The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 is a small, lightweight speaker that comes with Alexa built-in. It has a very sturdy build, and even comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It also has a carrying strap, letting you attach it to your bag so you can listen to music when you're on the go. It has a balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments are reproduced accurately, but it struggles to produce low-bass, like many small speakers. Thankfully, its 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and EQ presets available in its companion app allow you to tweak its sound profile to your liking. Unfortunately, its battery life is very short, offering less than five hours of continuous playback on a single charge, but overall it's a suitable option if you want a portable speaker that has fantastic voice assistant support.
Our Verdict
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is okay for music. It has a balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. However, its treble range is underemphasized, so the higher frequencies of these instruments may sound dark and veiled. Also, it struggles to produce low-bass. Thankfully, there's a 'Beosonic' sound customization feature and five EQ presets in its companion app that let you customize its sound profile to your liking. Although it doesn't get very loud, it has amazing directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, resulting in an open and spacious soundstage.
- EQ presets available in the companion app.
- Wide and spacious soundstage.
- Struggles to produce low-bass.
- Has to downmix stereo content into mono.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is sub-par for watching videos and movies. It has amazing directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, resulting in a wide and spacious soundstage. However, it doesn't get very loud, and it struggles to produce low bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed movie scenes. Thankfully, its mid-range is well-balanced, so dialogue sounds clear and present in the mix, though sibilants like S and T sounds may seem dark or veiled. It has low Bluetooth latency with iOS devices but high latency with Android devices, so it may not be suitable for watching videos over this connection. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your results may vary.
- EQ presets available in the companion app.
- Struggles to produce low-bass.
- Has to downmix stereo content into mono.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is good for podcasts. It has a balanced mid-range, so dialogue is reproduced clearly and accurately, though higher frequencies may sound dark. It supports multi-device pairing over Bluetooth, so you can frequently switch your audio source between your phone and laptop with no problem. You can take it with you on the go since it's very small and lightweight, but its battery lasts less than five hours. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has incredible directivity, resulting in an even sound from all angles.
- EQ presets available in the companion app.
- Supports multi-device pairing.
- Has to downmix stereo content into mono.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Short battery life.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen has incredible voice assistant support. It comes with Alexa built-in, though it relies on the Wi-Fi connection of your paired smartphone to work. It has no trouble understanding your voice, even if you're far away or in a noisy room. There's even a mic mute button if you want Alexa to stop listening to you.
- Voice assistant has no trouble understanding your voice.
- Mic mute button.
- Alexa support.
- Not Wi-Fi compatible.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is okay for outdoor use. It's small and very portable, and even has a carrying strap that lets you attach it to your bag. It has a sturdy build and comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, so you don't have to worry about it getting a bit wet from some light rain while outdoors. Also, it has amazing directivity, so audio sounds clear from all angles. However, its battery life is very short, offering less than five hours of continuous use on a single charge. Also, it doesn't get very loud.
- EQ presets available in the companion app.
- Feels very sturdy.
- IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Wide and spacious soundstage.
- Struggles to produce low-bass.
- Has to downmix stereo content into mono.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Short battery life.
Changelog
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Updated Jun 20, 2025:
We referenced the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen in the Battery box.
- Updated Aug 18, 2022: Changed the test result for 'Microphone On/Off' from 'Yes' to 'Yes (Physical)' in the Controls box.
- Updated Jan 20, 2022: After retesting the speaker, we've changed the test results for USB Audio from 'No' to 'Yes' in the 'Wired' box, and have updated the text.
- Updated Jun 09, 2021: Updated the text to provide more information regarding the 'Beosonic' feature and EQ presets.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen comes in five color variants: 'Black', 'Grey Mist', 'Green', 'Pink', and 'Gold', which isn't as widely available as the other colors. We tested the 'Black' variant, though we expect all variants to perform similarly in tests.
If you come across a variant of the Bang & Olufsen A1 Gen 2, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Bang & Olufsen A1 is a small, portable speaker with a sturdy build and removable carrying strap. Like many small speakers, it doesn't get very loud and struggles to reproduce low-bass. However, it has EQ presets and a 'Beosonic' sound customization feature, which let you adjust its sound profile to your liking. Also, Alexa comes built into this speaker, and can easily understand your commands, even if you're far away or in a noisy room, though it relies on the Wi-Fi connection of your paired smartphone to work. It's fairly suitable for outdoor use, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, but its battery doesn't last very long.
If you want to see more options, check out our recommendations for the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, the best outdoor speakers, and the best Alexa speakers.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 is a slightly better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Flex. The Bang & Olufsen offers a wider-sounding soundstage and comes with presets to tweak its sound to your liking. It also has fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa built-in, though it relies on your paired smartphone's Wi-Fi connection to work. That said, the Bose offers a better-balanced default sound profile and can get a bit louder. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, though this can vary depending on your usage.
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.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 or the Anker Soundcore Motion+. The Bang & Olufsen offers outstanding voice assistant support with Alexa built-in and does an excellent job of understanding your commands from far and in noisy environments. It's also smaller, more portable, and better built than the Anker. That said, the Anker can get louder and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, though this can depend on your usage and your real-world experience may differ.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 and the Sonos Roam/Roam SL are similar speakers with different strengths. The Bang & Olufsen has better directivity, resulting in a wider-sounding soundstage. Also, it has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, making it more suitable for watching movies and videos. The Sonos offers a slightly better-balanced sound profile and fantastic voice assistant support with its Roam variant. It's also Wi-Fi compatible and supports Apple AirPlay 2, which is ideal for Apple users.
Test Results
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