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For its 100th birthday, Bang & Olufsen is doing what it has always done best. Taking already extreme, already expensive loudspeakers and nudging them firmly into collector territory. This time, it’s the Beolab 90 Phantom and Mirage Editions, two distinct visual takes on the same uncompromising platform. Both are handcrafted, limited to just ten pairs each, and priced well north of sensible. With how they look on paper, we will take Bang & Olufsen at its word on how they sound.
These releases follow closely behind the Beolab 90 Titan Edition, unveiled just a month earlier. Where Phantom and Mirage lean into expression, Titan was positioned as the purist’s choice. Cast entirely in raw aluminium, it stripped things back to material, form and finish. Each cabinet was cast, CNC-machined and hand-sandblasted in Denmark, with subtle centenary details hidden throughout. No colour. No fabric. Just Beolab 90 laid bare.
The Beolab 90 Phantom Edition heads in a darker direction. A semi-transparent black PVD metal mesh is designed to reveal parts of the speaker’s internal structure, with a pearl-blasted aluminium skeleton visible beneath. The outer panels, including the face mask, base and shoulders, are finished in hand-layered carbon fibre. According to Bang & Olufsen, the material choice nods to motorsport, putting the engineering front and centre rather than hiding it away.
The Mirage Edition heads in the opposite direction. This is Bang & Olufsen leaning into colour and surface finish, built around iridescent fabric panels that shift between sapphire and magenta depending on the light. The brand positions it as a celebration of colour, and the details follow through. Each speaker features five precision-milled aluminium panels, anodised in bespoke gradient finishes to match the fabric, with wave-textured surfaces intended to echo sound ripples. All of it is manually polished and finished in-house.
Underneath those Atelier finishes, both speakers are still very much Beolab 90. First launched in 2015, it remains Bang & Olufsen’s most ambitious loudspeaker, with 18 bespoke drivers and advanced beam-forming technology designed to shape sound to the room. These anniversary editions keep that performance intact, while pushing the physical design further into expressive, object-first territory.
Beolab 90 Phantom & Mirage Edition Specifications
Model: Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90 (Phantom & Mirage Editions)
Type: Fully active floorstanding loudspeaker
Drivers: 18 bespoke drivers per speaker
Power: 8,200 watts per speaker
Key Tech: Active Room Compensation & Beam Width Control
Phantom Finish: Semi-transparent black PVD mesh & carbon fibre
Mirage Finish: Iridescent fabric & gradient anodised aluminium
Dimensions: 130cm (H) x 74cm (W) x 74cm (D)
Weight: 137kg per speaker
Availability: Limited to 10 pairs per edition worldwide
Price: From £339,000 (approx. AU$682,000)
Each Phantom and Mirage Edition was unveiled at Bang & Olufsen’s new San Francisco Culture Store and will tour globally as part of the brand’s centenary celebrations.
Each Phantom and Mirage Edition comes with a certificate of authenticity and is available exclusively through Bang & Olufsen boutiques. Pricing starts at £339,000, or roughly AU$682,389 before duties. Unveiled at Bang & Olufsen’s new San Francisco Culture Store, they’ll be touring the world as part of the brand’s centenary celebrations.
For most of us, these will live firmly in the “nice to look at” category. For the handful of buyers who can stomach the price tag, they’re proof that high-end audio can make you feel more than just the music.
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