Stuff - UK (2021-08)

GROUP TEST PORTABLE SPEAKERS

59

Behold our eclectic pick of the best sub-£200 portable

speakers to soundtrack your summer, along with

the best eco-backpacks to carry them in

Cheap

grilles

Treble’s coming

B&O’s app lets you

adjust the EQ and

check how much

of the Explore’s

generous 27hr battery

life you’ve got left to

play with.

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What’s the story?

The Explore pushes the rugged

end of the portability spectrum

more than most (including its

Beosound A1 cousin on p65). For

a start, it doesn’t have a leather

carrying strap but a hardy wove n

one, and includes an aluminium

carabiner for hooking it to a

rucksack. It also ditches touch

controls for buttons, for better

accuracy on the go.

The anodised aluminium body

is scratch-resistant and as stylish

as you’d expect, with a grille

that’s cut in 360° lines around

its cylindrical body. Not only does

that mean it looks lovely, but it

also supports B&O’s True360

omnidirectional sound.

For an outdoor speaker, it’s

suitably rated at IP67 for keeping

out dust and water, and at 637g

it’s reassuringly weighty in the

hand without adding a load of

unwanted heft to your bag.

Is it any good?

The Beosound Explore has

a hugely likeable presentation,

but needs a bit of help with

placement to ensure you’re

getting the best from it.

That’s because it’s been tuned

with the outdoors in mind. Its

bass – all 59dB of it, don’t you

know – is controlled but a little

heavy-handed, while its 360°

projection thickens up the

midrange at the expense of

some fine detail.

However, take it outside

and the sound of the Explore

makes much more sense. Its

presentation quickly becomes

more balanced when competing

with the elements, and that

added weight in the mids helps

it to sound more solid from top

to bottom. Crisp treble ensures

the top end doesn’t get lost

in the process either, which

helps to give it a healthy dose

of energy and drive.

It’s not capable of quite as

big a soundstage as the Bose

Revolve II on p64, and it’s not

as refined as the Beosound A1,

but it projects well and can go all

the way to the top of its volume

allowance while largely keeping

its cool – even if you’re not.

Price £169 / stuff.tv/Explore

Key specs O 60W, 2x 1.8in

drivers O Bluetooth 5.2,

USB-C O Up to 27hrs O IP67

O 124x81x81mm, 637g

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore

STUFF SAYS Not our first choice for house parties, but an outdoor star ++++,

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