Beosound Emerge makes home tech blend in
Designed by LAYER, the Beosound Emerge makes the speaker system disappear into home design

The Beosound Emerge is Bang & Olufsen’s second collaboration with Benjamin Hubert and his consultancy LAYER. A compact yet surprisingly strong powered speaker, Emerge is designed to dovetail with your day to day life. ‘We’ve worked on a handful of products with the company, but this is the second one to see the light of day,’ the designer says, explaining that B&O exists in a unique space in consumer electronics. ‘They’re not like Google or Samsung in their size or culture, nor are they an artisanal furniture maker. But they are somewhere in the middle. LAYER is the same – we’re more of an agency with the ability to do everything from traditional furniture through to strategic industrial design.’
Whereas LAYER’s previous B&O product, the Balance, was a free-standing sculptural object, the Emerge is designed to sit on a shelf, perhaps alongside books or other objects. ‘The Balance is more akin to a vase, whereas this is quieter,’ says Hubert. While beautiful standalone objects get the most attention, Hubert acknowledges that industrial design has a duty to blend in. ‘Context is everything. Designing in a vacuum doesn’t get you very far,’ he says, ‘You have to think what might go next to it, whether it’s books or objects or even more tech.’
The Beosound Emerge is designed to co-exist with everyday objects
The speaker’s wide sound field is paired with gesture control for volume changes and soft touch music navigation. The Emerge can also be paired with an existing B&O system to add another layer of sound, together with a built-in Google Assistant. Under the skin, there are impressive electronics. ‘We’ve become much more knowledgeable about acoustics thanks to this collaboration,’ he says, ‘I’d genuinely never seen such a small speaker product such a high level of volume and quality as this.’ The Emerge contains three drivers, carefully packaged to manage heat and sound projection. ‘It’s a very controlled piece of industrial design,’ he says, ‘I guess you could say that it’s minimalist or even an example of reductionism.’ The package is enveloped in offset layers, with the speaker grille or weave, depending on the model, appearing to emerge from between two covers. ‘It’s not a massive statement,’ Hubert says modestly, ‘of course, there are other, cheaper speakers, but Bang & Olufsen have a very impressive commitment to quality and upgradeability. They really invest in materiality.’
The Beosound Emerge is a masterpiece of clever packaging and high quality materials
The Emerge showcases this, with two different models, Black Anthractite that one combining of aluminium with pleated plastic and the other, Gold Tone, combining the metal with high quality knit Kvadrat fabric and oak. ‘It wasn’t designed to look like a book,’ Hubert admits, ‘although it was of course intended to stand on a shelf. The tapered form helps with cooling.’ Under the sleek skin is a masterfully assembled set of components. ‘Their tonmeisters are pretty amazing,’ he says, ‘what you can’t see are the beautiful heat sinks and carefully calculated air flow.’
The two different Emerge personalities also highlight an evolution in how we view technology in the home. ‘The wood is quite a courageous choice, I think,’ Hubert says, ‘it has a sense of familiarity which is becoming very popular. It’s actually a very exciting time to be a designer. There is so much desire and drive for change. Often in design you’re playing with relatively surface level elements because formats don’t need changing. But these days there are more meaningful reasons for change.’ Emerge is a subtle statement that has a strong presence in the home.
Beosound Emerge in Gold Tone, with Kvadrat fabric and oak panels
INFORMATION
Gold Tone: €749 / £669
Black Anthracite: €599 / £539
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album cover
The compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Inside the new theatre at Jacob’s Pillow and its ‘magic box’, part of a pioneering complex designed for dance
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes the reborn Doris Duke Theatre by Mecanoo, a new space that has just opened in the beloved Berkshires cultural hub for the summer season
-
What to see at Rencontres d’Arles 2025, questioning power structures in the state and family
Suppressed memories resurface in sharply considered photography at Rencontres d'Arles 2025. Here are some standout photographers to see
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album cover
The compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Loewe reaches for the stars with the biggest screen in its history, the Stellar 97 television
German audio specialist Loewe has revealed its new flagship, a 97-inch OLED television that’s a showcase for the company’s crafted approach
-
Dyson’s new Cool CF1 fan brings quiet, compact cooling into the home
An evolution of Dyson’s quest to reinvent the humble desk fan, the Cool CF1 is enhanced and updated for a new, smarter generation
-
The new Polaroid Flip unfolds to bring you pin-sharp instant photography
Polaroid announces the Flip, an instant camera that blends its evergreen film technology with better results and more control
-
Could putting pen to reMarkable’s Paper Pro tablet make you more creative and less stressed?
Design Museum director Tim Marlow extols the power of ‘scribbling’, and is backed up by new research from reMarkable on the benefits of its paper tablet
-
Clicks creates keyboard cases for iPhones – now they're also available for three Android flagships
Smartphones get a new lease of life with Clicks, which brings a Blackberry-style keyboard to today’s cutting-edge Apple and Android devices
-
The OM System OM-3 camera blends heritage design with cutting-edge technology
The OM-3 from OM System is the newest must-have mirrorless camera design, classically styled and comprehensively equipped to create the ultimate contemporary digital camera
-
Type without the tyranny of distractions: eight new ways to get the words out
Looking for a way to divert you from doom-scrolling? This selection of eight distraction-free typing devices will keep you offline and away from the socials to help you meet that deadline