When Bang & Olufsen first launched its smallest, most affordable speaker back in 2016, it was by far the most stylish of the portable types on the market, equally at home on the beaches of Byron Bay as the offices of Luxury London.

For 2020, the second-generation A1 has been completely revamped. On the outside, the A1 retains its elegant shape and unique contours, brought to life in collaboration with renowned Danish industrial designer Cecilie Manz. “We wanted it to feel smooth and soft in your hands, since you hold it a lot,” explains Manz. “It’s almost like a sanded stone with no sharp edges, even though it’s made of two joint materials: aluminium and polymer.” The wholesome-looking leather strap now has a new tag, allowing endless hanging options whether it’s on your backpack or the branch of a tree. The svelte aluminium case is lighter than the previous version, though just as durable.

On the inside, the speaker packs a punch that belies its size. Two re-designed drivers provide an even clearer 360-degree sound: a 3.5-inch aluminium cone mid-woofer using a powerful neodymium magnetic system, a silk dome 3/4 inch dome tweeter and advanced DSP filtering powered by a pair of 30-watt class D amplifiers. Impressively, it is the very first Bluetooth speaker to include a fully integrated Alexa voice assistant, meaning you can put on that bossa nova playlist as you check-in on a loved one from Ipanema. Using Far-Field voice technology, Alexa can be activated from up to 5m away. Fully waterproof up to 1m deep, dust and sand resistant, with up to 18 hours of listening time, the A1 is hot on our list of summer essentials.

Bang & Olufsen A1 2ND GEN

Designer: Cecilie ManzMaterials: Pearl Blasted Aluminium, Polymer, Waterproof LeatherWaterproof Level: Fully dust and waterproof, IP67 certifiedDimensions (mm): 133 W x 46 H x 133 DWeight (g): 558Frequency Range: 55-20.000 HzMaximum Loudness @1m (SPL): 92 dB SPLBattery Playtime: Typical Listening Volumes: up to 18 hours

£200, bang-olufsen.com