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B&OBeosound A1 (2nd Gen)

Portable speaker
Multi-room
Smart speakers

£195View retailers

Test score

Lowest available prices

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The stylish B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) portable Bluetooth speaker aims to be the ideal companion for fans of the luxury Danish audio brand, packing tech into its slim fully waterproof design. It’s even a smart speaker, with Alexa voice control via your smartphone, and promises a generous 18 hours of playtime. Is this the ultimate Bluetooth speaker for you? Our professional panel give their verdict.

pros

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cons

What's included?

What is it?
What’s the sound like?
What’s it like to use?
What’s it like as a smart hub?
Is there anything I should watch out for?
Is there anything I should know?
Should I buy it?

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KEY TEST RESULTS
Sound quality
Ease of use
Features, audio sources and connections

Jun 2020First reviewed by Which?
May 2020Released

The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.

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29 Apr 2024

Sound quality

Overall
Classical sound quality
Jazz sound quality
Pop sound quality
Speech sound quality

How we test sound quality

We rate sound quality using a professional panel of five expert listeners with a range of ages and musical tastes. They listen to nine recordings per turntable which cover a wide range of music and radio genres, giving a rating per recording and an overall verdict (not an average).

Maximum volume

How we test maximum volume

We test how loud speakers will go before the sound distorts, so you know how loud it can actually go and still sound at its best, rather than the claimed maximum by the manufacturer that can stretch the speaker beyond its limits. Choose a speaker with a louder maximum volume to fill larger spaces.

Voice assistant integration

How we test voice assistant integration

Our experts assess how well the smart speaker or smart display has integrated its voice assistant. We ask each device a series of typical questions and see how well it responds. Different devices with the same voice assistant will often get different ratings. For example, the voice assistant may be poorly integrated into the device's software, or the microphones may be too poor for the voice assistant to pick up what you're saying reliably.

Ease of use

Overall
Initial Set Up
Everyday Use
Ease of connecting up multiple devices (multi-room)
Portability
App ease of use

How we test ease of use

The overall ease of use as rated by our lab professionals. Includes how easy it is to set up, the quality of the instruction manual and the labelling of sockets. Everyday use includes how easy it is to connect devices, wirelessly stream music and control playback features. Multi-room use includes how easy it is to set up and connect to a wireless multi-room speaker system. The portability rating only applies to models with a battery.

Features, audio sources and connections

How we test features, audio sources and connections

Our lab professionals assess the number of different ways you can connect an audio source both wirelessly and via a cable. Watch out for models with a lower star rating - some models can be quite restrictive, like only allow you to connect wirelessly or even only with wi-fi. Check the tech specs tab for full details.

Battery life

How we test battery life

We play music continuously at a reasonable volume until the battery runs out, typically over Bluetooth. A five star rating is 13:44 (hours:minutes) or more, and similarly 10:48 for four stars, 7:52 minutes for three stars and 4:56 minutes for two stars. Anything less gets the minimum one star rating.

Security
Brand update policy	No specific support period given

General
Type of speaker	Portable speaker
Height	4.4cm
Width	13.4cm
Depth	13.4cm
Weight	0.56kg
Battery powered	Yes
Battery life in hrs:mins	19.27 hr
Claimed speaker output	2 x 30W

Connections
Bluetooth	Yes
Wi-fi	No
Smart speakers	Yes
Voice assistant(s) supported	Alexa
Multi-room	Yes
Chromecast multi-room	No
Ethernet	No
3.5mm line input	No
USB charging port	No

Features
Water resistant	Yes
Level of water resistance	IP67
Can be linked in stereo	Yes

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B&OBeosound A1 (2nd Gen)

Lowest available prices