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is designed in such a way that the vocals materialize in the center and the instruments join from the sides, regardless of where you're standing in the room. is unique, spatial design creates the uncanny sensation of live music right there in your home. e Shape offers dual-band Wi-Fi and the streaming ability of Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect and QPlay for consumers in China. e system also has Bluetooth for playing music off your phone and BeoLink for integration with other B&O products. For physical connections, the Shape has analogue line in, digital optical and Ethernet. As of now, the Shape does not possess a tile with a microphone and connection to a digital assistant. However, many tech blogs are predicting that a partnership between the Shape and Alexa, Google Assistant or Bixby is in the not-too-distant future. e Shape does its best work in rooms meant for entertaining. Not only does the sound quality accommodate all corners of the room, but the Shape also serves as a statement piece and conversation starter. It's easy to imagine that such a visually compelling sound system will soon be making its way into luxury hotels, corporate offices and high-end event spaces. As for B&O, despite having their products sold all across the world and a gross revenue of over a billion dollars, their base of operations remains in the small merchant town of Struer, Denmark—where Bang and Olufsen first began their experiment. VUE ON DESIGN V U E N J . C O M 47

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