Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore: A Stylish Yet Sturdy Bluetooth Speaker for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of premium consumer electronics, is renowned for the meticulous design and attention to detail across its product range, in addition to performance. The Beosound lineup encompasses a variety of audio offerings, including in-home speaker systems; however, today’s focus is on a portable audio device. Notably, this model is one of the more budget-friendly options from Bang & Olufsen, although it is still priced at a premium in comparison to similar wireless speakers from brands like Xiaomi, Sony, and JBL.

The Beosound Explore is a premium-grade wireless speaker with a price tag of Rs. 20,000 in India. It is constructed for outdoor use, featuring an anodized aluminum body and an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. Is this currently the best Bluetooth speaker available for approximately Rs. 20,000? Let’s dive into the review to find out.

The Beosound Explore from Bang & Olufsen represents a more accessible price point within the company’s range of wireless speakers, still commanding a premium at Rs. 20,000.

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore is ready for any environment

Renowned for their aesthetic appeal, Bang & Olufsen products don’t disappoint, and the Beosound Explore is no exception. The speaker is elegant, refined, and significantly more compact than comparably positioned alternatives like the UE Boom 3 and JBL Xtreme 2. Its weight, however, is comparable to those models, due in part to its robust metal construction. The frame employs anodized aluminum, while the base is coated with rubber for enhanced grip and shock resistance.

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore boasts an IP67 rating, which indicates it can withstand substantial exposure to dust and moisture, as well as brief immersion in shallow water. The speaker comes with a waterproof fabric strap and a carabiner for convenient transport. The USB Type-C charging port is located on the rubberized base, while the operational controls sit on the top surface, allowing for 360-degree sound distribution instead of a directed listening experience.

On the top, there are five soft-touch buttons for controlling power, volume, playback, and Bluetooth pairing. A single press of the playback button lets you play or pause your music, while a double-click skips to the next track and a triple-click returns to the previous one.

A helpful feature is its multi-point connectivity, allowing it to simultaneously connect to two Bluetooth devices, as well as enabling stereo pairing if you have two Beosound Explore speakers. It also supports quick pairing via Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair protocols. It’s worth noting that this speaker lacks a built-in microphone, so it’s not suitable for hands-free calling, which also means there’s no compatibility with voice assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

Included in the package is a carabiner for attaching to the Beosound Explore.

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore features dual 1.8-inch drivers and two 30W Class D full-range amplifiers, providing a frequency response range of 56-22,700Hz. It utilizes Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity and supports the SBC Bluetooth codec. The Bang & Olufsen app, available for iOS and Android, facilitates playback and volume control, sound profile customization, and stereo pairing for linking two Beosound Explore units. The app also displays the speaker’s battery status.

Battery life for the Beosound Explore is claimed to last 27 hours at standard volume levels, although my real-world usage indicated significantly less—approximately 11 hours at moderate volumes on a single charge. While this figure is lower than the manufacturer’s claim, it remains acceptable for a speaker of this dimension. The Beosound Explore took about two hours to fully recharge with my 10W charger.

Impressive soundstage on the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore

Beyond its aesthetic appeal and build quality, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore promises commendable sound quality due to its dual-driver configuration. Although the specifications suggest that the speaker could be quite loud, it doesn’t reach the same volume levels as devices like the UE Boom 3. Nevertheless, the sound quality is respectable with decent tuning, and the driver positioning enhances the overall soundstage.

For this review, I primarily paired the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore with an iPhone 13 (Review) while also testing the multi-point connectivity with an Android smartphone. The absence of a microphone limited my tests to music listening, watching YouTube videos, and mobile gaming. The connection remained stable even when two devices were linked to the speaker, up to a distance of 3 meters, and switching between devices was smooth and quick.

Starting my listening with «Supalonely» by Benee at a volume of about 50 percent and using the ‘Optimal’ sound profile, akin to a flat equalizer setting due to the speaker’s tuning. At this setting, the sound felt overly warm, making Benee’s bright, youthful vocals occasionally sound muddy and disjointed. While this did enhance the track’s punchiness and bass, it didn’t achieve the clarity I desired.

Fortunately, the sound profile can be modified easily to suit individual tracks. I managed to intuitively adjust it to my preferences. However, given my diverse musical tastes and tendency to shuffle through various genres, frequent adjustments aren’t ideal. Thus, the speaker’s natural tuning didn’t quite meet my expectations, especially considering its price.

The anodized aluminum design of the Beosound Explore is both visually appealing and tactilely pleasing.

Listening to «Intoxicated» by Martin Solveig and GTA presented an opportunity to appreciate the Beosound Explore with music tailored to its strengths. The energetic, rapid beat of this track resonated well on the speaker, and the directionality of the drivers contributed to an impressive soundstage throughout the room, despite being positioned in a corner against the wall. With the volume increased, this track was particularly enjoyable, and I perceived a slight enhancement in sound quality when the volume exceeded 70 percent.

However, dialing up the sound to around 90 percent resulted in a sonic signature that felt overly bass-heavy and oppressive. Nevertheless, the Beosound Explore managed to maintain minimal distortion and harshness. Overall, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore delivers reasonable sound quality, considering its high price, yet its performance is modestly limited by its size and propensity to sound rather warm.

Conclusion

The ‘luxury’ ethos of Bang & Olufsen translates reasonably well to the Beosound Explore. This is an outdoor-capable wireless speaker that could work nicely for activities like ‘glamping’ or relaxing by the poolside during your getaway. It’s an aesthetically pleasing and well-constructed wireless speaker that provides sufficient sound quality to justify its Rs. 20,000 price point.

That said, the sound output is not as robust as I would have preferred, there’s no microphone for hands-free calls, and the beautiful design and sturdy build come at a premium. The sound quality is commendable, especially with a good soundstage and the ability to quickly adjust the equalizer through the app, making the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore a viable choice to consider around the Rs. 20,000 range.