There are speakers you replace after ten years, and there are speakers you are still looking at after thirty. The Beolab 8000 belongs to the second kind. Two slender columns of polished aluminium, drawn by David Lewis in 1992, that still play every day in a great many living rooms.
Anyone with a classic Beolab at home sooner or later asks the same two questions. Which model is the successor today? And can my speakers simply stream? At Brussee, an official Bang & Olufsen dealer since 1995, we know these models at close hand. In this guide we answer both questions, model by model.
Contents
- Why a classic Beolab still counts
- Every model at a glance
- Beolab 8000 and Beolab 6000: the columns
- Beolab 4000, Beolab 4, Beolab 3 and Beolab 17: the compact models
- Beolab 1, Beolab 9 and Beolab 20: the large floorstanders
- Beolab 5: the flagship of its day
- Beolab 2 and Beolab 11: the subwoofers
- Streaming to your classic Beolab with the Beoconnect Core
- Keep, extend or replace
- Frequently asked questions
- Personal advice in our showrooms
Why a classic Beolab still counts
Every Beolab is an active speaker: the amplifiers sit inside the cabinet, tuned to the drivers they power. That was true in 1992 and it remains the principle behind the entire line today. It explains how a Beolab 8000 draws so much sound from a cabinet of just 5.3 litres, and why these speakers last so long: there is no separate amplifier to replace along the way.
The second thing that connects them is Powerlink, the connection Bang & Olufsen has used for decades to link its speakers to music systems and televisions. It is precisely that connection which makes it possible to bring a classic pair into a modern system today. More on that below.
Every model at a glance
| Classic model | Introduced | What it was | What fills that role today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beolab 8000 | 1992 | Slim floorstanding column | Beolab 18 |
| Beolab 6000 | 1992 | Smaller version of the 8000 | Beolab 18 or Beolab 8 |
| Beolab 4000 | 1997 | Compact, for shelf, wall or ceiling | Beolab 8 |
| Beolab 1 | 1999 | The most powerful model of its time | Beolab 28 |
| Beolab 2 | 2001 | Subwoofer | Beolab 19 |
| Beolab 5 | 2003 | Flagship with Acoustic Lens | Beolab 50 or Beolab 90 |
| Beolab 3 | 2004 | Compact, with Acoustic Lens | Beolab 8 |
| Beolab 4 | 2005 | Entry model, also for the computer | Beolab 8 |
| Beolab 9 | 2007 | Floorstanding with Acoustic Lens | Beolab 28 |
| Beolab 11 | 2010 | Compact subwoofer | Beolab 19 |
| Beolab 17 | wireless generation | Compact, triangular aluminium cabinet | Beolab 8 |
| Beolab 20 | wireless generation | Floorstanding with Acoustic Lens | Beolab 28 |
The right-hand column shows which current model fills the same role in the home. Only for the Beolab 18 does Bang & Olufsen itself draw a direct line to the Beolab 8000.
Beolab 8000 and Beolab 6000: the columns
The Beolab 8000 stands 132 centimetres tall, has a cabinet made from a single piece of aluminium and rests on a cast-iron base weighing eleven kilos. David Lewis drew it in 1992, and by 2001 it had become the most popular active speaker Bang & Olufsen had made to date. Anyone who has heard a pair play understands why: that much clarity from so little volume had not been done before.
The Beolab 6000 appeared in the same year as a smaller version with the same active construction. It was often used as the second pair in a surround setup, and the design earned a place in the standard exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The line to today is unusually clear here. Bang & Olufsen itself describes the Beolab 18 as inspired by the legendary Beolab 8000: the same silhouette, taken further. The aluminium column balances on a pointed base, the front is made of lamellas in wood or polymer, and on top sits the Acoustic Lens, which spreads the high frequencies through the room in a 180-degree arc. Two amplifiers of 160 watts each drive every speaker. From EUR 7,900.
Beolab 4000, Beolab 4, Beolab 3 and Beolab 17: the compact models
Not every room calls for a column. Bang & Olufsen has always offered a compact model you place wherever it suits.
The Beolab 4000 of 1997 fitted on a shelf or in a bookcase and hung from wall or ceiling at almost any angle. The Beolab 3 of 2004 brought the Acoustic Lens and ICEpower amplification to the compact format, with a floor stand, table stand and wall bracket as options. The Beolab 4 followed in late 2005 as an entry model that was equally at home beside a computer. And the Beolab 17, with its triangular cabinet made from a single piece of aluminium, belonged to the wireless generation.
Today the Beolab 8 fills that role, with the same freedom: table stand, floor stand, wall bracket or ceiling bracket. Three drivers per speaker, 300 watts of amplification and active room compensation that tunes the sound to where it stands. From EUR 3,250.
Beolab 1, Beolab 9 and Beolab 20: the large floorstanders
The Beolab 1 of 1999 was the most powerful model in the line at the time, intended to fill the largest room in the house. In 2007 the Beolab 9 took its place: shorter and rounder, with a larger cabinet for a firmer low end and the Acoustic Lens at seated ear height. The Beolab 20 carried that line into the wireless generation, almost entirely wrapped in fabric.
Anyone looking for that presence today arrives at the Beolab 28. Five drivers per speaker, 625 watts of amplification and covers that visibly slide open when you switch it on. It stands on a floor stand or hangs on the wall, and works together with other Bang & Olufsen speakers and televisions. From EUR 16,700.
Beolab 5: the flagship of its day
The Beolab 5 appeared in 2003 and was a statement on every count: 2,500 watts of amplification per speaker, Acoustic Lens Technology and a fully digital construction. The Acoustic Lens technique that later returned in the Beolab 3, 9, 18 and 20 was developed with this model.
Today the reference level sits with the Beolab 50, from EUR 59,800, and the Beolab 90, from EUR 170,200. These are not speakers you choose online. We would like to invite you to come and hear them.
Beolab 2 and Beolab 11: the subwoofers
The Beolab 2 came to market in June 2001 as the subwoofer for the line, with a built-in 850-watt amplifier. The Beolab 11 of 2010 was the more compact variant, designed to accompany the Beovision 10: two drivers working towards each other inside a polished aluminium housing, for the floor or the wall.
The current subwoofer is the Beolab 19: two eight-inch woofers, two 160-watt amplifiers and a geometric aluminium form that deserves to be seen. Price EUR 4,000.
Streaming to your classic Beolab with the Beoconnect Core
This is the question owners ask most: can my Beolab 8000 work with Spotify or AirPlay? The answer is yes, and you do not have to replace a single speaker.
The Beoconnect Core was made for exactly this. Bang & Olufsen even mentions the classic Beolab 8000 by name in the product description: connect them to each other, or combine them with your other Beolab speakers into one system. The unit has a Powerlink output for your speakers and adds everything a modern system needs:
| What the Beoconnect Core adds | |
|---|---|
| Streaming | Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Google Cast, TIDAL Connect, Deezer, B&O Radio |
| Bluetooth | Version 5.3 |
| Television | HDMI eARC, so your Beolabs also play the sound of your TV |
| Turntable or other source | Line-in and optical input |
| Multiroom | Beolink Multiroom, together with your other B&O speakers |
| Control | Bang & Olufsen app, Beoremote One BT or Beoremote Halo |
Price EUR 1,150. Exactly which cabling your setup needs depends on the model and age of your speakers. Our specialists work that out for you and, if you wish, connect it at your home.
Is there a classic music system standing beside your speakers as well? Then read our guide to classic Beosound and Beocenter systems.
Keep, extend or replace
There is no right or wrong answer, only a fitting one.
Keeping makes sense when your speakers play well and what you mainly miss is the ease of streaming. The Beoconnect Core solves that.
Extending is the obvious route when you add a television or want surround. A classic pair can serve very well as rear channels, with a current model at the front. How to build such a setup is covered in our guide to creating a Bang & Olufsen home cinema.
Replacing is worth considering when your room or your listening habits have changed. Room compensation, wireless placement and the wood and textile finishes of the current line are differences you can hear and see. You will find the complete current range on our page of B&O speakers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the successor to the Beolab 8000?
The Beolab 18. Bang & Olufsen itself describes this model as inspired by the legendary Beolab 8000: the same slim aluminium column, now with the Acoustic Lens on top, lamellas in wood or polymer and two 160-watt amplifiers per speaker. It starts from EUR 7,900.
Can I stream wirelessly to my Beolab 8000?
Yes. With the Beoconnect Core you connect classic Beolab speakers via Powerlink and add Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Google Cast, TIDAL Connect and Bluetooth 5.3. Through HDMI eARC the same speakers also play the sound of your television. The Beoconnect Core costs EUR 1,150.
What is the difference between the Beolab 8000 and the Beolab 6000?
Both were designed by David Lewis in 1992 and share the same active construction. The Beolab 6000 is the smaller version, with a smaller cabinet volume, and was often used as the second pair in a surround setup. The Beolab 8000 stands 132 centimetres tall and was intended as the main speaker.
Which Beolab replaces my Beolab 3, Beolab 4 or Beolab 4000?
The Beolab 8 fills the role of the compact, freely placed model today. It is available with a table stand, floor stand, wall bracket or ceiling bracket and has active room compensation. It starts from EUR 3,250.
Can I combine classic and new Beolab speakers?
Yes. Through the Beoconnect Core and Beolink Multiroom, classic and current Bang & Olufsen speakers work together in one system. A classic pair can, for example, serve as rear channels behind a newer pair at the front. Our specialists advise you on the right setup and cabling.
Personal advice in our showrooms
If you are undecided between keeping and replacing, listening is the quickest route to an answer. In our showrooms the current Beolab models stand ready to play, and we are glad to think along about what your present speakers can still do for you.
- Brussee Haarlem, Grote Houtstraat 7
- Brussee Amsterdam, P.C. Hooftstraat 73
- Brussee Katwijk, Voorstraat 35
Browse the full Beolab collection, or request a quote without obligation for the setup you have in mind.
