The rounded, floor-level BeoLab 2 was introduced in 2001 for sale as part of a home cinema system. Offering a huge 850W of power, this represented Bang & Olufsen’s only-ever active sub-woofer to that time.  It followed on from the passive Beovox Cona of the late 1980s which had been introduced to enhance the bass of the compact speaker range, in particular Beovox CX100 and CX50.

Made up of a very solid and sturdy aluminium casing and just two 230mm drivers to produce a deep bass sensation that fully added to a cinematic occasion, the sub-woofer was “characterised by a combination of compactness and efficiency”.

As Bang & Olufsen themselves suggested: “BeoLab 2 increased performance while reducing the overall dimensions of the speaker cabinet. This was achieved by utilising ICEpower technology for the powerful 850-watt amplifier. ICEpower was the key to producing a sound performance previously impossible from a subwoofer this size. The effect of vibrations was always a challenge with powerful subwoofers. BeoLab 2 solved this problem in an ingenious and simple manner: two passive loudspeaker units were placed directly opposite each other in order to cancel out each other’s movements. The rubber ring base also insulated between BeoLab 2 and the floor.”

The BeoLab 2 was simply connected to the rest of the B&O system via a single Power Link connector,switched on and the sub-woofer’s electronics did the rest. It was aurally able to enhance the sound coming from a DVD disc in a way that no limit of additional loudspeakers could do.  It really was plug and play. The user just plugged it in, made up the connections and basically forgot about it.

Similar to the BeoLab 1 there was a switch within it to inform the sub-woofer just where in the room it was positioned.

As well as the standard grey colour, a glossy white colour was added to BeoLab 2 range in late 2008.

BeoLab 2 technical specifications

EU 6861

GB 6862

USA-CDN-TWN 6863

J 6864

AUS 6865

KOR 6867

Details:

Maximum Sound Pressure Level: 110 dB (stereo)

Power amplifier module: 1 unit Class D

Long-term maximum output power: 850 W

Effective Frequency range*: 23 - 120 Hz (upper limit determined by setup)

Cabinet principle: Double balanced passive radiator system

Magnetically shielded: Yes

Woofer: Passive radiator 1 x 250 mm flat diaphragm, 2 x 250 mm flat diaphragm

Net volume: 13 litre

Bass equalization: ABL (Adaptive Bass Linearisation)

Switch for loudspeaker position: Free, Wall or Corner

Input sensitivity: Adjustable by three position switch. Corresponding to -7 dB (3), 0 dB (2) or +3 dB (1) for main speakers

(* According to IEC 268-3 and 268-5.)

Connections: Power Link - Input 1, Power Link - Output 2, Mains: 1

Power Consumption Typical: 15 W

IEC65: 62W

Stand-by: 0.4 W

Market specifications:

6861 EU 230 V

6862 GB 230 V

6863 USA - CND - TWN 120 V

6864 J 100 V

6865 AUS 240 V

6867 KOR 220 V