● GARDEN PARTY TIPS
70
GARDEN GADGETS
Whether it’s wrestling with a jungle of weeds or pogoing by the light
of the silvery moon, it still needs a soundtrack. Cue Greensleeves...
ver since Bang &
Olufsen decided to
descend into the world
of affordable audio with its
playful B&O Play sub-brand
nine years ago, it’s done
portable pretty well... but
something always missing
was a waterproof speaker.
The Beosound A1 2nd Gen
changes that, and adds some
extra hidden smarts for outdoor
adventures – even if that just
means walking to the bottom
of the garden.Dane kept a-rollin’
B&O Play no longer exists, but
that doesn’t mean the Danes
have forgotten how to have
fun – in a controlled, sensible
manner. That’s because the
improved A1 lasts longer – up
to two days – and is lighter.
B&O can also boast a world
first on the latest A1: it’s the
only Bluetooth-only speaker
to sport Alexa voice control
built in, hitchhiking on your
phone for a data connectionto Amazon’s servers. Tweaked
audio drivers and Bluetooth 5.1
deliver enhanced 360° sound
with a 92dB max loudness
when streaming, while three
internal mics make it a very
capable speakerphone for
taking business calls from
the paddling pool.
If you’re feeling flush, buy
two and pair them for stereo
sound. As ever, sound can be
personalised using the Bang
& Olufsen app, which includes
a number of audio presets.Heady metal machine
Design-wise the A1 doesn’t
look any different to the old
one – well, there was nothing
wrong with the pearl-blasted
aluminium chassis before – but
now there’s that IP67 rating,
which extends waterproofing
to the leather carry-rope.
Bang & Olufsen tends to
offer seasonal colour changes
to its products; for now your
options are grey, gold, black,
pink or a very leafy green.JBL PULSE 4
With a load of LED
lights installed
beneath the
speaker’s surface,
the Pulse 4
puts the ‘blue’
in Bluetooth by
lighting up in sync
with your tunes.
There’s IPX7
waterproofing,
and despite all that
illumination it’ll still
play for 12hrs.
£100 / jbl.comSONOS MOVE
A Sonos speaker
roaming free, the
Move means the
multiroom champ is
no longer restrained
by Wi-Fi or a power
socket. Switch to
Bluetooth to take
it further afield,
and the IP56 rating
ensures it should
cope with a
moderately wild
and wet summer.
£399 / sonos.comBOSE
PORTABLE
SMART
SPEAKER
Bose promises
improved 360°
sound and deeper
bass than you’ll find
in any competing
speaker of the
same size. It’s
lightweight too,
and has a handle
for carrying it into
the garden.
£310 / bose.co.ukHOUSE OF
MARLEY NO
BOUNDS XL
HoM’s portable
speaker is made
from sustainably
harvested cork, so
it’ll float in the pool.
It’s also lightweight
and antimicrobial,
and the cork
happens to
be organic and
biodegradable.
£120 /
houseofmarley.co.ukULTIMATE EARS
WONDER-
BOOM 2
The Wonderboom
2’s outdoor boost
mode activates
a preset EQ and
gives the sturdy
little speaker that
extra bit of oomph
and clarity. There’s
also 13hrs of
battery life and
IP67 protection.
£90 /
ultimateears.comMARSHALL
TUFTON
From the masters
of rock amplification,
this portable party
animal has enough
power to deafen
the neighbours...
and 20hrs of
stamina to keep
deafening them all
night. Oh, and it has
hi-fi refinement as
well as sheer grunt.
£350 / marshall
headphones.comINSTALL A
KOOKY JUKEY
To stop arguments
(or start them)
over the garden
party playlist, try a
social jukebox app
like OutLoud (£free,
iOS/Android). It lets
your friends control
the music, adding
songs while others
vote on what
should go next.PLAY SOME
HOUSE MUSIC
Turn your portable
speaker towards
the side of the
house. You’ll be
able to increase
the volume without
worrying about
the neighbours
so much, and audio
bouncing off the
walls tends to
spread out better.S WAT
THE DIFFERENCE
Great, here come
the mosquitoes.
Steer clear of
standing water,
try fans (they’re
weak flyers) and
use insect repellent
containing picaridin- it’s odourless and
non-greasy, and
doesn’t damage
synthetics.
BEOSOUND
A1 2ND GEN
ROCK GARDEN
WE’RE ALSO WILD ABOUT...
£200 / bang-olufsen.comE