Bang & Olufsen - Beosound A1 2nd Gen (Grey Mist)

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.