First Listen: Do Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 8 Speakers Sound $5,500 Good?

pcmag.com:

Would you pay $5,500 for stereo audio? That's what Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is charging for a pair of its upmarket, highly connected, and surprisingly sustainable Beolab 8 wireless speakers.

The premium audio manufacturer recently invited me to try out the Beolab 8 speakers at its Manhattan store, ahead of their release on October 30. Keep in mind that although a single speaker technically goes for $2,199, you must factor in the cost of a grille cover and stand as well as a second speaker (with a second grille cover and stand) if you want stereo sound. Either way, that's a pretty penny to spend on wireless speakers, so just how good do they sound?

B&O's audio products are always as much about design as audio performance, and that is certainly the case here: The Beolab 8 reflects the brand's exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship. The aluminum speaker measures roughly 11.0 by 6.5 by 7.4 inches (HWD), weighs 9.0 pounds, and is available in Black Anthracite, Gold Tone, or Natural Aluminum variants with striking, color-matched vertical oak grilles or a dark gray fabric covering. You don't have to go with the default pairings though: My B&O contact said you can outfit any color variant with any grille. For reference, a fabric grille costs $200 by itself, and the wood option goes for $750. These grilles should be user-replaceable but I don't have the full details on how that works at this time. The wood grilles looked far more striking to me in person than the fabric option, and the gold model especially stands out.

You must also add either a desktop stand for $350, a wall or ceiling bracket for $450, or a floor stand for $550; the speaker uses a proprietary physical connection and can't stand up by itself.

I like