Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 2. It ranks #10 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $89.99; the B&O Beosound A5 ranks #12 and costs $1650, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Where the Soundcore Boom 2 shines: It has pretty deep bass for its size and cool lights in the side passive radiators, and it sounds best with Oluv’s or Alan Ross’s EQ applied since the stock tuning, with its boosted bass and rising treble, would only rank around #24. The flip side: it has only a single midrange driver so stereo comes only from the tweeters, suffers from inconsistent bass notes that disappear at low listening levels, gets overly bass heavy with BassUp turned on, and runs about 5dB bright in the treble.
What stands out about the B&O Beosound A5: It has a pretty neutral sound. The compromise: there isn’t enough good sound sample data yet to rank it properly.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beosound A5 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 2 | B&O Beosound A5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89.99 | $1,650.00 |
| Ranked | #10 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #12 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP65 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Max Volume | 105dB | 101dB |
| MicroSD Playback | No | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Beolink Multiroom) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg | 8.5 lbs / 3.86 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) | 11.2" x 7.4" x 5.1" (285 x 187 x 130 mm) |
| Drivers | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters | 5.25" woofer, 2x 2" fullrange, 0.8" tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 32Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 80W | 280W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Wifi | - | Yes |
The Two Speakers In Full
Soundcore Boom 2: $89.99 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the size. Cool lights in the side passive radiators. For the best sound quality use Oluv’s EQ or Alan Ross’s EQ. With the stock tuning, this speaker would rank around #24, due to the boosted bass and rising treble.
Cons: Only a single midrange driver, so you only get stereo for the tweeters. Sound processing issues with inconsistent bass notes that disappear at low levels like the Soundcore Boom and Soundcore Boost, not great for listening at low levels. Quite bass heavy with BassUp turned on, I’d recommend turning it off. A little bit of a bright tuning in the treble, about +5db.
Full Soundcore Boom 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) |
| Drivers | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 105dB |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 3D Audio Show: Tribit StormBox Lava vs SoundCore Boom 2 - sound quality demo
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs SoundCore Boom 2 - David vs Goliath
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs Soundcore BOOM 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - indoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - outdoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Best portable speakers 2025 - get the best bang for your buck $$$
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Boom 3i - first impressions & EQs
- Alan Ross Reviews: Ultimate Soundcore Boom 2 Review - Is It Worth The Hype?
- Oluv Patreon: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 - first impressions
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Boom 2 💣vs Mifa Wildbox 🪇 Basement Battle of the Bluetooth Boombox Welterweights ⚖️
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: New Release! Soundcore Boom 2 😯 Bluetooth Boombox Speaker 🔊 Unboxing, First Look & Sound Demo
- CEONTHEMAKING: Soundcore Boom 2 - HANDS DOWN The Best Speaker Under $150!
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Budget Monster ZZA K8 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Sony ULT Field 5 vs Anker SoundCore Boom 2 - listening test
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Boom 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Mifa Wildbox
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Brane X
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Vifa Helsinki
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Soundcore Rave Neo 2
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Sonos Move 2
- See all 19 comparisons
B&O Beosound A5: $1,650.00 Amazon
Pros: Pretty neutral sound. Not enough good sound samples to rank this properly
Full B&O Beosound A5 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | 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 |
| Max Volume | 101dB |
| Output Power | 280W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Beolink Multiroom) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs / 3.86 kg |
| Wifi | Yes |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons