The 97-inch Beovision Harmony OLED TV has been unveiled by luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen, with a shape-shifting speaker system that defines this TV series – a huge difference compared to most top OLED TVs.
The 97-inch OLED screen costs $63,075 / £50,650 (around AU$95,000) and will no doubt be produced in rather small numbers considering the price.
Not surprisingly, this is the largest screen size yet in the Harmony range, combining LG’s OLED panel with a number of luxurious materials, including motorized speaker grilles made of “craftsmanship of wood and aluminum” that sit beneath the giant screen when in use , but rotates to partially cover the large black rectangle when off, making it a more design element than most TVs.
Together with the high-end OLED panel, with the usual deep blacks and rich contrast you expect, the powerful built-in speakers make the 97-inch Harmony a tempting choice for big spenders after a top-end home theater screen. You can connect it wirelessly to other Bang & Olufsen speakers to create a 7.1 surround sound system with your TV at its heart.
You can buy Beovision Harmony in three color options – Black Anthracite, Natural Aluminum and Gold Tone. For those who need a smaller screen, the Beovision Harmony also comes in 65-inch, 77-inch, 83-inch and 88-inch sizes, but they’re also very expensive compared to the more mid-range LG C3 OLED.
Here is a video showing how the foldable/swivel speaker system works. It really is one of the coolest TVs in the world.
Second in line
This announcement makes B&O the supplier of the second-ever 97-inch OLED TV on the market, after the LG G2 OLED that launched last year (and will remain on sale this year – there will be no 97-inch LG G3 OLED model). The B&O model is certainly a step up with extras, with luxurious finishes and motorized speaker covers. The LG version doesn’t even have a stand…
Technically, B&O is not the second that will be announced – we saw the 97-inch LG M3 Wireless OLED TV at CES 2023, but it doesn’t have a specific release date, and the B&O will be available to order in May 2023, so the Harmony is second on our books.
Between more TVs around 100 inches diagonal and it looks like 32-inch 4K OLED TVs will be on the way soon, OLED is really pushing past its former size limits. Large and small OLEDs, thank you.