The audiophile designers at Bang & Olufsen revealed their first soundbar in Italy this month, bringing their luxurious stoicism to what has become a space-efficient home theater necessity. If you’re familiar with the Danish modern aesthetic B&O brought to two-channel back in the ’seventies, you’ll have some idea of the results before you even see the unit.

The company—thank goodness—has never substantially altered its design aesthetic, and their first foray into the simplified soundbar speaker system—which they’ve named the Beosound Stage—appears boasting B&O looks in full flower: the naturalistic appeal of wood, the tasteful urbanity of simple lines, the strong overtones of Scandinavian craftsmanship.

The unit packs eleven speakers, and eleven amps totaling 550 watts to drive them: four bass drivers, four full range, and three tweeters. Its woofers make a subwoofer superfluous, but what’s remarkable is the transparency of the sound across the entire frequency response. The Beosound Stage can easily double as a discreet music reproduction tool for gatherings or quiet evenings at home.

The Beosound Stage is available in different finish and grill fabric options. We like the smoked oak and Kvadrat combo. Not bad for $1,750.