Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) Wireless Speaker (2020)
Product Gallery
Product Overview
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd-Gen is one of the most affordable portable wireless speaker from the Danish brand. It has a simple 1-tweeter, 1-woofer setup and is IP67 water- and dust-resistant. The speaker comes with a stylish leather strap and is designed for sharing music on the go.
The B&O Beosound A1 GEN2 offers up to 18 hours of battery life, thanks to its 3000mAh battery. It has three microphones forming an array for voice assistance as well as phone calls. In these areas, the 2nd-Gen represents a significant improvement over the original Beosound A1.
The Beosound A1 2nd-Gen is available in a wide range of colors and can be an interesting gateway for young consumers to get to know the brand, which has more powerful (and exciting) products on the market.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Elegant design
- Good battery life
- Easy to use app
Cons
- Poor audio performance
- Lacks Alexa support
What external reviewers found***
External score 73% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Superb sound
- Superb battery life
- Excellent Alexa support
Cons
- Lacks low-bass
- No Wi-Fi support
- Not waterproof
- No Bluetooth 5.1 support
Price Comparison
Specifications
Connectivity
Ports
USB-C
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.1
Construction
Battery | Capacity
3000 mAh
Cable
1.25 m USB-C to USB-A
Colors
Black Anthracite, Grey Mist, Pink, Green, Gold
Drivers | Tweeter
1x 0.6" tweeter
Drivers | Woofer
1x 3.5" mid-woofer
Form Factor
Portable wireless speaker
Material
Pearl Blasted Aluminum + Plastic + Waterproof Leather
Microphone
3 microphone array
Dimensions
Size | Diameter
133 mm
Size | Height
46 mm
Weight
558 g
Function
Amplifier
Class D, 2x 30W
Bluetooth Codecs
AAC, aptX Adaptive
Misc
Possible to pair two Beosound A1 GEN2 for stereo
Voice Assistance
Wake Word Alexa Voice Assistant
Weather Resistance
IP67
Performance
Battery Life
18 hours
Charging Time
2.75 hours
Frequency Response
55 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Max Sound Level
92 dB SPL
Power Consumption
5 W
Power Output
60 W (30W tweeter + 30W mid-woofer)
Production
Debut
2020
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Launch Comparison
Clear List
3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
pcmag[1]
Reviewer score 84%The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 is a stylish portable Bluetooth speaker. It's compatible with Bluetooth 5.1 and supports both AAC and AptX (Adaptive) codecs. At moderate to high volumes, the bass is more full. The mic offers solid intelligibility.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Strong audio performance
- Compatible with Bluetooth 5.1 and AptX (Adaptive) codecs
- Good battery life
Cons
- No built-in EQ presets
rtings[2]
Reviewer score 44%The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is okay for music. It has a balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. But its treble range is underemphasized, so the higher frequencies of these instruments may sound dark and veiled. There's a 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and five EQ presets in its companion app.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous 360-degree design
- Amazing directivity
- Wide and spacious soundstage
- Superb battery life
- Incredibly well-balanced mid-range
Cons
- Doesn't get very loud
- Low Bluetooth latency with iOS devices
- Lacks low-bass
t3[3]
Reviewer score 81%The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen speaker has 18 hours of battery life. It takes a reasonable 2 hours and 45 minutes to fully charge from empty. You can also toggle Alexa on and off through the app. It's pricey, has issues with its voice assistant implementation and needs a second unit for you to truly experience stereo sound.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Good battery life
- Easy to use app
Cons
- Not waterproof
- No fast-charging
techadvisor[4]
Reviewer score 65%The Beosound A1 (2nd-gen) works with Amazon Alexa, although not like an Echo. Since the speaker doesn't have Wi-Fi, it needs an internet connection from your phone and you'll need both the B&O and Alexa apps linked together for Alexa to work. Bass performance is particularly impressive despite a frequency response of 55-20,000Hz when many will go down to 20Hz. The app also lets you control basic things like volume, gives you the battery level and is where you can create a stereo pair if you have two.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Good battery life
Cons
- No Wi-Fi support
- No stereo pairing
techradar[5]
Reviewer score 74%The revamped B&O Beosound A1 has a 3.5-inch woofer along with a 0.6-inch tweeter. It's powered by two 30W Class D amplifiers and has a slightly different hole pattern to its predecessor. The soundstage is suitably impressive in a relatively small room, delivering the sense of 360 degrees of music. We found ourselves enjoying our favorite songs as if we were listening to them for first time.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Alexa support
- Decent battery life
Cons
- No Bluetooth 5.1 support
- No aptX Adaptive codec
trustedreviews[6]
Reviewer score 80%The Beosound A1 2nd Gen is a stunning portable speaker. Vocal clarity is excellent, with performances given space to breath. The strums of double bass are so clear and detailed you’d be shocked they’re coming from a speaker of this size. Battery has been boosted from 4 hours at typical listening volumes (70dB) to 18.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Superb sound
- Impressive battery life
- Excellent Alexa support
Cons
- Not waterproof
- Not waterproof
whathifi[7]
Reviewer score 82%Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) delivers a pleasingly comfortable yet authoritative performance that you'd be happy to listen to all day. Alexa voice control requires an internet connection, which the A1 does not have. The speaker must always be within Bluetooth range of your phone or source, but considering it supports Bluetooth 5.1 that shouldn't be a problem.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Easy to set up
- Alexa voice control
Cons
- No Wi-Fi or Chromecast
User Reviews
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References
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 Speaker Review. [rtings]. https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/bang-olufsen/beosound-a1-gen-2. 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen review: the best Bluetooth speaker you can buy. [t3]. https://www.t3.com/reviews/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen-review. 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd-Gen) review. [techadvisor]. https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen-3802622/. 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/bang-and-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/bang-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review. [whathifi]. https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/bang-and-olufsen-beosound-a1-2nd-gen. 2020-12-24. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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