• TWEAK
• Smart home
• Speaker

Bang & Olufsen Emerge

Translate from : Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge

Central Specifications

• Compact design with dimensions of: W 6.7 x H 25.5 x D 16.5 cm
• Stereo pairing
• Active Room Compensation

B&O Emerge is basically B&O's offer for a Google Home speaker, and therefore also works well together with Google Home. It can easily become part of that ecosystem if you already have it set up at home.

A tour around B&O Emerge

There is no doubt that B&O can do something with design and materials. It is also seen and felt on the B&O Emerge, which has beautiful shapes and in the black version that we borrowed for testing, it is a discreet design that, together with the compact size, means that it is a speaker that physically and visually does not takes up a lot of space.

However, design is subjective and although I like the design, my wife, on the other hand, thinks that the Emerge unit looked like a small games console that looked a bit out of place in the living room.

There is a little more flair on the golden version, which comes with a delicious light wood finish on the sides.

The tall, slim design means you can easily squeeze the Emerge into most places in the home, and B&O use many images of the unit on a bookshelf in their own marketing material.

The Emerge driver is powered via a USB C cable from an adapter. It can be plugged into the bottom of the unit, where there's also a line-in/optical combo jack and an Ethernet jack if you prefer wired connections over the wireless options.

If you prefer wireless, you can connect via WiFi or Bluetooth 5.0. Stereo pairing is also possible if you have several devices. It can help create a wider soundstage. However, it was not a feature we were able to test, as we only borrowed an Emerge device for the test.

At the top of the Emerge are a series of touch buttons that you can use to interact with the device. There is of course play/pause along with the volume option. Along with that, there are four shortcuts indicated by dots. You can use them, via the Bang & Olufsen App software, as shortcuts to online radio stations via B&O Radio.

One detail that is not evident with the B&O Emerge is the internal hardware, which is designed to be upgradeable over time. So if the current wireless functions are not relevant in the future, the streaming module can be replaced.

It is a nice detail and one that will ensure that the product can remain relevant and active for a longer time.

Software and setup

The setup of B&O Emerge takes place, as with most other WiFi speakers, via an app. In this case, it is the Bang & Olufsen App. Here you are guided step by step through setting up the device and connecting it to your network.

A fast and streamlined process that does not take many minutes before you are ready to use the speaker.

In the process, there is also the option to connect to your Google Home setup, if you have one, so that Emerge will also appear there.

Finally, there is also an automatic setup of the sound image, based on where you have placed Emerge.

This is done by the device playing a loud sound that it itself listens to. It then adjusts the sound based on the echo generated by the room around it. From there, based on B&O's tuning, Emerge should adapt the sound to the exact environment in which you have placed the device.

After the setup, you can access the device via the Bang & Olufsen App and have the option to adapt and control the device, but also update the firmware if there is anything new there.

It is also here in the software that you can specify which Netradio stations we want to connect to the four buttons at the top of the device. You can choose them from the rather large selection in the app under B&O Radio.

There is also the option of personalizing the sound via an EQ option. There are four presets to choose from, or you can create your own. However, it is set up a bit differently and is not a traditional band EQ. Instead, you can move a cursor around in a circle between the extremes of Bright, Energetic, Warm and Relaxed.

It might not be the case for sound geeks, but for people who don't quite have a handle on a normal EQ with a series of sliders that can be adjusted, it's a more intuitive approach to an EQ.

In the app, you can also set up alarms and timers. In this way, you can use Emerge as a clock radio that starts playing your favorite radio station in the morning.

Via the settings, it is also possible to adapt connected devices, whether via the physical connections or the wireless ones.

If you have several B&O devices, it is also through the app that you set up stereo pairing, Beolink Multiroom or connection to a Beoremote, if you have such.

All in all, the Bang & Olufsen App is super well built and there is the possibility of both controlling music and adapting settings in an easy and accessible way.

Alternatively, however, you can also let it be part of a Google Home setup and let the primary control take place that way.

Testing

Although good connections and beautiful design are good things to have with you, a speaker naturally stands and falls with the sound.

During my test, I used B&O Emerge as the main speaker in the living room for music both for myself in connection with the test, but also when there were guests or our daughter had a dance party in the living room.

For its small and compact size, B&O Emerge delivers a solid and deliciously room-filling sound. For most music, there is a good separation in the details and a clear definition of high and mid tones laid on a surprisingly fine base of bass.

However, the small form factor will probably hold the Emerge back, because despite delivering generally good sound, it is not quite complete for a speaker in this price range.

It is perhaps not surprising on the bass that Emerge can fall a little short and it can end up being a bit muddy.

It is naturally in situations where I sit and really listen, as you do in connection with a test.

Price

B&O is not known as a budget-friendly brand and this of course also applies to B&O Emerge, which at the time of writing can be found listed on the web with a price of just under 800$ for the black version. However, it is not in stock anywhere that I can find.

However, the golden version can be found available with a price of between 800$ and 1000$. It's a price that hurts a price-conscious Judy like me, despite the fact that it comes with a beautiful design and good sound.

Conclusion

With the Emerge, B&O has made a beautiful and good-sounding speaker that, with its small size, will fit in most places without offending anyone.

Setup and operation is easy and straightforward and it can quickly be included as part of an existing Smart Home setup via Google Home.

If you are a B&O fan and have several devices, it can also be linked with those devices with Beolink Multiroom, Beoremote connection and Stereo pairing.

Although in no way do I really want to complain about the sound of the small Emerge unit, I still want to when I compare it to the price.

Sure, it's good sound, but it's not a sound that, in my world, can justify it being 10x more expensive than the Google Nest speaker that I normally use in the living room.

The sound IS better, but nowhere near 10 times better.

If you are a fan of the B&O design, and perhaps already have a B&O ecosystem in the home that needs to be supplemented with a small compact speaker, then Emerge can make sense if you have around 1000$ to spare.

If you are not locked into B&O, you can get solutions that hit the same features and deliver competitive sound for considerably less.

We end up with a final grade of 7 for a beautiful and good product that is simply too expensive compared to what else is on the market.

Advantage:

• Compact size
• Nice materials
• Future-proofed via the Mozart platform

Disadvantages:

• The price