Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 vs Bose SoundLink Max

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Beosound A5 compared with SoundLink Max

	Bang & OlufsenBeosound A5	BoseSoundLink Max
Overview
Released
Released	April 2023	May 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Portable speaker	Portable speaker
Channels
Channels	–	Stereo
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	5.25-inch woofer, two 2-inch full-range drivers and a 3/4-inch tweeter; 360° sound with beamforming	Three transducers and two custom passive radiators
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	Four 70 W class D (non-clipped peak), 280 W in total	–
Frequency response
Frequency response	32 Hz – 23 kHz; up to 101 dB SPL at 1 m; bass capability 80 dB SPL at 1 m	–
Audio formats
Audio formats	MP3, WMA, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG, HLS; up to 24-bit/192 kHz	–
Room tuning
Room tuning	Active Room Compensation and RoomSense; Beosonic equaliser	Adjustable EQ (bass, mid-range and treble) in the Bose app
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Yes	No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	Yes	No
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3 (5.2 at launch); ultra-wideband	Bluetooth 5.4 (Bose UK spec page; the launch press release said 5.3); SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive (Snapdragon Sound); multipoint; Google Fast Pair; A2DP, AVRCP, SPP, iAP and BLE; 9 m range
Ports
Ports	USB-C (power in, 27–45 W USB-C PD recommended)	USB-C in and out (charges a phone); 3.5 mm AUX input
Streaming
Streaming	AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Deezer Connect; Bang & Olufsen Radio	Bluetooth; shortcut button can start Spotify Tap
Multi-room
Multi-room	Stereo pairing (LC3plus); Beolink Multiroom, AirPlay and Chromecast multi-room; Beolink Surround with Beosound Theatre	Stereo Mode or Party Mode with a second SoundLink Max; SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers
App
App	Bang & Olufsen app	Bose app
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 12 hours	Up to 20 hours
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	IP65	IP67
Weight
Weight	3.8 kg	2.2 kg (better)
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	More than 12 hours at 70 dB; replaceable 7,200 mAh lithium-ion battery; 3 hours to charge, 2 hours to 80%	Up to 20 hours; 5 hours to charge; USB-C power adapter not included outside the US
Controls
Controls	Top-panel buttons with favourite buttons; Beoremote One BT and Beoremote Halo	Buttons, including a shortcut button for AUX switching or Spotify Tap
Microphones
Microphones	For Active Room Compensation	None
Mounting
Mounting	Oak handle	Removable rope handle included; rope carrying strap sold separately
Size
Size	285 × 187 × 130 mm (W × H × D); 260 mm wide without the handle; Spaced Aluminium version 3.9 kg	4.73 × 10.42 × 4.13 in (H × W × D)
Colours
Colours	Oak, Dark Oak, Nordic Weave, Century Weave, Spaced Aluminium, Navy Blue (Bang & Olufsen UK)	Black, Blue Dusk
In the box
In the box	Beosound A5, USB-C power adapter (depending on version), USB charging cable (2 m), quick start guide	SoundLink Max, USB-C to USB-C cable, safety sheet