Monitor Audio Studio 89: Two minute review

Back in the day, ‘Studio’ was Monitor Audio’s most expensive, most aspirational range of loudspeakers. And now the name is back, with an ‘89’ attached for good measure, in a loudspeaker the company reckons is more ‘Formula 1’ than ‘sports car’.

It’s a distinctive looker, that’s for sure – whether or not you find the proportions attractive is one thing, but there’s no denying the gloss-black cabinet with its vertical, copper-colored driver array is dramatic. Bolt the speakers to the matching stands (if you don’t mind the extra outlay) and the look is coherent and, to me at least, striking.

Using driver and crossover technology originally developed for a loudspeaker that costs $92K / £70K per pair is pretty promising, too – and the way it’s been deployed shows similarly little inclination to compromise. Heck, even the speaker terminals on the rear of the cabinets are rhodium-plated and quite extravagantly shaped. 

How does this more affordable option stack up against the best stereo speakers on the market? Well, the star-rating above is a good start isn't it? But let's delve into the nuts and bolts of the thing – and also, of course, the sound. 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Price and release date

• Released July 1, 2024
• $2,500 / £2,000 / AU$4,000

The Monitor Audio Studio 89 are available now, and in the United Kingdom they’re yours for £2,000 a pair. In the United States they go for $2,500, while in Australia the asking price is AU$4,000. 

When you consider that Monitor Audio is perhaps most-noted of late for releasing a $92K Hyphn proposition (once called the Concept 50, initially unveiled at High End Munich 2022), it's affordable territory.

That’s just for the speakers though, you understand – if you fancy the bespoke stands too (and they have a lot to recommend them beyond a harmonious aesthetic) you’re looking at an additional $625 / £500 / AU$1,000.

The majority of this test is conducted with the Studio 89 bolted to their matching stands – but not entirely. I also positioned the speakers on my reference Atacama Moseco 6 stands, where they are perfectly happy (although don’t look quite as swish). This review, then, is purely an appraisal of the loudspeakers and the loudspeakers only.  

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Features

• MPD III tweeter; 2 x 108mm RDT III mid/bass driver
• Rear-facing bass reflex slots
• 48Hz - 60kHz frequency response

These are passive loudspeakers, of course, and consequently ‘features’ are fairly thin on the ground. What features the Studio 89 have, though, are thoroughly researched and thoughtfully applied.

The front baffle of the speaker, for instance, is a slice of aluminium that’s isolated from the main body of the cabinet by a dense layer of foam. The baffle and the drive units it houses are then secured using ‘through-both’ technology running from the rear of the drivers to the rear of the cabinet. The intention is to create a very rigid cabinet structure in which the drive units can operate in isolation – and consequently offer cleaner and less coloured sound. The fact that this methodology means there are no visible fixings or screw-heads doesn’t do the look of the Studio 89 any harm, either.

The drive units themselves are arranged vertically – a couple of 108mm RDT III mid/bass drivers are positioned with an MPD III tweeter between them. This ‘MTM’ (mid/tweeter/mid) arrangement, says Monitor Audio, offers the advantage of large sound dispersion thanks to its ‘vertical symmetry’.

The RDT III mid/bass drivers are the latest refinement of the ‘C-CAM’ technology Monitor Audio has been enamoured of for years now. A combination of three very thin layers of ceramic-coated aluminium/magnesium, carbon weave and Nomex honeycomb core combine to produce a light, responsive driver that’s positioned ahead of a powerful motor system that uses a magnet that’s larger than the cone itself. 

The MPD III tweeter, meanwhile, uses its low-mass diaphragm pleats a bit like an accordion for smooth and rapid high-frequency response. Its square radiating area is designed for equal directivity both horizontally and vertically. Its carefully designed waveguide contributes to its directivity and soundstaging abilities, too – and the fact that it looks quite dramatic doesn’t do any harm, either.

Underpinning this driver array, sonically speaking, are a couple of narrow velocity ports positioned at the top and the bottom of the rear of each cabinet. The relatively large port area keeps both internal pressure and airflow within the cabinet balanced, and reduces turbulences – with the result, says Monitor Audio, that airflow is smooth and bass response is significant.

Elsewhere, the crossover that delivers the electrical signals to the drivers is a careful new design that uses polypropylene and polyester capacitors. Along with air-core and low-loss laminated steel-core inductors, the design is intended for optimal signal transfer and minimal distortion. Chunky rhodium-plated, precision-machined speaker terminals complete the impression of some thoroughly uncompromised engineering.      

Features score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Sound quality

• Poised and informative sound
• Detail and dynamism in equal measure
• Express rhythms expertly

There are plenty of loudspeakers that can peer deep into a mix and return with every scrap of information that’s in there. There are plenty of loudspeakers that can entertain with the vigorous nature of their presentation. Loudspeaker that can do both, though, are in rather more short supply. So it’s nice to be able to add the Studio 89 to the list.

What’s perhaps most immediately enjoyable about the way the Monitor Audio sound is how much they seem to be enjoying themselves. When playing an uncomplicatedly good-time recording like You! Me! Dancing! By Los Campesinos! there’s proper energy and vitality to the presentation, a sense of engagement that’s by no means a given no matter how much you spend on your speakers.

But this is not at the expense of insight. The Studio 89 create a large, well-organised soundstage that allows even a rather compressed and hazy mix like this one to stretch out and give each individual element a bt of space in which to operate. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the Monitor Audio manage to put even the most fleeting, transient occurrences into convincing context. Without making any part of the recording sound remote or estranged, the Studio 89 makes it easy to identify individual stands - yet the unity and togetherness of its presentation gives a genuine sensation of ‘performance’.

Something a bit less headrush-y and a bit more considered – Bad Kingdom by Moderat, say – allows the Studio 89 to demonstrate a nicely neutral tonal balance and extremely smooth integration of the frequency range. The handover between drivers is imperceptible, and no part of the frequency range is unduly underplayed or overstated. Low frequencies are deep, properly varied and textured, and controlled to the extent that rhythmic expression is never in doubt and momentum levels are always high. The opposite end of the scale is bright and substantial, so treble sounds shine without veering anywhere near hardness. And in between, the midrange is open and eloquent to the point that vocalists of all types, all techniques, all characters and all emotional states, are able to communicate fully.

Dynamic headroom is considerable, so big shifts in volume and/or intensity are tracked faithfully. And the less obvious, but no less crucial, dynamics of harmonic variation are given just the right amount of emphasis too. No matter how spare or how complex a recording, the Monitor Audio exercise authority over it.

About the only area in which the Syudio 89 might conceivably be described as ‘deficient’ is where simple attack is concerned. There’s nothing matter-of-fact about the way these speakers deliver a recording, you understand – but there are some alternative designs that have greater bite and assertiveness. But the more I think about it, the more I’d describe this as a ‘trait’ rather than a ‘deficiency’. If you’re one of those listeners who likes maximum drive and attack, you may find the judicious and balanced nature of the presentation here to be just slightly on the tentative side. The rest of us, though, will just admire what a thoroughly convincing sound is available.   

Sound quality score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Design

• Gloss black finish
• 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD)
• 7.6kg (each)

There’s a disproportionately tall, thin elephant in the room where the design of the Monitor Audio Studio 89 is concerned – so I may as well get right to it. At 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD) these are, without doubt, quite strangely proportioned loudspeakers. Seen from dead ahead they look quite tall and thin, because they are. But move around them and you realise they’re even deeper than they are tall. It’s an unusual effect, and it makes the bespoke stands Monitor Audio has developed for use with these speakers seem more like an essential than an option.

Rather gawky proportions aside, though, these are beautifully finished and quite good-looking speakers. The driver arrangement in the aluminium front baffle somehow makes them look rather startled, but the gloss black finish (your only option) is lustrous and deep – and it contrasts nicely with the copper/bronze color of the mid/bass drivers. The little badges that wrap around the bottom of each speaker, with their none-more-80s Ford Sierra typeface, are nicely judged too.

Design score: 4.5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Value

The usual caveats apply here, of course – you should really only consider the Studio 89 if you’re going to use them in a similarly expensive and capable system, and you are almost certain to have to find the money for the matching stands. But as long as you can live with these Ts & Cs, there’s no denying the value for money these speakers represent both as objects and, most importantly, where the sound they make is concerned.

Value score: 5/5 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Also consider

You have a lot of choice, from a lot of very well-regarded manufacturers, if you have this sort of money to spend on a pair of compact passive loudspeakers. 

The R3 Meta by KEF, for instance, are maybe $120 cheaper than the Studio 89 – and while they don’t look as dramatic, they certainly have plenty to recommend them where sound quality is concerned. 

Or you may decide to chuck even more money at it and check out the 705 S3 by Bowers & Wilkins – there’s nothing retro about they way they look, and the stands will cost you even more money than the Monitor Audio equivalent – but if you’ve the readies, these speakers are among the most rewarding around. 

(And if you've not? It's perhaps worth giving the B&W 600 Series a look). 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: How I tested

• Using the extra-cost stands – and using my stands
• Connected to a Naim Uniti Nova, listening to Qobuz and Tidal tracks
• Also hooked up a Rega Apollo for CDs; Cambridge Audio/Clearaudio for vinyl

My time listening to the Monitor Audio Studio 89 was split pretty much 50/50 between their being bolted to their bespoke, quite expensive, stands and sitting on more affordable (but eminently capable) Atacama Moseco 6 alternatives. 

They were powered by a Naim Uniti Nova streamer/amplifier capable of twisting out 70 watts of power per channel. As it’s a streamer as well as an amplifier, I used the Naim for listening to Qobuz and TIDAL. 

I used a Rega Apollo for listening to compact discs, and both Cambridge Audio Alva TT v2 and Clearaudio Concept turntables for vinyl listening. 

The speakers stayed in my listening space for the entirety of the test – the space is nothing esoteric, it’s fairly ordinary (although not especially reflective) room that works very well for my purposes. And I listened to a great many different recordings via these different sources, of a great many genres and from a wide range of eras.  

• First reviewed July 2024
• Read more about how we test

Q Acoustics M40 HD: Two minute review

Understandably emboldened by the success of its wireless-system-in-a-pair-of-speakers M20 HD, Q Acoustics is back with a bigger, floorstanding version. But everything’s relative, of course – and while the M40 HD is a wireless-system-in-a-pair-of-floorstanding-speakers, (so not exactly unlike some of the best wireless speakers we've tested, but not altogether the same either) it’s a lot more compact than you might be expecting. This means it’s ideal for those customers who either don’t have much space to spare, or are unwilling to fill their spare space with great big speakers and h-fi separates.

Specification, with one or two exceptions, is very good – there are wired and wireless connectivity options, and hi-res audio capability through both the digital optical and USB-B inputs. 200 watts of power should be more than enough for most people (and most neighbours). The M40 HD represents the most affordable product so far to feature the new Q Acoustics Continuous Curved Cone (C3) driver. And aptX HD and aptX Adaptive are always welcome where Bluetooth connectivity is concerned. So while some users might hanker after some wi-fi action or a control app, there’s more than enough here to be getting on with.

As far as sound quality is concerned, there is plenty to enjoy here. The M40 HD is a perky, punchy and articulate listen, and as long as you don’t position it too close to a rear surface it’s nicely balanced too. Its sound is consistent no matter which of its inputs you use, and there doesn’t seem to be a type or source of music it doesn’t get along with. So if it’s a big sound from a less-than-big system you’re after, you need to give this Q Acoustics a listen pronto. 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Price and release date

• Released February 15, 2024
• $999 / £749 / AU$1,999

The Q Acoustics M40 HD wireless music streaming system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it’s priced at £749. In the United States you should expect to pay $999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$1999.

That Q Acoustics knows exactly what it’s doing where products like this are concerned isn’t really up for question. But then neither is the fact that the M40 HD faces well-regarded competition – the likes of KEF, Klipsch and Triangle (to name but three) have fairly similar systems with which to tempt you. Q Acoustics, though, has a fairly obvious point of difference…

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Features

• 2 x 100W of power
• Wired and wireless connectivity
• 24-bit/192kHz hi-res compatibility

Each M40 HD loudspeaker features a decoupled tweeter positioned above two Continuous Curved Cone (C³) mid/bass drivers of the type first encountered in the company’s more expensive (and lately award-winning) 5000 series. Each has a bass reflex port towards the bottom of the rear of the cabinet, to help with low-frequency presence and punch. After that, though, they become slightly different.

In the case of the ‘secondary speaker’, the only other feature is a pair of speaker-cable binding posts just beneath that reflex port. The ‘primary’ speaker, by way of contrast, has plenty more going on.

As well as speaker binding posts, the ‘primary’ speaker has an output for mains power on its rear plate. It also has a pair of stereo RCA analogue inputs, a 3.5mm auxiliary sockets, and inputs for digital optical and USB-B - these last two are able to digital with incoming digital audio files of up to 24bit/192kHz resolution. There’s a switch to let the speaker know if it’s occupying the left or right position in the set-up, and whether it’s in free space, against a wall or in a corner. And there’s a pre-out for a subwoofer for the truly antisocial among us.

Wireless connectivity, meanwhile, is strictly via Bluetooth. It’s the 5.0 variation, with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and Low Latency codec compatibility. Some wi-fi connectivity would be nice, sure, but it seems safe to assume that Q Acoustics has balanced the feature-set against the eventual price and come up with a balance it’s pleased with.

The ‘primary’ speaker also takes care of amplifying both speakers (these are 'powered', rather than truly 'active' beasts). It features two Class D blocks of amplification, each of 100 watts. The M40 HD is supplied with a length of cable to connect the two speakers together – this, along with a connection to mains power, is the only wiring this wireless system requires.

Features score: 4.5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Sound quality

• Energy and dynamism to spare 
• Strikes a nice balance between ‘insight’ and ‘entertainment’ 
• A moment’s care with positioning is required

It becomes apparent after next-to-no listening that the Q Acoustics M40 HD prefer to be out in just a little open space, not hard against a rear wall, and toed in just a little towards your listening position. They don’t throw in the towel if some or all of this is not possible in your space, you understand – but like all of us, they have their preferences.

And when they’re positioned just so, and are connected via Bluetooth to a Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone using the aptX HD codec, and are playing a TIDAL-derived file of Grace Jones’ Pull Up to the Bumper, they’re an uncomplicatedly enjoyable listen. There are plenty of specific areas of music-making that are deserving of mention, but what’s most immediately evident is how engaging and upfront a listen the M40 HD is. This system sounds very much like it enjoys your favourite music almost as much as you do.

At every point in the frequency range, detail levels are impressively high and integration is smooth. The low frequencies are deep, nicely textured and enjoy proper control at the attack of notes or hits – and this straight-edged lead-in means the rhythm of the Grace Jones tunes is expressed confidently and positively. All the momentum the recording needs is available. And at the opposite end of the frequency range, there’s an enjoyable amount of bite and attack – but although treble sounds have plenty of shine, they’re also substantial. Which means the top end never gets out of hand, even if you decide to deploy every one of those 200 watts of Class D power that are available.

In between, there’s a stack of space in which La Jones can operate, a pocket in which the vocal is delivered with all of its attitude and character intact. Despite the spacious nature of the M40 HD presentation, though, each element of the recording is tightly integrated - so there’s never a suggestion of remoteness or isolation. The Q Acoustics system gives a good impression of ‘performance’, providing a great sensation of commonality and unity even if it’s playing very complex, element-heavy recordings.

Switching to a 24bit/192kHz Qobuz file of Curtis Mayfield’s (Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go served to the M40 HD via its USB-B socket allows the system to demonstrate its prowess where soundstaging and dynamics are concerned. The presentation is wide and deep, with more than enough room for each strand of the recording to do its thing without being impacted on from elsewhere - and when Curtis and his band turn the wick up, the Q Acoustics tracks changes in intensity (as well as simple volume) faithfully. It’s an expressive, open listen overall, with a stack of pertinent observations to make - but most of all, it’s an energetic and entertaining listen.

In ultimate terms its tonality is on the warm-ish side of neutral, but that’s a trait rather than an outright flaw. And it’s safe to say the system doesn’t need all that much encouragement to overstate the lowest frequencies a little - so not only should you be reasonably careful about positioning, you might want to think about deploying the port bungs that are supplied. Other than this, though, it’s hard to find fault with the M40 HD’s presentation.   

Sound quality score: 5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Design

• 710 x 250 x 296mm (HxWxD)
• Point-to-point cabinet bracing
• Choice of three finishes

It may not be immediately apparent from the pictures, but each M40 HD speaker is 710 x 250 x 296mm (HxWxD) including the little stabilisers at the back of the cabinet – and, as such, is to my knowledge unique in the current marketplace. Floorstanding speakers, whether passive or powered, are without exception quite a bit taller than this and so Q Acoustics has a unique offering here. Whether that’s ‘unique in a good way’ or not entirely depends on you – personally, I can easily imagine that a speaker of these dimensions will find favour with any number of customers who fancy some full-on audio performance without full-on speakers delivering it.  

Other than the rather startling dimensions, it’s Q Acoustics design business as usual here – which is, broadly speaking, a good thing. The cabinet is vinyl-wrapped MDF (available in white or black in addition to the walnut of my review sample), and features the established and extremely successful point-to-point bracing technology that Q Acoustics has been perfecting for a while now. Each cabinet also has a Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser to reduce internal pressure and further reduce unwanted internal vibrations. 

As with the M20 HD, each grille is fixed and cannot be removed. That’s a bit of a pity in aesthetic terms, if for no other reason that the C³ driver is quite a good-looking piece of technology (as long as you bear in mind that everything’s relative). Q Acoustics, though, makes a strong argument that fixing the grille in place allows its structure, particularly around the drivers, to be minimised – which reduces sonic reflections. And given that I can’t take the grilles off and find out for myself, I’m not really in any position to argue.  

Design score: 5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Usability and setup

• Remote control handset
• A few simple controls
• Simple and quick to set up

On the top of the ‘primary’ speaker there are three little buttons. There’s a ‘volume up’ and a ‘volume down’ button, and the third takes care of ‘power on/off’, input selection and Bluetooth pairing. 

These functions are duplicated on the remote control handset that’s supplied with the M40 HD. In addition, you get a ‘mute’ button and the ability to skip forwards or backwards through your streamed content. Apart from the fact that the volume adjustment is a slightly blunt instrument, it’s a perfectly serviceable little device.

Setting up the M40 HD couldn’t really be much simpler. There are stabilisers and spikes to be attached to the bottom of each speaker, and they must be connected using the supplied length of speaker cable. After that, plug the ‘primary’ speaker into the mains, and once you’ve told it what’s what as regards its position in your room, you’re good to go. 

Usability and setup score: 5/5 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Value

Whether or not these speakers are the right sort of size for your environment, there’s no denying the quality of their construction and finish. Add in specification that’s well up to snuff and sound quality that justifies the outlay every time, and the Q Acoustics M40 HD represents unarguable value for money.

Value score: 5/5 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Also consider

Where their configuration is concerned, the Q Acoustics M40 HD are currently number one in a field of one – almost every price- and function-comparable alternative is a pair of standmounting speakers. So while the more expensive KEF LSX II LT is better-specified in some ways, it doesn’t have a hope of delivering the sheer scale of sound the M40 HD can muster – and neither can the similarly talented (but similarly bijou) KEF LS50 Wireless II. But if everything except the price is appealing about the M40 HD, then check out their smaller, more affordable but similarly high-achieving Q Acoustics M20 HD siblings. 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: How I tested

• Standing in free(ish) space
• Using every available input
• Lots of music over a fair amount of time

The only connection I didn’t use was the subwoofer pre-out – because, quite frankly, the M40 HD sounds hefty enough by itself (especially if you position it too close to a rear surface, where the reflex ports can get a bit pushy). But the analogue inputs accommodate a pre-amplified turntable, the digital optical was used for a CD player, the USB-B connected the system to a laptop… and, of course, Bluetooth was handy for use with a smartphone. And then it was really just a case of listening to lots of familiar music, at a variety of volume levels, for as long as I thought I could get away with it… 

• First reviewed February 2024
• Read more about how we test

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2020
• Launch price: $250 / £200 (approx. AU$360)
• Regular price now: $220 / £170

Update: February 2024. The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2 is still a hit with us on TechRadar despite its age – it's still the speaker I personally use and prefer among the best Bluetooth speakers. My strong recommendation for it comes partly because, even though it was pricey to start with and the official price has actually risen to $299 / £259 / AU$600, but it's regularly available for much less than that – it just won't always be discounted in every color. The quality of the sound balance and detail is a clear step up over the likes of the Sonos Roam, for not necessarily a lot more money – and the battery life is better, too. The sound is less bouncy and party-focused, so consider this the music-lover's choice, and it holds up in that regard to this day. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Two-minute review

Bang and Olufsen has a strong reputation, so much so that even those who don't know much about speakers know that it's a good brand to purchase from. Back in 2016, it launched its smallest and most affordable Bluetooth speaker, the Beosound A1, and now we've reached the second generation edition of the same speaker. 

At a glance, you'd think you were holding the same portable speaker as before with only some minor visual changes, but underneath the hood, there are some hefty improvements that make this an appealing package for most. 

Crucially, there's Alexa support here – something that's quite unusual for a Bluetooth only speaker. More on how that works without Wi-Fi later, but it's certainly an interesting twist on the smart speaker. 

Elsewhere, one of the delights about the B&O Beosound A1 is its looks. It looks gorgeous and would easily slot into any home, while also being very easy to move between rooms because, ultimately, it's made to be moved around. 

Fortunately, it's not style over substance either, with the B&O Beosound A1 delivering fantastic audio quality, with a consistently crisp sound. Whether you're listening to the latest from The Weeknd or Billie Eilish, or listening to some classical music, the Beosound A1 simply sounds great. You'll be impressed at how every instrument stands out, even if the soundstage of this mini speaker shines best in a smaller room than some beefier-looking specimens. 

Ultimately, we were impressed with the B&O Beosound A1. A marked improvement over its predecessor, there's better battery life, and waterproofing, although we're not so sure how much we'd like to take it outside the home. Alexa support is a bit poor for reasons we'll go into in our full review below, but the Beosound A1 is still a fine example of why Bang & Olufsen's good reputation precedes it.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Price & release date

• Costs $250 / £200 (around AU$360)
• Launched on May 14, 2020
• Two colors available

Launched on May 14, 2020, the B&O Beosound A1 comes with a recommended retail price of $250 / £200. That works out at around AU$360, though we're still waiting on official Australian pricing.

Don't expect discounts just yet as it's a brand new device. Be careful to look out for whether you're buying a first or second generation unit as there are considerable discounts for the former now, but you'll miss out on some key features. 

Two colors are available - Black Anthracite and Grey Mist. Both look pretty stylish and the kind of thing you could easily slip into your living room setup. 

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Design

• Stylish design
• Waterproof
• Awkward buttons

B&O usually do a good job of designing attractive speakers and that's certainly the case here. With a metallic casing, the B&O Beosound A1 is a circular disc of a device being a little slimmer and lighter than its first generation predecessor. 

Attached to one side is a leather carrying strap with a Bang and Olufsen adorned toggle for adjustments. It makes it easy to grab as well as hook onto things for safety when on the move. 

It all looks suitably classy, which means we would hate to chip it or damage it accidentally. While the IP67 certified waterproofing of the B&O Beosound A1 makes it suitable for outdoor use, we're not convinced we'd fancy its chances on a muddy hike. This is a waterproof speaker to leave by the pool rather than take anywhere off the beaten path. 

All the controls are around the outside of the speaker. There are buttons for power, Bluetooth, microphone, as well as volume, along with a USB-C charging port too. 

Annoyingly, the buttons aren't raised or tactile in any way. That means they look great but if you're fumbling in the dark to adjust something, you won't be able to see what you're doing. 

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Audio performance

• Crisp sound 
• Relatively small soundstage
• Stereo pairing support

The revamped B&O Beosound A1 has a 3.5-inch woofer along with a 0.6-inch tweeter, and it's powered by two 30W Class D amplifiers. As well as that, the grille has a slightly different hole pattern to its predecessor. 

OK, so we're not sure if that makes a huge difference to the sound, but the rest of the specs bode well for a strong audio performance. It also now supports Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive codec, although bear in mind that your smartphone might not. 

Bang & Olufsen recommends the speaker for small social gatherings, offices or mid-sized rooms, and that sounds about right to us. Its soundstage is suitably impressive in a relatively small room, delivering the sense of 360 degrees of music. Go outside or into a much larger room however, and you'll realize that size does matter – or at least you'll wish you had two of these. Back to the living room and the B&O Beosound A1 sounds a delight. 

It's consistently crisp. We found ourselves enjoying our favorite songs as if we were listening to them for the first time. Tracks like The Weeknd's Blinding Light sound exciting, punchy and energetic, with the likes of Childish Gambino's Feels Like Summer sounding smooth and detailed. 

That trend continued with older hits like The Beach Boys' God Only Knows, with each instrument sounding distinctive and sharp. In reassuring contrast, Yaeji's Raingurl sounded surprisingly thumpy in the bass frequencies, but in a good way that makes you want to at least tap to the beat. Simply put, everything sounded devoid of grain or harshness, with a strong, powerful performance. 

The soundstage could maybe feel a bit wider, but you'll only really notice this in a large space. In the bathroom, bedroom, or a medium sized living room, the B&O Beosound A1 easily captures your attention. 

We can only imagine pairing it up with a second device for stereo sound would counteract these soundstage issues very well.

It's always satisfying feeling like you're rediscovering music with a new speaker and the B&O Beosound A1 has that sense of delight to it. 

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Battery life & connectivity

• 18 hours of battery life
• Bluetooth 5.1 
• USB-C charging

The B&O Beosound A1 supports Bluetooth 5.1 which is immediately welcome, thanks to further pairing distances, which are sure to come in handy if you've got a big room or outdoor space for using it in. 

Bluetooth 5.1 also allows for better battery life with B&O claiming 18 hours of playback at a "typical" volume, with even more possible at a lower volume. 

In our tests, we found that about right although mileage definitely varies when you increase the sound to very high levels. Still, that's not bad at all and it recharges quickly too, thanks to the USB-C connectivity. 

Don't expect anything more complicated than the USB-C port. There's no place for a 3.5mm AUX-in port, for instance. That keeps the B&O Beosound A1 sleek and minimalist, but you might find yourself wishing for an extra option for connectivity, particularly if you prefer the stability of wired playback. 

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen): Alexa support & app

• Alexa depends on your smartphone's Wi-Fi
• Can control your smart home devices
• B&O app comes with an equalizer

Perhaps the biggest feature here is the aforementioned Alexa support, despite the Beosound A1 being a solely Bluetooth-connected speaker. 

B&O states it's a world first for a Bluetooth speaker to offer Alexa without Wi-Fi support. Of course, it does still rely on Wi-Fi (rather than magic, we assume) but that comes via the smartphone that you have connected to the speaker. 

It's simple enough to set up but it's flawed. Besides the obvious drawbacks to needing to keep the speaker within range of the phone (although Bluetooth 5.1 helps there), it's a little slower than a direct response. 

We also found that despite the three-microphone array, the B&O Beosound A1 isn't always the most responsive to the 'Alexa' wake word. This isn't a speaker to buy if Alexa support is vital, but it's a neat bonus, and it means that it can double up as a smart speaker you can use to control your smart home devices. 

The B&O Beosound A1 ties into the B&O app fairly well. You can adjust volume, switch Alexa support on or off, as well as tweak listening modes via an equalizer. 

This means even if you're not technically minded, you can still immediately notice the difference between presets like Ambient, Party, and Speaker. It's possible to customize these too ,to get the sound just how you like it. There's also the option to pair two A1 speakers together for stereo sound, although you can't do this with an older first generation device, sadly. 

Should I buy the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed: June 2020

• Looking for more? Check out the best Bluetooth speakers of 2020

Editor's Note

• Original review date: April 2022
• Still on sale
• Launch price: $40 / £40 / AU$99.95
• Official price now: $44.99 / £38.99 / AU$69.95

Update: February 2024. Two years on from when we first reviewed them, the Creative Pebble Plus remain our pick for the best budget computer speakers. The price has dropped a little bit in most markets, making these great value speakers even better buys. Their stylish and unobtrusive design means they can sit on even a small desk and not get in the way. They look great, and they sound brilliant as well. Unlike many other cheap computer speakers, the Creative Pebble Plus come with a subwoofer for extra bass. Even in 2024, few competitors at this price point do that, which is why we still heartily recommend them today.

Unlike picking out a new surround system that requires a bit of research and planning, upgrading to the best computer speakers is pretty easy. But, for the budget-conscious, it's now even easier thanks to the new Creative Pebble Plus. 

For around the cost of a dinner, Creative is underselling and overdelivering with these criminally cheap 2.1 stereo speakers that cost just $40 (around £30, AU$50). 

Who doesn’t like a good bargain? We certainly do, and we think you’ll feel the same way about this combination of stereo speakers and sub. 

Design

One thing that's surprising, especially at this price point, is that the speakers actually come with a subwoofer (hence the “Plus” in the product’s moniker). There is a Creative Pebble, but for an extra $5, you get the woofer.

Now, the sub could be a bit sturdier and feels a little light, but there is a 4-inch driver inside angled downwards capable of pumping out 4-watts of bass. Other than a single connector in the back, there’s nothing actionable on the sub itself, but the simplicity is expected at this price point. 

The other thing you'll notice is the slight slant of the speakers themselves, a relatively minor, yet still significant move. Often times, computer speakers either face straight ahead or offer only a slight angle. Here, both speakers have been set to about a 45-degree angle, pointing them towards your ears when sitting down. Not only does this give the Pebble Plus a more unique look, but it helps with sound quality, too.

In terms of connections, you get the audio connector for the sub, plus a 3.5mm Aux-In and USB plug. The Pebble Plus has no AC adapter, so it won’t take up a space on a power outlet or power bar, and instead draws power from USB.

Setup

The good news is that setup is fairly simple considering how few wires there are connected to the speakers... but the bad news is that all the cables run through the right speaker, making it a little challenging for us to lay things out in a neat way - this isn’t one of those 2.1 systems that enables you to be all that creative on the display side of things.

One of the cords you'll need to worry about is USB, which is needed for power. You can obviously plug it into your PC, but a nearby USB port on a power bar served the same purpose. The cables are quite long, and we tried to maintain their bundled state (out of the box) as much as possible. 

Keep in mind that you don’t get any wireless capabilities here, so forget Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Chromecast or any other protocol that saves you from wires. They won’t work here. 

The right speaker does have a gain switch underneath and volume dial at the front. We tried different configurations to gauge performance but, truth be told, volume level was a far more important factor in sound quality.

Performance

What we mean there is that these speakers, like most other cheap speakers, had an obvious tipping point before distortion set in. It did vary, depending on the track we played, but be prepared to hear it if you go all-out.

For example, Blame It by Jamie Foxx was one of those tracks where we could discern muddier mids, and found similar examples with other R&B and hip hop tracks. The bass does sound more distorted when the song itself has heavy bass in it, but the real sacrifice here is in the mids, and to a lesser extent, the highs.

When we played Def Leppard’s Hysteria album, we noted a nice, balanced sound signature. It didn’t replicate what something 10 times the price would produce, but we never expected that anyway. What was surprising was that complex tracks didn’t sound like a muffled set of instruments. Pianos, saxophones, guitars — they all had some life to them. Such was the case when we played the Battlefield V and Battlefield I soundtracks, along with a number of movie scores done by the late John Barry. 

Movies and games offer similar results. Gamers won’t find much to be impressed with here, though that’s hardly the crowd Creative is angling for. Movies and shows, or simply browsing through an array of YouTube clips, we came away hearing a relatively crisp level of sound.

The thing about these speakers is they do have a sweet spot: For instance, if your computer is angled on a desk rather than facing you head on, you’re better off positioning the speakers to face you on from the computer on one end, and toward where you sit facing forward on the other. We don’t know for sure, but we suspect this is one reason why the cables are unusually long. 

Final verdict

Going in with measured expectations, we came away feeling good about the overall value of these 2.1 computer speakers. There are Bluetooth speakers that cost much more than this, and don’t offer stereo sound - this setup does, and while they don't stand-up to a Hi-Fi setup, their performance is better than the price would indicate. 

It's also worth pointing out that because there's a very minor difference in price between the Creative Pebble and Creative Pebble Plus, we would suggest ignoring the basic 2.0 Pebble speakers and going for the Plus version - the subwoofer is absolutely worth plunking down an extra bit of coin.

All things considered, if you're on a budget, yet really want better computer sound, you will get more than your money’s worth with the Pebble Plus. 

• Looking to cut the cord? Here are the best wireless speakers in 2019