For most South Africans, portable Bluetooth speakers are synonymous with bright colours, plastic housings and poor-to-middling sound quality.
The BeoPlay A2 speaker does not fit that stereotype, something I should have foreseen given the fact that they are made by Bang & Olufsen (B&O), the Danish company renowned for its high-end audio products.
Nevertheless, it was a pleasant surprise to open the box of the review unit to find such a classy, well-crafted device.
Its aluminium frame, full-grain leather carrying strap and reassuring, but not uncomfortable, heft oozes quality. There is some plastic – most notably the removable speaker grilles – but it’s understated and doesn’t detract from the speaker’s premium look and feel.
The BeoPlay A2 comes in a choice of several pleasingly subtle shades of grey, green, gold or blue. My test unit was a more conservative charcoal and black and it added a welcome touch of class to my living room and patio.
It would look right at home in far swankier surroundings.
But looks are only half the picture. How a speaker sounds is arguably even more important. I’m happy to report that BeoPlay A2 does not disappoint on this score.
Naturally, there’s a limit to just how much audio oomph you can squeeze into a box just 14.2cm tall, 25.6cm long and 4.4cm thick, but award-winning designer Cecilie Manz and her team have worked wonders within these constraints and this speaker punches well above its 1.1kg weight.
I say “speaker”, but the A2 actually comprises two speakers, or more precisely, two sets of 3/4-inch tweeters, two 3-inch drivers and two 3-inch passive bass radiators.
Bang & Olufsen – they prefer the hipper-sounding B&O – claim this set-up is designed to give users a rounder, “True360 sound experience”.
Whatever they’ve done, it seems to have worked. The sounds are surprisingly rich and warm, whichever side of the device you’re listening from.
Even bass, the bane of most portables, is deep and distinct, if not quite up to the window-rattling abilities of full-sized standing speakers. The BeoPlay A2 is the first speaker of this size I’ve encountered that I’d be confident enough to use to host a house party.
Pushing music to the speaker is a breeze. Simply connect it via Bluetooth to your laptop, tablet or smartphone, fire up your music app and get the party started.
If you’re cash-flush enough to afford two of them, you can pair both to your phone and enjoy a pukka stereo experience.
B&O claim a battery life of 24 hours and I don’t think they’re exaggerating. My test unit lasted just over a week on a single charge using it to listen to music and podcasts for one or two hours most nights and to provide the audio backdrop to two braais.
A clever touch is the USB port you can use to charge your smartphone. You can also pair more than one device to it, allowing you, for example, to play music from your laptop as well as use it as a speakerphone for calls on your phone. It’s thoughtful details like these that help elevate the BeoPlay A2 to another level.
Alas, quality like this does not come cheap. Expect to cough up R7 000 and upwards from selected local stockists or online. If you have got the money to spare, it’s worth it.
Follow Alan Cooper on Twitter @alanqcooper.