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BeoPlay A2 just released

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This post has 233 Replies | 4 Followers

Steph
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Steph replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 1:57 PM

Thanks for the review ! Yes - thumbs up

I'm ready to buy a grey A2.

One question : I have an old iPhone 4 (Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR). Is it OK for the A2 ?

Michael
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Michael replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 2:42 PM

Thanks for the suggestions Dave. 

I think the gray will be good but it doesn't pop as the green does, and the black is a bit more mysterious. Pros on the grey would be that it won't get hot in sun as the other ones might get. And having a color that blends in to many environments might be a good idea too. I guess I´ll decide when I can see them IRL. Hard to make up my mind with only pictures :). 

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Dave Farr
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Dave Farr replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 2:48 PM

Steph:

Thanks for the review ! Yes - thumbs up

I'm ready to buy a grey A2.

One question : I have an old iPhone 4 (Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR). Is it OK for the A2 ?

No idea.  There is no information with the A2 about which Bluetooth version it will work with.  It just says 'Bluetooth speaker'.  I guess it should.  If it doesn't send it back as not fit for purpose.

The A2 is Bluetooth 4.0 but I don't know about back connectivity.  See here:

http://superuser.com/questions/588186/is-bluetooth-4-0-backwards-compatible-with-bluetooth-2-0edr

and here:

https://ankitmathur111.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/bluetooth-2-0-3-0-and-4-0-discussed/

where they say it is fully back compatible.  I'd ask your dealer.

Dave.

Steph
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Steph replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 3:46 PM

OK Dave, thanks !

Mark
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Mark replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 5:16 PM

if you have the iPhone 4S it will be fine 

we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.

Dave Farr
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Dave Farr replied on Thu, Oct 30 2014 5:42 PM

One problem I've just encountered but don't know if it's related is that as soon as the A2 was available for my iPad, my Playmaker has stopped working and will not connect to anything - not my iPad or PC.

I cannot get my devices to connect to the Playmaker at all!

I'm going to contact B&O to see if it's a known issue or just coincidence but I've been using my Playmaker daily for months with no problems until the minute the A2 was up and running!

Dave.

Millemissen
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Apple revenge Stick out tongue

MM

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benoit
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benoit replied on Tue, Nov 4 2014 2:11 PM

Ordered mine yesterday and already arrived! Big Smile

I like the sound very much. Bass are enough for my taste as I don't like when they are too boomy (like on some Bose devices).

benoit
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benoit replied on Tue, Nov 4 2014 2:17 PM

I cannot tell that I feel the stereo but the sound is nicely filling the room where ever you are.

elephant
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Nice detailing on the mesh plate. Do the white dots mean anything ?

BeoNut since '75

Dave Farr
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Millemissen:

Apple revenge Stick out tongue

MM

Well, a very nice representative from B&O has been in almost daily contact with me sorting out my issue with the Playmaker after I set-up the A2. The result is that my Playmaker is now working 100% again, albeit seemingly causing a 'blue screen of death' and 'crash dump' of my PC when I did a factory reset of the Playmaker!  We are at a loss as it's a complete mystery as to what happened.

The A2 is in daily use and the whole family love it.  It does fill a room evenly with sound.  Some nice pictures coming in of other's now they are receiving them.  Most reviews online seem positive.  Good news for B&O.

Dave.

benoit
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benoit replied on Tue, Nov 4 2014 2:45 PM

The white dot is for power on and connected via bluetooth.

I like the grey (I was a bit afraid as I hesitated with the green one). It is a warm grey. Sound is excellent according to me but I don't hear the stereo. It's more as BO tell 360° sound.

Dave Farr
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elephant:
Nice detailing on the mesh plate. Do the white dots mean anything ?

Where most of the 'dots' are, the cover is more rigid, or less flexible if you depress it.  I suspect they are just key locations where the covers are fastened and the 2 sides held together.  They also break up the pattern a bit which I think looks a bit more interesting than just filled with dots.  Or, the drills broke on the machine that made the covers!

Dave.

 

tournedos
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I think I read somewhere that the blind holes are there to keep your eyes from going dizzy when you look at the mesh!

--mika

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Tue, Nov 4 2014 4:24 PM

tournedos:

I think I read somewhere that the blind holes are there to keep your eyes from going dizzy when you look at the mesh!

Perhaps under the influence of certain recreational pharmaceuticals you can see the answer to the mysteries of the universe in the dot patterns...

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

mjmedlo
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mjmedlo replied on Tue, Nov 4 2014 4:29 PM
Great answer. Wink

Jeff:

Perhaps under the influence of certain recreational pharmaceuticals you can see the answer to the mysteries of the universe in the dot patterns...

Jeff

Beovirus victim, it's gotten to be too much to list!

Michael
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Michael replied on Wed, Nov 5 2014 11:36 PM

My retailer didnt receive the gray BeoPlay A2 that I had ordered today, but a black one and a green one. They look really good but I want to see the gray model live also. A bit afraid the gray plastic might begin to turn yellow when it ages. 

However, I saw this video just now and it is about audio distortion from the A2 at higher listening levels, does seem a bit strange. I hope a firmware update could fix it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzcc5MVBesU

Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, 
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BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, 
BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)  

synth
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synth replied on Thu, Nov 6 2014 1:35 AM

I dont pretend to understand the hipster generation being a gen X myself, as I find that pretty fickle too.

Heck I own a nokia 3315 green screen but work in IT, go figure.

What I do know is this much is true - a quality product will always sell.  The majority of people dont care about hifi - they care about ease of use and whether they can have a tv the size of a commercial fridge mounted on their walls so they can watch the latest populist trash from hollyweird. The majority of people are not deep thinkers. At all.

However - there are always a few who are the current 20 somethings who crave great deisgn and solid engineering and great sound  - these are the ones who will "graduate" up to "grown up" B&O products.  The play range is clever marketing all in all, it aims to let people experience B&O for a reasonable price. As always, only the curious and serious audiophiles will make further enquiries......but thats fine becasue they will appreciate B&O for what it is. Owners make the best marketers. I am always showing some of th eguys here at work latest releases from B&O. Most people havent heard of it and one thing that hurts B&O is lack of exposure in the hipster market through being sold next to /by apple products which are geeky and heavily female focussed ( OK, I could get into trouble for that last comment...but women crave tech simplicity, so.... ) but I find not that many women go for hi fi, so the apple link further limits B&Os market ( in Australia, anyway ).

B&O could do worse that selling the Beoplay range to link to the hipster "authentic" craving they seem to have.

B&O is also a bit exclusive because of its low profile. I only know of B&O becasue of my father purchasing a 7007 years ago. But one of his work collegues told him about it.....so you can see how it goes.

bidstonhall
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Just a quick story about badges and logos, don't mean to bore people

 

about 30 years ago I was going down to London to visit friends, over the phone they informed me they had just taken delivery of a new car which was a bit special

 

in fact they had to wait for some months as it was a factory order because of their demands but it looked magnificent , anyhow they wouldn't tell me what it was or why it was special

 

so when I arrived and took a look I could see right away, it was a brand new black BMW but with no badges or logos, this was in the day when badges were metal and the car was drilled everywhere to accommodate them

 

every time they parked up people would be looking at it but intrigued as to what the hell it was

 

have to say it looked magnificent and was worth the wait, would this get the same result with B and O, who knows

Dave Farr
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Michael:
However, I saw this video just now and it is about audio distortion from the A2 at higher listening levels, does seem a bit strange. I hope a firmware update could fix it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzcc5MVBesU

Well, it must be my ears (I am 55 and knocking on a bit) but tI can't hear that much difference between them or the so called 'distortion' from the A2.  At max volume the JBL actually sounded muddied to me and the A2 more clear - or less bassy.

I've played my A2 pretty loud and haven't noticed any distortion.

Dave.

Aussie Michael
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I purchased the A2 today as they just arrived at our Collins Street store.  I love the play in materials with leather, matt plastics and satin finished aluminium.

The indication light is a good brightness

It has little rubber feet on one side

The leather smells lovely 

I like the discrete B&O logo 

It connects quick

I did a test and I could use it anywhere in the house except for the furthest point and that was through 4 rooms but that's not my intention.  It's to have it close.

I chose it as a bluetooth speaker on my MacBook Pro and it connected quick.

The sound is quite rich, I do prefer a brighter sound, but will see how I go with changing that. 

Imagine if it had an inbuilt radio and a CD slot :-) 

Mark
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Mark replied on Thu, Nov 6 2014 10:50 AM

Aussie Michael:

Imagine if it had an inbuilt radio and a CD slot :-) 

Yes a built in radio would be the icing on the cake for a true mobile device; in London 4G speeds are plummeting and streaming on the go can be problematic then throw in dead spots, how my wife's KIndle does it I never know....

 

 

we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.

Dave Farr
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Dave Farr replied on Thu, Nov 6 2014 10:55 AM

Mark:
Yes a built in radio would be the icing on the cake for a true mobile device; in London 4G speeds are plummeting and streaming on the go can be problematic then throw in dead spots, how my wife's KIndle does it I never know....

4G was the big 'next thing' for everyone to be connected but with all of the 'notspots' and slowing down dramatically, I'm glad I don't use it or live in London.  I'm not sure if things will even get better!

Dave.

BeoLignage
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I tried it out today, and instead of distortion I would say the ABL does its magic and lowers the bass to avoid clipping. So when increasing the volume over a curtain amount, the bass stays the same while mids and treble goes loader. I should however mention that this was with heavy house music, which the salesmen chose to test the limits of the A2, after I had only listened to some less bass intense genres. So for my (quite wide) taste in music I don't even expect to notice the ABL.

The local store had got a couple of black and green once, quickly sold while I listened to it. The gray will be in next week, and one is reserved for me Big Smile

 

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Getting mine tomorrow, so when I've had time to compare it to the Beolit, I'll let you know.

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First of all, the A2's volume is about a quarter of the Beolits so this is not a critique. I found the Beolit to be able to reproduce more instruments and with better tone. The A2 is at the end of the day a compromise, and it's sound is a warmer more bass heavy sound.

It doesn't have more bass than the Beolit, but just relies on it a bit more and a bit earlier. Perfect for a picnic, kitchen it garage whereas the Beolit can genuinely fill a large room or space to onlookers amazement. The quality of its construction harks back to the good old Sony days in the 80's, when you felt you had bought something of substance.

If your buying it as a gift, for what it's worth it comes in a nice presentation box, but without all the unnecessary wires etc. Very easy for my iPhone and IPad to connect, but alas my wife's Android G3 is still struggling. I have walked all round the house with my phone and there hasn't been one hint of lost reception. The Beolit had to be placed right next to the routerEmbarrassed

To break into the Bose market I think a price point if £250 would have been more palatable, as I think £300 might be a bridge too far for most unfortunately. If I was Tue I'd be producing a sleeve or some sort of case to put it in whilst travelling, and quick.

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Chaka replied on Fri, Nov 7 2014 3:29 PM

Lee is 100% correct.  I was at the beach recently and using my beolit 12.  Some guys in their mid 20's loved the sound and we're looking at the unit and had no idea of the manufacturer.  It should say 'Bang & Olufsen' on it.  At least they would be able to instantly recognise the brand, instead of guessing what the initials stood for.  😉

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Volume as in its volumetric space, not THE level of sound etc. Its been a long week!

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Millemissen
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I heard the A2 a couple of days ago at my dealer.

It is quite astonishing how much -  and how good a sound - you can have from such a small device nowadays.

I was very pleased with it and would say, that if you like the way the B&O loudspeakers (incl Beolit/A8 and the headphones) sound in general, you would probably like the way this small speaker is tuned too.

Those who expect - and want - a more boomy sound, will have to look elsewhere.

The comparison (with the BeoLit), that Chris made and described above, seems to me very true. Would be nice to have a comparison with the same source cable-connected to the line-in of both devices. This way one could exclude the influence of the bluetooth streaming (with its - after all - file-compressed transfer), when comparing the sound of both devices.

Those who need a small portable speaker, should highly consider the A2.. The built quality is - as I noticed holding it/seeing it - just as I had expected from a device that comes from B&O.

I don't need one myself - but now I know, that I can recommend it to those who do!

P.S. And yes, it would be nice with for some kind of sleeve/case for it - and quick!

MM

 

There is a tv - and there is a BV

Aussie Michael
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MM I tried to do a sound comparison between the BL12 and the A2, but the 3.5 cable i had was rubbish, so i will wait till i get another one

I just listened to "Troubles" by Alicia Keys on the A2 and i must say the sound is just marvellous.

I like that the A2 is so portable 

On the build quality and maybe it's just mine when you run your hands over the surface, it's like there are "bulges" - run your hand over it and see if that's what you get. 

I concur with Chris's review.  I would have the BL12 for a small gathering in the background rather than the A2 

Michael
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Michael replied on Sat, Nov 8 2014 11:35 AM

I think I will almost have to cancel my order for a A2. I can´t decide on the color. 

The gray which I opted for is great for outdoors since it wont get hot in the sun. But perhaps its to boring inside?

I have a gray beolit 12 and that is nice but it is also big, it would look bad in black.

The A2 is small, and looks great in black.

What to do? :) 

Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, 
BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, 
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BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)  

benoit
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benoit replied on Sat, Nov 8 2014 11:49 AM

Like very much my grey one. It's a warm grey (some yellow inside?). I find the black one very classy but a bit 'sad' as it is monochromic. The green one is very nice as well but the brown leather as some red inside that I don't really like.

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olvisab replied on Sat, Nov 8 2014 12:57 PM
Hi

I am searching for a speaker solution that could provide me a relativ good sound for my swimming pool and any other place outside my house.

According to you , how is the sound compared to a beolab 2000 ?

4 beolab 5,  beolab 9, beolab 10, beolab 5000, beolab 8000 mk2, beolab 6002, beolab 3500, beovision 7 55 mk2,  2 beovision 11 46 mk4, beotime, beosound ouverture, beosound essence, beoplay A8, beomaster 900 RG de luxe and the collection continues...

BeoBoy68
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Michael:

What to do? :)

Wait if you can be patient ! Others colours comes next year ! Yes - thumbs up
Amazone
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Amazone replied on Sat, Nov 8 2014 8:09 PM

Visited my dealer today. Bought a black one. They didn't have the green one yet so that was easy. The grey was also nice but I didn't like the tan leather strap very much. Looked kind of fake. And the black ones look better in real then in the pictures. So both would have been good, I just choose black.

Setup at home was very easy, almost none. iPhone sees it immediately, just one click and it connects. Sound is very good, much better than I anticipated. Connection 100% stable so far, no dropouts, a real improvement compared to B&O wifi/airplay. I like it a lot and I am a very happy customer.

BeoVision 11-55, BeoLab 8000, BeoRemote One BT, AppleTV 4, 2x BeoPlay A2, BeoPlay A1

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olvisab:
Hi

 

 

I am searching for a speaker solution that could provide me a relativ good sound for my swimming pool and any other place outside my house.

According to you , how is the sound compared to a beolab 2000 ?

The Beolit 12 would be better, did that last year!

My A2 lost power after about 2 hours of moderate playing last night, and wouldn't play at any more than 60% volume. Have given it a 24 hour charge and will try again tonight!

 

 

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

olvisab
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olvisab replied on Sat, Nov 8 2014 10:38 PM
Thanks chris for this information

2 hours is quite short.

4 beolab 5,  beolab 9, beolab 10, beolab 5000, beolab 8000 mk2, beolab 6002, beolab 3500, beovision 7 55 mk2,  2 beovision 11 46 mk4, beotime, beosound ouverture, beosound essence, beoplay A8, beomaster 900 RG de luxe and the collection continues...

Chris Townsend
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Probably not charged well enough to be fair. The Beolit 12 is perfect for swimming pools, and easily fills the space.

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

Zoe
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Zoe replied on Mon, Nov 10 2014 1:13 PM

yes

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I have had the A2 on since 9am(now nearly 8PM) playing tunein radio at a fairly moderate level, and last night for 3 hours playing Classic FM very quietly, and the A2 is starting to reduce the volume to save battery.

So 11 hours of bluetooth streaming so far, and the volume has automatically reduced to about 50%, which is still perfectly audible across our kitchen.

Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.

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