Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 Nordic Weave Portable Speaker

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 Nordic Weave Portable Speaker

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 in Nordic Weave is a portable connected speaker that sits between a home speaker and a carry-anywhere design. Four drivers and 280 watts of Class D amplification are housed in a body finished with natural aluminium, a woven paper-fibre front and a solid light-oak handle. The Nordic Weave name describes this finish combination rather than a different acoustic version. Underneath the materials sits the Mozart platform, with Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth, room compensation and stereo pairing, plus a rechargeable battery and a wireless phone charging surface on top.

Key features

• Four-driver layout: A 5.25-inch woofer, two 2-inch full-range drivers and a 0.75-inch tweeter working as a single system.
• 280 W Class D amplification: Dedicated amplification for the driver array, the most powerful portable speaker configuration in the manufacturer’s range at launch.
• More than 12 hours of playtime: Manufacturer-rated battery use at typical listening levels, with USB-C charging.
• 360-degree sound: Beam-forming driver arrangement designed to spread sound evenly around the speaker.
• Wireless phone charging: A charging surface integrated into the top of the speaker for compatible phones.
• IP65 rated: Dust-tight construction with protection against water jets for indoor and outdoor use.
• Wi-Fi streaming built in: AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, plus Beolink multiroom.
• Nordic Weave finish: Natural aluminium body, woven paper-fibre front and a light-oak carrying handle.

Acoustic design

The A5 specifies a frequency range of 32 Hz to 23,000 Hz and a maximum sound pressure level of 101 dB. The large woofer handles bass from a cabinet that is still practical to carry, while the paired full-range drivers and tweeter maintain clarity across the room. Active room compensation measures the speaker’s surroundings and adjusts its output, which is useful for a product that moves between a kitchen counter, a desk and a terrace. Two A5 speakers can be stereo paired, and the Mozart platform is designed so the speaker can be serviced, updated and kept in use over a long service life, with replaceable elements including the cover and battery.

Streaming and control

On a home network the A5 works as a full streaming speaker rather than only a Bluetooth accessory. AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in cover phone and tablet casting from either major platform, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect allow direct control from those apps, and Beolink connects it with compatible Bang & Olufsen products in a multiroom system. Bluetooth 5.3 covers simple direct pairing away from Wi-Fi. Playback of high-resolution files up to 24-bit and 192 kHz is supported over the network connection, and control is available from the top surface of the speaker and from the Bang & Olufsen app.

Portability and materials

The speaker measures 285 by 187 by 130 mm and weighs 3.7 kg, so the oak handle is a functional part of the design rather than decoration. The IP65 rating means dust and rain showers are not a concern for garden or terrace listening, although the rating does not cover immersion. Charging the battery takes around three hours for a full charge. The woven paper-fibre front and aluminium body are also part of the manufacturer’s modular approach, where individual parts can be replaced to extend the product’s working life instead of replacing the whole speaker.

The Beosound A5 Nordic Weave suits listeners who want one speaker that behaves like a home system on Wi-Fi during the week and like a portable speaker when it is carried to another room or outside, without giving up the materials and finish the brand is known for.