STEREO GUIDE verdict
In the review, the B&O Beosound A5 offered excellent sound and scored points with Bluetooth and WLAN connectivity plus a power bank function. Only the high price and the controls give cause for criticism.
Pros
- Superb sound quality, especially considering the size
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Wireless Qi charging on the top with compatible cell phones
- Power supply included in the scope of delivery
- Particularly sustainable construction, long warranty period
Cons
- Buttons on the top practically not recognizable
- Very high price
- Average battery life
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Tonal Balamce / Transparency8.2
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Bass / Dynamics8.3
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Usability / Connectivity9.5
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Price/Performance8.6
There are two types of mobile Bluetooth speakers: The class of plastic constructions in the shape of a Coke can like the JBL Flip 6 or a small party barrel like the JBL Boombox 3. And there is the B&O Beosound A5. It consists mainly of aluminum and, depending on the version, is clad in other elegant coverings for its surrounding baffle: wood. Aluminum or fabric are available here.
Among the portable Bluetooth speakers, it is something like the Audi S8, which was also reviewed by STEREO GUIDE and is equipped with a Bang & Olufsen sound system for good reason.
The acoustic concept of the Beosound A5 is based on a 2-way system with additional, rear-facing full-range speakers. As with the Beosound A1, B&O does not even attempt to realize stereo in the smallest of spaces, but instead relies on a large transmission bandwidth. To achieve this, they use a 1.9 cm dome tweeter and a 13.3 cm bass-midrange driver in the front. The side full-range drivers each have a diameter of 5 centimeters. The Danes promise a 360-degree sound that delivers good sound from different directions. According to the data sheet, 70 watts are available for each of the four drivers from a separate Class D amplifier , which results in a total of 280 watts. However, this impressive figure refers to the impulse power, not the sine wave power under continuous load, which can be seen from the 45 watt power supply alone.
Beautiful and solid
Even if the elegant housing of the B&O designer piece may appear to be designed for tough outdoor use despite good protection against water and dust in accordance with IP65. The acoustic concept of the Beosound A5 is ideal for outdoor use when the speaker, which weighs between 3.8 and 3.9 kilograms depending on the model, is placed in the middle of a group that has made itself comfortable in a meadow. In closed rooms, this can lead to problems, especially near a wall or even a corner of the room. This is why the Bang & Olufsen app for iOS and Android allows you to switch between omnidirectional (“Room”) and direct, front-facing sound distribution (“Front”), thereby also limiting the power consumption of the active speakers. However, the front-fire mode also makes sense if you pair two Beosound A5s as a stereo pair.
You can also switch between Bluetooth and WLAN on the B&O. If you are connected to your network at home, you can use Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast are available. This expands the options for using streaming services such as TIDAL Connect and Deezer Connect and improves the sound quality. On top of this, web radio is also available and you can not only save your favorite stations on the four favorite buttons. Favorite playlists can also be conveniently called up. This means that a smartphone is not always required to operate the Beosound A5.
Charging station and speaker in one
However, the classy wireless speaker from B&O supports the cell phone with power if required, provided it is suitable for inductive wireless charging according to the Qi standard, as is common today. All you have to do is place it in the center of its rubber-like plastic-covered top and charging starts automatically. This turns the Beosound A5 into a power bank on the go, supplying the smartphone with juice from its 7,200 mAh lithium-ion battery.
Without such energy vampires tapping into the battery, the B&O outdoor speaker can play at medium volume for up to 12 hours away from the power socket. This is a rather mediocre figure for a medium-sized Bluetooth speaker. Even the B&O Beosound Explore mini speaker has enough battery capacity for up to 27 hours. At least the A5 can continue playing and charging afterwards using the USB power adapter included in the scope of delivery. Around 3 hours are required for a full charge. After two hours, around 80 percent of the battery capacity is already charged.
In addition to switching the dispersion characteristics, the B&O app offers a few other useful features. These include automatic room calibration, loudness and a unique equalizer, in which Bang & Olufsen focuses on listening habits and not on individual frequency bands as with a parametric EQ, which quickly overwhelms laymen. However, the sound can also be easily customized using five sound presets: Lounge, Night, Speech, Party, Optimal. With the Beolink function, the Beosound A5 can be integrated into a multi-room audio system at home with other speakers of its brand, just like the mobile outdoor speaker Sonos Move 2 .
Sustainability in its most attractive form
Bang & Olufsen is particularly proud that its modular design, which follows the cradle-to-cradle concept for sustainable design developed in 2002 by the American architect William McDonough and the German chemist Michael Braungart, is certified accordingly. B&O also underlines the value of the Beosound A5 with a 3-year guarantee. This puts the Danes in a special position when it comes to mobile wireless speakers. The battery and other parts can be replaced if necessary.
However, the old adage also applies here: “There is nothing like a free lunch”. According to the manufacturer’s recommendation, the price of the Beosound A5 is 1,800 euros for the most expensive version with spaced aluminum cladding. The cheapest version with coarse “Nordic Weave” fabric covering is available for just 1,400 euros. B&O is thus addressing people who see longevity from an economic rather than an ecological point of view. After all, you could buy a whole range of boomboxes, some of which are even bigger, for the same money.
For the price of a medium-sized JBL speaker, the style-conscious B&O owner buys a new wooden cover for the front and back. Fabric wickerwork costs 150 euros, aluminum costs 500 euros. A new aluminum handle – it really feels inimitably high-quality – is available for 100 euros. In a market segment characterized by throw-away and forgetting, this is a serious proposition, even if it is aimed more at people who already have an Audi A8 in their garage than those who usually buy a mobile Bluetooth speaker in this weight class.
Aesthetics before ergonomics
This makes a small but annoying flaw all the more annoying. The buttons, which are seamlessly embedded in the top, are almost unrecognizable in practice. They are neither clearly shaped, nor do they have appropriately sized, high-contrast raised imprints. And they don’t even provide any reasonable haptic feedback. The designers have thus put their obvious preference for smooth surfaces above functionality – not to mention the inclusion of people with visual impairments. Form follows function, my ass. Here, B&O is following its own ambitious design ambitions. After all, the buttons arranged around the sides were already a nuisance with the otherwise outstanding Beosound A1, which we reviewed in the second generation on STEREO GUIDE, but which I already know from the first generation.
The Qobuz playlist from STEREO GUIDE for your own sound test
Sound test: This is what the Beosound A5 sounds like
In terms of sound, however, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. On the contrary: the Beosound A5 created a real wow effect from the very first bars. It sounds simply excellent, i.e. broadband with rich, clean bass, natural mids and very delicate highs. Whether you should use frontal or omnidirectional sound depends not only on personal taste, but also on the placement, listening distance and room acoustics or outdoor use. The Dane can produce very loud, powerful and natural music – in short, just the thing for hours of music enjoyment in any genre.
Everything about the sound performance of the Beosound A5 from Bang & Olufsen is simply impressive. It can play music very loudly and powerfully, retains a remarkable balance even at very high levels and has a relaxed effect where others are already getting cranky. We particularly liked the full-bodied, colorful and clean vocal reproduction and the equally authentic highs with fine pearly resolution. And of course the rich punch and depth in the bass, which traces the drums with verve and precision.
Endless listening pleasure
This makes tracks such as “Till Tomorrow” by Yello and Till Brönner (rich bass and groovy but fine trumpet) or “Sing It Back” by Moloko (powerful drums and natural vocal reproduction) really enjoyable. Even when the immense dynamic range is fully utilized, the reproduction doesn’t become annoying. In its class, the B&O Beosound A5 is currently the measure of all things – if class is related to size, but not to price, for which you can get two professional, also excellently tuned LD Systems Anny 8s, with which you can enjoy even more level and a real stereo panorama.
As far as the sound reproduction with the Beosound A5 is concerned, it detaches itself very well from the speaker, especially in room mode, and appears larger, but despite the inclusion of the additional side speakers, there can be no remote mention of spatial reproduction as in stereo.
B&O Beosound A5: Conclusion and alternatives
In my eyes (and ears), sustainability and high-quality design are a valuable asset. However, when I try to look at a test device like the B&O Beosound A5 through the eyes of a typical Bluetooth or WLAN speaker buyer, I have to say that, despite all its qualities, it is quite out of the ordinary in terms of price.
Take the Beosound Explore or the Beosound A1. With their aluminum housings, both are of a higher quality than the usual Bluetooth speakers in their classes. That’s why they cost almost twice as much as their well-known competitors. But for the Beosound A5, B&O charges three to four times as much as JBL or Sony – not to mention the no-names from China. Only people who have already achieved everything can afford that. The usually young clientele, who see Bluetooth speakers as a preamp or mobile replacement for hi-fi systems, are likely to be largely left out. For them, even the Sonos Move 2 would be a real bargain in comparison, offering a comparable range of functions and connectivity.
Technical specifications Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5
- Manufacturer’s recommended retail price: from 1,400 euros
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 28.5 x 18.7 x 13 cm
- Weight: 3.8 kg
- Battery life up to 12 hours
- Special features: Bluetooth, WLAN, waterproof and protected against dust according to protection class IP67, stereo pairing, app control, EQ, multi-room operation via Beolink, USB power supply, supported formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG, HLS, max. resolution 24 bit/192 kHz
