B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)
This gorgeous little wireless speaker has a great battery life, but does it have the sound to match?
Bang & Olufsen isn’t noted for following the herd, in fact, the Danish electronics specialist’s output could reasonably be described as “premium” and “innovative”. The B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) wireless speaker is no exception. It’s the company’s second most affordable model in its line-up but, to make the product stand out, Bang & Olufsen has billed it the world’s first Bluetooth-only Alexa smart speaker.
Thanks to its stunning pearl-blasted aluminium chassis, our pink Beosound A1 (there are four other finishes) almost shimmers. The USB-C charging cable is the same shade too, but in tactile rubber.
Reassuringly substantial
Although the resemblance between the original and new A1 is striking, the latter has been tweaked significantly, both in terms of design and performance. It is slightly more svelte and, though still reassuringly substantial, a little lighter.
There is also a new control arrangement that sees slightly bigger, more clearly labelled buttons situated closer to the leather strap. To the left are play/pause button and volume controls; and to the right are power, Bluetooth pairing and mic on/off buttons.
The A1 is water- and dust-proof to the IP67 standard, so it should survive being placed in water up to one metre deep for 30 minutes. Quoted battery life is 18 hours at normal listening volume, or up to 48 hours at a more conservative level.
A solo LED warning light now shines out from the metal grille to indicate power and pairing status, while the A1 sports triple the microphone count of its predecessor – a three-mic array for Alexa operation and hands-free calls. Support for Microsoft Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair has been included to make conference calling easier, too.
The 3.5mm headphone jack found on the inaugural model is gone, but we don’t miss it. Ultimately, we cannot fault the Beosound A1’s build quality and finish. If you’re looking for quality portable speaker that majors on both style and substance – something to pack into your picnic hamper – this is it.
The A1 supports Qualcomm’s latest aptx Adaptive Bluetooth codec, and of course Alexa is built in. Alexa voice control requires an internet connection, which the A1 does not have, so the A1 has to be Bluetooth connected to a smartphone (or other source) that is hooked up to wi-fi. It’s relatively straightforward to set up, though you’ll need to download the Amazon Alexa and Bang & Olufsen apps.
Since there’s no wi-fi or Chromecast on board, you cannot link streaming services – you can’t say “Alexa, play Prince on Tidal”, for example. However, say “Alexa, play Prince” and you’ll get a station based on Prince from the Amazon Music catalogue.
You can stereo pair two Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) speakers – though not a second-gen model with a first-gen model – which is simple enough to do through the well-designed B&O app. Open the app and you’ll get a shot of your speaker with its battery status underneath; a volume slider with haptic feedback; four customisable listening EQ presets; and a ‘Beosonic’ circular dial that involves placing a dot on a spectrum of ‘bright’, ‘energetic’, ‘warm’ and ‘relaxed’ pointers to create your preferred sound profile. They don’t really add to our listening experience, though; so we set everything back to ‘optimal’ (neutral).
Vocal acrobatics
We stream Beyonce’s Deja Vu featuring Jay-z on Tidal, and her vocal acrobatics are relayed faithfully and with space around her voice, despite the complexity and layering of the track’s production. Switch to Laith al Dean’s Bilder Von Dir and Dean’s deep vocal is audible and full. The A1 is a good time-keeper and adept with dynamics as the subdued vocal transitions into a heavy synth beat, too.
Bang & Olufsen has succeeded in maintaining its trademark refined sonic balance in this diminutive and affordable proposition – no small feat considering Bluetooth speakers of this size and price can easily come off heavy through the midrange and harsh in the treble in an effort to offer volume and clout.
The B&O 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 been worth the wait.