Bang & Olufsen's latest speaker is for those who like their audio equipment to be heard but not seen: the Beosound Emerge is a slim Wi-Fi speaker designed to fit into tight spaces like corners and bookshelves

The fabric grille on the $899 Light Oak model even looks like the spine of a book There is also a less expensive $699 black anthracite model, though still at a premium price, but neither version will actually go on sale until October 2021

Still, this latest speaker from Bang & Olufsen, which follows the modular Beosound Level announced earlier this year, may be a design worth waiting for At 65 inches tall and 26 inches wide at its thickest point, it is narrow enough to fit in the tightest of crevices and emits 180-degree sound from its slim grille The black anthracite model is less expensive, while the wood-finish model is particularly well suited for blending into interiors

In terms of features, the Beosound Emerge's Wi-Fi capability makes it compatible with Chromecast or AirPlay To compete with the best smart speakers, it can also be optionally equipped with Google Assistant, and Bluetooth connectivity is standard

The top "soft touch" control set includes playback controls as well as access to Bang & Olufsen radio stations and inputs for streaming music from Spotify; with the addition of Google Assistant, Beosound Emerge can also be controlled by voice

In the Ikea Symfonisk series, designed and manufactured in collaboration with Sonos, you can already get speakers disguised as household objects The Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker, in particular, could become a lower-cost version of the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge once it is released

Still, even taking Sonos' opinion into account, the Beosound Emerge is clearly a premium proposition