Hewlett-Packard announced on Tuesday that it has made a deal with high-end audio company Bang & Olufsen. The audio company will be lending its expertise to upcoming HP products. The computer maker made the move after Apple declined to extend HP’s long-running deal with Beats.
As part of the deal, HP will incorporate Bang & Olufsen technology and branding into computers, tablets, headphones and more, reports CNET. Bang & Olufsen’s new mid-tier brand, B&O Play, is also expected to be included in the new partnership.
Beats was acquired last year by Apple for $3 billion. HP had been allowed to use Beats technology through 2014, and could extend Beats branding through 2015.
HP says all device sporting the Bang & Olufsen or B&O PLAY mark will feature a “dedicated audio island” on the motherboard that isolates sensitive components from interfering signals. The first products using Bang & Olufsen audio will arrive this spring.
The Bang & Olufsen branding will be applied to high-end devices, such as HP’s Spectre, Omen and Envy lines, while less expensive lines like the Pavilion series will get the B&O Play label.
