Bang & Olufsen Beosound Premiere

Once upon a time, if you had a budget of around £3000 to spend on an AV sound system, it would be a given that it would go on an AV receiver and surround-sound speakers. Some would argue that it still should. But that hasn’t stopped a new category of soundbar appearing over the last few years, aimed at those with thousands to spend and convenience near the top of their wishlist.

The Bang and Olufsen Beosound Premiere is aimed squarely at that audience, joining the likes of KEF’s XIO (£2000) and Devialet’s Dione (£1800) in the market of soundbars that stretch the upper limit of what we have become accustomed to soundbars costing. Of course, B&O is no stranger itself to this market, and pushes that further still – it has two other soundbars in its range, the £2000 Stage and the £8500 Theatre, meaning the (newly priced) £3100 Premiere sits squarely between the two. 

I say ‘newly priced’, because initially this soundbar went on sale in December 2025 costing £3900. That figure has just been slashed to £3100, which – just a couple of months after its launch – might suggest a few things about Bang & Olufsen’s profit margins. Still, it’s a welcome discount that brings the Premiere at least a little closer in price to its nearest competition. So if you’ve decided the ‘luxe soundbar’ market is for you, is this one you should add to your shortlist?

‍Sound Quality 

Considering the Premiere’s relatively compact size, it delivers a big, authoritative and richly detailed sound, balancing deep and punchy bass with a notably controlled, beautifully clear treble. There’s a real focus on precision and accuracy, with a spacious soundstage allowing all the elements of a soundtrack their own dynamic freedom, while also pulling together to create a textured, but cohesive and articulate, sound.

This soundbar thrives and sounds its very best when played loud, and not once does it waver in its enthusiasm, nor in its composure at these higher volumes. Throw the Premiere an action scene and it won’t hesitate to deliver a cinematic and impactful sound that’s also balanced and refined. Never does the treble edge towards sharpness - it attacks the high end with bite and clarity. The bass is never bloated, and provides a solid and assured sound that works from the bottom up, with a midrange that is well integrated with all that is going around it.

Some will mourn the inability to add a subwoofer here – B&O doesn’t currently have one that is on its Mozart software platform – and those used to the extra oomph may find the Premiere ever so slightly lacking in depth and sub-bass rumble by comparison. For a standalone bar, its ability to extend down to around 34Hz is admirable, and means there is plenty of weight and wallop on offer here for most. However, for an undoubtedly expensive soundbar, the current lack of upgrade path, or option, for those that want one is disappointing.

Sound effects are placed and tracked with precision as they move around the screen, extending confidently into the spaces just outside it. Though the sound the Premiere can deliver is big, it’s fair to say its sound isn’t as expansive as some – it doesn’t push sound quite as wide or as high as you can find elsewhere, and you certainly won’t feel like sounds are coming from the side or above you. Just one upwards-firing driver means Atmos effects aren’t as explicit as you’ll find elsewhere either - but it still helps to create a convincing and well-organised wall of sound, one that’s natural, refined and undoubtedly three-dimensional.

At lower volumes, it impresses in its ability to cling on to a good chunk of this performance and keep an impressive command of dynamics too, though I do find that dialogue – which is generally clear, direct and well projected – dips against more dramatic elements in a movie soundtrack when played at volumes lower than about 50 percent. 

There are sound modes available – like ‘Night’ or ‘Speech’ – that can help counteract this, for those times when you absolutely have to listen a little quieter. Of course these do have an effect on those lower level dynamics in exchange, so should be used sparingly for the best sound. 

Stream some music through the Premiere and the bar automatically switches to the ‘Music’ mode for the purest signal. The B&O app has TIDAL built in, so subscribers can take advantage of that, or stream directly from Spotify or Deezer (or indeed, directly from TIDAL too). It’s an equally assured performer with two-channel audio – or indeed Atmos music mixes if that’s your thing – and sounds lively, balanced and expressive across genres.

‍Living With 

The Premiere is an Atmos-capable, 7.1.4-channel soundbar with a total of 10 drivers. They are four 102 x 76mm racetrack drivers, four 51mm full-range cones firing in pairs forwards and to the side, a 20mm centre-mounted tweeter and a statement 38mm up-firing driver in the middle, complete with 1925 precisely machined perforations – a hat-tip to B&O’s founding year. Each driver is powered by its own dedicated amp, making up a total of 580 watts of Class D amplification.

The design of the Premiere is going to be divisive, and I have yet to come across anyone in person or online who has actually said they like it. The centrepiece of its uncovered drivers is an intentionally ‘bold’ design choice, according to B&O, and the engineering that has gone into the Premiere is something the brand is unapologetic about showcasing front and centre. 

If you feel less enthusiastic about this design choice, there are optional covers that click on to hide them, but they will – of course – cost extra. It’s £250 for the grey melange fabric cover, all the way up to £1000 for the more intricate wooden oak version. 

Design aside, there’s no arguing that the Premiere is beautifully made and presented. It’s weighty, and its shell is sculpted from pearl-blasted aluminium in a choice of three colours – black or silver, as well as the rather more showy gold of my review sample. 

There’s a light bar of 90 LEDs that runs just inside where the drivers sit, and this subtly reacts when you interact with the soundbar before fading away. It’s a nice touch.

Away from its aesthetics, the Premiere’s dimensions – 17 x 93 x 12cm (HxWxD) – too are really quite awkward. It’s a lot shorter than a lot of competitor soundbars, which is fine, but also much taller. That means it’s nearly impossible to put on a TV stand, as it will cover the bottom of most TVs – it covers at least a 5cm of mine and blocks the IR receiver too, which is a pain. This means it feels made for wall-mounting, and would probably look its best there too. The stand that it sits on top of doubles up as a wall-mount, with most of the tools you need in the box. 

There’s no remote in the box, another bugbear at this price, but at least volume can be controlled easily by your TV remote, or with the responsive touch controls that run along the top panel. There are also some playback controls and shortcuts here, with the more functional controls for getting the bar set up and onto your network on the right-hand side of the bar. 

To be able to tap a little further into the Premiere’s sound, you’ll want to set it up with the B&O app, though I do have some issues with this that require patience to get sorted - and the troubleshooting on offer via the app is non-existent. The app in general feels a little buggy and unstable at times too, but hopefully this is something that can be improved with firmware updates sometime soon. 

In the app, there are lots of options for you to dig into, depending on your requirements. You can select one of the five preset sound modes, as well as set your own very specific sound profile, re-run the room compensation analysis that you’re prompted to do at setup, change the shortcuts on the soundbar to different radio stations or TIDAL playlists of your choice, set alarms, check for software updates, and tweak or otherwise fiddle with all manner of other settings. You can also configure a wireless multiroom setup with up to four other B&O speakers, choosing from the growing number that run on B&O’s Mozart platform. 

However, connectivity leaves a lot to be desired for a £3000 soundbar. There is only a single HDMI eARC input, which is beyond stingy at this price, plus there’s a USB-C slot for connecting an external device, and three ethernet ports. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Deezer Connect, but there’s strangely no Google Cast for Android users. 

‍Conclusion

If you can forgive the design, overlook the lack of physical connections, and accommodate the dimensions, there’s no doubt that what the Premiere offers is a polished and assured performance that’s easy to like. But it’s still going to be hard to shake off that price.

Just as with hi-fi, the concept of diminishing returns comes into play here – and perhaps with even more gusto when you consider the fact you’re paying some (although not quite as much since its price reduction) element of ‘luxury tax’ for the Bang & Olufsen name. 

If you’re considering the Premiere, that’s something you will have almost certainly already made peace with - but there’s no arguing the fact that you can get a good chunk of what it offers at a third of the price. Soundbars like Sonos’ Arc Ultra, or the Sennheiser Ambeo Max, offer lots to like – especially when you’ve got the best part of £2000 left in your bank account by comparison. So who exactly is it aimed at?

Really, it’s for those who have the budget to spend over the odds on a luxury option, and who are probably existing Bang & Olufsen customers. If you’re in the B&O ecosystem already, perhaps looking to upgrade from the Stage, or have a couple of B&O speakers and want to build out a more substantial sound system, the Premiere is a solid choice - and it gives you flexibility to build an expensive, sure, but very capable system that can adapt over time.

The Premiere knows it’s not for everyone – its design proves it’s not trying to be. But for those that it is for, there is plenty here for them to like.

Listening Notes

6 Underground Netflix
A wild ride of an Atmos soundtrack from the get-go, this film kicks off with 20 minutes of system-testing sound, and the Premiere wastes no time sinking its teeth into it. An intense soundtrack underpins car chases, tyre screeches, gunshots and crashes, and the Premiere digs deep to attack all ends of the frequency range with poise and confidence.

The Matrix 4K Blu-ray
There’s little to say about the Matrix that hasn’t already been said, but that’s what makes it such a great test disc. During the famous lobby scene, the Premiere remains controlled without holding back, managing to articulate the mayhem of what’s happening on screen into a well-organised, believable soundscape.

Roma Netflix
Atmos doesn’t have to be all about big action scenes and Roma proves that, with a stunning Atmos soundtrack that delivers in its subtlety. With its precise handling of sound effects, the Premiere manages this beautifully, with sounds moving fluidly both around and beyond the screen with pinpoint accuracy.

You buy the Premiere because are a B&O customer, have the budget to spend and you’re very keen to stay within the B&O ecosystem. Perhaps you have a couple of Beolab 8s and want to make a more expansive sound system for your TV. It offers a good sonic step up from the Stage, while somehow managing to look sensibly priced against the Theatre.

As the Premiere is relatively compact compared to most of its competition, it won’t look out of place with a smaller TV. It would probably find its sweet spot with a TV somewhere between 55-65in, making the very new LG G6 a compelling choice for those with plenty of budget to play with.