LG Electronics and Bang & Olufsen have teamed up to show off the biggest and best they have to offer. To kick off the partnership, both products were on display at the Bang & Olufsen retail store in Costa Mesa, CA on September 28, 2023. I was there to check out the two main attractions — LG’s MAGNIT 136-inch MicroLED 4K TV ($246,000) and Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 90 loudspeakers ($135,000/pair).
The $381,000 bundle falls under the category of “things to do because you can when you win PowerBall,” but we know that Bang & Olufsen and LG Electronics plan on moving quite a few of these over the next few years.
The Beolab 90 are a proven design that we have experienced and that also applies to LG’s new range of MicroLED displays that we just checked out two weeks ago at CEDIA 2023.
Tip: Anyone can stop by Bang & Olufsen’s Orange County Store located at 3323-B Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 for a demonstration. Both items will remain on display for the foreseeable future.
LG MAGNIT
Make no mistake about it, LG’s 136-inch 4K TV is massive. Colors were vibrant, motion was blur-free and movies looked great from any angle. Surprisingly, there was no glare or distracting screen reflections. However, MAGNIT does not deliver the inky blacks that OLED TVs can offer, although a missing shade or two of black is hardly a concern. The screen’s enormous size is what’s intoxicating. It looks fantastic in any lighting condition as opposed to a projector/screen combo requiring a pitch dark room.
The LG MAGNIT TV is comprised of 25 individual panels that seamlessly stitch together to create a massive display. The panels are modular allowing for other size configurations from 82-inches to “how big do you want?”. Each panel is individually calibrated at the factory, and we’re told the installation process takes two days. Once installed any resemblance of individual panels should vanish, and during my initial visit I couldn’t spot them as I walked around the TV. That’s not to say you won’t spot a seam if you know exactly where to look, it’s that they’re not something that would deter me from buying. LG’s MAGNIT TV is magnificent!
Beolab 90
With a big TV you’ll need big sound. That’s where the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90 loudspeakers come into play. They offer bone rattling sound thanks to 8,200-watts of built-in amplification powering 18 drivers per speaker. All of that is tucked behind a series of angular facets covered in sleek fabric on a curved wooden base. Essentially they’re modern sculptures that happen to be loudspeakers. Truly a statement piece of art and sound for the world’s finest homes.
One Remote
None of this amazing technology would matter if it wasn’t easy to use. LG and Bang & Olufsen conducted several rounds of testing to ensure seamless compatibility between the LG webOS platform on LG MAGNIT, and Bang & Olufsen’s software application. Thanks to these efforts, users can now enjoy the convenience of being able to control both LG MAGNIT and Beolab 90 via Bang & Olufsen’s Beoremote One or Beoremote Halo controllers.
Availability
The bundle will be available through all Bang & Olufsen retail locations as well as specially certified LG MAGNIT integrators catering to the luxury residential market across the country.
Thank you David Junk, owner of Bang & Olufsen of Southern California, Rick Costanzo, President of Bang & Olufsen Americas, and the LG team for answering all of my questions. Thanks as well to the event sponsors which included Lux Magazine, PIRCH, and Roche Bobios. It was a fabulous evening.
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