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<img src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/BO-Museum-edit.jpg" alt="A visit to the B&O Factory" class="thumbnail large post-image" /><p><span><strong>The look and feel of Bang & Olufsen products tells only part of the story.* A trip to the B&O factory in Struer, Denmark, tells the rest.* The hardwood floors that I encountered at the Copenhagen airport underscored the ethos of style and design that permeates the Danish culture. B&O’s corporate headquarters looks more like a museum of contemporary art, or at least a very cool furniture store, than a factory where HiFi gear is produced.* But it wasn’t always that way ..</strong>.</span></p>
<p>Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen started B&O in 1925. College friends, Olufsen was the marketing half of the company and Bang was the engineer.* The manufacturing facility began in an unused part of the Olufsen home and farm.* Their first product was called “The Eliminator” because back then, radios ran from lead-acid batteries that emitted harmful fumes in the home, and no one thought it would be possible to power a radio from the AC mains.* The Eliminator showed they were wrong by ditching the batteries for AC current.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9412" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/bang-and-olufsena-entrance-to-museum-edit-2/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9412" title="bang and olufsena entrance to museum - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/bang-and-olufsena-entrance-to-museum-edit1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="890" /></a><strong>A national treasure</strong></p>
<p>Today, Bang & Olufsen is a major employer in Denmark and there is a museum in the center of Struer that documents every step of their achievements.* If you love HiFi and find yourself in Denmark, a visit to the museum is a must.* They have an original Eliminator there as well as every other product that B&O has produced over the years, right up to the current day.</p>
<p>It’s fascinating to see how their product mix evolved. For years, they made microphones, movie projectors, even electric shavers!* But from the 70’s on, they stuck to their core technologies, concentrating on HiFi systems and televisions, and lately automotive HiFi systems.* In Issue 22, we reviewed the B&O sound system in the current Aston Martin DBS; B&O produces the premium sound system in the full line of Audi cars.* I saw a few parts on the factory tour that suggested that they may be producing sound systems for a few other automobiles in the future, but we shall see.</p>
<p>You might be surprised at how traditional some of their products looked at first, but it didn’t take B&O long to develop their distinctive style. I believe this began in earnest in 1939 with the BeoLit 39 radio, which featured a case made entirely of Bakelite.* A somewhat brittle plastic, it was a relatively new material at the time and was deemed tough to mold into complex shapes.* But B&O’s designers pushed for Bakelite, and the engineering staff devised a process.* This design-driven way of doing things at B&O continues to this day.</p>
<p>As we were told by our host at B&O, Jette Nygarrd, “The designers are given free reign here.* It is our job to turn their vision into current products.”* It is worth noting that the designers at B&O are not company employees but contract workers.* The company feels this allows them the autonomy to challenge their vision, which might not be as free if they were worried about pensions and stock options.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9414" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/bo-factory-edit-2/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9414" title="B&O Factory - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/BO-Factory-edit1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="793" /></a><strong>Style, performance and precision</strong></p>
<p>B&O puts an equally high priority on the performance of their products and rigorous quality control.* While many audiophiles are curious about sonic testing and specs, B&O takes it way beyond that.* They had numerous labs to measure every electrical parameter possible and two listening rooms where the speakers are hidden behind a transparent screen.</p>
<p>They employ about a dozen people who are their “Golden Ears,” trained strictly to listen to nuances in prototypes and final products in a real environment. These test listeners are asked to make notes and comment on every aspect of the sound on a wide variety of program material. Although in our demonstrations, we had to listen to The Eagles’ “Hotel California” a little more than I cared to!</p>
<p>On a parallel track to what’s going on in the engineering department, there is another department that is trying to destroy their creations.* This is what gives B&O such a high reliability rate.* A worker at one workstation is simulating high vibration, while another repeatedly drops a television set from 10 feet in the air.* Yet another machine pushes buttons in and out, while others bathe their products in heat, cold and humid conditions.* They even have a machine that blows cigarette smoke into the air, which is equivalent to one of their components being exposed to a one-pack-per-day smoker for 10 years.* Remote controls are bathed in the equivalent of human sweat to see how long it takes to wear the markings off them.</p>
<p>One of the engineers told us an interesting story about a man who was complaining about how his remote control had become discolored and the markings had faded prematurely.* The B&O engineers finally figured out that cancer medication he was taking had changed the pH balance of his sweat, and that was something they <em>hadn’t </em>planned on. I came away convinced that there is no torture to which B&O products have not been subjected!</p>
<p>We also got to see a full, working example of a B&O store.* This is where a lot of corporate training is done, and it helped us to get a feel for how B&O works with their customers, as well as seeing all of the latest products.* Unlike other HiFi companies that work through a dealer channel, B&O takes the Apple store route and has all company-branded stores.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9413" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/aluminum-assembly-edit/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9413" title="aluminum assembly - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/aluminum-assembly-edit.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="406" /></a><strong>Ending with the big screen</strong></p>
<p>We ended our trip with a demonstration of B&O’s spellbinding 103-inch plasma TV that should be in stores right after the New Year. The demo room was very sparse with four BeoLab 5 speakers at the far corners.* Although a $140,000 plasma isn’t for everyone, it again underscored the fact that B&O has the technological capabilities to deliver cutting-edge products.</p>
<p>While Bang & Olufsen is occasionally criticized in the audio press for putting style ahead of substance, nothing could be further from reality. After spending a few days at their factory, it is obvious that while aesthetic appeal is very important, their commitment to technology, engineering and <em>vigorous </em>testing is unmatched in the industry.* Granted, the Danes like to do things their way, but that’s what gives their products soul.* For my money, we could all use a little more style in our everyday lives.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bang-olufsen.com" target="_self">www.bang-olufsen.com</a></p>
[Source: http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/]
<p>Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen started B&O in 1925. College friends, Olufsen was the marketing half of the company and Bang was the engineer.* The manufacturing facility began in an unused part of the Olufsen home and farm.* Their first product was called “The Eliminator” because back then, radios ran from lead-acid batteries that emitted harmful fumes in the home, and no one thought it would be possible to power a radio from the AC mains.* The Eliminator showed they were wrong by ditching the batteries for AC current.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9412" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/bang-and-olufsena-entrance-to-museum-edit-2/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9412" title="bang and olufsena entrance to museum - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/bang-and-olufsena-entrance-to-museum-edit1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="890" /></a><strong>A national treasure</strong></p>
<p>Today, Bang & Olufsen is a major employer in Denmark and there is a museum in the center of Struer that documents every step of their achievements.* If you love HiFi and find yourself in Denmark, a visit to the museum is a must.* They have an original Eliminator there as well as every other product that B&O has produced over the years, right up to the current day.</p>
<p>It’s fascinating to see how their product mix evolved. For years, they made microphones, movie projectors, even electric shavers!* But from the 70’s on, they stuck to their core technologies, concentrating on HiFi systems and televisions, and lately automotive HiFi systems.* In Issue 22, we reviewed the B&O sound system in the current Aston Martin DBS; B&O produces the premium sound system in the full line of Audi cars.* I saw a few parts on the factory tour that suggested that they may be producing sound systems for a few other automobiles in the future, but we shall see.</p>
<p>You might be surprised at how traditional some of their products looked at first, but it didn’t take B&O long to develop their distinctive style. I believe this began in earnest in 1939 with the BeoLit 39 radio, which featured a case made entirely of Bakelite.* A somewhat brittle plastic, it was a relatively new material at the time and was deemed tough to mold into complex shapes.* But B&O’s designers pushed for Bakelite, and the engineering staff devised a process.* This design-driven way of doing things at B&O continues to this day.</p>
<p>As we were told by our host at B&O, Jette Nygarrd, “The designers are given free reign here.* It is our job to turn their vision into current products.”* It is worth noting that the designers at B&O are not company employees but contract workers.* The company feels this allows them the autonomy to challenge their vision, which might not be as free if they were worried about pensions and stock options.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9414" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/bo-factory-edit-2/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9414" title="B&O Factory - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/BO-Factory-edit1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="793" /></a><strong>Style, performance and precision</strong></p>
<p>B&O puts an equally high priority on the performance of their products and rigorous quality control.* While many audiophiles are curious about sonic testing and specs, B&O takes it way beyond that.* They had numerous labs to measure every electrical parameter possible and two listening rooms where the speakers are hidden behind a transparent screen.</p>
<p>They employ about a dozen people who are their “Golden Ears,” trained strictly to listen to nuances in prototypes and final products in a real environment. These test listeners are asked to make notes and comment on every aspect of the sound on a wide variety of program material. Although in our demonstrations, we had to listen to The Eagles’ “Hotel California” a little more than I cared to!</p>
<p>On a parallel track to what’s going on in the engineering department, there is another department that is trying to destroy their creations.* This is what gives B&O such a high reliability rate.* A worker at one workstation is simulating high vibration, while another repeatedly drops a television set from 10 feet in the air.* Yet another machine pushes buttons in and out, while others bathe their products in heat, cold and humid conditions.* They even have a machine that blows cigarette smoke into the air, which is equivalent to one of their components being exposed to a one-pack-per-day smoker for 10 years.* Remote controls are bathed in the equivalent of human sweat to see how long it takes to wear the markings off them.</p>
<p>One of the engineers told us an interesting story about a man who was complaining about how his remote control had become discolored and the markings had faded prematurely.* The B&O engineers finally figured out that cancer medication he was taking had changed the pH balance of his sweat, and that was something they <em>hadn’t </em>planned on. I came away convinced that there is no torture to which B&O products have not been subjected!</p>
<p>We also got to see a full, working example of a B&O store.* This is where a lot of corporate training is done, and it helped us to get a feel for how B&O works with their customers, as well as seeing all of the latest products.* Unlike other HiFi companies that work through a dealer channel, B&O takes the Apple store route and has all company-branded stores.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-9413" href="http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/attachment/aluminum-assembly-edit/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9413" title="aluminum assembly - edit" src="http://www.tonepublications.com/media/aluminum-assembly-edit.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="406" /></a><strong>Ending with the big screen</strong></p>
<p>We ended our trip with a demonstration of B&O’s spellbinding 103-inch plasma TV that should be in stores right after the New Year. The demo room was very sparse with four BeoLab 5 speakers at the far corners.* Although a $140,000 plasma isn’t for everyone, it again underscored the fact that B&O has the technological capabilities to deliver cutting-edge products.</p>
<p>While Bang & Olufsen is occasionally criticized in the audio press for putting style ahead of substance, nothing could be further from reality. After spending a few days at their factory, it is obvious that while aesthetic appeal is very important, their commitment to technology, engineering and <em>vigorous </em>testing is unmatched in the industry.* Granted, the Danes like to do things their way, but that’s what gives their products soul.* For my money, we could all use a little more style in our everyday lives.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bang-olufsen.com" target="_self">www.bang-olufsen.com</a></p>
[Source: http://www.tonepublications.com/onsite/a-visit-to-the-bo-factory/]