Bang & Olufsen Beosound Core Wireless Music Streamer — Black

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Core Wireless Music Streamer — Black

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Core is a compact connectivity hub that adds modern streaming and multiroom capability to compatible Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers, including Beolab speakers and the Beosound Shape system. Rather than replacing existing speakers, the Core sits at the centre of the system as its streaming engine: it receives music over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wired digital and analogue connections, and feeds Beolab speakers through its Power Link output or a Beosound Shape through its optical and USB connections. The circular, lightweight composite enclosure in matt black measures 151.8 mm in diameter and 44.2 mm in height and weighs 290 g, so it hides inside a Shape tile or behind the speakers it serves.

Key features

• Streaming hub for Beolab speakers: Connects compatible Bang & Olufsen speakers to network streaming, turning a wired speaker pair into a connected system.
• Multiple streaming platforms: Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth audio streaming and DLNA rendering are integrated, alongside internet radio services depending on market.
• High-resolution audio support: Plays MP3, WMA, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF files at sample rates up to 192 kHz and up to 24-bit stereo.
• End-to-end optical path: Toslink optical output renders at 96 kHz and 24-bit, keeping the signal digital between the Core and connected equipment.
• Power Link output: An RJ45 Power Link socket carries two channels to Beolab speakers, the standard connection across the Beolab range.
• Analogue and digital line-in: A combined analogue and digital line-in with signal sensing accepts external sources such as a television or turntable preamplifier output.
• Beolink Multiroom: Adds multiroom functionality to a Beosound Shape or Beolab setup, joining other Bang & Olufsen rooms in one system.
• Dual-band Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, with a 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet port for a wired network connection.

How the Core fits into a system

The Core was designed around a simple idea: loudspeakers outlast streaming technologies, so the upgradeable part should be a small, replaceable hub. Connected to Beolab speakers by Power Link, it supplies the streaming sources, volume logic and multiroom membership the speakers themselves predate. With Beosound Shape, the Core tucks into an empty tile and links by optical output and USB. Automatic software updates keep the platform current over time, and the Bang & Olufsen app provides setup and control, with the Beosound Essence Remote and Beoremote Halo supported as physical remote options over Bluetooth Low Energy.

Connections in detail

The rear panel carries a USB-C socket for power from the external supply, the Power Link (RJ45) socket, the combined line-in, an Ethernet port, a Toslink optical output, a USB socket for the Beosound Shape connection, and a Digital Power Link socket reserved for future use. Bluetooth is version 4.1, handling both audio streaming and low-energy remote pairing. The supplied USB-C power supply weighs 145 g.

Everyday listening

In daily use the Core behaves like a source component that is rarely touched: pick a service on a phone, cast or connect, and the speakers play. Spotify Connect and Chromecast built-in hand control to the native apps people already use, AirPlay serves Apple devices, and DLNA covers a home music library on a network server, with lossless FLAC and ALAC files supported at full resolution.

For owners of Beolab speakers or a Beosound Shape who want current streaming services and multiroom without changing the speakers they already value, the Beosound Core is the component that closes the gap between classic Bang & Olufsen hardware and the present-day streaming ecosystem.

Buying guide: audio interface buying guide

Complete your setup: Pair the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Core Wireless Music Streamer — Black with the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 19 Gold Tone Active Subwoofer and the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28 Active Speaker With Oak Grille.