Bang and Olufsen has come out with a neat little number called Beoplay A1, which is a mini Bluetooth speaker, and a really good-looking one at that.
The just-launched product packs quite a punch, given its size. It may be the smallest wireless speaker B&O has built so far and, at $249, it may be a tad more expensive than what you would normally spend on a portable speaker.
Sporting an aluminum finish for the speaker top and grill, the portable device has a leather cord attached to the soft-touch-rubber bottom, which can be used to hang it from a hook or a peg. On the circular exterior reside the power button, volume controls, a USB C-Type port and the battery indicator.
The company claims that the 24-hour battery life will keep the tiny package booming all day long, which will only get confirmed once the customer feedback starts rolling in. Fully charging the battery takes about three hours, turning the low-battery orange light into green. The orange turns bright red once it hits 15 percent charge and goes into a flashing mode when there's less than 10 percent life left. So, basically, you get a lot of warnings before the speaker totally dies on you.
The circular edge also houses buttons for Bluetooth pairing, speakerphone and a B&O-exclusive feature called Connect. Connect is nothing but a play-and-pause control that resumes the last thing you were playing, as well as reconnects with the last device you'd connected the speaker with.
Working across all devices without the need to download any extra software, the compact A1 lets out quite a distortion-free sound, with the speakers creating a 360-degree surround sound effect. The clarity is pretty impressive irrespective of whether you hang the speaker somewhere or lay it flat on the ground.
Available in silver and moss green, this pretty package might just give its competitors, like Beats Pill+ and UE Roll and Boom 2, a run for their money. Although priced slightly higher than the other two, at $249, Beoplay A1 packs in an unbeatable combination of design, sound, and portability.
You may want to check it out at the B&O website or at the B&O offline stores.
