Review on A1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Aloe by Troy Hamilton

I love speakers and have missed having decent quality portable speakers ever since I gave my daughter my Bose Soundlink a few years ago. I bought the first B&O PLay A1 and was immediately impressed by how well it reproduced the sound and delivered amazing detail. It was a pleasure to hear Dinah Bogart [.] sing. On selected works one could easily hear the "pocus" of the accompanying saxophones. Bluetooth syncing was fast and efficient and it automatically reconnected to my iPhone. A bit dazed, I ordered a second speaker and imagined how much better it would be to have true L+R audio separation. That's where the problems started, but eventually they were resolved. B&O comes with its own downloadable iPhone app that can act as an equalizer but, more importantly, connects two speakers in stereo. At least in theory. I ended up renaming the speakers "L" and "R" so I could tell which was which when I synced. But the audio continued to cut out while the second speaker was in sync, almost as if the microwave was interfering with the audio transmission. Then I stumbled across the following procedure, which completely solved the problem, although I think B&O should consider a solution.1. Sync your first speaker with your phone's Bluetooth setting.2. Repeat the process with the second speaker.3. Go to the B&O app and select "Stereo Link". (Not entirely intuitive compared to how the Logitech UE system "doubles the work".)4. Go back to the Bluetooth management settings and you will see that a total of 4 B&O devices are connected instead of two. Wait a few seconds.5. B&O devices that were connected via the app will be hidden and you'll be left with the pair you originally synced, but in stereo.6. Enjoy the great soundstage! The synchronization may take a few seconds. I don't pretend to understand how all those zeros and ones fight, but in the end they reconcile and leave behind a portable concert hall. It's still a pain even after the first time. Here's what you should do every time you want to use two speakers instead of just one: 1. Turn on each speaker and look closely for the "on" button (see below) 2. One of the two speakers turns on immediately, the second one looks at you silently 3. Look at the list of Bluetooth devices, both are connected 4. Enter the B&O application Try to remember where the Stereo Link menu is hidden. 5. Activate the second device. 6. Return to the Bluetooth menu. See 4, not two devices. 7. Wait 10 seconds on my device while it resolves, the two duplicate connections disappear. Synchronization completion system.9. I'm looking forward to a new app that puts more emphasis on functionality and simplifies the process into say nine steps. After I set up the stereo, I want it to remember it until I change my mind. I bought moss green and I love this color. I appreciate that B&O playfully points out that a ring here and there, even a dent or two, adds character. Thanks but no. For $250 I get a nice protective case to put in. While I like the look and feel of the overall design, the controls are a bit "too minimalistic" for my taste. I don't have to search for the power button every time I want to turn it on or off. Every time I feel like a little Indiana Jones on the quest. The physical process of turning the device on and off can also require some work. It shouldn't be possible to get it "wrong," but that's what happens. You have to press this almost invisible icon for a few seconds, then it makes a cute, to me unwanted, sound to let you know that you've completed your task. I predict B&O will either create a slight bulge in their eventual redesign. or indent where the power button is to make it less of a hunting expedition. I haven't tried the conference call feature yet and will let you know with an update. Real Rating: Overall Sound - 5 Stars Bluetooth Syncing - 2 Stars Bluetooth Connectivity - 4 Stars Volume - 5 Stars Appearance - 4 Stars Functional Design - 3 Stars I've had them less than a week so I'm keeping both or even one. hard call I really like the sound, but there are some features that seem unnecessarily labor intensive.