make up the underside. The curvature of Beoplay P2 has undergone endless fine tuning to give it a highly tactile and refined appearance. The perfect shape to slip easily into a pocket or bag with a genuine leather strap to add an extra layer of portability.

“The closer a product gets to the body, the more refined and detailed it should be. Beoplay P2 is smooth and desirable, a compact with great sound and a companion wherever you go”, says designer Cecilie Manz.

Leveraging learnings from Beoplay A1

The sound character in Beoplay P2 is rich and spacious with a 360-degree dispersion that provides listeners with the same beautiful sound experience wherever they are located. Beoplay P2 builds on more than 90 years of Bang & Olufsen sound expertise and the engineers have leveraged the learnings from its award-winning bigger brother Beoplay A1 that set new standards for portable Bluetooth speakers in 2016:

  • The Bang & Olufsen acoustics looked to Beoplay A1 for the reproduction of bass out of such a small product. They elaborated on Beoplay A1’s mid-woofer and designed a new one for Beoplay P2 using an anodized aluminium cone structure.
  • The tweeter in Beoplay P2 is the same ¾” fabric soft dome used in Beoplay A1 assuring excellent detail and smooth reproduction of the highest frequencies.
  • The DSP is advanced, highly capable and enables use of high slope filters and advanced character control to facilitate the excellent personal sound amplification experience in Beoplay P2.
  • Two 15W RMD Class D Amps are used with a peak power of more than 2X50 watts do drive it all – to assure you get the beautiful sound always associated with a B&O PLAY product.

Built-in microphone

Beoplay P2 has a built-in microphone for taking calls out loud, and the rimmed design on the speaker’s bottom edge enables the microphone to provide uniform 360 speech sensitivity. This enables the person listening to recognize voices perfectly, no matter where people are speaking in proximity to the microphone.

A leather sleeve for extra protection

As an extra accessory to protect Beoplay P2, you can purchase a black leather sleeve. The Beoplay P2 sleeve provides a layer of protection to keep your Beoplay P2 safe when you are on the go, while still maintaining the beautiful and authentic B&O PLAY design.

Price and availability

Beoplay P2 comes in Black, Sand Stone and Royal Blue and is available for a suggested retail price of EUR 169 / USD 169 / GBP 149 / DKK 1299 / SEK 1699 / NOK 1699 / AUD 249 / CNY 1298 / HKD 1398. The Beoplay P2 Sleeve is available for a suggested retail price of EUR 39 / USD 39 / GBP 29 / DKK 279 / SEK 359 / NOK 339 / AUD 49 / CNY 279 / HKD 299. All colours will be available in B&O stores, on www.beoplay.com/P2 and in selected third party retailers from April 27 2017.

About Riccardo Robecchi

Living in Glasgow, Scotland but born and raised near Milan, Italy, I got the passion for music listening as a legacy from my father and my grandfather. I have reported on technology for major Italian publications since 2011.

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