Two Loud Speakers and a Microphone

Photograph by Luis Bruno; Styled by Sara Wacksman Photograph by Luis Bruno; Styled by Sara Wacksman

Bang & Olufsen's Beolab 5 speakers may look like end tables from Wonderland, but they have more going for them than trippy design (they'd better, for $16,000 a pair). Gently touch one of them on top and a miniature microphone extends from its base. Then the 15-inch woofer-powered by the 2,500-watt internal amplifier-starts whomp-whomping like a baritone light saber. The microphone records the sound after it bounces off your walls and couch, and adjusts the output of specific bass frequencies to compensate for the shape of your room and the speaker's location. The result: They sounded crisp even
in our cluttered, 200-square-foot office. And no, they will not attack you in your sleep.