Thorough is a phrase that may simply be utilized to this app. It’s steady, simple to navigate, logical, and even fairly handsome. Right here’s the place you may test on remaining battery life, assign favourite radio stations or playlists to the preset buttons, and examine EQ settings by way of each a graphic “goal” and the extra frequent bass and treble sliders. Right here’s the place you may 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 program updates, Bang & Olufsen’s admirable Radio characteristic and the TuneIn equal, and Deezer streaming service integration are all obtainable. Right here’s the place you may 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 routinely just like the Sonos Move—it have to 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 completed and entertaining hear. As soon as via a stream of Benjamin Clementine’s “Residue” is sufficient to verify it: The A5 could seem 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 accomplish that. 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 sort of startling, and the A5 controls its bass presence correctly. Straight edges on the assault of low-end sounds implies that tempos and life like, rhythmic expression is sweet, and momentum is appreciable. The world’s not wanting wi-fi audio system that may dig as deep and hit as arduous 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 arduous. Even at important quantity (and never solely is the A5 able to enjoying at important quantity, it’s completely happy and unstressed when it does so, and doesn’t alter its sonic traits within the slightest), treble sounds keep their form or self-discipline. So it’s by no means lower than a snug and convincing hear.
In between, the midrange is simply as completed and engrossing. Even a compressed recording or radio broadcast is given sufficient respiratory area via the midrange—and vocalists are capable of totally categorical themselves because of this. The transition from midrange to bass at one finish, and to treble on the different, is easy, constant, and by no means apparent. Tonality is impartial all through, and there’s no under- or overstatement of any explicit space of the frequency vary.
Spatial Audio? Type Of
The unity and coherence of the Beosound A5’s general presentation is spectacular and in no way a given, regardless of how a lot you’re spending in your audio tools. Element ranges are at all times excessive, and the Bang & Olufsen is especially spectacular in the best way 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.
{Photograph}: Bang & Olufsen
Nevertheless, the declare for 360-degree sound is rarely fairly made good on, it’s honest to say, though 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 profoundly daft. The A5 merely appears a bit uncommon. However in terms of 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 question its enchantment will probably be pretty restricted, if for no different cause than that it’s a number of orders of magnitude costlier than some other worthwhile battery-powered speaker. Those that have the wherewithal, although, and are turned on (relatively than mildly freaked out) by the appears, will discover themselves in possession of probably the greatest audio system Bang & Olufsen has ever produced—which, by extension, means probably the greatest pound-for-pound audio system round.
