Beoplay M5 (right) would be my recommendation even against two pieces of M3's (left) - because the M3's doesn't support stereo pairing support anyway - unlike Sonos One.
Both Beoplay M3 and M5 are multi-room, stand-alone Wi-Fi speakers designed for home (stationary) use.
The main differences between Beoplay M3 vs M5 are related to design, sound quality and sound propagation.
I also contacted the Bang & Olufsen Customer Service about this (find mail history at the bottom of this post) and put together all my findings here in this post.
Quick Summary
Basically, both speakers use the same software, so in terms of performance and capabilities in this sense, they're related.
But that doesn't mean they'll perform similarly. M5 is equipped not only with different sized drivers & amplifiers but also with MORE of them.
In case you don't know, this is the primary factor for sound quality.
As a result, Beoplay M3 is still more than capable (although I'd recommend getting a Sonos One in most cases) for most; but Beoplay M5 delivers noticeably better sound quality especially in the bass department.
...then I'd strongly recommend you to check out their different color Kvadrat covers as well before buying - both for the M5 and for the M3.
M5 also offers wider sound propagation and more useful & slick speaker control options. Unlike M3, it's also compatible with Spotify Connect as well.
Also, don't forget to check out B&O's very own AR app to see how both M3 and M5 would look like in your own home.
Sound quality & propagation
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
Room acoustics, particularly room dimensions and speaker positioning, will have an immense effect on sound quality.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is why I'd hiiiiiiighly recommend you to check out this simple, 2D, online speaker placement calculator. I've had an Acoustics & Audio PhD build this tool specifically for this purpose. It's also completely free and mobile compatible. It's GOOOOLLLDDDDD.
ASAP Science made a video on the loudest and quietest rooms in the world. A mind blowing example of the importance of acoustics (time adjusted video).
Other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, the furniture & carpets in place, ceiling height, etc can and will, of course, have an effect on room acoustics, too. But much less.
Anyways...
Both M3 and M5 are equipped with a unique software, which gets the speakers radiate the sound according to their positioning inside the room:
- Placed at the corner,
- Against a wall,
- Or right in the middle of the room (freestanding).
The speakers can't identify their positioning by themselves, though. You must be the one to introduce it manually.
With the Beoplay M5, you can hear each instrument clearly without any distortion - even after adjusting the sound to its highest.
However, designed to propagate the sound evenly on a 360 deg range (and hence the tower-like shape), M5 performs much better in this regard - especially in the middle of the room.
If you're even a little bit into sound systems you probably used at least one with multiple speakers at any point in the past.
The case is different with the M5 since the total number of sound resources are down to 1 (as it is also with the M3).
In order to bypass this problem and optimize the M5 as a standalone speaker, B&O claims to leverage a proprietary Ambient Technology solution to create a true stereo sound experience from a single speaker.
In all honesty, just like everyone else I also think that this is just a fancy sales language so I don't have any idea what that means.
Still, compared to multi-speaker systems, M5 indeed does deliver almost equal stereo pairing and sound quality.
In the end, I think you'll also find out that even one piece of M5 sounds better than two pieces of M3's.
Speaking of which, unlike M5's 360 deg propagation, M3 only acts on a <180 deg range.
Depending on the distance and its location inside the room, there are times I find it as narrow as 120-150 deg.
This is my main gripe with the M3. It makes M3 inconvenient for almost anything other than small or narrow/long room uses.
Control & Ease of Use
The M5 speaker top is an aluminium disc that incorporates volume and connection controls that respond with a viscous dampened movement.
The M5 speaker (see image) top is an aluminium disc that incorporates volume and connection controls that respond with a viscous dampened movement.
- Simply turn it to adjust the volume,
- Tap it once to have it play the last source,
- Double tap it to let Beoplay M5 join other speakers playing in your home,
- Press and hold to turn it on/off,
- Press and turn it to change the song.
You can also do it all with your phone as well.
*Video is time adjusted. Play it to see how the M5 shuffles through songs.
M3, on the other hand, has a simpler system for the same features where it uses buttons (one button for pause and two buttons for volume up/down) for said capabilities.
It isn't any less effective in this regard though - its capabilities remain the same.
Also, both lack a built-in Google assistant or Alexa.
Other shared features
M3 and M5 are multi-room Wi-Fi speakers. So they need power all the time.
It takes them about 1 minute to be completely set up. You can see this in M5 Manual [First-time setup] and M3 Manual [First-time setup] as well.
The reason they're advertised as multi-room speakers is because you can easily have them connect to other speakers in your home through the app in your smartphone.
Beoplay M3 still delivers quality sound but considering other alternatives out in the market, I don't think I can really recommend it unless you have a long, narrow home or love its stylish design.
Here's how the process works:
- Open the music app you prefer {Spotify, Deezer or Tune-in QQ Music (China Specific)}
- Choose the streaming service you prefer {Apple AirPlay, Chromecast, Bluetooth, Beolink, Spotify Connect [M5 only] or QPlay 2.0 (China specific) [M5 only]}
- Select the speakers from the list and tap play
Unlike other Beoplay A9, Beosound 2, Beosound Edge, etc; M5 and M3 are intended to fill smaller size rooms with their sound.
They can fill the bill for any room smaller than, say, 40 square meters.
You can also connect both of them to a non-B&O TV or a sound system.
Back and forth mails with B&O Customer Service
I decided to delete this part of the post after noticing following statement at the bottom of their mails:
The information in this email and any attachment is BANG & OLUFSEN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION and is solely for the attention of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this message in error and that reading it, copying it, or in any way disclosing its content to any other person is strictly unauthorized.
