BenQ gets into speakers with an electrostatic option

You might not pair the name “BenQ” with sound, but the brand is hoping to gain some red this week with the announcement of portable electrostatic speakers, aimed at delivering lower distortion and a flatter style for a speaker you can take out and about.

Called the Trevolo, it’s a new speaker to jump on the growing market that is portable Bluetooth speakers, but while so many of these take advantage of the same old technology, BenQ is employing electrostatic speaker technology, using two thin speakers that rely on an electrostatic field to deliver what BenQ says is sound that has “astonishing clarity.”

“The Trevolo is a world first,” said Martin Moelle, General Manager of BenQ in Australia, adding “it produces a sound quality which rivals professional audio gear, boasting acoustic quality previously only available exclusively in high-end freestanding speakers.”

“Unlike conventional speakers, which are cone shaped, the side-panels — or ‘wings’ as we call them on the Trevolo — are exceptionally engineered speakers designed for biodirectional sound projection over a large surface area, which radiates quality audio from every angle for room filling sound.”

Aside for the use of an electrostatic energy field, you’ll find wireless transmission of sound handled through Bluetooth and AptX, with a battery capable of keeping the speakers running for up to 12 hours.

BenQ has also built an app for this, supporting Android 4 and above, while Apple’s iOS7 is required to see playlist creation, battery life checking, and even a sleep timer.

As for why BenQ is entering sound all of a sudden, the Moelle told GadgetGuy that “many of our products have had speakers,” adding that “there is a huge market, thanks to smartphones — ours included — [and] consumers are able to play back music in new ways.”

“As we have in-house software for the apps, in-house materials development for the electro static parts, we are qualified to engineer this kind of product,” said Moelle. “Our TVs that are no longer sold in Australia have been developed with high end speakers for a while.”

BenQ’s Trevolo electrostatic speaker can be found in stores now with a recommended retail price of $399.