Summary
- Bang & Olufsen is finishing off its five-part “Atelier” series with two final designs: the Monarch and the Zenith
- Limited to just 10 pairs each and come with a $450,000 USD price tag
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Bang & Olufsen is finishing off its five-part “Atelier” series with two final designs: the Monarch and the Zenith. Limited to just 10 pairs each and coming with a $450,000 USD price tag, these speakers are billed more like high-end furniture or art pieces than standard home audio.
The Monarch Edition is a nod to classic Danish woodwork. Instead of the usual fabric cover, it’s wrapped in curved rosewood slats that follow the shape of the speaker. It’s a very tactile, warm design that uses wooden “knots” to hold everything together, making the whole unit look more like a hand-built sculpture.
On the other hand, the Zenith Edition is all about playing with light. It’s covered in thousands of tiny aluminum spheres, nearly 300 on each panel, in different pearl-like colors. Between the sea-inspired finish and the actual mother-of-pearl inlay on top, the speaker actually looks different depending on the time of day and how the light hits the room.
Even with the new looks, the tech inside is still the flagship Beolab 90, featuring 18 different drivers to handle the sound. To make it a true collector’s set, each pair comes with a certificate of authenticity and a small-scale aluminum sculpture of the speaker in its own custom box. You can see them in person at B&O’s San Francisco Culture Store before they head out on a quick global tour to wrap up the centennial celebration.
