My favorite Bluetooth speaker is down to its lowest-ever price for Prime Day, and so is JBL’s great cheaper alternative – don’t miss them!
B&O’s small speaker is the one I use at home – but if you want something more affordable, JBL’s Flip 6 is the ideal option
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Among this year’sPrime Day deals, I spotted an old friend at a great price: theBang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) for £159 (was £259) at Amazon UK, which is the joint-lowest price this Bluetooth speaker has been. In the US, you can get theB&O A1 speaker for $188 (was $299) at Amazon US, which is the lowest it’s been with one exception (it fell to around $140 briefly in 2023, but who knows if that will ever be repeated).
I love this speaker: it’s the one I have at home, and use when I’m chilling outside. It’s not a new model, but from what I’ve tested so far, I don’t think anything’s really beaten it for sound balance and detail from a compact speaker, and I think the aluminum design is great.
However, it’s pretty pricey even with this discount. I think it’s worth it for music lovers, but that doesn’t help if it’s outside your budget. So let me recommend the JBL Flip 6 as my favorite alternative, especially because you can get theFlip 6 for just $79 (was $129) at Amazon USright now, which is the cheapest it’s ever been. In the UK, it’s not quite such a blockbuster, but you can get theJBL Flip 6 for £89 (was £129) at Amazon UK, which is only £5 more than the cheapest it’s ever been.
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Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen):was £259 now£159 at AmazonThis is my own choice of Bluetooth speaker from the many, many options out there. It’s a similar size to other compact speakers, but it delivers a much fuller and more finely balanced sound – the music connoisseur’s choice. This is the joint-lowest price that it’s ever been, and if you want something that very portable but won’t give up on music fundamentals to get there, I don’t think you can do much better. It’s also waterproof, tough in its aluminium case, and has 18 hours of battery life.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen):was $299 now$188 at AmazonThis isn’t the cheapest that this speaker has ever been in the US, because late last year it very briefly hit a price below $140. But this price is effectively the cheapest it’s been otherwise, so it may be worth waiting to see if it drops so steeply again over Black Friday… but I’m not sure it will, given the general price trend of premium speakers these days. For a price higher than most small speakers, you get a more full and detailed sound, in a tough and waterproof body, with stylish good looks.
JBL Flip 6:was $129 now$79 at AmazonThere’s a reason JBL’s Flip series is synonymous with good mid-range Bluetooth speakers, and that’s because they’rereallygood mid-range Bluetooth speakers. We loved the “well-balanced” sound and rugged design in our fullJBL Flip 6 review, and we gave it 4.5 out of 5. This $79 deal is the cheapest it’s ever been, having only hit $89 before now, so this is an unreservedly great offer.
JBL Flip 6:was £129 now£89.99 at AmazonThe cheapest that this speaker has been before now is £85, so while this isn’t a record-low, it’s a very good price. You get very well-balanced sound, with a bit of extra emphasis on bass to help make sure the impact holds up outdoors on breezy days. For under £100, this would be my pick, based on my experience with today’s Bluetooth speakers. This deal at Amazon is for a pale teal colour – if you want a nice navy blue, you can get that fromJohn Lewis for £91.
Among thebest Bluetooth speakers, we have the JBL Flip 6 rated as the best mid-range option, despite very hot competition from slightly cheaper brands, such as Tribit andAnkerSoundCore. These are all great value, but spending a little more on the JBL gets you a slightly clearer and more full sound that’s worth the extra money, in my experience.
But that also holds for stepping up to the B&O A1 speaker. There’s a clear extra shine and elevation to the treble that helps to make songs feel closer to the original and lifts the whole track away from feeling like it’s coming from such a small speaker. At the same time, the mid-range gets more chance to express itself, and there’s rich bass underpinning it that doesn’t feel over-blown, as it can with many small speakers (again, usually on purpose, because it helps in breezy conditions). The B&O is the small speaker that makes your music sound most like what it’ssupposedto sound like, and that’s why it’s the option that lives on my shelf.
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Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Entertainment, meaning he’s in charge of persuading our team of writers and reviewers to watch the latest TV shows and movies on gorgeous TVs and listen to fantastic speakers and headphones. It’s a tough task, as you can imagine. Matt has over a decade of experience in tech publishing, and previously ran the TV & audio coverage for our colleagues at T3.com, and before that he edited T3 magazine. During his career, he’s also contributed to places as varied as Creative Bloq, PC Gamer, PetsRadar, MacLife, and Edge. TV and movie nerdism is his speciality, and he goes to the cinema three times a week. He’s always happy to explain the virtues of Dolby Vision over a drink, but he might need to use props, like he’s explaining the offside rule.
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