Bang & Olufsen's Beosound A1: The Upgraded Choice for Great Sound On-the-Go [Review Round-Up]

"Bang and Olufsen stand out as one of the world's best audio companies for a reason."

If you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker and don't want to compromise on sound quality, then the Beosound A1 is a great choice. This state-of-the-art product might not have Wi-Fi or airplay, but it has excellent Bluetooth performance and great performance features. If money is no object, the Beosound is exceptional for quality.

97%

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

The sound is sublime from every angle, and the portability means that you can take that music with you on the move. The full audio range is beautifully well-balanced, no matter what genre of music you're listening to.

Design and Build

The Beosound A1 is IP67 waterproof and dust-proof. The minimalist appearance matches the unique brand aesthetic that Bang and Olufsen's team brings to everything they create.

Other Features

Bang and Olufsen have created something special with the Beosound A1 second generation. The addition of Amazon Alexa means it's much easier for users to control their tunes with voice commands. Additionally, the Bluetooth firmware in the device is some of the best on the market 

Read the full review here: https://unwiredforsound.com/bo-beosound-a1-review-

"The weightiest and most refined little speaker we've heard in a while."

Ultimately, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) delivers a pleasingly comfortable yet authoritative performance that you'd be happy listening to all day. Throw in its classy, well-made design, easy-to-use operation, and the bonus of Alexa, and you're looking at a Bluetooth speaker sequel that has very much been worth the wait.

5/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

Indeed, Bang & Olufsen has succeeded in maintaining its trademark sound profile in this diminutive and affordable proposition – no small feat considering Bluetooth speakers of this size and price can easily come off heavy through the mids and harsh in the treble in an effort to offer volume and clout.

Design and Build

Ultimately, we cannot fault the Beosound A1's build quality and finish. If you're looking for a quality portable speaker that majors on both style and substance – something to pack into your picnic hamper, perhaps – this is it.

Other Features

The Beoplay P2 takes the accolade for being the cheapest and, incidentally, the smallest – so to make the product stand out, Bang & Olufsen has billed it the world's first Bluetooth-only Alexa smart speaker.

Read the full review here: https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/bang-and-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen      

"A speaker with style and substance."

The outdoor-friendly Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) speaker offers a strong mix of style and audio performance. It feels like the natural progression from the original, where the changes are meaningful and subtle at once. Sonically, the speaker is a winner—you get the ideal Bluetooth codec playback of both AptX and AAC. Despite it being mono, there are dual drivers, delivering ideal clarity in both the lows and highs. This is still the portable speaker to beat when style, an outdoor-friendly build, and audio performance are all equally important, earning it our Editors' Choice.

4/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the Beosound A1 delivers impressive bass depth

The mic offers solid intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 8, we could understand every word we recorded clearly.   

Design and Build

From a design standpoint, sleek, understated style meets a top-notch IP67 weatherproof rating.

Other Features

The Beosound A1's impressive IP67 rating indicates the speaker is fully waterproof—the 7 in the rating means it can be submerged up to a meter safely. The 6 in the rating means the speaker is dust-tight, and no solids can enter its enclosure

Read the full review here: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen

"B&O demonstrates that good things come in small packages."

Visually near imperceptible from the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker. It somehow throws in flawed Alexa support despite being a solely Bluetooth speaker. It's not perfect, but there's a lot to like here for those who want both style and substance.

4/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

It delivers fantastic audio quality, with a consistently crisp sound. Whether you're listening to the latest from The Weeknd or Billie Eilish or listening to some classical music, the Beosound A1 simply sounds great. You'll be impressed at how every instrument stands out, even if the soundstage of this mini speaker shines best in a smaller room than some beefier-looking specimens.

Design and Build

B&O usually does a good job of designing attractive speakers, and that's certainly the case here. With a metallic casing, the B&O Beosound A1 is a circular disc of a device, a little slimmer and lighter than its first-generation predecessor.

Other Features

Perhaps the biggest feature here is Alexa support, despite the Beosound A1 being a solely Bluetooth-connected speaker. B&O states it's world-first for a Bluetooth speaker to offer Alexa without Wi-Fi support.

Read the full review here: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/bang-and-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen

"A luxurious audio hamburger."

It's pricey, but B&O's second-generation A1 is a fantastic little speaker. For its size, I don't know if you can find a better-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker than the second-gen A1. It's also very handsome, and its high-quality materials and IP67 rating mean it should last for years to come. If you've got the cash and the A1's design and features speak to you, you won't be disappointed.

8.5/10

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

it sounds incredible. At the price B&O is charging for the A1, I was expecting to be impressed, but the volume and fullness the little guy pumps out are really extraordinary. Highs and mids are airy and crystal clear, and bass thumps in a way that genuinely surprised me. You can actually feel the air the woofer is moving with your hand a few inches from the speaker's grille at half volume.

Design and Build

The 96-year-old Danish company makes no bones about its luxury status; it creates high-end products for discerning consumers who care about things like which venerated Scandinavian designer personally crafted their Bluetooth speaker's chassis.

Other Features

The A1 is very well-rounded, feature-wise. It's got Bluetooth 5.1, and you can connect it to two source devices at the same time. Using the Bang & Olufsen app, you can pair two A1s together to get a very expensive mobile stereo setup. It's also the company's first Alexa-compatible device.

Read the full review here: https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/03/26/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen-review/#disqus_thread 

"The portable Bluetooth speaker king."

If you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker - and can forgive the lack of Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and a 3.5mm port - then the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is unrivaled. With added Alexa voice control and waterproofing, it's clearly superior to the already awesome original too. For many, the elephant in the room will be the Beosound A1 2nd Gen's asking price. No, this isn't a low-cost speaker. But, yes, it most definitely is a high-quality one that delivers huge sound from a beautifully made package. It might be small, but the Beosound A1 2nd Gen packs a big punch that makes it worth every penny.

5/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

Whichever way you choose to position the A1 2nd Gen - and that's part of its beauty, as it's so portable - the sound is simply sublime. That it can be hung up and still deliver driving bass is impressive, with its base set firmly on a surface that low-end garners additional impact. Given the size of this speaker, we're still blown away by its handling of the low-end frequencies - it's far more adept than anything else of equivalent size.

Design and Build

The Beosound A1 2nd Gen is more the former. Its circular base, which is made from polymer, gives it practical resilience against scratches, while its aluminum mesh top - the apertures of each being the tiniest bit smaller than the original - gives it both an industrial appearance, coupled with sound-dispersing qualities.

Other Features

A USB Type-C port ensures quick charging of the onboard battery, which can easily last for up to a day at a time - depending on how loudly you listen.

Read the full review here: https://www.pocket-lint.com/speakers/reviews/bang-and-olufsen/152302-beosound-a1-2nd-gen-review-bang-olufsen-portable-bluetooth

"A good sign of success is brand recognition, and B&O is synonymous with quality audio."

Paying £200 for a portable speaker might sound a little out of many people's comfort zone, but if there's any example of a chunky investment being worth it, it's the A1. It's difficult to find anything wrong with it: gorgeous design, supreme audio for a portable speaker of this size, and sturdiness that makes this more than reasonably priced.

👍🏼👍🏼

(2 thumbs up)

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

The sound is seriously impressive. The two 30W class D amplifiers help the A1 comfortably outperform its size, and the 3.5in woofer and 0.6in tweeter provide strong bass and crystal clear treble, perfect for both the heavy DnB and orchestral chamber music you listen to, alongside all the podcasts you're missing without your morning commute.

Design and Build

The original A1's design was typically B&O, a smooth-lined, minimalist statement piece, and the brand has realized that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Other Features

The battery has been substantially improved – you can now use it for up to 18 hours at normal listening volumes, compared to the first generation's now-paltry four – that's a 350 percent improvement on battery life.

Read the full review here: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/audio/bang-and-olufsen-beosound-bluetooth-speaker-review-b1799633.html 

"One of the Best Small Bluetooth Speakers"

The Beosound A1 from Bang & Olufsen is still one of the best small Bluetooth speakers. And now in an improved and more robust version. When the original A1 came to light, it was one of the best we had heard in that size, and that shot still holds.

The improvements in the second generation do not blow our hats off. But they are there, and the price is unchanged, so the recommendation holds. Most important is the improved battery life and water resistance, which means that the Beosound A1 is now far more suitable to take on a trip. And then one can only hope that the export market appreciates the voice control.

5/6

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

Harmonics, ambiance, and small details on cymbals and high-hat come with a degree that is not common on compact, portable speakers. And the good impression remains, even if it goes hot.

Design and Build

As always, when we deal with Bang & Olufsen, the design and finish are top class. The top with the laser-cut holes is made of strong matt black aluminum that cannot be pressed in, and the carrying strap is made of natural leather.

Other Features

Bluetooth pairing is exceptionally easy and smooth. When A1 is switched on for the first time, it automatically appears on the mobile screen, and a few seconds later, the connection is in place.

Read the full review here: https://www.lbtechreviews.com/test/speakers/beosound-a1-2-gen 

"A smart, stylish, great-sounding Bluetooth speaker."

The B&O A1 2nd Gen improves on its predecessor in pretty much every way – it's a truly wonderful Bluetooth speaker

The 2nd generation model might look nigh on identical to its predecessor, but B&O has made a number of tweaks under the hood. The result is that one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers is now better than ever. It's a shame that B&O has dumped the analog input, and the lack of ruggedized build may put off some buyers, but otherwise, we've no qualms with the A1 2nd Gen. This is a premium-priced Bluetooth speaker which delivers exceptional audio in an eye-catching package. 

5/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

The A1 2nd Gen also delivers in the audio department. Two 30W Class D amplifiers power its 3.5in woofer and 0.6 tweeter, so it's no surprise to find that it packs a decent punch for a speaker its size. It's not going to start any house parties, but it comfortably fills my lounge and kitchen area at full volume and has a beautifully detailed, overall balanced sound.

Design and Build

There's no denying that the A1 remains easy to lug around, a task that's made even easier thanks to the adjustable leather carrying strap.

Other Features

Battery life has received a big boost. The original promised up to 24 hours while playing audio at low volume, while this time around, B&O states you'll get up to 43 hours at low volume and 18 hours of playtime at moderate levels. Connectivity has also been upgraded: the A1 now has Bluetooth 5.1 rather than 4.2, which promises improved energy efficiency and Bluetooth range.

Read the full review here: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/bluetooth-speakers/1412333/bo-beosound-a1-2nd-gen-review 

"Stunning looks, stunning sound, stunning speaker."

The Beosound A1 ushers in a few design tweaks and adds Alexa to its repertoire of features, but it's the excellent sound that will grab your attention. £200 is still rather expensive for a portable speaker, but the audio quality is stunning.

5/5

Review Highlights

Performance and Audio Quality

Does a speaker this small have to sound this good? That's the question I've been pondering with the Beosound A1 2nd Gen because it puts in a rather stunning and somewhat unexpected performance.

Design and Build

B&O doesn't do ordinary, and with the Beosound A1 2nd Gen, they've done something extraordinary. The Beosound A1 is a classy speaker, but there's substance to go with that style.

Other Features

Not many outdoor speakers deliver voice assistance too, so if you find yourself settling an argument with friends or perhaps want information on what's open/where you go when outside, then there's Alexa (via your phone).

Read the full review here: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen