Compare Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Speaker 3rd Gen vs Motorola Moto Sound Flow

AirPlay compatibility was a clear omission in the Macworld review, which said the lack of Wi-Fi or AirPlay kept it from being perfect for Apple users.

The B&O app was repeatedly praised as responsive, simple, flexible, and among the best companion apps in the category.

The companion app is described as fast, useful, and uncluttered, with enough control for EQ, pairing, groups, updates, and UWB toggles.

Backwards compatibility was a clear plus because multiple reviewers valued pairing the 3rd Gen with the older A1 2nd Gen.

Standard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi remain useful on ordinary phones, but the most distinctive UWB features are limited by phone compatibility, especially for older Android phones and iPhones.

Battery life was a consistent strength, with reviewers calling the 24-hour figure credible, impressive, and in some tests conservative.

Battery life is viewed positively: one hands-on test found real-world drain broadly consistent with the 12-hour claim, another matched the rating closely, and a third called it suitable for long sessions.

Codec support was considered solid, with aptX Adaptive repeatedly framed as a welcome or high-quality advantage.

Connection stability was consistently positive, with reviewers reporting no pairing or dropout issues in normal testing.

Bluetooth reconnection is praised as quick, with remembered devices reconnecting within a second or two after waking.

General Bluetooth connectivity was mostly positive for quick pairing, but one reviewer criticized the lack of Auracast as a missed futureproofing opportunity.

Bluetooth pairing is treated as simple and quick, covering conventional portable use when Wi-Fi or UWB is not the focus.

Bluetooth range was workable but not exceptional, with one review keeping it near the same room and another noting dropouts only near the end of a garden test.

Construction quality was repeatedly praised for premium materials, flawless finishing, and a substantial feel.

Build and material quality are consistently framed as premium, with restrained fabric construction and materials that fit the price segment.

Charging time was a weak spot because reviewers described the roughly three-hour charge as leisurely or on the long side.

Cohesion was praised, with reviewers describing the presentation as unified, whole, and remarkably cohesive.

The speaker is described as mature and cohesive, prioritizing balanced, dynamic sound and avoiding cheap loudness.

Physical controls were praised for positive, responsive, clicky action.

Design and aesthetics were one of the strongest consensus points, with nearly every reviewer praising the premium, elegant, luxurious look and feel.

Design is a major strength across reviews, with praise for the restrained cylindrical look, premium fabric, decorative presence, and neutral Pantone finishes.

Detail retrieval was a major strength across reviews, with repeated praise for high detail, clarity, and track-level separation.

Reviewers note meaningful clarity and detail, including a sense of recording space and room-filling clarity rather than volume alone.

High-volume behavior was praised for staying controlled, with reviewers reporting little distortion even when the speaker was pushed.

High-volume behavior is strong overall, with one reviewer saying it stays composed at high volume despite a small treble-hot caveat elsewhere in the same review.

Durability was mixed: reviewers liked the tough build and survival in bags, but several warned the metal finish can scuff and the speaker should not be thrown around like rugged JBL models.

The IP67 dust and water rating is treated as useful for outdoor use, though only one source provides an opinionated dust-related judgment.

Dynamic headroom was good but not class-leading: some reviews praised dynamism, while others wanted stronger quiet-to-loud swings.

The 30W woofer/tweeter/passive-radiator layout is credited with real headroom for the speaker's size.

EQ customization was a standout, with reviewers praising the visual sound control as helpful, easy, and unusually gratifying.

EQ customization is useful for trimming treble and tailoring the sound profile, with reviewers framing it as practical rather than overwhelming.

Everyday usability was praised for simple operation and controls that were easy to use without friction.

Daily use is helped by the charging dock and battery behavior, with reviewers calling the dock a quality-of-life upgrade and charging/battery management low-friction.

The tonal balance was widely praised for rich, controlled bass, clear mids, and refined highs, with a few caveats around ultimate bass depth and one first-impression review finding it flat.

The tonal balance is praised repeatedly, with deep but controlled bass, breathable mids, and detailed audio rather than a bass-heavy portable-speaker profile.

The leather strap drew praise as expertly crafted and part of the speaker’s premium look.

Inter-speaker connectivity was praised where tested, especially for quick stereo setup and pairing with another A1.

Inter-speaker UWB behavior is praised for automatic channel handling when two units are used, although this depends on owning multiple speakers and compatible hardware.

The LED ring is described as discreet and functional, reinforcing the premium design while communicating pairing and status cues.

Lighting effects are subtle rather than flashy, with the charging feedback described as a refined daily-use touch.

Reviewers generally found the small speaker louder than expected for its size, but several cautioned that it is not built to fill bigger rooms or outmuscle larger rivals.

Maximum volume is strong for the form factor, with reviewers saying it fills a medium room and produces clarity as well as loudness.

The microphone system was tied to clearer, more transparent voice calls in review evidence.

Microphone pickup is strong for normal home calls, with the speaker making the reviewer sound clear and natural.

One reviewer tested pairing across generations and found the stereo-pairing experience impressive and reliable.

Multipoint was positively received, especially in hands-on switching tests where it worked easily and flawlessly.

Omnidirectional sound was generally positive, though one reviewer disputed true 360-degree behavior while still finding placement easy.

On-device controls were praised as nice and clicky in direct use.

Price opinion was split: many reviewers saw the speaker as expensive, but several argued its build, sound, and longevity justified the premium.

Despite premium positioning, one reviewer frames the product as having very few real complaints, implying the package largely supports its price tier.

Privacy/data sentiment was lightly positive because the removal of Alexa also means Amazon’s assistant is not always listening.

Setup was described as quick and issue-free in one review’s pairing experience.

Setup and handoff feel highly frictionless when the required hardware is present, with UWB transfers happening without button presses or assistant commands.

Alexa and voice-assistant support were mixed-to-negative: some reviewers did not miss it, while others treated its removal as a lost useful feature.

Smart features were mixed: the app content and radio features impressed one reviewer, while another found the overall package simple rather than feature-packed.

Smart features are seen as genuinely clever and sometimes futuristic, but the consensus is tempered by UWB compatibility limits and multi-speaker requirements.

Speakerphone performance was praised, with reviewers describing calls as clear, successful, and even a ten-out-of-ten hands-free experience.

Speakerphone quality is good for one-on-one home calls, with clear voice pickup, though it is not positioned as a full conference-room replacement.

Status indicators worked but drew mild criticism for size and viewing angle.

Status feedback has a notable weakness because battery level is not shown on the speaker itself and requires the companion app.

Imaging and spatial organization were praised for openness and instrument separation, though one review noted limited scale compared with larger rivals.

Stereo presentation is praised for perceptible channel separation and a sense of spatial width and depth from a portable form factor.

Sustainability stood out through repairability, replaceable battery comments, and praise for longevity-focused design.

USB-C charging was praised when paired with simultaneous laptop playback, making the port more useful than simple charging.

USB-C charging is valued as a practical fallback to the dock, making travel or emergency charging easier with a power bank or laptop charger.

Value-for-money sentiment was more divided than price alone, ranging from strong praise in one A1 review to doubts from What Hi-Fi and Expert Reviews at the current price.

Overall value is positive within intended use cases, with a recommendation grounded in sound quality, materials, and practical execution rather than low pricing.

Vocal reproduction was a consistent strength, with reviewers praising intelligibility, definition, and natural-sounding voices in music.

Vocal clarity is praised, with vocals described as present and breathable without becoming shouty.

Water resistance was strongly supported by outdoor-use praise and hands-on dunk or sink tests that reported no damage.

Water resistance is treated as a useful outdoor and poolside strength, supported by IP67 comments and positive splash/poolside framing.

Portability was strong overall: reviewers liked the bag-friendly size and balanced heft, though it is not the lightest compact speaker.

Wi-Fi streaming was a drawback for Apple-focused users because the speaker lacks Wi-Fi and AirPlay support.

Wi-Fi streaming is praised for home use, with one reviewer specifically valuing its quality and stability.

USB-C wired audio was praised as a meaningful bonus, especially because reviewers heard clearer, punchier performance through a cable.