B&O BeoPlay A2 Active - Review
March 10, 2017
We took a first look at the B&O BeoPlay A2 Active when it was first launched late last year. Now after getting our paws on the Natural colored variant, we give you the full review.
In The Box
A thin layer wraps around the typically solid B&O box that you can pull up to open its contents. The packaging contents include:
Design
Check out our First Look for more details on this. Here, we compare the differences between the A2 Active and its predecessor, the A2.
Features
When laid horizontally, you get the power, volume and Bluetooth pairing buttons all lined on the top. And when aligned in this way, there are 4 rubber pieces at the bottom so the speaker sits nicely without scratching the unit. When oriented vertically, the carrying strap is at the top though there are no rubber bases this time round. At this end, there are 2 ports - a USB-C port for charging and an auxiliary-in if you need a cabled connection to your music player.
Should you want equalizer customization, do install the Beoplay app. Open the Tonetouch screen where you just need to touch an area within a quadrant that reflects the desired sound profile ranging from Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright. If that's gibberish to you, bassheads would likely choose the area between Warm and Excited.
If you have two BeoPlay A2 Active speakers, you can actually link them up for a full stereo effect.
Performance
B&O practically touts the True360 sound of these speakers. Basically, the BeoPlay A2 Active has two speaker grilles in which sound emanates from both sides. Sound quality, like its predecessor, is very solid. You get clear vocals and while we felt bass on default settings, is not as powerful as the A1, you can customize the sound settings using the Beoplay app which enhanced the experience significantly to our satisfaction.
B&O mentions that this speaker is capable of 24 hours of playback from less than 3 hours of charging. We got a good 14-19 hours and while it's obvious when spelt out, it's worth noting that the power level will fluctuate when used at the beach vs your bedroom where you can listen at softer volumes. Do note that it uses the new USB-C port for charging.
Now, this speaker is dust and splash resistant. We did not dunk it into a pail of water (pls do NOT do that as it is not designed for that purpose!) but threw some water over the speaker so whadya know, it still works!
Overall
Putting it simply, the BeoPlay A2 Active is a well built speaker. B&O Play has taken pains to maintain the essence of the original A2 while simplifying it with a (to be) universal USB-C port and making it splash and dustproof. If you're considering a speaker that is powerful enough to listen on your outdoor travels, the A2 Active would make a very decent choice.
Where To Buy?
You can buy it from Amazon via this affiliate link. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom.
The BeoPlay A2 Active portable speaker goes for USD 399 / EUR 399 / SGD 549.
Credit to B&O for an evaluation unit.
In The Box
A thin layer wraps around the typically solid B&O box that you can pull up to open its contents. The packaging contents include:
- B&O BeoPlay A2 Active speaker
- USB charger (Type-C)
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety Booklet
- 2 x Handstraps (1 is already attached)
Design
Check out our First Look for more details on this. Here, we compare the differences between the A2 Active and its predecessor, the A2.
Features
When laid horizontally, you get the power, volume and Bluetooth pairing buttons all lined on the top. And when aligned in this way, there are 4 rubber pieces at the bottom so the speaker sits nicely without scratching the unit. When oriented vertically, the carrying strap is at the top though there are no rubber bases this time round. At this end, there are 2 ports - a USB-C port for charging and an auxiliary-in if you need a cabled connection to your music player.
Should you want equalizer customization, do install the Beoplay app. Open the Tonetouch screen where you just need to touch an area within a quadrant that reflects the desired sound profile ranging from Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright. If that's gibberish to you, bassheads would likely choose the area between Warm and Excited.
If you have two BeoPlay A2 Active speakers, you can actually link them up for a full stereo effect.
Performance
B&O practically touts the True360 sound of these speakers. Basically, the BeoPlay A2 Active has two speaker grilles in which sound emanates from both sides. Sound quality, like its predecessor, is very solid. You get clear vocals and while we felt bass on default settings, is not as powerful as the A1, you can customize the sound settings using the Beoplay app which enhanced the experience significantly to our satisfaction.
B&O mentions that this speaker is capable of 24 hours of playback from less than 3 hours of charging. We got a good 14-19 hours and while it's obvious when spelt out, it's worth noting that the power level will fluctuate when used at the beach vs your bedroom where you can listen at softer volumes. Do note that it uses the new USB-C port for charging.
Now, this speaker is dust and splash resistant. We did not dunk it into a pail of water (pls do NOT do that as it is not designed for that purpose!) but threw some water over the speaker so whadya know, it still works!
Overall
Putting it simply, the BeoPlay A2 Active is a well built speaker. B&O Play has taken pains to maintain the essence of the original A2 while simplifying it with a (to be) universal USB-C port and making it splash and dustproof. If you're considering a speaker that is powerful enough to listen on your outdoor travels, the A2 Active would make a very decent choice.
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| Credit - B&O Play |
You can buy it from Amazon via this affiliate link. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom.
The BeoPlay A2 Active portable speaker goes for USD 399 / EUR 399 / SGD 549.
Credit to B&O for an evaluation unit.
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