- B & O A1 3rd generation promises more bass in the same design
- Up to 24 hours of autonomy and associate with other A1 models
- $ 349 / £ 299 is an increase in prices compared to the previous model
Bang & Olufsen has announced the 3rd generation of Beosound A1, which is the new version of the portable Bluetooth Bluetooth B & O b & o. The new model promises a more powerful sound, some new features and a longer battery life, and has a higher price than its predecessor, even before taking into account the discounts on the old model.
I am a fan of the B&O A1 2nd generation since its release in 2020-it is the Bluetooth speaker that I use at home, and I love it for its elegant aluminum design, a more complete sound than the other medium-sized Bluetooth speakers and a generous battery life which means that it is always ready to go even if it has been forgotten for a season.
According to B&O, the 3rd generation A1 has “the largest woofer in its class”, which means a more powerful and “deeper” bass outing (with a claimed bass of 64 dB, which is 2DB higher than the 2nd generation). It seems great to me, assuming that it is well balanced with mediums and triples – as I mentioned above, the real thing of the B&O A1 2nd generation is that it has managed a wider and more complete sound than the similar offers of JBL and Sonos.
The battery life has increased from 6 p.m. to 24 hours, which is really ideal for all the best Bluetooth speakers, not to mention a smaller option – even the JBL Flip 7 Five Stars is limited to 16 hours max with its active battery extension function.
Upgrades other than these are more subtle, however. The wireless connection is Bluetooth 5.1, which seems a little late-so many new Bluetooth speakers are today with more recent versions which include the Auracast support for audio sharing on several speakers.
B & O did not opt for this type of option, but it can be used in a stereo pair with another 3rd generation A1, or a 2nd generation A1 (I obviously have an eye on this functionality …).
The Alexa Voice support support of the 2nd generation seems to have been abandoned, but there is always a microphone – you can use it as a speaker. You have Microsoft Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair to easily connect to these devices.
The design seems to be largely unchanged from the previous model, which is good by me – I really like the shape of the “button” and the clean metal finish. It is not as Pochable as the JBL Flip 7, but it is quite thin and can slip quite easily into a bag quite easily.
As before, it is delivered with an attached strap and is classified IP67, it can therefore resist a slight plunge into water or roaming among the sand like the best waterproof speakers.
B & O says that it is also the very first Bluetooth speaker to be “Cradle to Cradle Certified (bronze level)”, which means that it is done with sustainable practices in mind, and has a modularity in the design that makes it repairable in the future – including a battery that can be replaced in a B&O service center.
There are three colors: natural aluminum, honey tone and eucalyptus green. I don’t like the latter as much as the magnificent Forest Green B & O final used on the 2nd generation A1 and the B&O Explore – which is perhaps my favorite finish on any technological product – but it is always very pleasant, just like the honey tone.
The stumbling block here is really the price. At $ 349 / £ 299, it is more expensive than the official price of $ 299 / £ 259 of the 2nd generation A1 – but this model also falls regularly at around $ 180/200, and it is only at the price cheaper that I generally recommend to people.
Twice the price of the JBL Flip 7, he will have to work hard to find it. But hey, the latest version managed it for me.
