The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is a high-end 3.0 setup. This unique soundbar has a premium build and can be reoriented to sit upward on your table or face outwards when wall-mounted. It has a slightly boxy sound profile right out-of-the-box that lacks low-bass. However, its robust companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets so you can customize its sound. It also supports Dolby Atmos, although it has to downmix into stereo to play it. Depending on the bar's orientation, your mixes can seem a little restrained, and it doesn't have a room correction feature to help improve its sound. On the upside, it has a lot of physical inputs and wireless connectivity options. If you're looking for a setup that blends high-end style with versatile and customizable performance, this is worth considering.
Our Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is decent for mixed use. It has a slightly boxy sound profile that lacks a bit of low-bass, which can affect thumpy genres like EDM or action-packed movies. However, its companion app comes with a graphic EQ and presets so that you can tweak its sound to your liking. It can reproduce voices in your favorite TV shows clearly and accurately. This soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, but it has to downmix into stereo to play it. Still, it has a wide variety of physical inputs and wireless connectivity options.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
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Supports Dolby Atmos.
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No room correction.
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Struggles to reproduce low-bass.
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Wide bar.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar is good for dialogue and TV shows. It has a dedicated center channel that can produce clear and accurate dialogue. One of its EQ presets also acts as a dialogue enhancement feature, which can help further improve vocal quality. Thanks to its outstanding wireless connectivity options, you can stream podcasts and audiobooks to the bar using Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi as well as more OS-specific technologies like Apple AirPlay.
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Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
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Dialogue enhancement and auto-volume/night mode feature available.
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Wide bar.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is decent for music. While its out-of-the-box sound profile is a bit boxy and lacking low-bass, its companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you tweak its sound. It can also get loud enough to fill a large or crowded room, and there are minimal amounts of thumping and compression artifacts at max volume.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Can get loud.
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Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
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No room correction.
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Struggles to reproduce low-bass.
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Wide bar.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar is alright for movies. It has a slightly boxy sound profile and it struggles to produce a deep, thumpy bass, which can affect sound effects in your favorite action flicks. Luckily, it comes with a graphic EQ and presets so you can find the sound that best works for your needs. It supports Dolby Atmos, but it has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it. It can also get loud, with minor amounts of thumping and compression artifacts at max volume.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Can get loud.
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Supports Dolby Atmos.
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No room correction.
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Struggles to reproduce low-bass.
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Wide bar.
- 7.4 Mixed Usage
- 7.9 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 7.5 Music
- 6.9 Movies
Changelog
- Updated Apr 06, 2021: Changed 'Display' results from 'Yes' to 'No'.
- Updated Mar 18, 2021: Updated latency measurements with new methodology.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Oct 09, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 24, 2020: Early access published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage comes in a variety of different colors: natural/black, bronze-tone/warm taupe, anthracite (which is a limited edition color), and smoked oak/gray. We tested the natural/black model, but we expect the other variants to perform similarly.
If you come across a different variant, let us know in the discussion section below so that we can update our review.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar is a premium 3.0 setup from 2020. This very well-built soundbar comes in a couple of different color variants to better match your home's decor. Thanks to its companion app, you can reconfigure its sound to better suit its orientation, whether you have it sitting on your table or wall-mounted. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a subwoofer, so it lacks low-bass. While it supports Dolby Atmos content, but it also has to downmix it into stereo to play it. Check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars for dialogue, and the best soundbars for music.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage and the Sonos Arc are soundbars with different setups, but the Bang & Olufsen is better for dialogue and TV shows. While the Bang & Olufsen is a 3.0 setup with a more bass-heavy sound, it has a graphic EQ and presets to customize it to your liking. It has more physical inputs, including a Full HDMI In port, and it has outstanding wireless playback options. However, the Sonos is a 5.0.2 setup with side-firing speakers, which significantly improves its surround performance, unlike Bang & Olufsen, which downmixes this content into stereo. It also has a better height performance and a room correction feature.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage or the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). The Bang & Olufsen reproduces a more extended low-bass, so you feel more rumble in bass-heavy audio. It also gets louder with less compression at max volume. However, some listeners may prefer the Sonos' smaller, more compact design. It's also better built, with better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances.
The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX is more versatile than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Sennheiser is a 5.1.4 standalone bar that can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has much better surround and Atmos performances and supports DTS content. That said, the 3.0 Bang & Olufsen may provide a better value, especially for listeners who mostly want to use their soundbar with music and dialogue-centric content like TV shows. It also has a smaller, lighter design compared to the Sennheiser.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is better for mixed usage than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Bose is a 5.1.2 setup that's better built with built-in voice assistant support. It also has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. The Bang & Olufsen can reproduce a slightly more extended low-bass. It also has a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization, unlike the Bose.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Bose is a 5.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub and satellite speakers. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. It's better built, too, and there are more sound enhancement features like room correction. However, unlike the Bang & Olufsen, it doesn't come with a graphic EQ and presets.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Bose is a 5.1 setup that's better built and comes with a dedicated sub and satellites. It has better soundstage and surround performances, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. Unlike the B&O, it also has built-in voice assistant support. That said, only the B&O supports Dolby Atmos content and a graphic EQ for sound customization.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The JBL is a 5.1.4 setup that comes with a dedicated sub and satellites. It reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it offers better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. Unlike the Bang & Olufsen, it comes with room correction and an Optical port. However, some listeners may prefer that the Bang & Olufsen comes with a graphic EQ.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Sonos is a better-built 5.1.2 setup with a sub and discrete satellites. It has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. Unlike the Bang & Olufsen, there's also built-in voice assistant support. However, some users may prefer the Bang & Olufsen's standalone design. It also comes with a graphic EQ, which the Sonos lacks.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is a better 3.0 setup for movies than the Sonos Playbar. The Bang & Olufsen supports Dolby Atmos and has more physical inputs that support a wider array of audio formats. It also has outstanding wireless playback options and supports 4k passthrough. However, the Sonos has a better surround performance and offers a room correction feature.
The LG GX Soundbar is a better overall soundbar than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The LG is a 3.1 setup that's designed for use with LG's OLED wallpaper TVs. It has a better surround performance and offers full audio format support for each of its physical inputs. However, the Bang & Olufsen feels better built and has two Ethernet ports, one of which is designed to work with LG's C9 Series TVs. While it doesn't have full audio format support via any of its physical inputs, it has outstanding wireless playback options. Its center and height channels also significantly outperform the LG.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is a slightly better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Bang & Olufsen can produce more bass, supports Dolby Atmos, and has a graphic EQ with presets. It also offers more connectivity options and supports more audio formats. However, the Sonos has a more neutral sound profile and a room correction feature. Some users may especially prefer its small size, which can be upgraded later with a separate subwoofer or satellite.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Bose has a more balanced sound profile and offers a room correction feature that automatically adjusts the sound profile to the room's acoustics. However, the Bang & Olufsen supports Dolby Atmos, has a graphic EQ, and has a wider array of inputs. It also has outstanding wireless playback options.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Samsung comes with a dedicated subwoofer and can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Bang & Olufsen, it has built-in voice assistant capabilities and DTS support. Also, its Atmos performance is better.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Samsung is an 11.1.4 setup with a dedicated subwoofer and two satellite speakers. It has better surround and Atmos performances, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It also gets louder and comes with room correction, an Optical In port, and built-in voice assistant support. That said, the standalone Bang & Olufsen is better built and supports more wireless playback options.
The Samsung HW-Q900A is better than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. The Samsung is a 7.1.2 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. It has better surround and Atmos performances, and it gets louder. Unlike the Bang & Olufsen, it has DTS support and built-in voice assistant capabilities. That said, the Bang & Olufsen is better built.
Test Results
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar has a very sleek, minimalist look. Our test unit has a silver aluminum casing around its sides and it sits on a black plastic base. Its drivers are covered with a tight black fabric that can get dusty or dirty. If you prefer your soundbar to better match your decor, it comes in a few different color variations that look similarly stylish.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is very large. It most likely won't fit between the legs of a 55" TV. On the upside, it shouldn't obstruct the screen, unless your TV sits flush to the table.
There are no satellites in the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage's setup.
The back of this soundbar has one opening for the inputs as well as the power cable. The manufacturer includes two round collars with grooves so that you can slide and align them with the rear openings of the bar to wall-mount them. However, you need to purchase wall-appropriate screws for the collars separately.
There are no satellites in the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage's setup.
This soundbar has a great build quality. While the bar has a plastic base, there's thick aluminum casing covering its top sides. The speakers are protected by a tight fabric, but it's prone to collecting dust or ripping. You can also use this bar in two different orientations.
- Safety document
- Power cable
- HDMI cable
- 2x Wall-mount collars
- 2x Felt pads
- 2x Cable guide
- Wall template
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage's stereo frequency response is alright. When you set up this soundbar using the app, you have to confirm the bar's orientation to ensure an optimal setting. If you have the bar flat on the table, audio sounds more restrained than when wall-mounted. However, as it doesn't have a subwoofer, it struggles to produce deep thump and rumbles. While it also sounds a bit boxy overall, its mid-range is fairly neutral, which is well-suited for vocal-centric content.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage's stereo soundstage is good. The soundstage sounds a little bit wider than the bar itself, but the bar doesn't do any tricks to make it wider. Its focus is good, and objects seem to come from accurate, pinpoint locations rather than a generalized area.
This soundbar has good stereo dynamics. It can get loud, and there are minimal compression artifacts at max volume, particularly in the bass-range. However, this shouldn't be too noticeable to most listeners.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage's total harmonic distortion performance is decent. Distortion falls within good limits at a normal listening volume, which results in clear and pure sound. However, there's a bit of a jump in distortion at max volume. It can be hard to hear with real-life content, though.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar is a 3.0 setup with an excellent center channel performance. Its dedicated center speaker produces clear and accurate vocal content in movies or TV shows.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage has a poor surround performance. As a 3.0 setup, it downmixes surround content into stereo, which doesn't produce the most accurate or clear representation of surround objects in the soundstage. It doesn't sound very immersive as these objects are perceived as coming from in front, rather than from the sides or behind you.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar has an okay height performance. When placed on a table, it uses its up-firing speakers on the bar to bounce sound off of your ceiling to give you the impression of height. However, the localization of objects sounds diffused and it won't sound as real as discrete localization produced by down-firing speakers. If you wall-mount this soundbar, it may shift its localization to phantom, front-firing speakers, due to the orientation.
This soundbar has mediocre sound enhancement features. It has five EQ presets: 'TV' which doubles as a dialogue enhancement feature, 'Music', 'Movie', 'Night Listening' (which is an auto-volume/night mode), and 'None'. There's also a virtual surround feature called 'Virtualize', but we don't currently test this feature. There's also a graphic EQ so you can fine-tune its sound. However, it lacks a room correction feature to automatically calibrate itself to the room it's placed in.
This soundbar has a few physical inputs. It has two Ethernet ports: one is for an ethernet connection and the other is for a VLAN connection mainly for LG C9 Series TVs. Using the VLAN connection gives you integrated control of your compatible TV using the Beoremote One. There's also an AUX port if you want to listen to audio from older devices.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar has an ARC port that supports most audio formats. Although it supports eARC, it only supports Dolby formats and not DTS. Its lack of a dedicated subwoofer also seems to affect its ability to play 5.1 PCM files due to the missing channel.
This soundbar has good support via its Full HDMI In port. While it supports Dolby content like Dolby Atmos, it can't play DTS. Its lack of a dedicated subwoofer also seems to affect its ability to play 5.1 PCM files due to the missing channel.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage doesn't have an Optical In port.
Update 03/18/2021: There was a mistake in our methodology where we measured the latency using every second frame (eg. 120fps). We now re-evaluated the footage using every frame at 240fps for more accurate results.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage has outstanding wireless playback connectivity. You can stream audio to it using a variety of different connectivity options including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You can also use Chromecast built-in and Apple AirPlay 2, which is handy if you want to stream audio from your smartphone.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage can passthrough the highest quality signals, and when connected between your PC and TV, text looks clear and crisp on your screen.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage Soundbar doesn't have any satellites.
Update 04/06/2021: This soundbar doesn't have an alphanumeric display, and it only has two lights. As a result, we updated the results for 'Display' from 'Yes' to 'No'.
The interface consists of two lights located on the right side of the soundbar's base. The power light is white. The second light indicates your wireless connectivity status and changes color depending on the wireless input.
This bar has four touch-sensitive controls. You can adjust the volume, skip tracks forward and backward, play or pause, and use Bluetooth. There's also two physical buttons in the middle of the bar that allow the bar to go into standby mode or reset it back to factory settings.
This soundbar uses the Bang & Olufsen app as its controller. In order to use the app, you have to set it up with the Google Home app first. Once you've done this, you get access to all of its controls. You can select EQ presets or use its graphic EQ, toggle upmixing from two channels to three, activate a surround effect, and even control the dynamics of your signal. Using this app, you can also enable the in-app remote for an LG C9 Series TV.
When you turn off the soundbar, it goes into standby mode. If you want to wake it up, you can send a file for it to play. You can also use your TV remote to control the bar's volume, mute audio, and turn it on/standby.