The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is a top-tier wireless Bluetooth speaker that was first announced mid-2021. Similar to the top speakers designed for outdoor use, the Beosound Explore has great build quality and is both waterproof and dust resistant. Its battery also lasts long since it offers up to nine hours of playtime. Its Bluetooth capabilities are not that far off from what some of the best Bluetooth speakers have to offer since it can be paired with up to two devices at once, and it has a Bluetooth range of up to 334.6 ft. The speaker will take only 3.9 hours to charge, and its charging port is connected via a USB-C port. For a speaker that doesn’t need to be connected to a port to charge. Weighing only 1.3 pounds, the speaker is also very portable, but if you’d also like to consider other portable options, check out our Bose SoundLink Flex review.
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The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore had reviewers pleased with its excellent build quality and compact size. They liked that it had a long-lasting battery and produced a wide soundstage, but they didn’t appreciate its mediocre bass levels and its lack of support for voice assistants or WiFi connectivity.
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Product Snapshot
Overview
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is a top-tier wireless Bluetooth speaker that was first announced mid-2021. Similar to the top speakers designed for outdoor use, the Beosound Explore has great build quality and is both waterproof and dust resistant. Its battery also lasts long since it offers up to nine hours of playtime. Its Bluetooth capabilities are not that far off from what some of the best Bluetooth speakers have to offer since it can be paired with up to two devices at once, and it has a Bluetooth range of up to 334.6 ft. The speaker will take only 3.9 hours to charge, and its charging port is connected via a USB-C port. For a speaker that doesn’t need to be connected to a port to charge. Weighing only 1.3 pounds, the speaker is also very portable, but if you’d also like to consider other portable options, check out our Bose SoundLink Flex review.
Consensus
our Verdict
Product testers lauded the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore for its sturdy build quality and impressive portability. Specialists from Expert Reviews liked that the speaker was small enough to hold with one hand and was dust-tight and waterproof. During their tests, its battery lasted 27 hours after playing audio at moderate volumes, while testers from Tech Radar also liked that they could adjust its EQ settings through its app. Other experts were also impressed with its soundstage performance, and found it alright for watching movies and playing music. They also lauded its multi-device Bluetooth connectivity and were pleased with its long 334.6 ft range.
However, testers weren’t entirely satisfied with its bass levels. If this is a deal breaker, you might like our Bose Portable Smart speaker review and our Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 review since they both have a good bass response. The Beosound Explore also doesn’t support WiFi connectivity, or voice assistants like the Bose 300 does (which we’ve covered in our Bose Home Speaker 300 review).
ReasonS to Buy
- Great build quality and durability
- Long-lasting battery
- Compact and lightweight
- Long Bluetooth range
- Multi-device Bluetooth connectivity
Reason to Avoid
- Mediocre bass response
- No support for WiFi or voice assistants
- No speakerphone functionality
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Specs
Battery Life | 27 hrs | |
Built In Microphone | Yes | |
Charge Time | 2 hrs | |
Size | 8.1 cm (d) x 12.4 cm (h) | |
Smart App | Yes | |
Speaker Pairing | Yes | |
Water Resistant | Yes | |
Wattage | 2 × 30W | |
Wireless Range | n/a |
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Speakers based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Battery Life (Hours) | 9 |
Volume Output (dB) | 84.8 |
Low End Roll Off (Hz) | 142.544 |
High End Roll Off (Hz) | 1,784.241 |
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Product Comparison
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Review | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
True Score | 75 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
Ranking | # 93 / 109 | # 9 / 109 | # 18 / 109 | # 52 / 109 |
Market Context |
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is a top-tier wireless Bluetooth speaker that was first announced mid-2021. Similar to the top speakers designed for outdoor… |
The difference in size is not the only thing that sets the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore apart from the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1… The difference in size is not the only thing that sets the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore apart from the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2. Upon further inspection, keen buyers might notice that the Beosound Explore has a stereo output while the Beosound A1 does not. The former also has a longer 9-hour battery life than the latter’s 4.6 hours. Take a look at our Bang & Olufsen A1 Gen 2 review for more highlights on what else it can do. |
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore has an equalizer while the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II does not, but the Beosound Explore is capable of a… The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore has an equalizer while the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II does not, but the Beosound Explore is capable of a stereo output while the Revolve+ II is not. |
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore has a longer 9-hour battery life compared to the Sonos Roam, whose battery only lasts up to 5.1 hours…. The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore has a longer 9-hour battery life compared to the Sonos Roam, whose battery only lasts up to 5.1 hours. Still, the Sonos Roam supports WiFi connectivity and voice assistant functionality, while the Beosound Explore does not. |
Battery Life | 27 hrs | 18 hrs | 17 hrs | 10 hrs |
Built In Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Charge Time | 2 hrs | 2 hrs | 4 hrs | 2 hrs |
Size | 8.1 cm (d) x 12.4 cm (h) | 13.3 cm (w) x 4.5 cm (h) x 13.3 cm (d) (Weight: 558 g) | – | – |
Smart App | Yes | Yes | Amazon Alexa app, Bose Connect, Google Assistant, Yes | Amazon Alexa app, Google Assistant, Sonos app |
Speaker Pairing | Yes | n/a | Yes | Yes |
Water Resistant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Wattage | 2 × 30W | 105W | 8W | 10W |
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews
Expert Scores
Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.
- 100.6
Category Trust Rating
69“No bottom line found for this product” Read MoreBy:
Andy White - 43.6
Category Trust Rating
80The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore looks great, is rugged and waterproof but doesn’t deliver… Read MoreBy:
Mike Lowe - 55.2
Category Trust Rating
NRB&O Beosound Explore Looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that can withstand the a bit… Read MoreBy:
Unknown - 52.7
Category Trust Rating
80The Beosound Explore is a stylish and durable speaker for accompanying you wherever you go,… Read MoreBy:
Matthew Bolton - 19.7
Category Trust Rating
80The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is part of the Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers test… Read MoreBy:
Nick Rego - 15.6
Category Trust Rating
NRBang & Olufsen Explore is a cool-looking, compact, great-sounding portable speaker—and is dazzling in the… Read MoreBy:
Unknown
Customer Scores
- NR
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Ratings
- NR
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Ratings
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