Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

Expansive sound, weighty bass ; Competent Alexa integration ; Stunning build and finish

Not a budget option

B&O’s classy compact speaker adds Alexa and upholds its strong sonic profile

Fantastic sound ; Gorgeous Design ; Very intuitive app ; Plenty of battery life

Voice Assistant finicky to set up and use ; No real stereo sound

The Bang & Olufsen A1 2nd Gen portable speaker may be expensive is a stunning-sounding speaker with an equally stunning design. Add in a very intuitive app and excellent battery life and there’s probably not much more you can ask out of a portable...

Powerful, rich, well-defined audio ; Handsome design ; Waterproof build ; Supports Amazon Alexa

Expensive for the size ; Mono

The outdoor-friendly Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) speaker offers a strong mix of style and audio performance.

Crisp sound quality ; Lightweight design ; Waterproof

Flawed Alexa support ; Not rugged enough for outdoor use ; Buttons are tricky to find

Visually near imperceptible from the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker. It somehow throws in flawed Alexa support despite being a solely Bluetooth speaker. It's not perfect but...

Exemplary sound quality ; Far better low-frequency handling than many speakers ; Solid battery life ; Simple yet iconic industrial design

No 3.5mm jack ; Not truly 360-degree sound ; App-based EQ can push to excess ; Still costly ; Can't stereo pair new model with old

It might be small and rather pricey, but the second-gen Beosound A1 packs a big punch in the sound department. That, plus Alexa voice control and waterproofing, makes it worth every penny.

Lovely looks ; Great sound ; Alexa support

No 3.5mm input ; Doesn’t pair with the original A1

It plays deeper and cleaner than it should be possible for such a small speaker! Now also in waterproof version.

Amazon Alex voice control is in English only. The analog minijack output has been dropped.

When the original A1 came to light, it was one of the best we had heard in that size, and that shot still holds.