B&O PLAY introduces Beoplay A2 Active

Riccardo Robecchi
Beoplay A2 Active

B&O PLAY, a Bang & Olufssen division devoted to portable audio products, today revealed the Beoplay A2 Active, a Bluetooth speaker with a splash-resistant twist on top of Bang & Olufssen audio quality and attention to details and design.

The True360 sound technology allows the Beoplay A2 Active to be heard independently of where the listener is, so that everyone can listen to music without sacrificing quality. Up to eight people can connect to the speaker, so that everyone can take their turn at playing their favorite tune. Hardware controls are limited to power button, a volume +/- rocker and a Bluetooth button to enable pairing mode.

Beoplay A2 Active, which is aimed at being portable, is both splash- and dust-resistant; it weighs 1.1 kg (largely because of its metal build, I guess) and sports a strap on one side to make transport easier. While it is by no means comparable to pocket-sized speakers, the Beoplay A2 Active is 4.4 x 14.2 x 25.6 cm, which is small enough to keep it in a bag or a backpack.

It is one of the few Bluetooth speakers to have a USB Type-C port; the charging takes less than 3 hours, according to B&O, and battery life should last for 24 hours. That sounds more than adequate for a speaker of this size and weight!

The speaker works in tow with the dedicated Beoplay App, which allows the user to monitor the Beoplay A2 Active‘s battery status and to update the firmware over-the-air. It supports multi-speaker stereo pairing and allows tonality and sound staging setting.

The device is already available for 399$/€; B&O PLAY mentions initial availability on their own online store, in physical B&O stores and in selected third party retailers. The price, even though high, is in line with what can be expected from a high-end, design-oriented speaker from B&O.

You can read the full press release below.

Press release
Today B&O PLAY introduced a new member to its family of Bluetooth speakers, Beoplay A2 Active. The new speaker adds an active dimension to one of B&O PLAY’s best-selling Bluetooth speakers as it is dust and splash resistant, comes with a USB-C charging cable for faster charging and seamless portability and two stylish NATO-inspired straps made of woven polyamide with solid tensile strength.

“The two straps for Beoplay A2 Active are inspired in large by the extremely durable watch straps that British soldiers wore during World War Two. More than complementing the new dust and splash resistant design, the new straps add a contemporary and stylish expression to the speaker and highlight the versatility of the Beoplay A2 design”, says Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Corporate VP of B&O PLAY.

Up to 24 hours of portable playtime

Beoplay A2 was designed by the award-winning Danish industrial designer Cecilie Manz and has hit the mark with consumers worldwide thanks to its beautiful Scandinavian aesthetics, an innovative, patented True360 omni-directional sound experience, a modest weight of only 1.1 kg and a battery life that gives you up to 24 hours of portable playtime.

Adjust the sound profile with Beoplay App

Beoplay A2 Active is compatible with Beoplay App for Android, iPhone and Apple Watch. The app lets you pair two identical speakers for a true stereo or ambience setup, and you will get a variety of options for personalizing the speaker:

  • Bang & Olufsen sound engineers have created a variety of sound profiles specifically for Beoplay A2 Active: Lounge, Party, Podcast, and Favorite.
  • Users can adjust the tonality and sound staging themselves with the playful and intuitive B&O PLAY ToneTouch. The interface lets users feel their way through different sound settings and find the one that best suits the situation. Once adjusted, Beoplay A2 Active stores the setting on the product itself until you adjust it again.
  • Connected to Beoplay A2 Active, Beoplay App makes it easy to monitor the battery status of the speaker.
  • Users can control the music (play, pause, forward, back), and they can personalize the speaker in the app by giving it a specific colour and name.
  • Connecting Beoplay A2 Active to Beoplay App, users also receive software updates over the air.

Price and availability

Beoplay A2 Active launches in two colours, Natural and Stone Grey, and is available for a suggested retail price of DKK 2.799 / SEK 3.499 / NOK 3.499 / USD 399 / EUR 399 / GBP 299 / AUD 599. Included with Beoplay A2 Active are two NATO inspired canvas straps, and both colours will be available in B&O stores, on www.beoplay.com/a2active, and in selected third party retailers from 3 November 2016.

For further personalization, you can exchange the canvas straps with a high quality leather strap that retails for DKK 199 / SEK 299 / NOK 249 / EUR 35 / USD 35 / GBP 29 / AUD 54.

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About Riccardo Robecchi

Living in Glasgow, Scotland but born and raised near Milan, Italy, I got the passion for music listening as a legacy from my father and my grandfather. I have reported on technology for major Italian publications since 2011.

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