Short answer: the B&O Beosound A5 if sound quality matters most, the Bose SoundLink Max if price matters most. The B&O Beosound A5 ranks #12 of 105 large speakers, rated 4.5/5, at $1,650. The Bose SoundLink Max ranks #17, rated 4.3/5, at $399, $1,251 cheaper.
Why pick the B&O Beosound A5: Ip65 protection, up to 101db and mono playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. It links with other speakers (Beolink Multiroom), which the Bose SoundLink Max cannot.
The Bose SoundLink Max is the longer-running, lighter choice. IP67 rated: dustproof and waterproof to 1m. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 12 for the B&O Beosound A5. At 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) it weighs much less than the B&O Beosound A5 at 8.5 lbs (3.86 kg). It is rated IP67 against IP65 for the B&O Beosound A5. The tradeoff: Big peak in the upper bass, dipped midrange and lots of peaks and dips above the midrange.
Buy the B&O Beosound A5 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Bose SoundLink Max if the price matters more than sound quality.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A5 | Bose SoundLink Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,650.00 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #12 of 105 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #17 of 105 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| IP Rating | IP65 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Beolink Multiroom) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Partially (1 tweeter) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs (3.86 kg) | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| App | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 11.2” x 7.4” x 5.1” (285 x 187 x 130 mm) | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.25” woofer, 2x 2” fullrange, 0.8” tweeter | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 280W | - |
| Maximum SPL | 101dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Battery Life | 12+ hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Strap | No | No |
| Aux Latency | - | 33ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 48Hz |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 116ms |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How B&O Beosound A5 compares with other leading options:
- Vifa Helsinki vs B&O Beosound A5
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs B&O Beosound A5
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs B&O Beosound A5
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs B&O Beosound A5
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Marshall Stockwell II
Prices on this page were last checked October 14, 2026 at 2:38 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 A5: $1,650.00 Amazon $1,650.00 eBay
Pros: At 3.86 kg, B&O Beosound A5 combines 5.25” woofer, 2x 2” fullrange, 0.8” tweeter with Bluetooth and aux. Ip65 protection, up to 101db and mono playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. Reviews find the sound fairly neutral.
Cons: Bass is limited by its 32Hz to 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification. There is no companion app. No EQ adjustment.
Full B&O Beosound A5 review and specifications →
| Released | 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 280W |
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12+ hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 11.2” x 7.4” x 5.1” (285 x 187 x 130 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.25” woofer, 2x 2” fullrange, 0.8” tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP65 |
| Maximum SPL | 101dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (Beolink Multiroom) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs (3.86 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Harman Kardon Citation 200
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Marshall Stockwell II
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- B&O Beosound A5 vs JBL Xtreme 3
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Soundcore Motion X600
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- B&O Beosound A5 vs JBL Xtreme 5
- B&O Beosound A5 vs Vifa Helsinki
- See all 17 comparisons
Bose SoundLink Max: $399.00 Amazon $399.00 eBay
Same family: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen (smaller model, rated 3.8/5), the Bose Soundlink Micro 2 (larger model, rated 3.6/5) and the Bose SoundLink Plus (larger model, ranked lower, rated 4.2/5). See every Bose SoundLink Flex, Micro, Max and Plus generation.
Pros: IP67 rated: dustproof and waterproof to 1m. Up to 20 hour battery; real-world testing found 43+ hours. Deep, rich bass with neutral tuning, app EQ. USB-C doubles as device charger. Sturdy carry handle. The aux input has lower latency (about 33ms) than most Bluetooth connections. Measured bass extension of 48Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Big peak in the upper bass, dipped midrange and lots of peaks and dips above the midrange. Bass not as deep as a Soundcore Boom 2. Gets distorted above 80%. Self drains the battery about 20% a week.
Full Bose SoundLink Max review and specifications →
| Released | May 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 33ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 48Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 tweeter) |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - indoor soundtest More from Oluv’Sone →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - outdoor soundtest
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton II - first impressions
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Max, the worlds most overpriced speaker? its a shocker! More from alanrossreviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro Max 100W vs BOSE Soundlink MAX More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs. Ultimate Ears EpicBoom 🤑Big Bucks No Whammies? 💣 Let’s Find Out 😧 More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs Tribit XSound Mega 😲 Can the Budget Priced Speaker Hang With the Big $ One?
- Scott’s Reviews: Bose SoundLink Max First Impressions, Unboxing, and Sound Test. More from ScottsReviews →
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- See all 88 comparisons