Bang & Olufsen's recent speaker announcements include upgradable modular speakers and slim models designed to blend in with bookshelves, but the newly announced Beolab 28 is the most distinctive and different of the bunch.

A pair of speakers shaped like tall, thin pillars, the Beolab 28 is inspired by the former Beolab 6000 and 8000 loudspeakers, but with extensive wireless connectivity. And if you opt for a wall bracket base instead of a floor stand, you can make each speaker stick out from the wall like a giant music transmitting antenna.

Bang & Olufsen states that the slim size and small footprint allow the Beolab 28 to be placed anywhere. To this end, it features both "narrow mode" and "wide mode" playback options, the latter of which spreads the sound output evenly throughout the room so that the Beolab 28 does not have to stay in its sweet spot. [Its sound is delivered from a combination of three full-range drivers, one tweeter, and a downward-firing subwoofer.

Voice assistants like Google Assistant are not among the Beolab 28's features, but AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming are built-in. It also includes Spotify Connect integration and Bluetooth 5.0, providing plenty of ways to play music on a smartphone or tablet.

Bang & Olufsen is also likely to add Beolink Multiroom functionality in the fall of 2021; the Beolap 28 will soon be compatible with Bang & Olufsen TVs, Beovision Contour, Beovision Eclipse, Beovision Harmony directly and upgrade the sound output as well as the best soundbars.

There is one potential problem. It is so expensive that it will empty your bank account. The fabric grille version costs $14,750 for the pair, while the earthier wooden model is $16,500; you can't buy them through the Bang & Olufsen website and must schedule a private demo.

At least the Beolab 28 was built to last. Each speaker shares the most interesting feature of the aforementioned B&O modular speaker, the Beosound Level, a removable wireless module that can eventually be upgraded. In theory, this would allow the Beolab 28 to accommodate improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards without having to replace the entire speaker.