Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Speaker 3rd Gen Feature Scores
Explore all 44 feature scores for Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Speaker 3rd Gen, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
44 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.024 (55%)
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Positive 3.5-4.413 (30%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.45 (11%)
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Negative 1.5-2.42 (5%)
Pros
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Design and aesthetics were one of the strongest consensus points, with nearly every reviewer praising the premium, elegant, luxurious look and feel.
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Water resistance was strongly supported by outdoor-use praise and hands-on dunk or sink tests that reported no damage.
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Construction quality was repeatedly praised for premium materials, flawless finishing, and a substantial feel.
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Battery life was a consistent strength, with reviewers calling the 24-hour figure credible, impressive, and in some tests conservative.
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Detail retrieval was a major strength across reviews, with repeated praise for high detail, clarity, and track-level separation.
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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.
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Vocal reproduction was a consistent strength, with reviewers praising intelligibility, definition, and natural-sounding voices in music.
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Portability was strong overall: reviewers liked the bag-friendly size and balanced heft, though it is not the lightest compact speaker.
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Sustainability stood out through repairability, replaceable battery comments, and praise for longevity-focused design.
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USB-C wired audio was praised as a meaningful bonus, especially because reviewers heard clearer, punchier performance through a cable.
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The B&O app was repeatedly praised as responsive, simple, flexible, and among the best companion apps in the category.
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Backwards compatibility was a clear plus because multiple reviewers valued pairing the 3rd Gen with the older A1 2nd Gen.
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EQ customization was a standout, with reviewers praising the visual sound control as helpful, easy, and unusually gratifying.
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High-volume behavior was praised for staying controlled, with reviewers reporting little distortion even when the speaker was pushed.
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Codec support was considered solid, with aptX Adaptive repeatedly framed as a welcome or high-quality advantage.
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Imaging and spatial organization were praised for openness and instrument separation, though one review noted limited scale compared with larger rivals.
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Connection stability was consistently positive, with reviewers reporting no pairing or dropout issues in normal testing.
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Physical controls were praised for positive, responsive, clicky action.
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Omnidirectional sound was generally positive, though one reviewer disputed true 360-degree behavior while still finding placement easy.
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Speakerphone performance was praised, with reviewers describing calls as clear, successful, and even a ten-out-of-ten hands-free experience.
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Cohesion was praised, with reviewers describing the presentation as unified, whole, and remarkably cohesive.
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Everyday usability was praised for simple operation and controls that were easy to use without friction.
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Price opinion was split: many reviewers saw the speaker as expensive, but several argued its build, sound, and longevity justified the premium.
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Inter-speaker connectivity was praised where tested, especially for quick stereo setup and pairing with another A1.
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Multipoint was positively received, especially in hands-on switching tests where it worked easily and flawlessly.
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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.
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Smart features were mixed: the app content and radio features impressed one reviewer, while another found the overall package simple rather than feature-packed.
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Dynamic headroom was good but not class-leading: some reviews praised dynamism, while others wanted stronger quiet-to-loud swings.
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The leather strap drew praise as expertly crafted and part of the speaker’s premium look.
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One reviewer tested pairing across generations and found the stereo-pairing experience impressive and reliable.
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On-device controls were praised as nice and clicky in direct use.
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USB-C charging was praised when paired with simultaneous laptop playback, making the port more useful than simple charging.
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Setup was described as quick and issue-free in one review’s pairing experience.
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General Bluetooth connectivity was mostly positive for quick pairing, but one reviewer criticized the lack of Auracast as a missed futureproofing opportunity.
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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.
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The microphone system was tied to clearer, more transparent voice calls in review evidence.
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Privacy/data sentiment was lightly positive because the removal of Alexa also means Amazon’s assistant is not always listening.
Cons
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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.
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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.
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Wi-Fi streaming was a drawback for Apple-focused users because the speaker lacks Wi-Fi and AirPlay support.
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Charging time was a weak spot because reviewers described the roughly three-hour charge as leisurely or on the long side.
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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.
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Status indicators worked but drew mild criticism for size and viewing angle.
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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.