Short answer: the Soundcore Motion+. It ranks #3 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the B&O Beosound A1 ranks #9 and costs $200, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Soundcore Motion+ offers: The previous best sounding in class, still a great speaker with separate tweeters, more bass at full volume and better off-axis treble frequency response than the Uboom L. Watch for: Not quite as neutral or detailed as the Uboom L. Without the above EQ, this speaker will rank around #25 in the rankings.
The case for the B&O Beosound A1: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen. The tradeoff: Not stereo. Not quite as neutral as the A1 2nd gen. Pumping sound artifacts above 60% volume, only good for lower listening levels.
Buy the Soundcore Motion+. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beosound A1 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the B&O Beosound A1 is rated for 24 hours versus 12 hours for the Soundcore Motion+.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion+ | B&O Beosound A1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 used, Discontinued | $200 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #3 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #9 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 130ms | - |
| Max Volume | 104dB | 99dB |
| Party Mode | No | - |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs / 1050 g | 1.3 lbs / 589 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | - |
| Dimensions | 10.1" x 3.1" x 3.2" (257 x 79 x 81 mm) | - |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 30W | 60W total (30W each driver) |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm (2.75") neodymium woofers + 2x silk dome tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver |
| Discontinued | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Minirig 2 vs Minirig 3
- JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Motion 300
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1
- B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Soundcore Motion+
The Two Speakers In Full
Soundcore Motion+: $79.99 used, Discontinued Amazon
Pros: The previous best sounding in class, still a great speaker with separate tweeters, more bass at full volume and better off-axis treble frequency response than the Uboom L. Just okay with the default EQ, I highly recommend using this EQ setting from r/kai7895 to get it more neutral. To achieve the absolute best sound you’ll need the Wavelet app (Android only) and set the provided Wavelet EQ in there too. Turn off the wavelet EQ for outdoor use. An alternative is Oluv’s EQ which only needs the Soundcore app EQ.
Cons: Not quite as neutral or detailed as the Uboom L. Without the above EQ, this speaker will rank around #25 in the rankings. Discontinued.
Full Soundcore Motion+ review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 130ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.1" x 3.1" x 3.2" (257 x 79 x 81 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm (2.75") neodymium woofers + 2x silk dome tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 104dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs / 1050 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗
- Alan Ross Reviews: 2x Soundcore Boost (stereo) vs Motion Boom and Motion+ - Best Soundcore speaker? 😋
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beats Pill vs Harman Luna vs Bose Flex vs Soundcore Motion Plus
- Alan Ross Reviews: W-King D8 speaker review 50 watts power against JBL xtreme 2 and soundcore Motion plus
- Alan Ross Reviews: Earfun Uboom Review - full test - vs tribit maxsound and motion plus!
- Alan Ross Reviews: W-King D8 Mini vs Anker Soundcore Motion Plus Speaker
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Motion+ Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Soundcore Motion 300
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Minirig 4
- Soundcore Motion+ vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Charge 6
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Miatone Boompro
- See all 18 comparisons
B&O Beosound A1: $200 Discontinued
Pros: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen.
Cons: Not stereo. Not quite as neutral as the A1 2nd gen. Pumping sound artifacts above 60% volume, only good for lower listening levels. Discontinued.
Full B&O Beosound A1 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 60W total (30W each driver) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 589 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: B&O Beoplay/Beosound A1 - all 3 generations compared
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beoplay A1 Denon 250bt JBL Flip 5 Anker Flare 2
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇
- Oluv Patreon: B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Beoplay A1 outdoors with a bit of Anker Soundcore Motion+ too
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Reddit Search for B&O Beosound A1 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- B&O Beosound A1 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 2
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 3
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Charge 6
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Flip 6
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Flip 7
- See all 15 comparisons