Compare Marshall Willen II vs Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Speaker 3rd Gen

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.

Reviewers found the Marshall app usable but bare-bones, with limited controls and few reasons to spend time in it beyond updates, battery information, and presets.

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

Two reviews noted the lack of high-resolution audio support, while also treating it as a modest limitation for a speaker this small.

Backwards compatibility was weakly reviewed because the lack of wired audio makes the speaker less useful with older playback devices.

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

Battery life was one of the strongest areas, with reviewers reporting or praising roughly 14 to 17 hours and calling it enough for trips, weekends, or long workdays.

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

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

Connection stability drew strong praise where tested, including stable connections, no cutouts nearby, and unusually strong connectivity in one long-range review.

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

Bluetooth pairing and connection speed were praised as quick, painless, and remarkable in the reviews that evaluated the connection experience.

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

Bluetooth range was praised, with one reviewer calling it the most they had encountered and another describing the rated range as very strong.

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.

Build quality was consistently strong, with reviewers describing the speaker as robust, rugged, premium-feeling, and durable enough for everyday portable use.

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

Quick charging was repeatedly praised, especially the roughly 20-minute top-up that gives several more hours of playback.

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

Reviewers often characterized the sound as clean, balanced, warm, and accurate, though that balance sometimes came at the expense of raw loudness or bass punch.

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

The joystick control was widely liked for feeling intuitive, solid, and easier than typical button combinations on small speakers.

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

Design was one of the most consistent strengths, with reviewers praising the retro Marshall look, premium texture, compact form, and rock-inspired styling.

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

Detail retrieval was praised for a speaker this size, especially in close listening, vocals, instruments, and more complex material.

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

Most reviewers found distortion controlled for the size, but one noted noticeable tinny distortion when the volume was fully cranked.

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

Only one review gave direct drop-related experience, reporting that a drop did not break the speaker while still advising care around the accents.

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.

Dust resistance was treated positively when tied to outdoor use, with reviewers describing the IP-rated design as helpful for adventures and outdoor handling.

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

EQ customization was a common limitation: reviewers liked having presets but criticized the lack of a full custom equalizer and found some modes less useful.

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

Everyday usability was strong thanks to compact travel convenience, the stand-up form, ruggedness, and a clean design that works well on the move.

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

Frequency balance was widely praised as flat, accurate, warm, and clear, though the tuning prioritizes balance more than heavy bass output.

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 rear strap was often praised for flexibility and outdoor convenience, but two reviewers felt it was flimsier or more delicate than the otherwise rugged body.

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

Inter-speaker connectivity was mixed: Auracast was seen as promising, but some reviews emphasized that the feature was not active or should not be counted on yet.

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

Loudness split reviewers: some found it strong enough for small rooms, campsites, and groups, while others called it quiet or not award-worthy for volume.

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.

The built-in microphone was valued as a useful call feature on a compact speaker, though reviews did not deeply assess microphone audio quality.

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

Multi-speaker pairing inspired low confidence because reviewers noted inactive Auracast support and warned against buying the speaker for future pairing promises.

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

Multipoint support was treated as a nice extra where mentioned, with the speaker able to remember multiple devices and use two at a time.

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

Omnidirectional performance was a weakness compared with 360-degree rivals, and one reviewer noted the experience changes depending on placement and listening angle.

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

On-device controls were a clear strength, especially the Marshall joystick for playback, volume, and track changes.

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

One comparison review treated the missing power-bank function as a drawback against the Soundcore alternative.

Price/value opinions were mixed: some reviewers called it worth the premium or an excellent value, while others felt it was expensive for the output.

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

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

Setup and pairing were praised as straightforward, with Bluetooth pairing described as quick, painless, and self-explanatory.

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

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 limited: reviewers acknowledged useful extras, but one summed up the package as not feature-packed.

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

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

Status indicators were praised in one review for making remaining battery power easy to judge directly on the speaker.

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

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

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.

Overall value was disputed, ranging from excellent value and worth-the-money praise to concerns that cheaper rivals offer more output or stronger feature sets.

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.

Voice and vocal clarity were repeatedly praised, with reviewers describing vocals as crystal clear, crisp, and easy to hear.

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

Water resistance was strongly praised for outdoor and poolside use, with reviewers saying the IP-rated body makes the speaker easier to take anywhere.

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

Most reviewers found the weight acceptable for travel and outdoor use, though one noted the speaker has noticeable heft for its small size.

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.

Wired input was a clear weakness: reviewers noted there is no wired audio or AUX input, limiting use with older or wired-only devices.

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