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 120 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: A premium, dust and waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth portable with fairly neutral sound and a big woofer for real bass. It links with other speakers (Beolink Multiroom), which the Bose SoundLink Max cannot.
The Bose SoundLink Max is the longer-running, lighter choice. A rugged waterproof speaker with deep bass, a very long real world battery and a port that charges your phone. 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.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 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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Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A5 | Bose SoundLink Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,650.00 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #12 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #17 of 120 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 |
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