BeoPlay A8 Music System

I found that the design and sound quality of this item to be exceptionally good. The tone of the speakers makes the instruments sound real, not like so many systems that overemphasize low end and are too bright to compensate for cheap amplifier and speaker components. I found playing this unit at full volume filled my home with sound without it breaking up and distorting in any way. The sound stage standing in front of the unit is exceptionally good as well. But even standing away from it or to one side you can still hear distinct separation between the two drivers. Not to mention it is a beautiful conversation piece that is just cool to own. Look you don't buy a Ferrari because it has all the best features on the market, you buy it for, well I think you know why.....

It's rare that I provide reviews, but ironically enough, I was motivated to comment on this product after getting a Sonos speaker system this holiday.We had purchased the BeoSound 8 last Xmas, so we have almost a year of use under our belt. I can say unequivocally that after using the Sonos for all of 5 minutes, I'm ready to toss the BeoSound 8 into the trash heap. I'll get the topic of the sound out of the way first: the sound is fine, it sounds like what a $1,300 sound system should sound like, very balanced, very transparent, blah, blah, blah. There's also an argument to had around whether you're getting your money's worth from the sound, but honestly, you're paying for the brand and the unique design as much as anything, so I have no issue with that per se.Where this thing really falls down, and I mean drunken-stupor falling down, is anything related to to the technology chain beyond the speakers and the 30-pin plug (you need a separate dongle if you're using any iDevice that used a Lightening connector). From the mobile app that you download to your iDevice, to the set-up process to get the system to connect over Wi-Fi (using Apple's AirPlay protocol), it completely user-unfriendly and inconsistent. Connection to the device drops every few minutes, it completely drops off my list of AirPlay devices, and to re-connect, I have to RE-BOOT MY IPHONE to get it to see the speaker come back up on AirPlay. It's entirely possible that the firmware upgrade, that the mobile app helpfully reminds me is available now for download, will fix this and numerous other problems, but ...wait for it.... the speaker must be plugged into a wired ethernet connection (the back of your router/cable model/etc.), and then you use the mobile app to start the firmware download. SERIOUSLY? If most homes are like mine, your cable modem is stuck away in some dusty dark corner of your house, where the cable or FIOS connection comes into your house, because most everything electronic that you buy now IS WI-FI ENABLED. So, to re-cap: I have a speaker system that has a wi-fi connection built in, with flaky software and connectivity, and the only way to do a firmware update is to drag this thing over to my cable model/router and plug it in with an ethernet cable.I would box this thing up immediately and toss it into the next Xmas Yankee swap party at the office, but (1) my wife threw out the packaging and (2) it would be a little like Iran "gifting" intelligence on WMD in Iraq to the US. I simply don't know anyone that I hate enough to pass this on to.Shiny, fancy, good-looking hardware, with real issues in execution. I can't recommend this to anyone, at any price. Go get a Sonos (no, I am not a paid product endorser), it is just so dead simple to set up and use, works flawlessly, the software app has a 5-star rating in Apple's app store, the whole thing looks and feels like it was designed by Apple. Or, you can drop serious coin on this and hate yourself forever afterwards. And it's just too big and expensive to feel good about tossing it in the closet or the garbage bin, which is exactly where I'd like this to go...

Sound quality is superb; comparable to the B&W Zepellin Air. The design is very elegant and can match a lot of interiors by simply swapping the covers. For those concerned; no it doesn't overemphasize trebles. Instead, it's very balanced and basses are punchy. Where this thing falls off is the AirPlay capability. The connection does drop every few songs and then. This is especially noticeable when you choose a song one by one instead of queueing them or playing a playlist. Sometimes it even goes out of the AirPlay list on my iPhone. I have multiple AirPort Expresses at home for extenders and I noticed that the BeoPlay A8 doesn't always connect to the nearest one. However, when it works, it works fantastic.

Excelent quality!!

Awesome, lovely to look at and fantastic sound. easy to set up, like the fact the wall mount is included. Silver and black best combination as it looks like a serious piece of kit. It may be a bit dated (no built in airplay) but who cares just plug in Ipod / Ipad and off you go. I may be tempted by coloured speaker covers, just don't like UK prices....All in all exactly what I expected from B and O.

Wenn uns zu Weihnachten etwas begeistert hat, dann war es schlichtweg der BeoSound! Diese Faszination was das kleine Ding aufzubieten hat ist einfach super!! Alle in der Familie waren davon mehr als beeindruckt, vor allem passt es sich ausgesprochen gut in die Wohnlandschaft an. Diese Anlage ein wirklliches Klangerlebnis und die dazu gelieferte Fernsteuerung einfach klasse! Habe auch noch das sogenannte I-Tüpfelchen entdeckt. Im B&O Laden gab es sogar einen silberfarbenen Metall-Ständer der die Mobilität des kleinen Wunderdinges in einem Raum noch erweitert.