The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is a premium ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker with a minimalist Scandinavian design. This model retains the sleek circular aluminum body and leather strap of its predecessor, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2, while adding an improved battery. It's also the world's first Cradle to Cradle Certified (Bronze) Bluetooth speaker, meaning it's designed to be serviced rather than replaced. With its compact form factor and IP67 rating, this speaker could be your new best friend in the great outdoors.
Our Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is okay for music. It's a small speaker, so it doesn't get loud enough to fill a larger room with sound. That said, its great directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle, although it does downmix stereo content to mono. Its tiny size means it can't reproduce any low-bass to speak of, but a boost across the high-bass and low-mids adds warmth to basslines at the cost of slightly muddying up vocals. Still, voices sound fairly true-to-life, and you can always tailor the sound to your preferences using the EQ in its companion app.
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Flexible EQ in the companion app.
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Good directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono unless paired with another unit.
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Small size means it can't get very loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is inadequate for watching movies and videos. While its balanced upper mid-range ensures clear dialogue, it lacks the low-end punch needed to bring cinematic moments to life. The speaker also downmixes stereo content to mono, which makes cinematic soundstacks less immersive, and its small size means it can't get very loud. On the upside, its great directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle. While we measured remarkably low latency via iOS, latency is much higher via Android. But since latency varies with apps and devices, your experience may vary.
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Flexible EQ in the companion app.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono unless paired with another unit.
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Small size means it can't get very loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is very good for podcasts. It's highly portable, making it easy to carry from room to room with you, and its built-in loop makes it easy to hang from clothing or lines. It has a relatively well-balanced upper mid-range that ensures voices come through with clarity, and its great directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle. Of course, its small size limits how loud it can get, so you'll probably want to keep this speaker fairly close to you. It's not the best choice for filling a larger space with sound.
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Flexible EQ in the companion app.
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Good directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle.
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Superb 24-hour battery life.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono unless paired with another unit.
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Small size means it can't get very loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is not compatible with voice assistants.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is very good for use outdoors. It’s compact and easy to carry, comes with a handy carrying strap, and has a rugged build with an IP67 rating that protects against dust and water. It also has an outstanding battery life of 24 hours, making it a great choice for longer periods outside like camping trips. Its small size means it doesn’t get loud enough to fill a large backyard and it lacks deep bass, but it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle, and you can fine-tune the sound to your tastes using the EQ in the companion app. That said, it downmixes stereo content to mono unless paired with a second speaker.
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Flexible EQ in the companion app.
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IP67 rating means it's well-protected against dust and water.
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Good directivity means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle.
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Superb 24-hour battery life.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono unless paired with another unit.
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Small size means it can't get very loud.
- 6.6 Music
- 5.9 Videos/Movies
- 7.8 Podcasts
- 3.2 Voice Assistant
- 7.8 Outdoors
Changelog
- Updated Jun 20, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Jun 17, 2025: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 03, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 22, 2025: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 16, 2025: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is available in three color variants: 'Natural Aluminum,' 'Honey Tone,' and 'Eucalyptus Green.' We tested the 'Natural Aluminum' colorway.
If you encounter a variant or additional colorways, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update the review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen sits at the premium end of the portable Bluetooth speaker market, offering remarkably strong battery life of over 24 hours, a sleek Scandinavian design, and eco-conscious credentials as the world's first Cradle to Cradle Certified® (Bronze) Bluetooth speaker. That said, it lacks the voice assistant support of the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2, which may be a dealbreaker for some. If voice assistant support is a priority, you might want to consider the Sonos Roam 2, though it can't come close to the 3rd Gen Beosound A1 for continuous battery life. The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and JBL Flip 7 are both more affordable than the B&O options and offer a more balanced sound out of the box, but again, they can't match the B&O for battery life. The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 offers a decent compromise between the trio of price, battery life (13 hours), and sound quality, but whether you'll like its colorful, funky design as much as the B&O's sleek minimalism is a matter of taste.
If you want to see more options, check out our recommendations for the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and the best outdoor speakers.
Despite being different generations of the same speaker line, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen and the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 have different strengths. In terms of sound, both speakers perform similarly. The 3rd Gen's main advantage is its superior battery life, while the 2nd Gen offers voice assistant support with built-in Alexa (though it depends on your phone's WiFi connection to work, since the speaker doesn't have WiFi support built in). Other than that, the main attraction of the 3rd Gen might be that it's the world's first Cradle to Cradle Certified® (Bronze) Bluetooth speaker, meaning it's designed to be serviced rather than replaced. If you're environmentally conscious, that's a big plus.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen and the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) have slightly different strengths and target slightly different markets. They're both portable speakers that are well-suited to use outdoors, but the B&O is priced for a premium buyer who values its sleek Scandinavian design. It's not all about looks, though, as the B&O has a battery life that's four times that of the Bose, and its replaceable battery is better for the environment. The B&O's circular design also means it sounds similar regardless of your listening angle. On the other hand, the Bose has a more even, balanced frequency response and supports your phone's Siri or Google Assistant. The Bose is also much cheaper.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen and the JBL Flip 7 are similarly sized speakers with different strengths. Both speakers are too small to reproduce much low-bass, but the JBL has a more balanced sound by default, although some listeners may enjoy the warmer sound of the B&O. You can tweak the sound of both with EQs in their companion apps. The B&O's remarkably long battery life of 24 hours far surpasses the 5.6 hours offered by the JBL, but then the JBL is about half the price of its rival. You might prefer the JBL if you've already invested in other Auracast-enabled speakers from the brand, as you can link them all in Party mode. But otherwise, the choice is mostly battery life versus price.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen and the Sonos Roam 2 are small, portable, waterproof speakers with different strengths. The B&O's 24-hour battery life is far superior to the Sonos' five hours. But the Sonos has outstanding built-in voice assistant support for both Amazon Alexa and the Sonos voice assistant. The Sonos App also allows you to link multiple speakers in Party mode, where the B&O maxes out at stereo pairing with one other speaker. If you're already invested in the Sonos ecosystem, it's the no-brainer pick, but if you're planning on taking the speaker on longer weekend trips, then the extended battery life of the B&O makes it the obvious choice.
Test Results
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has a very similar design to its predecessor, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2. It has the same stylish, circular shape with the speaker grill covering the top. The B&O logo is subtly placed on the underside, and it comes with a removable leather carrying strap with a branded clasp. A small light on the grill indicates power status, while a battery indicator next to the USB-C port provides quick visual feedback on charge level. This speaker is available in three understated finishes: 'Natural Aluminum,' 'Honey Tone,' and 'Eucalyptus Green.' We tested the 'Natural Aluminum' colorway.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is incredibly portable thanks to its compact size and lightweight design, which makes it easy to carry in one hand. A built-in leather strap lets you attach it to a bag or hang from a line, and since it's battery-powered, you can use it outdoors without needing access to a power outlet.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has impressive build quality. In general, the speaker feels solid and sturdy. It's IP67 rated, meaning it's fully protected against dust and can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Still, it's worth noting that the USB-C charging port is uncovered, so it could get clogged with dirt over time. The speaker driver is covered in an aluminium grille that feels premium, while the rubberized base offers good grip and resistance to fingerprints. B&O also says the leather carrying strap is waterproof. While the speaker feels solid and well-built, it has no formal drop resistance rating, and the manufacturer does not recommend dropping it. This may be worth keeping in mind if you plan to take it out hiking with you.
Finally, B&O have been proud to tout that this speaker is also Cradle to Cradle Certified (Bronze). That makes it the world's first Bluetooth speaker to earn this sustainability certification. That said, don't expect to repair this yourself. The brand says it's designed to be serviced, not replaced, with a non-user-replaceable battery intended for long-term use and support.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has an excellent control scheme. The buttons are tactile and offer satisfying clicky feedback, giving the speaker a premium feel. You can control music playback with the Play/Pause button (single press to play/pause, double press to skip, triple press to go back), and adjust volume with the +/- buttons, which offer 32 volume steps for precise control. Unfortunately, the speaker doesn't play any sound when you reach max volume, although the function light will stop blinking and remain solid white when the maximum is reached.
For calls, you can answer with a single press of the play/pause button, or decline/end a call by holding it. There's also a dedicated microphone button for muting and unmuting yourself. You can also pair the speaker with another 2nd or 3rd Gen Beosound A1 by pressing and holding the Bluetooth button on each speaker at the same time (or you can use the companion App).
You’ll hear chimes when powering on/off and when a Bluetooth connection is established. In addition, the function light will flash or change color based on the speaker's status. For example, it will double pulse white when pairing, turn solid red when muted, and turn solid green when you accept a call. A separate battery indicator light shows the speaker's charge level and charging status with distinct colors, making it easy to check at a glance.
This speaker also has a Display Mode, which you activate by holding the Power and + buttons for 10 seconds. This disables Bluetooth and button inputs, allowing the speaker to function solely as a USB-powered speaker when connected to a PC. But it's important to note that it won't work in this mode when connected to a phone via USB.
- Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable (4 ft / 1.2m)
- Quick Start Guide
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has an acceptable frequency response accuracy. We tested it using its 'Optimal' EQ preset. It's a small speaker, so it can't reproduce any low-bass thump to speak of, but there's enough mid-bass punch and high-bass warmth to keep kick drums and basslines audible in the mix. A big boost in the low-mids also keeps basslines feeling immersive, but can muddy vocals a touch. The mids are fairly well-balanced, so voices sound true to life, although a dip in the low-treble means they lack a touch of clarity. But since this is a small speaker that puts out little bass, the overall sound signature feels thin rather than dark, even with that slightly reduced treble.
Overall, the sound signature is similar to that of its predecessor, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2, with the newer version having a slightly bigger boost in the low-mids. Whether you like that extra warmth or find it reduces the clarity of voices and instruments too much is a matter of taste, but you can always tweak the speaker's EQ profile in the companion App. We also measured the effect of different presets on the sound.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has a decent soundstage performance. Its circular design and excellent directivity mean your audio sounds more or less the same regardless of your listening angle. The downside is that it downmixes stereo audio to mono. You'll need to pair it with another Beosound A1 2nd or 3rd Gen speaker to get stereo playback.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has a passable dynamics performance. It gets about as loud as you'd expect from a speaker this size, but it won't fill a large room with sound. There's a little compression in the bass range a max volume, but since this small speaker doesn't put out much bass in the first place, that's not especially noticeable.
It's worth noting that B&O claims the speaker has a max volume of 92dB when measured from a distance of 1m. We measure the max volume from a distance of 2m. Since you can expect about a 6dB drop in volume when doubling the distance, our results are in line with what the brand promises.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has superb battery performance. B&O advertises it to last 24 hours continuously, and we measured just over this in our testing. The speaker also fully charges in just under three hours and will automatically shut down after 20 minutes of inactivity to save battery life.
Unlike its predecessor, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2, this speaker does not support voice assistants.
This speaker has a passable companion app. From the home screen, you can view the connected device, check battery level (by swiping down), see the current audio source, access media playback controls, and manage software updates, including previous release versions. You can also edit the device name, select the product color, or browse the product guide through the settings menu. Check out a video of the app here.
The app offers multiple EQ sound presets (Ambient, Party, Speech, and Optimal), and you can also create a custom EQ preset using the dial-based graphic equalizer. You can also use the app to pair it with 2nd or 3rd Gen Beosound A1 speakers to get stereo playback, but there's no Party mode offered here. You can also initiate stereo pairing using the Bluetooth button.
While the app includes built-in radio features, like station recommendations by genre, location, and language, it does not support Deezer playback directly. If you want to use Deezer, you'll need to play through the Deezer app instead.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen has a USB-C port that supports both charging and wired audio playback. However, performance over USB varies depending on the device connected. When connected to a PC or iOS device, the speaker delivers strong output at maximum volume, making it a viable alternative to wireless playback. On the other hand, when connected to an Android phone via USB, the speaker's maximum volume is significantly lower and may not be loud enough for some listeners.
This speaker offers excellent Bluetooth performance. It supports multi-device pairing with up to two devices simultaneously and has automatic source detection, so hitting play on one device will pause playback on the other. It has amazing Bluetooth range, too, so you can walk away from this speaker while at a park hang without the music stopping. That said, latency performance is mixed: it's low with iOS devices but noticeably higher with Android. Still, different apps and devices compensate for latency in different ways, so your experience may vary.