Bang & Olufsen - Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

I actually tried the Beoplay A1 as a less buggy alternative to the minirigs and ended up returning it but your ears may be slightly different to mine in that regard but the minirg sounded better and made the sound come alive alot more than the A1. That said adding a subwoofer into the mix from minirig really does take things to the next level sound wise, as does having 2 small speakers and running them in wireless stereo.

Beosound A1 3rd Gen (ca. $350), if you want a bluetooth speaker. Forget about stereo separation from any single speaker (not possible, because physics) - buy two A1 Gen 2 (ca. $400 together) instead, they link to form a stereo set. Tonality-wise, they are among the best smallish bluetooth speakers, with some amazing low bass extension for the size, and overall pretty accurate. Else, some small monitors like the Adam Audio D3V will sound superior but are not really portable.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd generation. I put it on the tennis court fence every week in all types of weather. High quality sound and volume. This small but mighty Bluetooth speaker makes playing tennis doubles more enjoyable.

\-DALI Katch G2 (portable, can sit plugged in, audiophile voicing) Among the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speakers with excellent clarity and impressive bass weight. Elegant design without lighting. Can play while charging. \-Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) (ultra-compact, refined bass, no lighting) Smaller than your SoundLink Mini but with surprisingly deep, clean bass for masking. It plays while charging. Minimal status LED only

'I' ve been using the [Bang & Olufsen](https://x.com/red_cat1989/status/1953829669045739588) Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) for a couple of months now, and honestly - small size, huge sound. The audio ir crystal clear with plenty of bass for its size, the batery lasts ages (around 18h), and the waterproofing is genuinely useful for summer trips. The design - as always with B&O

I have the Bang&Olufsen a1 2nd gen and it's great, the sound is amazing, battery life is good.

their app is not great tho

I have the B&O A1 (Gen.2) and love it for travel. It replaced my Flex 2 (pair) for music on the go and white noise. Yes, a bit pricey (I just bought another one on sale at Woot for $150), but it sounds amazing, clear, and detailed...in a small package. Not the loudest speaker out there, but I don't listen past 50-60% volume most of the time. That said, I think you'd be very happy with a Bose Flex 2 or Max. I absolutely love mine and think they sound superior to my Sonos Roam 2. I also have a pair of Beats Pills (2024), and they're damned good as well. But as single units, I'd put the Flex 2 first, Beats Pill 2nd, and everything else their size (like a JBL Charge 5) after nothing of them. What's your budget?

I've owned the two generations of B&O A1s over the last decade, and can confidently say they both hold their own against newer speakers twice their size. If I had one criticism, it would be that they don't BLAST sound out, and max output doesn't seem as loud as some other speakers. But the detail in the sound they produce is light-years better than most. I feel that build quality, musicality, detail, etc., is worth their high price. But for less money, you can go with the Flex or Pill and get a very capable sound that is likely "good enough" for most people. But there's a reason I continue taking my A1 for travel...it's the better speaker. When I travel and need louder output, I will often take my Dali Katch 2. Its bigger than the A1, comes with four drivers instead of two (twin woofers and tweeters, on opposite sides, using Blumlein technology). None of my other BT speakers really can compare to the Dali, though. It's a beast.

I can give enthusiastic thumbs ups for the Harmon Kardon Go + Play 3, B&O A1 (Gen. 2), and 1the UBoom X (as a pair) for being the low-budget high-quality-sound boombox style. I’ll say this, though, if I could only have one BT or AirPlay 2 (WiFi) speaker, I’d choose the HK GP3 over every other portable speaker I have…including my Brane X, which is insanely great. The GP3’s sound stage is wider, and more detailed in the mid-bass. The Brane X’s bass overall is deeper, though. I even love what others derisively call “hand purse” style on the HK. I think it looks super-classy. [A smorgasbord of speakers…partial group in my “office:”](https://imgur.com/a/qDnoTlE)

Those Pebbles are decent, and I had the 2.1 setup for my Mac Mini years ago. The PowerBook 14 and 16 speakers are better, though. A lot better. But for $100 you can get a pair of Tribit Stormbox Micro 2s to give you small, portable, stereo sound. I have a pair, and they’re great. Or maybe a B&O A1 Gen. 2 for $140 (new) on Woot. Amazing sound for such a small speaker. I have a pair of those as well. Also, I have wayyyyyy too many speakers!

I also uggest adding in the B&O A1 Gen. 2, which can be had for around $150 these days. I have a pair, and they're my go-to travel companions. They're a bit bigger than most pockets, though...unless you're into dad-style cargo shorts. I have the Select 4 Go and a pair of Stormbox Micro 2s that are damned good, so I think all of your choices are going to be okay.

My Brain X will be here this weekend, and I'm thrilled about it. I heard it in person here in San Francisco, and was utterly blown away by the dimension of sound the little box produced. I told the Brane X crew in Austin about my audition, and they were nice enough to send me a coupon for $50 off and free shipping. I've had a number of high-end WiFi/BT speakers, and I'm sorry to hear your A5 was a bust. I have a pair of A1 Gen. 2s, and I love them. I also have a mix of Bowers-Wilkins Formation Wedges and Flex, Sonos Move 2s, Era 300, Beam 2, HomePods, and a Bose Smart Speaker in my bathroom. NO issues with any of them, including the Sonos. I only use the app for setup and tuning, and it's been perfectly fine. That's weird about your Move 2 experience...mine has been just the opposite. Very open, very clear and detailed sound, with very good bass and great mids. Battery life is also excellent. I'm really impressed with my Move 2s (paired up). As for good mid-drivers, I'm with you. I'd like to see more high-end (portable) speaker makers dive into 3-way setups with good crossovers like many of our bookshelf and standard speakers have.

Buy the second one, for sure…especially since you like your “fixed” one. Others may recommend a different, single speaker (like UBoom X, Charge 5/6, etc), and that’s all good. I have multiple pairs of BT speakers for getting TWS on, including Stormbox Micro 2s, Beats Pills, Bose Flex 2s, and B&O A1s (Gen. 2). The B&Os are easily the best sounding pair, of course, and I got mine brand new on Woot (Charcoal & Pink) for $139 each. I consider them to be a steal

I’d say it’s not worth it. Mine was a factory refurb for $390 (u.s.), which was a damned good deal. This country’s situation right now is fucking absurd, and likely won’t change any time soon. I have B&O A1s (pair) and love them, had the Explore and loved its looks, but not its sound.

I totally get that…what’s your go-to travel speaker? I usually take either my B&O A1s (paired/single), or my Dali Katch. They also double as my White Noise (well, Brown, actually) generator for sleeping.

thanks but I found my love : B&O play a1 2nd gen

found B&O play a1 2nd gen; check it out in person. You'll forget everything

B&O A1 is way better than UE Miniroll. I have two A1 Gen 2, they are great for portable audio as long as you don't need very loud sound and can keep them close. Perfect for smaller settings. My favorite speaker for audiobooks, by far. I gave my Miniroll away... For louder volumes and larger settings my B&O A5 is amazing. Portable but a bit bulky. Still very nice to use in the garden/patio/porch or on a picnic. Expensive... For larger prepared outdoor settings / parties my two UE Hyperboom are great! But even more bulky than the A5. Even if they are getting old, they are hard to beat. I think that there is a very strong correlation between size and sound quality at higher volumes or larger settings. If you want something that is loud and also sounds good over a larger area you need to go big. If you want nice stereo you need two speakers that are about as far between each other as from you. Two speakers also helps to cover a larger area.

BT speakers I can recommend personally: B&O A1 g2 or g3. Small. A pair for stereo. Nice for ambience. B&O A5. Expensive. Great sound and pretty. Hyperboom. A pair for off-grid partying.

My two UE Hyperboom, upgraded to WiFi multiroom streaming speakers using two WiiM Mini. My two B&O A1 Gen 2 are also nice, but not for very loud music.

I got a good deal on a second hand Beoplay P2. I replaced the battery and now, with a neoprene sleeve pouch, it is a great cheap little speaker that is easy to keep in my travel grab bag. [https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/int/speakers/beoplay-p2](https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/int/speakers/beoplay-p2) I also have a pair of Beosound A1 Gen2. A step up. But a little bit bulkier.

My two old UE Hyperboom speakers have held up very well, for several years. I have even "converted" them into portable wifi multiroom speakers by combining each of them with a WiiM Mini. The Hyperbooms are still portable since they can power the WiiM Mini from their battery. I have also had two B&O A1 Gen 2 for some years. Also have held up very well. I expect my B&O A5 to last many years. But it is not quite a year old. I had some AudioPro BT speakers. T3 and T9. I gave them to my nephew and replaced them with AudioPro C20 and C5MKII. The T3 and T9 still works fine. More than 10 years old.

What I use... For audiobooks I have found my B&O A1 unbeatable. Portable and great sound for speech. Also great as a phone speaker. I have one next to my bed. Not very loud, but great full sound otherwise, without annoying booming that can make voice reproduction tiresome. For loud stationary multiroom music I use my combo AudioPro/WiiM setup. AudioPro C20mk2 & C5mk2 and two UE Hyperboom with WiiM Mini optical hookup. The Hyperboom are great for outdoor garden party use. For portable music I like my B&O A1, especially fun in stereo, but they are not very loud outdoors. Then my B&O A5 is better.

I have two old UE Hyperboom. Amazing for larger social gatherings. Loud, if needed. But some effort to setup. I have a B&O A5. Great for the balcony or the patio. Easy to carry around and setup. Or I use a B&O A1 for some low volume ambience or to play an audiobook. I don't have a pool. But I don't think I would hear much swimming? When I do work in the garden I typically use active hearing protection, a 3M Peltor headset or use in-ear noise canceling headphones.

I think most BT speakers work like that when connected to power. If not connected to power I think most (=all) turn off automatically after a few minutes. My AudioPro C5, C20 works like this. Also my B&O A5 and A1. As do my UE Hyperbooms.

If it is for actual stationary use the AudioPro C20 is very powerful and great can also be used in a wifi multiroom setup. The C5 is nice and like the C20 have a sub out for extra oomph. The B&O A5 is amazing and somewhat portable, but very expensive. The A1 is great for a small room or having nearby. I have one next to my bed for sleeping-pill audio books. The UE Hyperbooms are also somewhat portable and also rugged as party-speakers indoors and outdoors, but a bit old and large now. If lucky you may find some second hand. I have upgraded mine with WiiM Minis. So they work in a multiroom setup with my AudioPro speakers. Also the AudioPro speakers I have are a bit old, new "W" versions were recently released, so you may find some second hand as well. The old version I have works with WiiM multiroom system. The new versions don't... I can recommend them all. I don't keep BT speakers I don't like... My favorite for large room use is the B&O A5. For audiobooks in a small room or nearby, the A1. The C20 is great for a big room, as are the Hyperbooms. I have the C5 in my kitchen. For better stereo-image, two or more speakers are great. I think many other speakers would work well also.

The A5 is a great choice, but a little expensive. Especially if you go for two in stereo. The A1 is nice for low volume sound nearby, but not for partying in a larger venue.

Gen 3 B&O is out now but, I'm still rocking the 2nd Gen for potable great sound, and it's good enough for under $140 on Amazon renewed, and I'm using my JBL Partybox Club 120 for my whole home theater setup in my Den connected to my JBL Clip 5, and a JBL Go 4 linked in Auracast and it works well all together!