Following the release of the Beolab 90 Titan, Mirage and Shadow Edition drops, Bang & Olufsen continues its centenary celebration with its last two drops (the Beolab 90 Monarch and Beolab 90 Zenith Edition) of its five-part Atelier centenary series. Granted that the design of the floor-standing speakers is otherworldly to begin with, what better way to celebrate the Beolab 90's envelope-pushing aesthetics than to marry its acoustic prowess (18 bespoke drivers; advanced beam-forming tech; advanced Beam Width/Direction Control) with an reinterpretation of texture, colour and form.
Produced in a very limited number of ten speakers per edition, each device is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a miniature aluminium Beolab 90 sculpture of that corresponding edition.
Nothing like a vivid contrast of a warm rosewood and ochre-coloured aluminium to highlight the balance of natural and engineered materials. Six wooden knots connect the lamellas, with the front knot having a light-through-wood stripe that adds depth. Trace the angled and curved rosewood lamellas upwards from the base, along the contours of the aluminium cabinet, and you'd encounter the semi-transparent fabric sections that hint at the acoustic drivers within.
Thousands of aluminium spheres and mother-of-pearl inlays transform its surface into a bewitching tactile presence. Six panels featuring 289 anodised aluminium spheres each are arranged in seven bespoke pearl-inspired colours. When light hits the surface, it creates an incandescent shimmer. To have it resemble an oyster shell, the machined aluminium facemask is pearl blasted and anodised in a dark grey. A circular mother-of-pearl inlay (matching the aluminium sphere diameters) crowns the speaker, which acts as a focal point that complements the overall composition.
