Bang & Olufsen has a great history of world-class design and quality, and I guess that’s why I  set forth to do an in-depth Beoplay S3 Review.  I also have to confess an initial bias against the S3 –I was expecting style over substance –boy was I wrong!  Read on for the full Beoplay S3 Review.

B&O over the years have been known for building top quality products, although you tend to have to pay a big premium style over performance.  When this Beoplay S3 speaker came out, it was well over $300 which gets into tough competitive territory but when the price dropped on Amazon to under $140 I had to try this baby out.

In short, I was absolutely blown away.  In fact, I could potentially justify this at a much higher price.  Crisp, clear and punchy with much deeper, clean bass than I could have ever expected from such a little speaker.  I didn’t expect it, but it beats two of my favorites from Sonos with ease (model 1 and 2 ) [Read the Sonos Model 3 Review here] although I’ll say the only drawback is that it’s Bluetooth only (no airplay or home Wifi network) and has a few limitations when it comes to multi-room/speaker setups and control.  It does let you add a second speaker for a stereo pair, and I’ll more than likely get one at this price and use this setup in my bedroom.

Pros

• Insane detail clarity and clean bass
• Build quality is beautiful and high quality
• App works great, easy to set-up and pair

Cons

• No Airplay option (Bluetooth only)
• Nothing at this new lower price

At the new price, unless you need something that’s portable, or if you want to use more than two speakers, for home use this Beoplay S3 review leads us to one clear answer –this is without question a clear winner and a speaker you have to give a listen to! I can’t wait to try the other models.

UPDATE:

Sadly, The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay S3 speaker was discontinued and replaced by the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 2nd Generation. The Beoplay A1 2nd Gen is an upgraded version of the original Beoplay A1, with improved sound quality and battery life. It still features a compact, portable design and a built-in microphone for taking calls. The Beoplay A1 2nd Gen is also compatible with Bang & Olufsen’s app, which allows users to customize the sound profile and access additional features.  In short, even though it can’t get as loud, with less bass presence, if you want wireless then it’s well worth checking out.  The quality feel and build is a full step up and we love the Beoplay A1 2nd Gen.