Bang & Olufsen unveiled the latest addition to its...

Bang & Olufsen unveiled the latest addition to its Play product line Wednesday, a saucer-shaped single-enclosure stereo music system with AirPlay that the company hopes to sell in high-end furniture, kitchen and lifestyle stores. Bang & Olufsen launched the $2,699.99 system at the posh Trump SoHo hotel in Manhattan, where guest rooms are outfitted with BeoSystem TVs and motorized drape systems. The 480-watt circular sound system -- 2.3 feet in diameter -- packs two 3/4-inch tweeters and a pair of 3-inch midrange drivers, each powered by an integrated 80-watt Class D amplifier. The 8-inch bass-reflex bass unit, with a 160-watt amp, was designed into a convex section of the enclosure, the company said. The BeoPlay A9 will sell through Bang & Olufsen and select Apple stores when it ships in late November, Zean Nielsen, Bang & Olufsen America president, told us. The company is also targeting lifestyle stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, hoping to appeal to customers it wouldn’t typically reach, Nielsen said. Nielsen said since the launch of the Play line, which debuted at CES in January, 60 percent of B&O’s new customers have come in through the fledgling product series, which also includes a portable powered speaker system, iPad speaker frame and shelf-mounted music system. Bang & Olufsen is “not necessarily” looking to display the new A9 system “next to a bunch of electronics,” said Nielsen, saying the company is also looking at selling through electronics retailers but “it’s not our primary focus.” The “trick” feature inside the A9, the industrial design statement B&O is known for integrating into most of its products, is a touch-controlled volume up/down wheel that traces the outline of the circular frame of the system. Users turn up and down volume and pause the music by sliding or tapping a finger along a path of raised dots on the top rear side of the enclosure. The wireless A9 system streams music using DLNA or AirPlay, relying on the smartphone or tablet used as the source device for control of tracks, station or playlist selection. Customers have a choice of grille fabric color: black, white, red, silver green and brown, and the three supporting wooden legs are available in oak, beech or teak, executives said. Rear-panel connections include mini audio, USB and Ethernet jacks, the company said.