Best Outdoor speakers

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is a sensational-sounding speaker and, for a Bluetooth speaker, it supports smarts in the form of Alexa voice assistance.

It achieves Alexa control through a smartphone, so the Alexa app needs to be downloaded on the mobile device as the A1 2nd Gen does not natively support it. During our time with the speaker, we found summoning Alexa work rather well in a local park, proving to be responsive at handling queries. Alexa wasn’t as quick to chime in when our smartphone was performing another task, so we’d suggest you keep attempts at multi-tasking low if you want a fast response.

Compared to the Beoplay A1, battery life has also had a upgrade, with the Beosound A1 able to last for 18 hours, where the original model could only reach four hours. The B&O companion app offers some decent functionality with EQ presets and volume control, though there are fewer features than what you’d get with a Wi-Fi enabled speaker.

As a B&O product, the Beosound A1 looks the part with a stylish leather base and aluminium top surface that helps the speaker achieve an IP67 water resistance, which is the same as the Wonderboom 2. It is lighter than its predecessor at 558g, which helps to make it easier to carry around, and its leather strap has been tweaked to allow for more hanging options. The tweaks to the design make it a little more convenient to carry with you.

The audio performance is one that we found to be very impressive, the sound quality was impressively clear, with bass better emphasised that the Sonos Roam. Vocal clarity is excellent with voices granted plenty of space to exist, the tonal balance throughout the frequency range is great, and it’s a very dynamic and exciting. This is one of the best outdoor speakers we’ve come across, the only that would give us pause is that it comes at high price.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: B&O Beosound A1 2nd Gen

The Sonos Move is positioned as a larger speaker for use outdoors compared to the Roam, but a good choice if you’re in need of a bigger sound for parties and gatherings in a garden.

It weighs 3kg, which isn’t exactly portable in the truest sense but in our opinion, the integrated handle actually makes it seem lighter than it is when carrying it about. Build quality is what we’d describe as durable, and while we wouldn’t recommend dropping the speaker from any height, we accidentally did and the result was a tiny mark that we can’t actually locate any more. Rated at IP56 rated, meaning it’s well protected against dust and mud, and should be able to withstand all types of conditions the British weather can throw.

It’s available in two finishes in Shadow Black and Lunar White, the former serves the purpose of protecting the Move against overheating.

Used indoors and the Move works much like any other Sonos speaker when connected to Wi Fi. There’s hands-free access Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, both of which are quick to respond to requests. Other Wi-Fi related features include AirPlay 2 that brings multi-room and connectivity to iOS products into the equation as well as support for Siri.

Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature automatically optimises audio output based on the speakers’ placement for the best sound quality, while battery life has been extended to up to 11 hours (it was initially 10) through an update. If damaged, Sonos supports replacement of the battery.

We found the Move to be one of the better-sounding outdoor speakers, much like its smaller Roam sibling. It’s a neutral-sounding speaker with good amounts of detail, clarity and sharpness to its presentation. It handles the low end with confidence, though if you want more bass and a wider soundstage then the Sony SRS-XG300 is a good alternative. However, that speaker doesn’t have the top-end clarity with high-frequency notes that the Move has.

Regardless of what you listen to, the Move puts in a clear, precise and detailed performance that works well across a range of genres, and it’s capable of going pretty loud, though bass does appear to be nerfed at higher volumes.

Reviewer:Kob Monney
Full review: Sonos Move

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 brings with Ultimate Ears’ signature sound to a small form factor, putting in an energetic and fun performance.

It has decent weight to low frequencies, though we wouldn’t necessarily describe it as a bass monster. In fact, the new Wonderboom 3 features a more effective and rounded bass performance. Sound can be projected 360-degrees with a similar performance accessible from whichever direction you’re facing the speaker.

The design of the Wonderboom 2 is largely unchanged from the original, a handful of refinements as opposed to a complete overhaul. It is slightly bigger with the same rubberised surface on the top and bottom for better grip when holding the speaker. Rated at IP67, the speaker can repel dust and water, the material is scratch-proof (to guard against any feral domestic pets) as well be dunked under water for 30 minutes (though it’s likely to bob on surface than sink). The range of different colours available also means there’s plenty of diversity in the Wonderboom 2’s appearance.

Battery life has been improved up from 10 to 13 hours, and there are a couple of new sound modes to play around with in Outdoor Boost and Double Up. Outdoor Boost makes the speaker more expansive and brings clarity to the midrange and treble frequencies, while Double Up adds the functionality of using two Wonderboom 2 speakers in a stereo pair. With the Wonderboom 3 set to go on sale in October for the same price carrying the same features, you may want to wait for that to appear than purchase the Wonderboom 2.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2