It’s been ten years since Bang & Olufsen unveiled the now iconic Beosound A9. The collaboration with Danish designer Oivind Slaatto is as much a piece of furniture as it is as a speaker – and now they seem to have pulled it off again. So, is it worth the $1,800 price tag?
The Scandinavian audio giant has today released its most powerful portable speaker to date – the Beosound A5 speaker, this time in collaboration with Danish-Italian design duo GamFratesi.
In the increasingly saturated speaker market, B&O’s latest offering looks to push the boundaries of what a portable speaker can be – to the point it could almost be classified as a home audio system, or at the very least, complement an existing set-up.
“Beosound A5 is our new high-end portable speaker which combines Bang & Olufsen’s long-standing approach to timeless design with our vision on sound for the future”, says VP of Product Marketing, Michael Henriksson.
“We’re excited to collaborate with GamFratesi for the first time, to create two speaker designs that are rooted in a Scandinavian aesthetic with a distinct design signature on their own”.
With high-end finishes and premium sound quality, the A5 is available in two colourways, including a natural aluminium with a woven paper fibre front that incorporates a light oak handle. It also comes in a black anthracite aluminium version paired with a dark oak wood speaker cover.
“Our inspiration for Beosound A5 came from many places,” says GamFratesi. “From the traditional Panama straw hats worn on beaches, to the hand-woven leather accents of Danish chairs from the 1960s, blends of natural materials applied in experimental ways guided our design journey”.
Starting at $1650 for the ‘Nordic Weave’ and $1800 for the ‘Dark Oak’, the obvious question is can you justify the cost when there are powerful alternatives for a fraction of the price? Well as far as longevity goes, it’s hard to rival. The speaker has been modularly designed so that it can be serviced and repaired to extend its lifetime if needed instead of being replaced.
While the A5 comes compatible with Beolink Multiroom, Airplay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth 5.2, one of my favourite features is the Mozart software that essentially prevents your speaker from dating and ultimately becoming an aesthetically pleasing paperweight. It also unlocks features like Proximity Pairing which automatically connects two A5’s when they are placed near each other.
Beosound A5 specs
- Sound: 1 x 5.25” woofer | 2 x 2” midrange | 1 x ¾ tweeter
- Power: 280 Watts
- Playtime: 12 hours
- Wireless phone charger
- IP65 water & dustproof rating
Pricing & availability
Beosound A5 in Nordic Weave ($1650) and Dark Oak ($1800) are both available to pre-order in stores and online from 27th April 2023.
Forbes Australia issue no.4 is out now. Tap here to secure your copy or become a member here.
Look back on the week that was with hand-picked articles from Australia and around the world. Sign up to the Forbes Australia newsletter here.
