Designed in collaboration with design duo GamFratesi, the new Bang & Olufsen portable Beosound A5 speaker references the past, connects to the future.

The options available today when it comes to portable audio are seemingly endless, with many portable audio designs taking an abstract approach to the concept in order to stand out from the crowd. But Bang & Olufsen’s new pair of Beosound A5 speaker designs wear their function and features with refreshing clarity, requiring only a brief glance to communicate its portable purpose.

Designed in partnership with Danish architect Stine Gam and Italian architect Enrico Fratesi, the design duo known collectively as GamFratesi have given both versions of the Beosound A5 distinct personalities with small, yet noticeable differences. In natural aluminum with a woven paper fiber front and light oak handle, the feeling is of “laid-back Scandinavian summers spent at the beach.” And in this lighter iteration it is near impossible not to imagine the speaker as another object equated with portability and recreation, the picnic basket.
Conversely, the Beosound A5 in black anthracite aluminum with a dark oak wood speaker cover and handle communicates a moodier architectural presence.
The Beosound A5 is designed to be taken around the house or even outdoors, with a IP65 water and dust-proof rating and more than 12 hours of playtime.
The A5 isn’t just a wireless audio speaker, but a portable backup ...