62 T 3 JULY 2021
State of the artB&O BEOSOUND EXPLOREB&O
BEOSOUND
EXPLORE
PRODUCT 02 :
With itsgleaming metal and ribbed design,the Explore lookseffortlessly cool,
like the Capitol Records buildingredesigned for the Blade Runnerskylinehe Explore maynot fit inyourjeans, but it’ll
tuck into yourbag no problem. However,
that’s only ifyou want to hide it – it’s the best
looking of these tough little speakers bya long
way.And despite its small size,B&O hasput all the care
and attention you’d expect intoits audio.
We absolutely lovethe look of the Explore. Withits
ribbed design, and gleaming aluminium finish, it looks
likeif the Capitol Records building had been part of the
Blade Runnerskyline. It doesn’t just look cool, though.
e ribbed design is aclever part of what makes this such
a sturdy speaker. A circle is the most robust shape,and
making this outside panel ribbed is smart, because it
reduces the weight while allowing the sound to escape.
It’sIP67-rated, which means it’sverywellsealed
against dust ingress and can survive inup to 1m of fresh
water for upto 30 minutes. We’ve not leftit for that long,
but it’s come out of lighter dunkingswithout a problem.
e Explore’simpressivetrick is howrefined and well
balanced it isfor such a small speaker.Whereas many
smallspeakers attempt to overcome their size limitations
by ramping up the bass and treble,the Explore hasno
such interests. Everything is weighted just right against
each other – bass is presentand firm, but not showy. e
mid-range iswarm, whilethe treble is detailedand clear,
but never overlysharp.
It’snot expansive, though. Itsounds likeit’s coming
from a single small unit, even ifit doespush sound out in
360 degrees well. Cranking upthe volume reveals that it
keeps controlwell, avoiding the distortion that can plague
smallspeakers, but it doesn’t open up the sound that much.
e Explore still handles dynamic rangebetter than
the Sonos Roam. Butit’s an interesting fight against the
JBL Charge5, which usesits larger sizeto create more
expansive sound, and feelsmore natural in that regard.
However,the JBL’smid-range isn’tits strongest side, and
the B&O’s balance feelsmore complete...it’s just that it
feelssmaller. Which is fair enough, giventhatit is smaller.
We’re big fans of the B&O Explore. It’s a great size, it’s
one of ourfavourite gadget designs ever, it gets its music
balancespot on, and that gigantic batterylifeis exactly
what you’dwantfrom a portable speaker.
Refined Bluetooth speaker inside, tough
bastard outside
TIt doesn’t just look cool:
the ribbed design is what
makes this so sturdy