One of Bang & Olufsen’s smallest, travel friendly portable Bluetooth speakers just got a subtle refresh—and a not-so-subtle price hike. The third-gen Beosound A1 still looks identical to the last one, but it now costs $349 and shows up in two new finishes: Honey Tone and Eucalyptus Green.
The Beosound A1 2nd Gen earned our Editors’ Choice award last year, but was $199 when we reviewed it, and has since recently jumped up to $299. The new Beosound A1 3rd Gen cranks out an extra 2dB of SPL and squeezes out a longer battery life—up to 24 hours, if you’re not blasting it at full volume. Otherwise, it’s basically the same sleek, disc-shaped Bluetooth 5.1 speaker as before, with a three-mic array for speakerphone duty, stereo pairing, Microsoft Swift Pair, and Google Fast Pair.
Oh, and it’s still IP67 rated—so if you drop it in the pool while dodging stormtroopers or just your toddler, it’ll survive without missing a beat. Unlike those crusty AM/FM shower radios from the ’70s and ’80s that claimed to be “splash-proof” but shorted out the minute they caught a whiff of humidity, the Beosound A1 3rd Gen has proven itself in the wild. Whether it’s poolside, bathtub karaoke, or monsoon season in your backpack, this thing shrugs off water like a proper Scandinavian. It’s more waterproof than your weekend plans—and a lot better looking.
The Beosound A1 is crafted from pearl-blasted aluminium with 2,173 precision-milled holes and a soft, waterproof leather strap. A redesigned aluminium strap lock by Cecilie Manz reinforces the speakers’ minimalist expression while enhancing its robustness.
Comparison
| A1 2nd Gen | A1 3rd Gen | |
| MSRP | $299 | $349 |
| SPEAKER CONFIGURATION | 1 x 3.5″ woofer 1 x 3/5″ tweeter | 1 x 3.5″ woofer 1 x 3/5″ tweeter |
| AMPLIFIER | 2 x 30 W Class D for woofer and tweeter | 2 x 30 W Class D for woofer and tweeter |
| SOUND DIRECTION | 360 degrees | 360 degrees |
| CABINET PRINCIPLE | Closed box | Closed box |
| FREQUENCY RANGE (-10 dB) | 55 – 20,000 Hz | 54 – 20,000 Hz |
| STEREO PAIRING | 2nd Gen Only | 2nd or 3rd Gen |
| MAX LOUDNESS @ 1M (SPL) | 92 dB | 94 dB |
| BASS CAPABILITY @ 1m (SPL) | 62 dB | 64 dB |
| WATERPROOF | IP67 | IP67 |
| BLUETOOTH VERSION | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| WIRELESS CODEC | AAC, aptX Adaptive | AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| FAST PAIRING | Apple Fast Pair Google Fast Pair Microsoft Swift Pair | Made for iPhone (MFI) Google Fast Pair Microsoft Swift Pair |
| VOICE ASSISTANT | Alexa | – |
| BATTERY LIFE | 18 Hours | 24 Hours |
| DIMENSIONS | 13.3 W x 4.6 H x 13.3 D cm | 13.3 W x 4.6 H x 13.3 D cm |
| WEIGHT | 558 g | 576 g |
The Bottom Line
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen is still the same stylish, puck-sized status symbol—it just plays a bit louder, lasts a bit longer, and costs a bit more. It’s waterproof, so at least you can cry in the rain about spending $349 on a Bluetooth speaker while pretending it sounds better than it actually does.
Where to buy: $349 at Bang & Olufsen (released May 6, 2025)
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