Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 Review: Superb Sound, Great Range Leave a comment

Thorough is a phrase that may simply be utilized to this app. It’s secure, straightforward to navigate, logical, and even fairly handsome. Right here’s the place you possibly can examine on remaining battery life, assign favourite radio stations or playlists to the preset buttons, and examine EQ settings through each a graphic “goal” and the extra widespread bass and treble sliders. Right here’s the place you possibly can set default and most volumes, create a stereo pair in the event you’ve invested in a couple of of those sonic picnic baskets, and change loudness on or off.

Software program updates, Bang & Olufsen’s admirable Radio characteristic and the TuneIn equal, and Deezer streaming service integration are all accessible. Right here’s the place you possibly can run a “room optimization” routine with a view to calibrate your A5 to its particular circumstances, and change the omni impact on or off. The A5 can not, nonetheless, calibrate itself on the fly mechanically just like the Sonos Move—it should be instructed to take action.

Room-Filling Sound (Sure, Actually)

As soon as the Besound A5 is about as much as your satisfaction, it proves an achieved and entertaining hear. As soon as by means of a stream of Benjamin Clementine’s “Residue” is sufficient to affirm it: The A5 might appear like a premium frivolity, however the place the intense concern of sound is anxious, this B&O is all enterprise.

Total, it is a poised, hefty, and full-scale hear that sounds fairly bigger than its bodily dimensions. Numerous merchandise optimistically describe their sound as “room-filling,” however the Beosound A5 can truly achieve this. Even large-ish rooms pose no issues for it, with out having to interrupt an excessive amount of of a sweat the place quantity ranges are involved.

Low-frequency extension is kind of startling, and the A5 controls its bass presence correctly. Straight edges on the assault of low-end sounds signifies that tempos and sensible, rhythmic expression is sweet, and momentum is appreciable. The world’s not in need of wi-fi audio system that may dig as deep and hit as exhausting because the Beosound A5, however the authority and management this speaker demonstrates is in a lot shorter provide.

On the reverse finish of the frequency vary, there’s brilliance and no little assault to treble sounds. However the authority the A5 has over its top-end output isn’t any extra equivocal than it’s on the backside finish, so sounds by no means threaten to develop into edgy or exhausting. Even at vital quantity (and never solely is the A5 able to enjoying at vital quantity, it’s blissful and unstressed when it does so, and doesn’t alter its sonic traits within the slightest), treble sounds preserve their form or self-discipline. So it’s by no means lower than a cushty and convincing hear.

In between, the midrange is simply as achieved and engrossing. Even a compressed recording or radio broadcast is given sufficient respiration house by means of the midrange—and vocalists are capable of absolutely specific themselves consequently. The transition from midrange to bass at one finish, and to treble on the different, is easy, constant, and on no account apparent. Tonality is impartial all through, and there’s no under- or overstatement of any specific space of the frequency vary.

Spatial Audio? Type Of

The unity and coherence of the Beosound A5’s total presentation is spectacular and under no circumstances a given, regardless of how a lot you’re spending in your audio gear. Element ranges are at all times excessive, and the Bang & Olufsen is especially spectacular in the way in which it attends to even the smallest transients and harmonic variations in a recording. The broader dynamics of “quiet” and “loud” are simply as confidently handled, too, because the A5 places fairly a distance between the 2 positions with no audible effort.

Nonetheless, the declare for 360-degree sound isn’t fairly made good on, it’s honest to say, regardless that the Beosound A5 creates a big, immersive, and correctly organized soundstage. The brand new Sonos Era 300 is a much more convincing performer the place the nuts and bolts of spatial audio is anxious, however then, it’s not fairly a direct competitor of this speaker. It’s mains-powered and extra reasonably priced, and it appears to be like profoundly daft. The A5 merely appears to be like a bit uncommon. However with regards to presenting a giant, enveloping sound, the Beosound A5 is the wi-fi speaker to beat.

So the place does this depart the B&O Beosound A5 (aside from in your picnic blanket, I imply)? There’s little question its enchantment shall be pretty restricted, if for no different purpose than that it’s a number of orders of magnitude costlier than every other worthwhile battery-powered speaker. Those that have the wherewithal, although, and are turned on (relatively than mildly freaked out) by the appears to be like, will discover themselves in possession of among the best audio system Bang & Olufsen has ever produced—which, by extension, means among the best pound-for-pound audio system round.