All elegance– this is the speaker you want in your swanky office. Looks class – still sounds badass
Look: Incredibly attractive design – the A1 is all svelte and elegance – you’ll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful speaker on the market.
Controls: A bit fiddly – in keeping with the A1’s elegant design the buttons are all fairly subtle (integrated around the speaker’s polymer bass, it’s not entirely obvious that they are buttons) – but you do quickly get used to them; and the accompanying Beoplay app is one of the best.
Sound quality: Full and detailed, the A1 isn’t just good looking, it’s good sounding too. Put on Justice and the electronic whirs and funky bass are crisp and detailed; swap to Stevie Wonder and it sounds as soulful as ever. And if you want to customize your sound to your mood – the Beoplay app is surprisingly nuanced, giving you the option to have your music sounding ‘warm’, ‘excited’, ‘relaxed’ and ‘bright’.
Battery life: 3 hour charge for 24 hours of play.
Portability: It’s not too heavy – and fairly small – but it’s the kind of speaker you may want to pop in a case before you chuck it in a rucksack with your keys.
Waterproof? No. It’s advertised as splash and dust resistant – but it’s better not to try it.
Connectivity: Excellent – simple to connect and no glitches, even a bit of a distance.
Best Bit: It’s great for taking calls: you can use this as a conference speaker for your phone (when connected via Bluetooth) or your computer (via a USB), and there’s an inbuilt microphone.
Worst Bit: It’s very expensive – and not something that you’d just to throw in your bag without a case.
Bottom line: A truly gorgeous product, and if you’re looking for a speaker that you can also use for work calls – you’re not going to find anything better than the A1.
hyenalysis 