Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) Bluetooth Speaker - Green

I purchased the B&O Beosound A1 2nd Gen to improve my MacBook Pro - based, 2 cable (1 monitor power cord, 1 USBC to drive the external monitor + power my MacBook Pro) work from home setup. My work area is limited and in the middle of my kitchen / living / dining area — so aesthetics are also a factor. I specifically wanted: (1) reliable, high quality audio for conferencing and music, (2) small footprint, (3) cable-free / wireless operation, and (4) long battery life. On paper, the B&O Beosound A1 seemed ideal; however after extensive research I felt like I would be paying a premium for the small form factor while compromising on sound quality (ref Alan Ross YouTube videos) and perhaps battery life. I decided to take the plunge as I could return the unit if it disappointed. The unit was delivered on time and I was very impressed with the packaging, instruction booklet, physical quality, and straightforward button layout. Setup and software update using the B&O iOS app was intuitive and almost effortless. Pairing the unit with my MacBook Pro and selecting the microphone and speaker in MacOS preferences was routine. The unit charged from 80% to 100% using my MacBook Pro USBC power adapter in about 2 hours. I immediately tested music playback and found it acceptable and inline with Alan Ross’s review (good highs and mids, less than robust bass, and sound quality highly sensitive to speaker placement / tweeter orientation). I also observed that the unit would power off after a period of inactivity and was concerned that I might have to reset the speaker and microphone connections after turning the unit back on. All in all these were potential complications I could live with. The unit passed its inaugural 1 hour Microsoft Teams meeting / video conference with flying colors the following day: powering it up reestablished wireless Bluetooth pairing, plus microphone and speaker assignments; and audio quality was reliable and exceptional throughout the meeting. This is the primary reason I purchased the unit, so I was ready to claim mission accomplished. However, a surprise was in store. After my conference call I decided to check battery level using the B&O app — the unit was at 95% after a few hours of experimenting with music playback, letting the unit sit overnight and a 1 hour conference call in the morning. That was reassuring, but while in the app my attention was drawn to the app’s Equalizer feature which I had glossed over during setup and did not examine during my prior musical exploration -- so I decided decompress to random selections from my Apple Music library while also testing the equalizer settings. Wow, I was blown away by the difference in sound quality using the equalizer — particularly the Ambient setting. I listened to selections from John Williams, Florence + the Machine, Acadia, Los Lonely Boys, Makaveli, Chick Corea, James Blake, Lydia Low, Ani DiFranco, Prince, Coldplay, Matisyahu, Public Enemy, Anthony and The Johnsons, Yael Naim and others. The range featured classical, R&B, rock, reggae, metal, alternative, singer songwriter, vocal, instrumental, a cappella — an excellent sample of what I listen to — and nothing disappointed: Sound clarity is excellent, highs are bright, mids are uniform and punchy, lows are deep and moving for a 5" speaker, and volume is excellent for my use case (personal audio — not throwing a party). Net-net: It turns out that the Beosound A1 2nd Gen was a no compromises purchase for my requirements. The form factor perfectly matches my minimal Mac setup, the conferencing functionality is great and the sound quality is exceptional for my musical tastes. This product is of the best purchases I’ve made.

This is a really nice sounding speaker, particularly if you buy two of them and use them as a stereo pair, which is super easy to do on the app. Nice and small and portable. These are now my travel speakers, as they’re easy to pack, especially if you buy a case to fit them. Cases are easily found on Amazon for about $15. They’re sound great indoors, and are also really nice for small outdoor gatherings. However, these are not speakers for a big party- they just don’t get that loud ( rated at 92 dB). One other thing I would warn about- don’t leave them near an edge of a counter or table! The woofer is on the bottom and the vibration will cause them to move across a flat surface . My one complaint is they should have given them some sort of rubberized feet to prevent this. In the picture you can see I have them on pot holders. That’s because on my metal table, you can hear unwanted vibrations. I would recommend making sure you have them on a solid wood table or a countertop. If you set them on metal or near the edge of a surface, be sure to use a rubberized pad of some sort under them to make sure they don’t vibrate themselves right off the edge. With that simple precaution, you get a great sounding, clear, crisp sounding speaker with a nice balanced bass presence that is easy to bring in the yard, or throw in your carry on for travel

I absolutely love my Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1! From the moment I took it out of the box, I was impressed by how sleek and stylish it looks — the aluminum body and leather strap feel so premium and well-built. The sound quality is fantastic for such a compact speaker — the audio is clear, balanced, and rich, with surprisingly deep bass and lively mids that fill the room beautifully. Whether I’m listening to pop, jazz, or acoustic tracks, the sound feels crisp and immersive, far better than I expected from a speaker this size. Battery life is also excellent. I can use it all day without charging, thanks to around 24 hours of playback on a single charge — perfect for parties, outdoor time, or just relaxing at home.

I ordered about a dozen bluetooth speakers so i can try them side by side. Honestly, most were really good when listened to by themselves, but once you start comparing them in an A/B test you really start to hear the subtle differences that make some speakers better than others. This speaker is not the best for booming bass, so if that's your thing, you may want to look elsewhere. what you do get is a clear, accurate and wide sound stage. There is low end to be had and i think it is in perfect balance in contrast to some other speakers that were so bass forward as to be a bit boomy. The speaker is also very aesthetically pleasing, lightweight and easy to take with you for traveling. Bluetooth connectivity was quick, easy and 100% hassle free whereas some of the other top models out there had trouble connecting or random disconnects or dropouts. my only complaint - if i absolutely had to make one - would be that it does not come with any type of carrying or travel case. A simple felt bag would have been nice just to protect it from scuffs or scratches, but i can probably find an old Crown bag or something to put it in. Buy this speaker - you WILL like it

I so wanted to like this product, given B&O’s reputation for excellent sound and design. Unfortunately, I had to send this one back. Initially had issues with the Bluetooth, but I kept with it and eventually connected with my various devices. It continued to have issues keeping connected to my android phone, but after troubleshooting and a couple of hard resets, that seemed to have solved the issue. After three weeks of light to moderate use, mostly while driving, the volume would only go up to 65% at best. I’m at around 80-85 to drown out road noise. I did three hard resets to no avail. Thought it was my phone, but the other devices were also at limited volume. It was also bothersome to constantly having to adjust the equalizer, via the B&O app, to make whatever I’m listening to sound right. I have other speakers with similar outputs and sound great no matter what I’m listening to from the get-go. I’m not an audiophile, by any means; I just know what sounds good to me. The speaker was very well cared for, always in a case when not in use, followed all the battery care instructions on the B&O website, and so I’m unsure why it failed after three weeks of use. Luckily, I was just under the return window and was able to for a full refund.

The sound quality on this speaker is outstanding, especially for vocals—really clear and rich, noticeably better than most portable speakers in this category. It also doubles great as a desktop microphone; pickup quality during video calls has been impressive, coworkers have commented on how clear I sound. My only issue is multi-device Bluetooth connectivity. Switching between devices is buggy—it often takes several attempts to reconnect to the device I actually want to use. If you want a stable connection, I’d recommend sticking to just one paired device rather than switching back and forth regularly. Overall a great speaker for sound and calls, just wish the multi-device switching was more reliable. 4 stars.

Needed another small, portable Bluetooth speaker to take along while traveling. Having used Bose Sound Link and similar speakers over the years, I noticed this B&O A1 2nd generation on sale and decided to purchase it based on my previous experiences with B&O. For roughly $200 US dollars on sale, I decided to purchase this speaker because of it’s relatively small footprint, having Amazon Alexa built in, and the sound quality (60 watts total power) of B&O. The design and build quality are what you’d expect from B&O. Beautiful brushed aluminum and a nifty little hand loop for carrying, the large donut-shaped speaker lies flat, while dispersing 360 degree stereo sound. After charging the battery to full, I quickly added the speaker via my iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and then upgraded the speaker software via the B&O app. You can easily change the sound output of the speaker through the customizable EQ settings via the app. Amazon Alexa is easily setup (via the Alexa app) and works like it’s supposed to. There are 3 microphones on the speaker and they function well. Sound is clear and bright. Soundstage is fairly wide for this little speaker and the volume gets plenty loud for my needs. Overall, I would recommend this product as an amazing value to anyone who wants a little BT speaker from B&O. It is water and dust proof (IP67 rated) and easily fits into a backpack or travel bag. In terms of durability, time will tell, but this thing is built like a tank, and weighs just one pound. I have not had any Bluetooth connectivity issues and the battery is rated to last 18 hours after a full charge (3 hours charging time via included USB-C cable). Any changes to the aforementioned specs and I’ll update this review. All in all, I’m happy with this purchase. If you like B&O, you can’t go wrong with a portable speaker at this price point.

I have bought three of these now, for my two kids and me. Their sound output is generous, and perfect for outdoor use on the patio and summertime. Just bring them in and don’t leave them out for the weather They provide volume, sound clarity, and adjustability with the BNO app. They are also the right size, for the sound they put out.

外出時用に買いましたが、室内でも使っています。 やはりiPhoneで直接聴くより音質が良く重宝しています。 ただ、スピーカーを上向きに置くと音の広がりを感じられないので掛けて使うのがよいです。

Super dźwięk, bardzo glęboki i czysty. Stereo. Sam głośnik nieco ciężki, ale... coś za coś. ;-)

I've just bought the B&O A1 (gen 2), previously I've owned a JBL charge 6, 4, JBL XXX, jbl GO, etc... but was never satisfied. I think this is the much better speaker, overall. I am generally listening inside and travelling, and to classical, occasionally everything (not pop, rap, etc). ### Charge & batt. They both charge over USB-C, which IMO is now essential. Possibly the JBL has better battery, it always seemed to last forever!? ### Bluetooth The JBL has better Bluetooth - for whatever reason it just connects better. The JBL compares well with my other seamless BT products: Sony XM3 headphones, and Jabra Elite earbuds -both great! The A1, on first connection, often needs a couple of tries, from a Samsung S22. Occasionally there is a brief sound interference, ~static. Once it's up, it's fine. ### Sound JBL is louder, and bassier, it's more of a party, outdoors speaker! (it's rather impressive!) A1 I much prefer to hear (I favour clarity and accuracy). It's clearer, more accurate, more revealing, has tighter bass, and better sound stage. ### Physical looks JBL looks like a party speaker! I never liked looking at it, I like the Scandi/Jap. aesthetic. I bought it based on the consistently excellent review, particularly from WhatHiFi. JBL should make an 'executive' version without the logo and subtler colours! I do hate logos! A1 has great design, and is much less obtrusive. It also feels higher quality, a German build quality (like a VW door!) with a harmonious, natural aesthetic. ### Overall Pudding proof: I listen to music much more over the A1 than I did with the JBL. The A1 feels a little like an apple product - if they would improve the BT.

If you looking for something really exceptional regarding sound quality then nothing can beat this. It looks small but this works really well. Sound perfect, quality perfectly tuned with B&o pre set equalizers modes in app. The thump is sweet * Don't expect very loud thump * Battery: Surprisingly, amazing backup. Only con : The connectivity Update. 8th Feb, there is no connectivity issue at all..keep your location services on for it & you are good to go. Am using Bose soundlink flex as well but this takes the trophy for me.