Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 wireless smart speaker - Easy tips and tricks for the best possible sound with Steve from Sounds Heavenly. If you have any questions about getting the best from your Bang and Olufsen system, please ask Steve via the contact page at soundsheavenly.com If these videos have helped you to enjoy your Bang and Olufsen products, please consider buying Steve a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/soundsheavenly - many thanks!
Hi. I agree with everything you say about the sound and the functionality. However, I do think there's room for improvement. Mainly, my issue is one you have already touched on, i.e. that you don't have access to any of the functionality of the app when the speaker is not connected to wifi. Given that other B&O do allow access to the app via bluetooth, I think this seriously compromises the A5 as a portable speaker. For example, you have set your sound profile for let's say a string quartet, with a front setting, then you go to the park/beach whatever - you cannot change the orientation to Omni, nor can you change the beosonic settings to sound the best with whatever music you're listening to. You can't allow the unit to charge your phone for example, if you hadn't already set that up before you left. The previous room optimisation settings will remain also. Another thing is that you can't toggle wifi on and off, nor can you toggle between networks. Something that all phones for example can do. This has a twofold disadvantage - a. when there's no network present, and you're reliant on bluetooth, the A5 is continually hunting for a network with a flashing amber light; and b. every time you go from house to house, a friends house - anywhere where there's another network, you have to set up the A5 wifi connection from scratch each time. I can see no reason why the A5 has to have these limitations, when so many other devices don't, and with it's huge handle and battery, why shouldn't it be as good a portable speaker as it is when plugged in at home?
Excellent! I've tried also via their (very good) support email channel. I'm optimistic because most if not all of these issues can be solved via firmware/software updates... thanks for the reply, and keep up the excellent work!@@soundsheavenly
The mag safe is a good idea. Already lost a cable because I grabbed it on the go. The A5 has no damages, the built quality and materials are almost flawless, outstanding. They were kind enough to give me a free cable a the b&o paris store. I’ll follow your advice.
Hello Steve ! I recently bought this speaker, I am very happy with it, especially in front mode! I would like to know if the Beosound Level is worth it compared to the a5? THANKS !
Hello! Very nice and complete review. I have the noticed the battery drainage while i left the speaker turned off but unplugged to power? Is it normal? Thanks!
Thanks, glad you liked the review! I keep my speaker always connected to power, so I haven't had any issues with battery drain. However I think that any battery drain should normally be very slow if the speakers in left unplugged, ie. it should last several weeks if it is powered off and disconnected. If the battery is discharging quickly when powered off, I suggest contacting B&O for their advice.
Thanks. No, the speaker isn't permanently charging the battery while mains power is connected so there doesn't seem to be any loss of battery performance after more than a year being plugged into the mains power
Great tips thanks for the video. Never even knew the magsafe thing was thing ! Already "ripped' the usbc plug from the back by accident a couple of times when moving the speaker. Such a good idea to add in the magsafe - Could you please recommend/post a link to the one you use ? Had a look and there seems to be lots of different ones/watts/styles - Some help would be appreciated - Thanks
OK. That's strange.. Then my dealer has given me wrong information when they spoke to B&O about this.. it's a pity.. But the speaker sounds good 😆@@soundsheavenly
Hi Steve. Thank you for the quality content and thorough reviews. Given the similar price, how does Beosound Emerge compare to A5? A5 may be portable but it seems to me it can function as a better solution for a permanent placement than the Emerge.
Hello Steve, mine just arrived this friday. So far im very happy with it, but i cant find any exact information about the airplay 2 streaming, some people say it can stream up to 16bit / 44.1 kHz ALAC via apple music , some say it cant. On the B&O website it says high quality streaming via wifi.. do i get CD quality by streaming via wifi ? Maybe you or somebody you know has some exact information on this. Thank you for your informative videos.
Glad you like the videos. Sorry I don’t have the exact Airplay specs but Airplay certainly sounds good on this speaker, I think it is the best option for streaming quality
Can you leave the A5 plugged in to power as if it was a normal powered speaker? I don’t really bring it around much but I’m afraid if I leave it plugged in it will affect the health of the battery 🤔
Yes, you can! My A5 is plugged into the power all the time (except when I take it out to the garden or the park) and there is no change to the battery health.
hello Steve, how it performs on movies? I use xiaomi mibox4s for netflix or TH-cam. if I connect them via bluetooth do I enjoy to watch movies also? one speaker for everything?
hey again Steve , i was searching the internet about resolution of the speaker and i could not find any information about hi-res or not? Apple Music lossless is way better than Spotify ? @@soundsheavenly
@@1alihatipoglu I'm not an expert on music formats, but to my ears, Apple Music sounds better than Spotify. Spotify played via Airplay also sounds a little better than Spotify Connect to my ears, but Spotify Connect is certainly very convenient!
Understand wifi is needed to adjust the sound preference. So, once adjusted, the setting will remain even if bluetooth is used correct? I.e. There is no need for wifi connection to enjoy the sound setting.
Yes, the chosen sound setting will remain if the wifi connection is lost, although if you remove the charger then the room compensation stops until power is restored again
Brillant review Steve and thank you for that :-) btw I have an Beosound Level - will a new Beosound A5 be apple to play multi room with my Level in the living room which is approx. 60m2 ?
On the Beolits this feature is just for using one speaker on its own. However, on Beosound A5 you can still have full control of the sound when playing two speakers in stereo.
Steve, I received my Beosound A5 today and, much to my disappointment, I cannot make the wifi connection through the B&O app. After going through the set up and my Wi-Fi pass word, it cannot find my A5!. Have you heard of such problems?
Hi, sorry to hear that you are having problems, I haven't seen this issue occur. Best to contact B&O directly, as you may have a faulty speaker that needs attention under warranty.
Thank you for your response and comments. Steve. I discovered that my A5 was connecting through the main Wi-Fi channel, while I was trying to connect through a booster router from nighthawk. In other words, we were speaking apples and oranges in once I got on the right wavelength, so to speak, it works just fine! It is a truly marvelous speaker and I can't wait to get my second one in the future to pair. Thanks again for all your good working reviews.
I bought a pair of those 4" peerless woofers from beoplay p6. Currently planning to make a bluetooth speaker out of those with some peerless fullranges and a wondom amp. Do you know anything about the ts parameters of those woofers?
@@soundsheavenly I should be able to measure it I just don't trust myself lol. I'm aiming for a beosound level design without that midrange in the middle, and replacing the two tweeters with fullranges. Those p6 woofers are terrible at playing anything above 500hz.
Hi Steve, does the front mode prevent sound from being heard on the back side like it would with beam forming on the Balance? It wasn’t clear to me if two people could be in the same room and one listening to front mode and not disturbing the other?
Hi, the speaker won't be silent at the back when used in Front mode, but the majority of the sound will be heard at the front. The only way to really avoid disturbing another person in the room would be to use headphones...
@@soundsheavenlyThank you! There’s a lot to think about…whatever gets released for the 100th anniversary will be the first new products launched since I’ve been following B&O, so that will dictate what the next purchase will be! For now I am really enjoying stereo paired Explores and the Beoplay EX.
@@soundsheavenly I was really surprised by the Explores because a lot of reviews made it sound like the acoustics were badly designed. That was my initial impression as well on a tabletop, but in another video you said something about putting two Emerges in the corners of a small room, and that worked very well for the Explores despite them not having active room compensation. I treated them like wireless bookshelf speakers in a room of 15 square meters, and for that purpose I think they are punching way above their weight for what they cost.
Hi Steve, have you ever tested 2x A5’s in stereo yet? If so, when paired do they keep in precise timing? Does the app EQ when altered change the sound simultaneously? Have you done a review on the pair together? Thanks Steve
Hi, I have heard stereo A5 several times and they work perfectly in sync with full control from the app. I haven’t reviewed a stereo pair on video yet, please subscribe and you will be the first to know once a video is released
Hi i just bought one having many problems, the Bluetooth doesn’t plays on firestick , and sound volume always varies on apple music and TH-cam and the volume keeps decreasing while playing and the output is not that great what should i do ?
@@soundsheavenly thanks. I own one and veery impressed. I am not sure whether to get 2 and put them in stereo or get a balanced or to save my money and buy beolab 8 instead with theatre. I just can't find a good price on theatre :(
Can I use my Penta speakers (without the amps) with a beovison 10. Or would it be better if I ran the Penta speakers through my beomaster from the TV if that's even possible. Many thanks
Hi, sure that is possible, but you will need to either use the Beomaster or add external power amps if your Pentas don't have them built in. Please drop me a message via the contact page at soundsheavenly.com and I can help with the connections.
No, Beosound A5 doesn't have an analogue Aux input. The only way to get a cabled input to this speaker is to connect it to your PC via a USB-C cable, then it will act as the external sound output for the PC.
i would never doubt of the sound quality having myself a couple of B&O products, but that handle on that speaker is really horrible when extended. looks very ugly. they should have put a strap or something similar..
@@miksumasterjbl8899 Good question! A5 is a mono speaker, but the two rear facing full range drivers can give stereo effects to make a bigger sound. This is known as "Mid/side stereo" rather than full stereo from a single speaker.
@@soundsheavenly The reason why I am asking is, because I listen to stereo music and I love Deathstep music. It's a sub-genre of Dubstep. There is a song named Code Pandorum - Ashes and it has two treble sounds at the same time. It has low treble and high treble and they need stereo, otherwise you can only hear the low treble sounds, but not the high treble sounds. It sounds terrible on mono speakers. Code Pandorum - Ashes is a mono speaker killer, it needs two tweeters or are full range drivers good enough for treble?
@@miksumasterjbl8899 I couldn't find this track in any online streaming services to test it on the A5, so I would suggest having a listen to this for yourself in a B&O store - please let me know how it sounds on the A5!
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 wireless smart speaker - Easy tips and tricks for the best possible sound with Steve from Sounds Heavenly. If you have any questions about getting the best from your Bang and Olufsen system, please ask Steve via the contact page at soundsheavenly.com If these videos have helped you to enjoy your Bang and Olufsen products, please consider buying Steve a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/soundsheavenly - many thanks!
Hi. I agree with everything you say about the sound and the functionality. However, I do think there's room for improvement. Mainly, my issue is one you have already touched on, i.e. that you don't have access to any of the functionality of the app when the speaker is not connected to wifi. Given that other B&O do allow access to the app via bluetooth, I think this seriously compromises the A5 as a portable speaker. For example, you have set your sound profile for let's say a string quartet, with a front setting, then you go to the park/beach whatever - you cannot change the orientation to Omni, nor can you change the beosonic settings to sound the best with whatever music you're listening to. You can't allow the unit to charge your phone for example, if you hadn't already set that up before you left. The previous room optimisation settings will remain also. Another thing is that you can't toggle wifi on and off, nor can you toggle between networks. Something that all phones for example can do. This has a twofold disadvantage - a. when there's no network present, and you're reliant on bluetooth, the A5 is continually hunting for a network with a flashing amber light; and b. every time you go from house to house, a friends house - anywhere where there's another network, you have to set up the A5 wifi connection from scratch each time. I can see no reason why the A5 has to have these limitations, when so many other devices don't, and with it's huge handle and battery, why shouldn't it be as good a portable speaker as it is when plugged in at home?
I agree, well said. I have raised these issues with B&O, I will provide an update on this channel once I get a response
Excellent! I've tried also via their (very good) support email channel. I'm optimistic because most if not all of these issues can be solved via firmware/software updates... thanks for the reply, and keep up the excellent work!@@soundsheavenly
@@soundsheavenly I second this, would love an update when available :)
@MissMarquise sure, I will post an update when I have a solution to this issue
The mag safe is a good idea. Already lost a cable because I grabbed it on the go. The A5 has no damages, the built quality and materials are almost flawless, outstanding. They were kind enough to give me a free cable a the b&o paris store. I’ll follow your advice.
Thanks, glad the video was helpful and that you got the issue sorted
Hi Steve, thanks alot for the insight. I really enjoy your videos and the walkthroughs, tips and tricks. Please keep it going!
Thanks! Plenty more B&O videos coming soon!
Another great video from @soundsheavenly. Great introduction for the Beosound A5 and great to see you back at TH-cam :)
Thank you sir, it is great to be back! I am enjoying your B&O disassembly and repair videos, keep up the good work 👍
Hello Steve ! I recently bought this speaker, I am very happy with it, especially in front mode!
I would like to know if the Beosound Level is worth it compared to the a5? THANKS !
In my view A5 has better sound quality than the Level, but please let me know what you think once you have heard them both!
Hello! Very nice and complete review. I have the noticed the battery drainage while i left the speaker turned off but unplugged to power? Is it normal? Thanks!
Thanks, glad you liked the review! I keep my speaker always connected to power, so I haven't had any issues with battery drain. However I think that any battery drain should normally be very slow if the speakers in left unplugged, ie. it should last several weeks if it is powered off and disconnected. If the battery is discharging quickly when powered off, I suggest contacting B&O for their advice.
Good video. Isn't it bad for the battery if the speaker is permanently connected to the power supply?
Thanks. No, the speaker isn't permanently charging the battery while mains power is connected so there doesn't seem to be any loss of battery performance after more than a year being plugged into the mains power
@@soundsheavenly Ah, thank you very much. Then I don't have to worry about it.
For me, one of the best sound are the Marley RIDDIM 2
I haven't heard of them, maybe I will get to try them one day
Great tips thanks for the video. Never even knew the magsafe thing was thing ! Already "ripped' the usbc plug from the back by accident a couple of times when moving the speaker. Such a good idea to add in the magsafe - Could you please recommend/post a link to the one you use ? Had a look and there seems to be lots of different ones/watts/styles - Some help would be appreciated - Thanks
Glad it was helpful, sorry I don’t have the details of the one I used as it was nearly a year ago
Hi Steve, have you managed to hear 2 A5’s in stereo yet? Please do a review as soon as you have.Thanks
Yes and they sound superb! Review to follow soon!
Thanks for all the tip! One thing I really miss with the A5 is the missing line-in connection..
Glad it was helpful! Yes, I agree, the A5 REALLY needs a line input, don't know why B&O missed this out?
I was told by my dealer that it was removed in the last software update just before the release.. 🙄@@soundsheavenly
@teslaolufsen1261 no, Beosound A5 has never had an audio line input, the USB-C socket is for charging only
OK. That's strange.. Then my dealer has given me wrong information when they spoke to B&O about this.. it's a pity..
But the speaker sounds good 😆@@soundsheavenly
@teslaolufsen1261 I will check this with B&O, it would be great if they could enable a line input. Yes this speaker sounds great!
Hi Steve. Thank you for the quality content and thorough reviews. Given the similar price, how does Beosound Emerge compare to A5? A5 may be portable but it seems to me it can function as a better solution for a permanent placement than the Emerge.
A5 is a more powerful speaker than the Emerge, it has more volume and a deeper bass. Thanks, glad you like my reviews!
Thank you very much for the super quick reply Steve. Keep up the good work! 😊
Hello Steve, mine just arrived this friday. So far im very happy with it, but i cant find any exact information about the airplay 2 streaming, some people say it can stream up to 16bit / 44.1 kHz ALAC via apple music , some say it cant. On the B&O website it says high quality streaming via wifi.. do i get CD quality by streaming via wifi ? Maybe you or somebody you know has some exact information on this. Thank you for your informative videos.
Glad you like the videos. Sorry I don’t have the exact Airplay specs but Airplay certainly sounds good on this speaker, I think it is the best option for streaming quality
Can you leave the A5 plugged in to power as if it was a normal powered speaker? I don’t really bring it around much but I’m afraid if I leave it plugged in it will affect the health of the battery 🤔
Yes, you can! My A5 is plugged into the power all the time (except when I take it out to the garden or the park) and there is no change to the battery health.
Oh, that sounds awesome! Thanks for the prompt reply, love your coverage of B&O products! :)
@@bl00dyt0ssers Thank you!
hello Steve, how it performs on movies? I use xiaomi mibox4s for netflix or TH-cam. if I connect them via bluetooth do I enjoy to watch movies also? one speaker for everything?
It is great for movies via Airplay but I haven’t tried Bluetooth
hey again Steve , i was searching the internet about resolution of the speaker and i could not find any information about hi-res or not? Apple Music lossless is way better than Spotify ? @@soundsheavenly
@@1alihatipoglu I'm not an expert on music formats, but to my ears, Apple Music sounds better than Spotify. Spotify played via Airplay also sounds a little better than Spotify Connect to my ears, but Spotify Connect is certainly very convenient!
thanks Steve @@soundsheavenly
Understand wifi is needed to adjust the sound preference. So, once adjusted, the setting will remain even if bluetooth is used correct? I.e. There is no need for wifi connection to enjoy the sound setting.
Yes, the chosen sound setting will remain if the wifi connection is lost, although if you remove the charger then the room compensation stops until power is restored again
Brillant review Steve and thank you for that :-) btw I have an Beosound Level - will a new Beosound A5 be apple to play multi room with my Level in the living room which is approx. 60m2 ?
Thanks! Yes, the A5 will play along with your Level via the multi room option in the B&O app
thank you very much :-) @@soundsheavenly
Sir why does the equaliser don't work in the b nd o app when playing the beolit 17 and beolit 20 in stereo?
On the Beolits this feature is just for using one speaker on its own. However, on Beosound A5 you can still have full control of the sound when playing two speakers in stereo.
@@soundsheavenly what about the bass of the a5 sir
@@soundsheavenly sir please do a sound test of the beolit 20 and the a5
Certainly, I have this planned to record very soon!
@@soundsheavenlyand the level you promised us last time 😢
Steve, I received my Beosound A5 today and, much to my disappointment, I cannot make the wifi connection through the B&O app. After going through the set up and my Wi-Fi pass word, it cannot find my A5!. Have you heard of such problems?
Hi, sorry to hear that you are having problems, I haven't seen this issue occur. Best to contact B&O directly, as you may have a faulty speaker that needs attention under warranty.
Thank you for your response and comments. Steve. I discovered that my A5 was connecting through the main Wi-Fi channel, while I was trying to connect through a booster router from nighthawk. In other words, we were speaking apples and oranges in once I got on the right wavelength, so to speak, it works just fine! It is a truly marvelous speaker and I can't wait to get my second one in the future to pair. Thanks again for all your good working reviews.
@@jimguill6626That is good news, glad to hear you got it working. Thanks for your kind words!
I bought a pair of those 4" peerless woofers from beoplay p6. Currently planning to make a bluetooth speaker out of those with some peerless fullranges and a wondom amp. Do you know anything about the ts parameters of those woofers?
Sorry I don’t know anything about the components of the speakers or modifying them but I will be interested to hear how you get on with this project!
@@soundsheavenly I should be able to measure it I just don't trust myself lol. I'm aiming for a beosound level design without that midrange in the middle, and replacing the two tweeters with fullranges. Those p6 woofers are terrible at playing anything above 500hz.
Hi Steve, does the front mode prevent sound from being heard on the back side like it would with beam forming on the Balance? It wasn’t clear to me if two people could be in the same room and one listening to front mode and not disturbing the other?
Hi, the speaker won't be silent at the back when used in Front mode, but the majority of the sound will be heard at the front. The only way to really avoid disturbing another person in the room would be to use headphones...
@@soundsheavenlyThank you! There’s a lot to think about…whatever gets released for the 100th anniversary will be the first new products launched since I’ve been following B&O, so that will dictate what the next purchase will be! For now I am really enjoying stereo paired Explores and the Beoplay EX.
@@chowcollection Those are great products that you have, I'm sure there will be plenty more coming soon from B&O!
@@soundsheavenly I was really surprised by the Explores because a lot of reviews made it sound like the acoustics were badly designed. That was my initial impression as well on a tabletop, but in another video you said something about putting two Emerges in the corners of a small room, and that worked very well for the Explores despite them not having active room compensation. I treated them like wireless bookshelf speakers in a room of 15 square meters, and for that purpose I think they are punching way above their weight for what they cost.
Hi Steve, have you ever tested 2x A5’s in stereo yet?
If so, when paired do they keep in precise timing?
Does the app EQ when altered change the sound simultaneously?
Have you done a review on the pair together?
Thanks Steve
Hi, I have heard stereo A5 several times and they work perfectly in sync with full control from the app. I haven’t reviewed a stereo pair on video yet, please subscribe and you will be the first to know once a video is released
I can’t wait!!
Hi i just bought one having many problems, the Bluetooth doesn’t plays on firestick , and sound volume always varies on apple music and TH-cam and the volume keeps decreasing while playing and the output is not that great what should i do ?
Hi, if you are having problems then you should contact B&O via their website for advice on the product that they supplied
@@soundsheavenly will get back once get it checked with service center
I wonder how it compares to a hk onyx studio 8 in terms of sound
Sorry I don't know as I haven't heard any Harman Kardon speakers, but please let me know what you think once you have heard them both!
any stereo of these yet?
Yes, there are lots of people using them in stereo. I heard them stereo paired in one of the London stores recently and they sound incredible.
@@soundsheavenly thanks. I own one and veery impressed. I am not sure whether to get 2 and put them in stereo or get a balanced or to save my money and buy beolab 8 instead with theatre. I just can't find a good price on theatre :(
@ffdfdfdfdfdfdfdf this is a nice problem to have, they are all very good speakers!
Can I use my Penta speakers (without the amps) with a beovison 10. Or would it be better if I ran the Penta speakers through my beomaster from the TV if that's even possible. Many thanks
Hi, sure that is possible, but you will need to either use the Beomaster or add external power amps if your Pentas don't have them built in. Please drop me a message via the contact page at soundsheavenly.com and I can help with the connections.
@@soundsheavenly ok wonderful thank you for getting back to me! Love your videos mate 👍
Thank you 👍
I suddenly cant expand the circle have you heard of this problem before
Try resetting your phone and speaker. You won’t be able to expand the circle if you have two speakers stereo paired.
Does it have aux in?
No, Beosound A5 doesn't have an analogue Aux input. The only way to get a cabled input to this speaker is to connect it to your PC via a USB-C cable, then it will act as the external sound output for the PC.
Only if it have aux in, it would be a perfect speaker.
@@mussim2919 I agree, it is a shame B&O didn't add this...
@@soundsheavenlyWill it work with USB-C to Headphone Jack Adapter, like MU7E2ZM/A from Apple or any other similar adapter?
@MegaCJ25 hi, no sorry but that won’t work
Great 👍
Thank you!
i would never doubt of the sound quality having myself a couple of B&O products, but that handle on that speaker is really horrible when extended. looks very ugly. they should have put a strap or something similar..
The sound quality is amazing, I agree with you on the handle though…
80dB bass at maximum volume?
Bassheads will not like this speaker.
So, I dislike it!!!
Have you actually heard it? Specifications don't tell you how a speaker really sounds...
@@soundsheavenly Is it stereo or mono audio?
It has two full range drivers.
@@miksumasterjbl8899 Good question! A5 is a mono speaker, but the two rear facing full range drivers can give stereo effects to make a bigger sound. This is known as "Mid/side stereo" rather than full stereo from a single speaker.
@@soundsheavenly The reason why I am asking is, because I listen to stereo music and I love Deathstep music.
It's a sub-genre of Dubstep.
There is a song named Code Pandorum - Ashes and it has two treble sounds at the same time.
It has low treble and high treble and they need stereo, otherwise you can only hear the low treble sounds, but not the high treble sounds.
It sounds terrible on mono speakers.
Code Pandorum - Ashes is a mono speaker killer, it needs two tweeters or are full range drivers good enough for treble?
@@miksumasterjbl8899 I couldn't find this track in any online streaming services to test it on the A5, so I would suggest having a listen to this for yourself in a B&O store - please let me know how it sounds on the A5!