The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is a premium portable Bluetooth speaker released in 2020 as part of Bang & Olufsen's Beolit lineup and is the next generation of the Bang & Olufsen Beolit 17. This sleek-looking speaker comes with a removable leather strap to help transport it and a charging pad atop it to charge Qi-compatible devices like your phone or earbud case. There's reflective dark blue mesh underneath its aluminum grille when you look at the speaker at an angle, but if you prefer a lighter-colored model, the 'Grey Mist' variant comes in white and gold.
Our Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is decent for music. This stereo speaker's sound profile is fairly balanced overall, making it suitable for listening to a wide variety of music genres. While it can produce a good amount of bass for its size, it isn't enough to feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music. There's also some brightness in the treble range that causes higher-pitched vocals to sound clear and crisp, though sibilants like S and T sound a bit harsh at times. Fortunately, there are presets and Bang & Olufsen's 'Beosonic' sound customization feature you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
- 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and presets.
- Wide and immersive soundstage.
- Some compression present at max volume.
- Doesn't get incredibly loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is okay for watching videos and movies. It offers a great soundstage, so you can hear your audio clearly from most angles and feel immersed in its sound. It also has a balanced mid-range, so dialogue sounds clear and present in the mix. However, like most speakers its size, it lacks the deep thump and rumble typically present in action-packed scenes. Also, while it has low latency with iOS devices, its latency performance isn't as good with Android devices, so the audio you hear isn't in sync with the visuals you see on your screen. Some apps compensate for latency differently, and your experience may vary.
- 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and presets.
- Wide and immersive soundstage.
- Low Bluetooth latency with iOS devices.
- Some compression present at max volume.
- High Bluetooth latency with Android devices.
- Doesn't get incredibly loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is good for podcasts. Its balanced mid-range ensures voices and dialogue reproduce clearly and accurately in the mix, and there's also a 'Speech' preset you can use to optimize its sound. It has decent directivity, meaning you can hear your podcasts and audiobooks clearly from most angles. Its portable design makes it easy to move your favorite podcasts with you from room to room. While it doesn't get loud enough to fill large crowded spaces, it's loud enough to use in smaller rooms.
- 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and presets.
- Wide and immersive soundstage.
- Portable design.
- Some compression present at max volume.
- Doesn't get incredibly loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 doesn't support voice assistants.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is satisfactory for outdoor use. You can easily bring this battery-powered speaker outdoors with you, thanks to its lightweight and portable design. However, the manufacturer doesn't specify an IP rating for dust and water resistance and advises avoiding exposing the speaker to water, so it isn't ideal for rainy days spent outside, and you need to be careful not to splash or dirty the speaker. It also doesn't get loud enough to fill large crowded outdoor areas with sound. That said, it still gets loud enough to use at smaller-sized gatherings. It also offers a spacious and immersive-sounding soundstage.
- 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and presets.
- Wide and immersive soundstage.
- Portable design.
- No IP rating for dust and water resistance.
- Some compression present at max volume.
- Doesn't get incredibly loud.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 18, 2024: We've updated this review to indicate that this speaker uses a graphic interface for sound customization and EQ presets.
- Updated Aug 17, 2023: Updated the Portability picture for greater clarity and consistency between reviews.
- Updated Jun 02, 2022: Review published.
- Updated May 30, 2022: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 comes in two colors: 'Grey Mist' and 'Black Anthracite'. This review represents the test results for the Black Anthracite variant; you can see the label for the model tested here. The Grey Mist variant is expected to perform similarly.
If you come across any other variants of the Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20, let us know in the discussions, and we'll change our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a removable leather carrying strap to help you carry it in one hand. However, unlike other premium portable speakers we've tested, like the Sonos Move, it doesn't have an IP rating for dust and water resistance, so you need to be careful when using the speaker around water sources. That said, it produces a good amount of bass for its size, and while it doesn't have a traditional graphic EQ, you can use B&O's 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and presets to tweak its sound to your liking. The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 also comes with a unique wireless charging pad atop it, which you can use to charge your Qi-compatible devices like your phone or earbud case.
See also our recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is a better speaker than the Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20. The Ultimate Ears can get louder with significantly less compression present at max volume, so audio quality doesn't degrade as much as you bump up its volume. It offers a significantly longer-lasting battery life of almost 24 hours from a single charge. It's also rated IPX4 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to withstand small water splashes. The Bang & Olufsen can produce a more extended low-bass with its 'Optimal' preset enabled.
The Sonos Move is a more versatile speaker than the Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20. The Sonos offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. It's better built with an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, making it better suited for longer listening sessions. The Bang & Olufsen can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive-sounding soundstage. It can also produce a slightly more extended low-bass.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 is a better speaker for music than the JBL Xtreme 3 overall. The Bang & Olufsen can produce a more extended low-bass and offers a more spacious-sounding soundstage. That said, the JBL is better suited to use outdoors. It's better built and has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance certifying it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. Its battery also lasts significantly longer, making it better for long days spent outside.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 and the Bose Home Speaker 500 have different strengths. If you're looking for a voice-enabled home speaker, the Bose Home Speaker is a better choice. It offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. It also has better directivity, resulting in a more spacious and open-sounding soundstage. If portability and bass reproduction are more important to you, the Bang & Olufsen is battery-powered with a removable carrying strap to help you carry it. Its sound profile is better balanced, with its 'Optimal' preset enabled, and can produce a more extended low-bass.
Test Results
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