B&O PLAY, a Bang & Olufssen division devoted to portable audio products, today revealed the Beoplay A2 Active, a Bluetooth speaker with a splash-resistant twist on top of Bang & Olufssen audio quality and attention to details and design.
The True360 sound technology allows the Beoplay A2 Active to be heard independently of where the listener is, so that everyone can listen to music without sacrificing quality. Up to eight people can connect to the speaker, so that everyone can take their turn at playing their favorite tune. Hardware controls are limited to power button, a volume +/- rocker and a Bluetooth button to enable pairing mode.
Beoplay A2 Active, which is aimed at being portable, is both splash- and dust-resistant; it weighs 1.1 kg (largely because of its metal build, I guess) and sports a strap on one side to make transport easier. While it is by no means comparable to pocket-sized speakers, the Beoplay A2 Active is 4.4 x 14.2 x 25.6 cm, which is small enough to keep it in a bag or a backpack.
It is one of the few Bluetooth speakers to have a USB Type-C port; the charging takes less than 3 hours, according to B&O, and battery life should last for 24 hours. That sounds more than adequate for a speaker of this size and weight!
The speaker works in tow with the dedicated Beoplay App, which allows the user to monitor the Beoplay A2 Active‘s battery status and to update the firmware over-the-air. It supports multi-speaker stereo pairing and allows tonality and sound staging setting.
The device is already available for 399$/€; B&O PLAY mentions initial availability on their own online store, in physical B&O stores and in selected third party retailers. The price, even though high, is in line with what can be expected from a high-end, design-oriented speaker from B&O.
Living in Glasgow, Scotland but born and raised near Milan, Italy, I got the passion for music listening as a legacy from my father and my grandfather.
I have reported on technology for major Italian publications since 2011.
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