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

Software updates, Bang & Olufsen’s admirable Radio characteristic and the TuneIn equal, and Deezer streaming service integration are all out there. Here’s the place you possibly can run a “room optimization” routine as a way 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 robotically just like the Sonos Move—it should be instructed to take action.

Room-Filling Sound (Yes, Really)

Once the Besound A5 is about as much as your satisfaction, it proves an completed and entertaining pay attention. Once by way 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.

Overall, it is a poised, hefty, and full-scale pay attention that sounds fairly bigger than its bodily dimensions. Lots of 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 life like, rhythmic expression is nice, and momentum is appreciable. The world’s not in need of wi-fi audio system that may dig as deep and hit as laborious because the Beosound A5, however the authority and management this speaker demonstrates is in a lot shorter provide.

At the alternative finish of the frequency vary, there’s brilliance and no little assault to treble sounds. But 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 turn into edgy or laborious. Even at important quantity (and never solely is the A5 able to taking part in at important quantity, it’s glad 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 snug and convincing pay attention.

In between, the midrange is simply as completed and engrossing. Even a compressed recording or radio broadcast is given enough respiratory area by way of the midrange—and vocalists are capable of totally categorical themselves consequently. The transition from midrange to bass at one finish, and to treble on the different, is clean, 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? Sort Of

The unity and coherence of the Beosound A5’s general presentation is spectacular and in no way a given, irrespective of how a lot you’re spending in your audio tools. Detail 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.

However, the declare for 360-degree sound isn’t fairly made good on, it’s honest to say, although the Beosound A5 creates a big, immersive, and correctly organized soundstage. The 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 inexpensive, and it seems to be profoundly daft. The A5 merely seems to be a bit uncommon. But in relation to presenting an enormous, 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 doubt its attraction will likely be pretty restricted, if for no different motive than that it’s a number of orders of magnitude dearer than some other worthwhile battery-powered speaker. Those who’ve the wherewithal, although, and are turned on (fairly than mildly freaked out) by the seems to be, will discover themselves in possession of the most effective audio system Bang & Olufsen has ever produced—which, by extension, means the most effective pound-for-pound audio system round.