There are loads of the best Bluetooth speakers for you to choose from right now. And Danish audio firm Bang & Olufsen has just made finding your favorite a little harder with an upgrade to the excellent B&O A1.
With some spec boosts and apparently more impressive bass response, it looks like the third-generation A1 could be a candidate for the top of the list. It doesn't come cheap, though.
Extra longevity
At the core of the design is a desire to add longevity to the speaker. The battery is replaceable, along with the aluminum top panel and presumably other components as well, which means it's "Cradle to Cradle Certified®" — something I've never seen before.
You'll find more information about the standard here, although I'll admit I don't feel too much the wiser having read through the page. Either way, the replaceable parts are a step up, although the fact that they have to be replaced by B&O technicians is less good. User-replaceable bits, please.
Otherwise, the A1 V2 looks to be a typically top-notch piece of audio gear from B&O. 24 hours of battery life puts it up there with the likes of the Sonos Move 2, and I'm a particular fan of the new colors for the aluminum shell which join the Natural Titanium finish — Honey Tone and Eucalyptus Green.
Sound-wise, it's looking good too, with what B&O says is "the largest woofer in its class". The first model already sounded excellent, but this new woofer could make the speaker sound even better — and that's exciting.
You'll have no problem taking the speaker out and about thanks to IP67 water and dust protection, and the leather strap means you can hang it off just about anything.
The B&O A1 gen 3 is going to cost $349/£299, and I can't wait to get it on the testing table. You can buy one today from the Bang & Olufsen webstore.
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