Short answer: the B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen. It ranks #11 of 164 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $395; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #78, rated 3.4/5, and costs $399, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen is the better-sounding, longer-running choice. It is rated for 18 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. At 1.2 lbs (558 g) it weighs much less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg). It is rated IP67 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker.
Why pick the Bose Portable Smart Speaker: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. Watch for: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
Buy the B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $395.00 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #11 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #78 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 18 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 90ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (558 g) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | SBC, AAC |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Drivers | 3.5mm aluminium driver + 0.75 inch silk dome tweeter | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 5.2”W x 5.2”D x 1.8”H (133 x 133 x 46 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Amplifier Power | 60W total (2x 30W Class D) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 4.2 |
| Strap | Yes (built-in strap) | No |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
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How B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen compares with other leading options:
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- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Denon Envaya DSB-250BT vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen: $395.00 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen, ranked lower, rated 4.1/5.
Pros: B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen uses 3.5mm aluminium driver + 0.75 inch silk dome tweeter. Its 558 g, claimed 18 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IP67 protection, up to 93dB and mono playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. Measured bass extension of 58Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its 58Hz specification.
Full B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 60W total (2x 30W Class D) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz |
| Battery Life | 18 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth Latency | 90ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 5.2”W x 5.2”D x 1.8”H (133 x 133 x 46 mm) |
| Drivers | 3.5mm aluminium driver + 0.75 inch silk dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (558 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: B&O Beoplay/Beosound A1 - all 3 generations compared More from Oluv’Sone →
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen vs 2nd gen - worth the premium?
- Alan Ross Reviews: B&O Beoplay A1 2nd gen vs Minirig mk3 bluetooth speaker More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: B&O Beoplay A1 2nd gen vs Minirig mk3 bluetooth speaker
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion Plus vs Beoplay A1 2nd gen - The Match!
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Oluv Patreon: B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Beoplay A1 outdoors with a bit of Anker Soundcore Motion+ too
- Oluv Patreon: (Anker) Soundcore Motion 300 - first impressions
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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