Hewlett-Packard partnered with Bang & Olufsen to replace Beats Electronics’ audio technology on its PCs and tablets. HP made the decision after Apple acquired Beats for $3.2 billion last year.
Ron Coughlin, senior vice president of personal systems at HP said, “Audio plays an important role in the experience customers have on their PCs, tablets and accessories whether it’s watching a movie, listening to music or Skyping with friends and family.”
Coughlin emphasized that Bang & Olufsen has passion and expertise to create exceptional sound experiences for customers.
HP stopped using Beats
Prior to Apple’s acquisition, HP relied on Beats audio technology on its PCs and tablets. HP is still selling PCs and laptops integrated with Beats audio technology on its website.
HP stopped including the Beats logo to its PCs after it was acquired by Apple. At the time, the PC maker explained that it was using its in-house audio technology. Mike Nash, vice president of product management for consumer personal systems at HP said the company has excellent in-house audio technology for its PCs.
HP’s partnership with Bang & Olufsen
According to HP, its partnership with Bang & Olufsen will enhance customer experience on its PCs, laptops, and accessories. The companies will custom tune every desktop, notebook, tablet and accessory for precise sound.
HP said its devices would carry the Bang & Olufsen Play, which isolates the sensitive audio circuits from other signals on the motherboard to provide a perfect audio experience for consumers.
The Bang & Olufsen brand will be integrated on HP’s Spectre, Omen, Envy and select commercial PCs. HP will said the devices will be available this spring.
According to the company, the devices are equipped with an audio control panel to give customers the ability to customize and enhance their audio for movies, music, and voice. HP said customers can choose from optimized presets or manually tune sound based on their preference.
Bang & Olufsen CEO Tue Mantoni said the company has a “long heritage in delivering great music and audio experiences for people…We are excited to collaborate with HP to bring our iconic sound to HP PCs.”