Bang & Olufsen has launched its latest portable Bluetooth speaker to compete with the Sonos Roam. The Beosound Explore has been designed with durability in mind, using anodized aluminum for better scratch resistance. The outdoor speaker also comes with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, so you can take it camping or to the beach without worrying that a bit of sand or water will ruin your music. Its fluted design certainly stands out from other portable speakers on the market, and it's available in black, green, and gray, which Bang & Olufsen says "recalls the forests, glaciers, and fjords typically found in Scandinavian landscapes." An aluminum carabiner means you can clip the speaker to your backpack, as well as a built-in strap, and at 631g / 1.3lb it should be light enough to carry all day. In addition to the Beosound Explore, there's a user interface that the company says can be easily operated with gloves in cold weather.
(Image credit: Bang & Olufsen) Bang & Olufsen says the speaker will last 27 hours while playing music at "typical listening volume," which should easily cover you for a day of tunes. As for the sound? Inside the Besound Explore are two 1,8-inch full-range speakers that should deliver powerful sound. According to Bang & Olufsen, special attention has been paid to the bass response of the speaker, and as a result it can deliver 59 dB in the lower frequency range, which should be ideal for outdoor listening. You also get true 360-degree sound, so the speaker should sound perfect no matter where you are in relation to it.
How does it compare to Sonos Roam?
The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker you can buy in 2021, and naturally we're interested to see how the Beosound Explore compares. They seem to be two very different speakers; while the Sonos Roam is designed for a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor listening, the Beosound Explore is all about outdoor use. Unlike the Roam, the new Bang & Olufsen speaker doesn't come with a built-in voice assistant and doesn't fit into a larger wireless speaker setup, though it can be paired in stereo, two Beosound Explore speakers. Overall, it's a simpler speaker that might be suitable for those who just want to connect their phone via Bluetooth 5.2 and hit play. Despite its simpler setup, the Beosound Explore is more expensive than the Sonos Roam, at $199/£169 (around AU$250). It's available for purchase now in black and green, with the gray design coming later this year.