Size comparison - Beosound 2 at left and Beoplay A9 at right.
Let's begin with the summary of the biggest differences you should be aware of when comparing the Beosound 2 vs Beoplay A9:
- Beoplay A9 is able to crank out much stronger sound output (almost TWICE as much as Beosound 2) and it also looks prettier to most (this Kvadrat color is especially liked by many - including me)
- Beosound 2 propagates the sound much better (almost TWICE the angle of Beoplay A9), and is also much more portable, much more versatile and a little bit easier to use.
The most important thing when it comes to speakers, the sound quality, of these speakers are comparable. Unless you have a PhD on speakers and studied these two for weeks, I'm pretty sure you won't notice a difference.
I contacted the B&O Customer Service about this and here's what they told me:
- Beoplay A9: 2nd and 4th Generation. I'm told that the A9 2nd Generation is no longer on production line and also, no longer available web-store either.
- Beosound 2: Received a complete revision in 2017. This is the most recent model of Beosound 2 on B&O's web-store.
I'm also told that although these previous revisions are discontinued, customer support is still being delivered for them.
Information in this post applies only to the most recent models of Beoplay A9 and Beosound 2.
You can see the list of these revisions here in B&O's very own product support page as well.
After all, B&O is always a safe bet when it comes to sound quality - especially with high-end products like these two.
At a whooping four figures, these speakers are far from cheap. So I'd recommend you to read this post entirely. But if you want a quick summary, here it is:
If your new speaker will take place inside a mostly 50-60 square meters apartment flat, then Beosound 2 can mostly be a better choice. Any room larger than that and Beoplay A9 can be more suitable - especially for detached houses.
Let's dive deeper.
Sound quality, strength & 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...
The sound quality is top-notch for both speakers, so my recommendation is to disregard it completely while choosing between the two. It's impossible to dislike the sound coming out of either one of these speakers anyway.
Example of a house perfect match with the Beoplay A9.
Moving on, as mentioned earlier into the post, Beoplay A9 produces stronger sound output than the Beosound 2.
But what should this tell us?
It tells us a lot about their most suitable environment types and sizes.
If you're living inside a regular apartment flat up to, say, 50-60 square meters, then chances are, you probably won't even use it at half of its full power.
Referencing to the introduction image, its enormous size compared to Beosound 2 is also going to be restrictive in terms of placement with smaller sized rooms.
Owing to its engineering design, Beoplay A9 is also more convenient than Beosound 2 for outdoors.
On top of that, the plate-like speaker is also pointed slightly upwards, aiming to respond better to high ceiling environments.
All these combined make Beoplay A9 a perfect corner speaker option for larger sized rooms/areas.
Beosound 2 is strong as well - but not as much as Beoplay A9.
It comes with a woofer at the bottom, two mid-ranges and a tweeter at the top - which puts it two drivers ahead of its sister Beosound 1.
Its power would be enough to blast your neighbors without necessarily going full volume.
Beosound 2.
Just because Beosound 2 provides 360 degrees of sound propagation, doesn't mean that it must be placed somewhere central in the room.
Because, it allows introducing its whereabouts in the very room it's placed at.
The app lets you choose either one of these three options: Corner, wall or freestanding.
The freestanding option is one of the most important selling points for the Beosound 2, though.
Just like its cousin Beoplay M5, one of the most beautiful things about Beosound 2 is that you get the same sound quality no matter where you're located at relative to the speaker.
In summary, it's always a safe bet to place a Beosound 2 on the table in the middle of a 50 - 60 square meter room.
Needless to say, Beoplay A9 doesn't provide 360 degree sound propagation. I mean, look at it. You don't need a feature like that with it anyway. However, it too allows adjusting the sound according to its room positioning.
Ease of use
I love how graciously slick the mechanical head of Beosound 2:
- Just tap it to play the music. You're literally one tap away from it.
- Tap it twice and it changes to your favorite playlist (comes with built-in Spotify, Airplay and Chromecast).
- Rotate the head to turn the volume up or down.
- Swipe it to shuffle through your playlist. A cool feature I like: Embedded proximity sensor detects the angle you're approaching the speaker, so you can always use the same swiping direction.
*Video is time adjusted. Play it to see how some interactions with the Beosound 2 take place.
Beoplay A9 isn't any less capable. It carries out very same capabilities through a touch-operated backpanel:
*Video is time adjusted. Play it to see how to adjust the volume of Beoplay A9.
As you see,
- Swipe hand across the top to turn volume up or down.
- Rest hand on the top sensor for a few seconds to mute sound.
- Tap to the right to play next track and left to play previous track.
- Short tap in the center to initiate last played source.
Lastly, both speakers require full power all the time. Disregard the Beoplay A9 outdoors image above where you can't see any cables whatsoever!
