Maybe you're not looking to spend thousands this Prime Day. Maybe you're of the mind that small is beautiful and that it's always best to invest in quality.
Allow us, then, to introduce the five-star Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen). It looks and sounds gorgeous and has the added benefit of Alexa support – in a Bluetooth-only speaker.
Essentially, it's a portable Bluetooth 5.1 (with aptX Adaptive) speaker that leverages Alexa from your device. It is brimming with B&O's trademark classy build and finish, but it also works well and sounds great. And did we mention the discount? It's now 28 per cent off at Amazon, meaning its £239 asking fee has just been slashed to just £170. (opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)Available in a number of stylish colourways with a pearlescent finish and leather wrist strap, the polished aesthetic of the B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) may appear to be style over substance, but this model actually has a robust IP67 rating making it dust-and water-proof to a depth of up to one metre for 30 minutes.
On top of that, you're getting an 18-hour battery life at normal listening volumes, or up to 48 hours at a more conservative level. Then there's the three-mic array for Alexa operation and hands-free calls, and support for Microsoft Swift Pair, and Google Fast Pair has also been included to make conference-calling easier.
Set-up is straightforward, using both the Amazon Alexa and Bang & Olufsen apps. The latter immediately directs you to the former, to link the A1 to your Alexa account. Once in the Alexa app, simply find your A1 under the ‘devices’ tab and hands-free Alexa is activated. Simple Alexa access, sorted – and with the B&O app, you can tailor the sound to your liking even further.
Finally, and most importantly, the Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) sounds fantastic for this level. Bang & Olufsen has succeeded in maintaining its trademark sound profile in this diminutive and now even-more affordable proposition – no small feat considering Bluetooth speakers of this size and price can easily come off heavy through the mids and harsh in the treble in an effort to offer volume and clout – but not this one.
Our advice? For a speaker to slip into a bag, take on the road, or even give as a gift to the music-lover in your life, you can't go wrong here.
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