Price When Reviewed

£299

Best Prices Today: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen)

Bang & Olufen’s Beosound A1 is one of the more expensive portable speakers currently available – especially given its relatively modest dimensions. It packs a lot into that compact design, though, combining impressive sound quality and good battery life with a rugged design that is ideal for outdoor use.

Priced at $399/£299 and available in a variety of colours, this is actually the third-generation version of the A1, with the previous second-gen model having been launched in 2021. The outward appearance of this new model hasn’t changed at all, sticking with B&O’s distinctive circular design with a perforated aluminium grille on top.

That second-gen model is still available from Amazon and other online stores, though, so make sure you buy the correct model when ordering online. Mind you, the second-gen model has also had a price cut to around $199/£160 ($149.99 and £147.25 in the Amazon Prime Day sale), which is a great price if you’re looking for a bargain.

For more Prime Day deals on audio equipment see our round up of the best Prime Day AirPods deals, which includes an assortment of other earbuds too.

The low-profile metallic design of the A1 looks great, and it measures just 46mm high and 133mm in diameter, and weighs 576g, so it’s easy to slip it into a backpack or bag when you’re travelling. It’s sturdily built though, with that metallic case boasting an IP67 rating for water and dust-resistance. This means that it’s completely sealed against dust and other small particles, and can survive being completely immersed in water up to one metre deep for 30 minutes.

That makes it ideal for use outdoors, on a beach holiday, or if you just want to have a bit of a sing-along in the shower in the morning. The base of the speaker has a non-slip rubber coating to help keep it safe, and there’s a leather wrist-rap as well, although it’s a shame that such an expensive speaker doesn’t include a carrying case too.

New features in this third-gen model include a new 3.25-inch woofer, which is designed to provide stronger bass than the previous model. Higher frequencies are handled by an 0.6-inch tweeter, with the two drivers providing a healthy 60W output. Battery life has improved too, rising from 18 hours to 24 hours when playing music at medium volume.

It’s a little odd that the A1 still relies on the relatively old Bluetooth 5.1, as recent updates to Bluetooth have helped to improve power efficiency even further. Even so, 24 hours of music should still see you through a long weekend, and the A1 supports both Apple’s AAC codec for Bluetooth audio, and aptX Adaptive for Android users.

There’s a wired option as well, as the A1 has a USB-C interface that can be used to both charge the battery and provide a wired audio input at the same time. This means that you can plug it into a laptop when you’re away from home in order to charge the speaker and use it as an external speaker for the laptop as well.

The only thing that prevents the A1 from being the perfect portable speaker for Apple users is that it doesn’t support Wi-Fi or AirPlay – as some less expensive portable speakers do, such as the JBL Authentics 300 or Sonos Roam 2. See our round up of the Best AirPlay Speakers.

But, of course, it’s sound quality that matters most, and the A1 produces a surprisingly strong and clear sound for such a compact speaker. Muse are always a good bet for the summer festival season, and the A1 has plenty of power to handle the prog-rock mayhem of Knights Of Cydonia. The track’s galloping drum beat hits the ground running with a firm, precise rhythm, and Matt Bellamy’s falsetto rings out loud and clear as the band do their best Queen impersonation. Our only complaint here is that some of the higher frequencies can lack impact, and some sounds – such as the mariachi horns in the opening section – get a little overwhelmed by the headbanging guitars and drums.

Compact speakers such as this can also struggle with bass output too, but the A1 manages to get down to the bouncing electronic bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish. There’s a smooth tone to Billie’s voice as she whispers – “I’m only good at being bad” – and a crisp, sharp sound to the finger snaps that float above. The really deep bass pulse that ends the track could be a little firmer, but that’s asking a lot from such a small speaker, and the A1 is as good as you’ll get from a speaker of this size.

Should you buy B&Os Besound A1 (3rd gen)?

There are certainly less expensive portable speakers available, but the Beosound A1 can earn its keep when you’re out and about this summer. It provides impressive sound quality for such a compact and lightweight speaker, and it’s great that you can charge it and play music from a laptop at the same time. And, of course, its rugged design makes it ideal for outdoor use, even on a sandy beach or a muddy music festival.

Best Prices Today: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen)

Author: Cliff Joseph, Contributor, Macworld