Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 music server

Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 is only apt to be actually experienced by those with more disposable income than sense (or just loads of cash and a taste for finer things, actually), but even us laypeople can get a quick peek at this $5,900 music server / controller thanks to the wonders of YouTube. Hop on past the break to see what you're missing out on. Or what you're headed out to pick up today, you lucky, lucky individual.

Bang & Olufsen knows as well as anybody that you can't (usually) compete only on design and quality these days, people want functionality, and the much rumored, newly official BeoSound 5 is just such a monster. The unit is controlled by the BeoSound 5 controller, a rather large "remote" with a 10.4-inch XGA LCD and an aluminum scroll wheel. On the back end there's a 500GB BeoControl 5 music server running Windows XP Embedded with internet connectivity and patent pending intelligent playlist creation. Naturally there are outputs and inputs galore, and it's not just for audio: the box pumps out DVI-I and HDMI, and can play back plenty of video formats. Oh, but then there's the price. B&O isn't budging on this front, with a £3,500 tag (about $5,262 US) for when this hits in March 2009. We'll take two.