At 637g with the carabiner (and if there’s a carabiner going, we’re always going to attach it) it’s about the same weight as a basketball – reassuringly weighty rather than heavy, but the similarly-sized Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 weighs just 420g. The Beosound Explore will take up about the same space in your bag as a travel coffee mug or coke can, but it’s quite a bit heavier than these items.
#JBL CHARGE 5 VS DRIVERS#
Under the cool casework, you’re getting two 1.8-inch full range drivers powered by two 30-watt Class D amplifiers, but given the inclusion of a Bluetooth 5.2 chipset, it’s a little disappointing to read that your wireless codec support is limited to plain ol’ SBC, so no aptX higher-quality streaming support and no AptX Low Latency.
It has none of the speakerphone/power bank features of the aforementioned JBL Charge 5, mind, and it costs a little more, so you really do have to prioritize the aesthetic – and there’s nothing wrong with that. The B&O product is all brutalist angles, cool aluminium and one of the most high-end B&O-branded metal carabiners we’ve ever seen (and I’m an aerialist, so I know carabiners). Look at the JBL Flip 6, then look at this beautiful creature: visually, there’s no comparison. Up to 27 hours playtime – which is excellent.Compact, classy design with built-in strap and bundled carabiner.That easy to use rubberized top-plate is textured, in contrast to the cool metallic grille and bodywork (Image credit: TechRadar) B&O Beosound Explore review: design and features That said, the JBL Charge 5 is an excellent proposition that will also charge your phone as it streams music from it, and that is cheaper still, costing just $179 / £159 / AU$229. The Explore also boasts a longer battery life (27 hours versus 18 hours), Bluetooth 5.2 (rather than Bluetooth 5.1) and a super-tough build, with a scratch-resistant hard anodised shell built in solid rings around the speaker-holding interior. So, things are looking good…
#JBL CHARGE 5 VS PORTABLE#
The Beosound Explore was unveiled in May 2021 and, considering its support for Bluetooth 5.2, the USB-C charging port and fast pairing whatever your source device, it still stands up against the most up-to-the-minute products on the market right now.ī&O products rarely see a discount, but as mentioned earlier, the Beosound Explore is actually the cheaper of B&O’s two portable speakers, namely the splendid Beosound A1 2nd Generation ($250 / £199) and the Explore under review here.Īs the newer of the two (the A1 2nd Generation launched in May 2020), the Explore has dropped Alexa support which we don’t miss – this is portable territory and the support was flawed in the A1 2nd Gen. Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore at Amazon for $139.30 (opens in new tab)ī&O Beosound Explore review: price and release date.Just don’t forget it when you leave… (Image credit: TechRadar) Attach it to a branch when camping by all means, it’s IP67 water- and dust-proof.