Big bang theory

LAUNCH: Bang & Olufsen expands the universe of audio-visual equipment choice with its new launches... once you're done gasping over prices.

Say, you're sitting around with Rs 35 lakh. What would you do with it? You could buy a nice flat, a Merc, a stock portfolio, hmmm... or, if you're feeling adventurous, maybe a Bang and Olufsen (B&O) home entertainment system!

The universe of choice is indeed expanding, and Danish home equipment maker Bang & Olufsen wants to ensure a decision in its favour won't give you post-purchase dissonance. Or dissonance of any sort. BeoLiving, its fully "customised" and integrated "home entertainment solution" is an extravagance alright, but it's strictly for the customer who values consonance above all else.

With its minimalist black anodised aluminum and glass design, BeoLiving sports a set of exotic space-age looking speakers "" the Beo-Lab 5 speakers, for example "" apart from an audiovisual unit that includes a movie projector, lighting system and door automation technology.

The idea is to assure you the ultimate sensory experience, and the system is intelligent enough to detect your precise location in the room and adjust its output accordingly. Just tap a button, and the sensors get into action, helping the speakers attune themselves to the room's specific accoustics (dependent on the room architecture and everything in it).

The machine itself is no less sophisticated, with chips working overtime to maximise pleasure. "What we deliver to our customer is not just a product, but a complete package of experience and service," claims Prekash Ramsingh, master dealer, B&O India, "...it can wake you up to your favourite CD "" the room will light up and the (flat-screen) television will tune into your channel."

What you cannot do, at present, is put down the cash and take a BeoLiving system home. It takes at least eight weeks to deliver, install and customise. The good news is that geography is no limitation.

"Even if my customers ask me to install products in their villa in Pondicherry, Goa or Mussoorie, it can be done," boasts Ramsingh.

So far, BeoLiving has been a success, having got 100 customers in Mumbai and over 150 in Delhi in the past year of test marketing. Now, with the launch, B&O hopes to go beyond a mere token presence at the retail level. The target: 10 stores by 2010.

Banking on high-end systems alone would, however, be foolhardy. And for a wider market, "B&O has a partnership with Samsung to market mobile phones" in Ramsingh's words. "We will introduce mobile phones in India soon," he adds, "and they would definitely be a big revenue and image driver."

What B&O brings to the alliance is its sense of design and understanding of the audio sophisticate's preferences. For a sample of what's expected to be on offer soon, take a look at Samsung-B&O's square-shaped GSM triband phone. With a VGA camera and an iPod-style centre scroll wheel, the handset is likely to be priced high enough to draw some more gasps.

But then, that's B&O for you, a brand that isn't exactly for the budget conscious. Or for the unimaginative.