BeoLab 3 Active Loudspeakers
Manufactured: 2004 - present
Designer: David Lewis
Colours:
BeoLab 3 is the most compact, versatile loudspeaker in the current Bang & Olufsen range of loudspeakers. Using both ICEPower® and Acoustic Lens Technology, BeoLab 3 represents an important expansion of Bang & Olufsen's compact loudspeaker range.
The speaker is very versatile and comes with a selection of stands - a floor stand, table stand and wall brackets are all available - which makes it ideal for placing almost anywhere in the house.
BeoLab 3 Floor Stand: Part number 1216511
BeoLab 3 Wall Bracket: Part number 1216766
BeoLab 3 is delivered with a black rubber foot for positioning on a static unit. A new type of PowerLink cable (Mark III) is provided with the speaker (5m) but additional lengths may be purchased separately if required. There is a single PowerLink socket on each BeoLab 3; if connecting to a non-Bang & Olufsen audio system a converter cable may be used to connect at line level.
The speaker fits in price-wise between BeoLab 6000 and BeoLab 8000. It can be used for either main speakers or for rear surround-sound. Its rated output is 250W. The unit looks similar to the BeoLab 2 sub-woofer. The Acoustic Lens Technology is developed from research with the BeoLab 5 active speaker; technology of which was developed in close cooperation with Sausalito Audio.
BeoLab 3 Press Release - January 2004
BeoLab 3: a new, compact loudspeaker with a surprisingly big sound
Bang & Olufsen’s latest loudspeaker is a minor acoustic masterpiece. With its compact dimensions, it fits in anywhere – and it has a surprisingly big sound for its size. “I’m very pleased to introduce our latest loudspeaker, BeoLab 3. It incorporates many of the technological features of our existing loudspeakers, including our top-of-the-range model BeoLab 5, which has been met with a tremendous enthusiasm from the international trade press. The many ways in which BeoLab 3 can be used and positioned will make these features more widely available, so more people can benefit from them” says President and CEO Torben Ballegaard Sørensen
BeoLab 3 is a highly versatile loudspeaker. It can be positioned in many different ways. Using the stand and fittings supplied, you can mount the loudspeaker on the wall or put it on a shelf or in a bookcase. You can also put BeoLab 3 wherever you like on the floor on its aluminium stand, the design of which matches the rest of Bang & Olufsen’s products. Depending on their use and the décor of the room, the loudspeakers can be placed to emphasise their distinctive design or so that they blend in with the surroundings. At the same time, the complex technology that produces its surprisingly big sound makes BeoLab 3 an obvious choice when it comes to stereo loudspeakers for your music system or the front and rear loudspeakers of a surround-sound home cinema set-up.
Greater acoustic freedom
A rather striking feature of the design is the acoustic lens on top of BeoLab 3. One advantage of the Acoustic Lens Technology* is that it permits greater freedom as regards positioning without impairing the sound quality and it also limits sound reflections from the floor and ceiling, delivering more precise reproduction. Creating such a big sound with such small loudspeakers was possible only by using a combination of Bang & Olufsen’s skills in the field of acoustics. The sides of the loudspeaker function as additional, passive speaker units and allow BeoLab 3 to move greater quantities of air (and therefore to reproduce lower notes) than would otherwise be possible in such a small, compact cabinet.
The built-in Bang & Olufsen ICEPower® amplifier modules guarantee the necessary power without generating the degree of heat given off by traditional amplifiers. BeoLab 3 was designed by Bang & Olufsen’s Chief Designer David Lewis, and besides its acoustic lens, the loudspeaker is also designed along the same lines as BeoLab 2, Bang & Olufsen’ s subwoofer, in terms of shape: a combination of a cube and a sphere. The cabinet is made of aluminium, with a matt black surface.
Mounting Options
From launch, BeoLab3 was available with circular desk mounting hoops, floor stands with internal cable routing and table stands.
BeoLab 3 Active Loudspeakers Product Specifications
Market: Type: Introduced:
EU 6891 2004-01
GB 6892 2004-01
USA-CDN-TWN 6893 2004-01
J 6894 2004-01
AUS 6895 2004-01
KOR 6896 2004-01
Specifications:
Dimensions Length 16,2 cm
Width 13,5 cm
Height 21,5 cm; 22,3 cm on table ring
Weight 2,55 kg
Cabinet finish Silver and black
Power consumption IEC65: 20 W
Typical: 7 W
Stand-by: 0,2 W
Maximum Sound Pressure Level 94 dB (stereo, pair)
Power amplifier, bass 125 W, Class D, ICEPower
Power amplifier, treble 125 W, Class D, ICEPower
Long-term maximum output power
per amplifier Bass: 220 W/4ohm
Treble: 120 W/8ohm
Effective Frequency range 50 - 20.000 Hz
Crossover frequency 3.300 Hz
Cabinet principle Double Balanced Passive Radiator
Net volume, bass 1.5 litres
Magnetically shielded Yes
Woofer 101,6 mm
Passive radiators 2 x 101,6 mm
Tweeter 19 mm
Directivity control treble ALT (Acoustic Lens Technology), licensed from Sausalito Works LLC
Bass equalization ABL (Adaptive Bass Linearization)
Input sensitivity (Power Link) 125 mV (88dB SPL)
Input sensitivity (line) 125 mV (88dB SPL) - Auto switch on
Switch off time (line) 3 min.
Indicator LED for on (green), Off (red) or Protection (yellow) mode
Operation Free, Wall or Corner position
Left, Right or LINE switch
Protection Thermal protection
Connections:
Power Link 1 (use Semi-Balanced PL cable type MKIII, or fully mounted PL cable)
Mains 1 Switch Mode Power Supply; internal jumper for 220-240 V or 100 - 120 V
Phono (line-in) Via PL using Line-to-PL adaptor cable, 5m, black, part no.: 6270856
Market specifications:
Type Market Voltage
6891 EU 230 V
6892 GB 230 V
6893 USA - CND - TWN 120 V
6894 J 100 V
6895 AUS 240 V
6896 KOR 220 V
Accessories:
Base stand Included
Floor stand 2165 Aluminium
Table stand 2166 Aluminium
Wall bracket 2167 Black
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Created: 1st December 2006
Modified: 19th February 2019
Author Notes:
Beoworld says: Incredible for their size, these offer sound quality of a similar level to the BL9s, but not at the same sound pressure. B&O at Struer set these behind a sound invisible curtain against Beolab 5s and then get you to guess which is playing. At lower volumes it can be tricky!!
