Experts recommend Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) more than UE Boom 3
As of 3 Jan 2025, experts prefer Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) over UE Boom 3, but both Bluetooth Speakers have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) received 3 recommendations: from WIRED (21 Oct 2024), Popular Mechanics (2 Dec 2022) and What Hi-Fi (2 Dec 2024). By contrast, UE Boom 3 received only 1 recommendation from Popular Mechanics (2 Dec 2022).
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | TechHive  | PCMag  | SoundGuys  | WIRED  | Tom's Guide  | Popular Mechanics  | Rtings.com  | TechRadar  | What Hi-Fi  | Digital Trends  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | - | $180 |  Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) A good-looking speaker that produces beautiful acoustics. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and can be paired with multiple devices. | - | - | - | 14 | - | 7 | - | - | 4 | - |
| 58 | N/A | $96 |  UE Boom 3 A Bluetooth speaker good enough for any user. Portable, protected, and loud. | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 2 Dec 2022 Popular Mechanics ranked Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) as #7 and UE Boom 3 as #9
Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment ... ... ... #7 out of 10 Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) Sleek Design... ... ... #9 out of 10 UE Boom 3 Great Pool Speaker... ... ... Source: www.popularmechanics.com - On 21 Oct 2024 WIRED ranked Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) as #14
Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment ... ... ... #14 out of 14 Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) Elegant AccessorySource: www.wired.com - On 2 Dec 2024 What Hi-Fi ranked Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) as #4
Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment ... ... ... #4 out of 8 Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) One of the weightiest and most refined little speakers we’ve ever heard.... ... ... Source: www.whathifi.com
After counting and adding up the 108 expert endorsements of the January rankings, Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) outranks UE Boom 3. This is not to say that UE Boom 3 is a bad option. Like Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen), it is recommended by experts, but less.
As can be seen below, Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) is mentioned by key experts in Jan 2025, while UE Boom 3 is not.
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | TechHive |
PCMag | SoundGuys | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Popular Mechanics | Rtings.com | TechRadar | What Hi-Fi | Digital Trends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | $167 |  Sonos Roam 2 The Sonos Roam 2 is praised for its sound quality, durability, and versatility, but criticized for its battery life, connectivity issues, and high price point, especially for those not fully invested in the Sonos ecosystem. | - | - | - | 2 | 8 | - | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| 2 | - | $180 |  JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is highly praised for its improved sound quality, robust design, and long battery life, though it faces criticism for lacking an AUX port and having connectivity issues with the JBL app. | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | - |
| 3 | - | $100 |  Beats Pill The Beats Pill (2024) is praised for its portability, impressive battery life, and robust design, but criticized for sound quality issues at high volumes, lack of EQ settings, and its price point considering the features offered. | - | 8 | 3 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 4 | - | $130 |  JBL Flip 6
The JBL Flip 6 is a durable and powerful portable Bluetooth speaker with a long battery life, PartyBoost feature, and water and dust resistance. | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [27]
Total expert reviews: 27
- with a score: 17
- without a score: 10
| Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
| Average score based on 27 reviews | 91 |
| Lowest score by Stereo Guide | 80 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
Expert reviews [23]
Total expert reviews: 23
- with a score: 18
- without a score: 5
| Highest score by Old Time Music | 100 |
| Average score based on 23 reviews | 87 |
| Lowest score by Gadgets 360 | 70 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
From Seller:
- Sound bigger than it looks: A peak power of 2x140 watts contained in a sleek, small speaker. Beosound A1 brings soul-stirring sound to any trip.
- Waterproof for life's thrills and spills: Share your soundtrack on the go. A durable, wireless speaker designed for life on the road, chilled pool holidays or a hectic home life.
- Read more
From Seller:
- ULTIMATE SOUND: Super portable wireless Bluetooth speaker with 360° bold, immersive, crystal clear sound and up to 15 hours of battery on a single charge. It brings your music to life wherever you take it.
- Read more
Bang & Olufsen A1 (Gen 2) Portable Speaker: Worth The Premium Price Tag?
Review by Smart Home Sounds Ltd.
Popular! 57K views!
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B&O Beosound a1 Gen 2 Review -Small Speaker Big Price!
Review by Jesse Chen
Popular! 25K views!
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Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Generation) - Better Than The Bose SoundLink Flex?
Review by Flossy Carter
Very popular! 125K views!
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UE BOOM 3: Loud & Waterproof
Review by TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Popular! 19K views!
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UE BOOM 3 | Best bluetooth speaker for your money?
Review by Dudley Dodd
Popular! 32K views!
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Megaboom 3 Review 2020 | Ultimate Ears Speaker
Review by Wanna Buy It
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Physical Features
Dimensions
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Weight
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1.8 lbs
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Water Resistant
IPX rating if applicable
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IP67 - Dustproof and can withstand being submerged in 1m
Dustproof Dust is a difficult element to combat, since it accumulates naturally and you have very little control over its ability to clog up your speaker. Dust and electronics just don’t get along very well. A ... Show more
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Rugged Design Bluetooth speakers can be durable, rugged, shockproof, dustproof, armored, splash-proof, water resistant and waterproof - all of which can be overwhelming and confusing. In order for a speaker to be c ... Show more
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Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
Battery Life
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battery_charging_full
Power Bank This refers to the speaker’s ability to act as a charging station for your device. In addition to input power (which charges the speaker), some speakers also come with output power, meaning it can cha ... Show more
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Sound Quality
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Sound System A speaker’s sound system is described as either mono or stereo. Mono speakers play audio from a single channel, giving the impression that the sound is coming from one direction. Stereo uses two or mo ... Show more
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Stereo
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Number of Drivers To understand the inner-workings of a Bluetooth speaker, look first at the number and type of drivers. Drivers are the cones or horn-shaped objects inside the speaker box. The number of drivers tells ... Show more
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wifi_tethering
Subwoofer Having a separate speaker driver dedicated to the lower frequency tones gives your speaker a more robust, rounded out sound. It allows the other drivers to focus on the sounds that they’re best equipp ... Show more
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Speaker Breakdown Use the speaker breakdown to better understand sound quality based on the makeup of the speaker. Manufacturers will often report additional details on the speaker drivers, such as the shape (cone or d ... Show more
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Two 2-inch drivers and two 4-inch passive radiators
wifi_tethering
Connectivity
Bluetooth Range If you can find it, you should always check the Bluetooth range of your speaker. You won’t realize it isn’t long enough until it stops working for you! Bluetooth range is important for a couple of rea ... Show more
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Hands-Free Function If you plan on using your speaker to make and take calls, it needs to come equipped with a built-in microphone and speakerphone. To make a call, you can use voice-activated dialing or key in the numbe ... Show more
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device_hub
Connects to Multiple Devices In most cases, your Bluetooth speaker will connect to one device at a time and your device will connect to one Bluetooth speaker at a time. Some speakers come equipped with a feature that allows you t ... Show more
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settings_input_composite
Aux Cable Port While Bluetooth is a quick and easy way to connect your device to a speaker, at times you may want to use a hardwired connection instead. You would do this through a 3.5mm headphone or auxiliary jack. ... Show more
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phonelink_ring
Remote / App Control Apart from the controls on the speaker itself, some Bluetooth speakers may come with a remote to turn the speaker on or off, activate Bluetooth scanning, turn volume up or down, or respond to calls. I ... Show more
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BOOM & MEGABOOM App
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Connects to Other Speakers Generally speaking, Bluetooth speakers aren’t usually meant to connect to other Bluetooth speakers unless they come equipped with a hub or transmitter. In those situations, your device connects to the ... Show more
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nfc
NFC Near Field Communication (NFC) is a new technology that allows you to connect devices by simple tapping them together. To use it, your device (phone, tablet, computer, etc.) and your speaker must have ... Show more
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AirPlay AirPlay is a feature for Apple products that offers another way to connect your devices to Bluetooth speakers. The speaker must come equipped with AirPlay in order for you to connect your Apple device ... Show more
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radio
FM Radio
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Additional Features
Additional Features
Any other features that make this device unique
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4 different presets and a customized tuner
Accessories
Chargers, cables, cases that come with the device
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Micro USB