Bang & Olufsen is best known for its home speakers that often resemble a work of art. A few of them have been portable, but only the Beosound A1 was designed for travel, and now a second speaker, the Explore, is helping us take the B&O experience away from home.
B&O Beosound Explore Portable Speaker
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Summer 2021 is, hopefully, lining up to be an action-packed summer. After more than a year of lockdowns and travel restrictions, people want to get out and travel again and what better way to do this than with a good soundtrack.
And consumers are spoilt for choice!
Whether it’s solar-powered ANC headphones, premium speakers, or the new high-end Beosound Explore portable speaker, there’s plenty of options with which to consume your favourite music when travelling this summer.
Features
Bang & Olufsen are keen to show off the Beosound Explore credentials as a go-anywhere portable speaker despite retaining those B&O designer looks.
The tubular shape is crafted to create a ‘grab n go’ feel to the Explore, which comes with a harness strap and colour matching carabiner so the speaker can be fastened to luggage or hung up. There’s a choice of three colours for the casing, which is made from a hardened, scratch-resistant, and fully dust and waterproof Type II Anodised Aluminium.
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Unlike other speakers at this end of the market, the Beosound Explore portable speaker is missing something. A microphone. This means there are no smart assistants or voice calling capabilities, just pure audio.
B&O Sound
To deliver its signature sound outside, B&O has packed two 1.8″ Full range drivers inside the Explore portable speaker. These are then supported by two 30W Full range Class D amplifiers that Bang & Olufsen says “high-performance drivers and amps, deliver the power and acoustical volume necessary for your listening pleasure while camping or hiking”.
Then, to get the full benefit of these powerful speakers, the Beosound Explore has True360 omnidirectional sound. Thanks to the precision-cut case, the dual speakers will deliver a full 360° audio experience.
A durable outdoor Bluetooth speaker with a True360 omnidirectional sound. The Beosound Explore’s grab-and-go shape, optimised weight, and integrated carabiner clip make it extremely portable.
Bang & Olufsen
And, to maintain that experience during use, B&O has mounted the soft press control buttons on the top surface.
The Beosound Explore has five multi-function buttons, with three audio controls followed by power and Bluetooth pairing buttons. Each performs different tasks depending on a long or short press.
Strong Speaker
It’s worth noting that the Beosound Explore Portable speaker doesn’t come with a carry case; usually, a given for audio equipment designed for travelling with. There’s not even one as an optional extra. This tells me that B&O is putting plenty of faith into the hard anodised aluminium shell that encases the speaker.
Beosound Explore has an oxide layer to provide better safety from scratches and a strengthened internal structure for protection should you drop the portable speaker.
On the bottom, the Explore is finished with a rubberised base for a non-slip effect that should still no matter the surface.
The Beosound Explore comes with an IP67 waterproof rating which is great for a portable speaker. This means it can be fully submerged in water at a depth of 1M for up to 30 minutes. It also makes it fully dust-proof. And, at the heart of this loud and solid wireless speaker is a 2,400mAh battery.
There’s a USB-C port for charging or streaming audio, and when full, Bang & Olufsen claim the Explore speaker is good for around 27 hours of music.
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Apple or Android. It Doesn’t Matter
Explore offers fast pairing on Apple, Google and Microsoft platforms. This will ensure an almost identical user experience regardless of the smartphone or tablet you’re using to stream your music from.
Finally, if one Beosound Explore isn’t loud enough, then try two with Stereo Pairing support. This will only work between two Explore units, though, and not with other wireless speakers.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Specifications
| B&O Beosound Explore Portable Speaker | |
| Dimensions | 81 x 124 x 81 mm |
| Weight | 631g |
| Colour Options | Black Anthracite Green Grey Mist |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 USB-C |
| Speaker | 2 x 1.8″ Full Range Drivers |
| Amplifier | 2 x 30W |
| Battery | 2,400mAh |
| Battery Performance | Up to 27 hours |
| Charging | USB-C 2 Hours on 5V/3A |
| Features | Stereo Pairing SBC Wireless Codec LED Indicators Fast Pairing In-app Sound EQ Customisation |
| Microphone | No |
| Water/Dust Rating | IP67 |
| In the Box | Beosound Explore Speaker Quick Start Guide USB-C to USB-A Charger Cable |
B&O Beosound Explore Portable Speaker Pricing
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Wireless Portable Speaker is $199 | £169 direct from B&O.
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Tom Says…
With huge battery life, 360° omnidirectional sound and a scratch & corrosion-resistant casing, the Beosound Explore Portable speaker is certainly made for the outdoors. Whilst a unit of this size would be expected to have a microphone and calling capabilities, I don’t think it’s an issue.
I’d rather see a travel pouch included in the price, unless that casing really does live up to the marketing.
Sound-wise, B&O are a master of the trade, and I look forward to hearing how the Explore performs; and with a maximum of 91dB of loudness, it has plenty of volume for camping or attending a festival.
I’m sure there are some applications for traveling with a speaker like to a private cabin in the woods with no neighbors or on your own boat at the lake. However, I often read blog posts or travel reviews about people taking portable speakers to places where other people are trying to enjoy themselves as well. For example I was reading a hotel review for a fairly upscale resort type property recently where someone complained about there being no music at the pool so they advised you to bring your own speaker. On the surface that might be OK if you are the only one using the pool. Otherwise the people that are reading or relaxing at that pool might not want to hear music or may hate your choice in music, ruining their experience.
I would say that a portable speaker has very few applications in travel. Not on a cruise ship, not in a hotel, not at a pool, beach or resort. Sure it’s all fine if you listen at low levels in your own private area but most people that take a portable speaker with them would not keep the volume low is my guess. Sort of like someone watching a video on an airplane without headphones on.
The sound quality of Bang & Olufsen speakers is often characterized by its clarity, balance, and depth, providing a rich listening experience across various genres of music.