Bang & Olufsen is one of the best-known brands in Denmark.
Over the years, the company has earned an incredible reputation, not just for its commitment to high-quality speaker systems and technology, but also for its stunning approach to Scandi style.
The B&O Play Beolit 17 is one of the flagship portable speaker models available from Bang and Olufsen today, combining the Danish brand’s trademark aesthetic with next-level sound performance, smooth functionality, and premium materials.
If you’re looking to add a bit of Scandinavian panache to your home, or you’re just an audiophile with a love of exceptional sound quality, then you can’t go wrong with the Beolit 17.
Read through our B&O Beolit 17 review to learn more…
B&O Beolit 17 review: Tech specs
If you’re looking to add a bit of Scandinavian panache to your home, or you’re just an audiophile with a love of exceptional sound quality, then you can’t go wrong with the Beolit 17.
Before we jump in with a full review of this Bang and Olufsen portable speaker, let’s take a look at some of the tech specs that you can expect:
- 2 x 35 class D amplifier
- 1 x 5.5 long-strong wideband woofer
- 2 x 4″ passive bass radiators
- 3 x 1.5″ wideband tweeters
- Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity
- Stereo pairing
- Bang and Olufsen app compatibility
- Smart features included
- 3.5mm mini-Jack
- 1 x USB-C for charging
- 24-hour battery life
- Leather strap included
- Weight: 2.7kg
- Dimensions: 23 x 18.9 x 13.5 cm
B&O Beolit 17 review: Design
Since it’s the aesthetic that sets this Bang and Olufsen Bluetooth speaker apart as a Danish masterpiece, let’s start our Beolit 17 review with a focus on design.
The unique lunchbox style is simple and charming. It looks as though it was created to fit neatly into virtually any kitchen, bedroom, or living room.
Wrapped around the front of the unit is a sophisticated metal grille, which hides an impressive array of speakers, including 2 passive bass radiators, 3 1-5 inch tweeters, and a powerful 5.5-inch full-range driver.
On top of the machine, you’ll find a moulded rubber surface where you can easily place your smartphone if you want to keep track of it when you’re streaming music.
Another great thing about this Bang and Olufsen portable speaker, is that all of the buttons are ergonomic and easy to use. You’ll have no trouble skipping through stations trying to find your favourite show, and you can launch Bluetooth pairing with just a single button.
You can also opt to press a button to set an alarm, go back to the last tune you listened to on Spotify, or snooze your alerts.
So you can take your radio with you on the go, the B&O Play Beolit 17 also comes with a leather carry handle which fits neatly over the upper portion of the unit. It looks as though it’s half-speaker, half fashionable Danish handbag.
B&O Beolit 17 review: Sound quality
If you’ve listened to music from a Bang and Olufsen Bluetooth speaker before, then you’ll know how amazing the sound quality from this company can be. There are 6 drivers packed into the adorably designed unit — which translates into big volume and significant power.
No matter where you decide to set up your Beolit 17, you can rest assured that you’ll get room-filling sound, with 360-degree noise dispersion and 240 watts of amplifying power.
The significant 5.5-inch long-throw driver provides weighty bass and mid-level sounds, with two passive radiators to make even your radio talk shows sound incredible.
The tweeters lined along the side of the Beolit 17 are responsible for the treble, and they also ensure that you don’t have to be sat right in front of the radio to get the best audio.
B&O Beolit 17 review: Features and functionality
At this moment in time, the Beolit 17 is amongst the most premium Bang and Olufsen Bluetooth speakers in this category. This means you can expect features the come at this price point, such as the ability to link to your favourite apps and play your tunes from your smartphone.
For easy functionality, the Beolit 17 comes with access to B&O Play — the Company’s proprietary smartphone app, which allows you to create personal sound profiles, and connect multiple speaker systems.
There’s also the option to customise the details of the soundscape that you get from the Beolit 17 so that you can match your mood. If these features aren’t enough to justify the Beolit 17’s price, then you’ll be pleased to hear this device is also built to last.
With authentic full-grain leather, durable polymers, and an anodised aluminium grille, you’ll get years of enjoyment out of the Beolit 17.
Additionally, if you’re concerned that the amount of output will rapidly drain the Beolit 17 battery life — you don’t need to be. This Bang and Olufsen portable speaker can play for up to 24 hours (at moderate volume levels) before it needs a recharge.
Even then, it only takes a couple of hours to get your speaker back to full capacity.
